Original artwork, not a still
Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape.
— Planet of the Apes · 1968
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Silenced for much of the film, Taylor's voice comes back with an insult, and the apes' shock at hearing a human speak is the reason the film works. The reversal is in the line itself: a man calling a primate 'dirty ape' while he is the one in the cage. It is among the most quoted lines in science fiction and, with the Statue of Liberty ending, the reason the film is remembered.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Planet of the ApesShow the scene
In Planet of the Apes (1968), astronaut George Taylor crash-lands on a world ruled by talking apes, where humans are hunted like vermin. A bullet through his throat leaves him mute while chimpanzees Zira and Galen save his life and study him. After escaping, Taylor is recaptured by gorilla guards in Ape City, and his voice returns just as they seize him: the first words he speaks to an ape are this line, ordering one to take its paws off him. The AFI ranks the line number 66 among movie quotes.
Sources (2)
- Planet of the Apes (1968 film), WikipediaPlot; American Film InstituteReference checked
- Planet of the Apes (1968 film), WikiquoteTaylor's linesReference checked
Context reviewed