# Girl to Gorilla!



## JustJimAZ

As I was commenting on another thread, I remembered a transformation illusion called Girl to Gorilla.









It is a circus sideshow act that looks something like THIS
It also made it into a Bond film.

Wouldn't this be a fine addition to a haunt? Of course it would be.

What I really want to ask is - do you know exactly how this is done? Are there any online tutorials out there?

It looks like a Pepper's Ghost illusions to me, but what I am looking for is someone who really KNOWS how it's done. I think this could be useful in a mad scientist display, a circus haunt, multiple zombie or ghost scenes/ haunts, just about anything where it would be cool to see an actor completely transform RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES!!! 

In fact, I think I would love to hear about any other cool sideshow illusions. It occurs to me that as sideshows and live theater fades away, the only place their wonderful illusions might be preserved is in home haunts.


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## austenandrews

I saw one of those at the state fair when I was a kid. Scared the poot out of me!

It's a two-way mirror gag. You can see it more clearly in this video of that same show:






The girl is off to the side, blocked by the curtain wall. The two-way mirror is angled. When the girl is lit, it looks like she's behind the bars. Then her light is dimmed as the light behind the mirror is brought up, revealing the gorilla. There's a moment of darkness, during which someone (probably the girl) swings the mirror aside. Now there's nothing between the gorilla and the bars, which rattles the cage door and then makes its escape.

And yes, it would be awesome at a haunt!


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## JustJimAZ

Thanks. I wonder why there are two actors credited as the gorilla?


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## austenandrews

Maybe they switched out during the evening? Or maybe they didn't swing the mirror away, but snuck in a second gorilla during the blackout. That might be an easier setup, come to that.


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## Dark Angel 27

that was so very cool!


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## JustJimAZ

Yeah. i don't think it's a two way mirror, but just a piece of glass. With the lighting right, it would work the same, but without the need to pull the mirror out of the way later. Just make the girl's room go dark.

I think we need a haunter's book of illusions. If no one else has written one, I'm going to just to compile all the research.


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## Jaybo

LOL! Now that's cool! I've always thought the Pepper's Ghost trick was interesting, but not really scary. This is scary. Very nice.


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## The-Haunter

Sign me up for a copy of that book. I'd love to incorporate illusions into the midway I'm building this year


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## austenandrews

It occurs to me that if you put the girl behind the glass and the gorilla to the side, the gorilla only has to slide into place during the blackout. Not sure what I was thinking before.


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## austenandrews

At home I've got a link to an old book of illusions, that I believe I got from a thread here. I'll post it when I get the chance.

Personally I love tricks like these. Mystifying is much harder than scaring.


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## BobC

Here is a link for yall... It is in this book http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S13473


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## debbie5

FORTY DOLLAZZzzz!!?


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## Jaybo

Here is also a link to plans for the entire setup.

http://hamiltonholtinc.stores.yahoo.net/girltogorilla.html


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## debbie5

That's no illusion. It's just PMS, people.


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## JustJimAZ

debbie5 said:


> That's no illusion. It's just PMS, people.


HAHAHAhahah!


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## JustJimAZ

austenandrews said:


> Personally I love tricks like these. Mystifying is much harder than scaring.


I agree, Austen. I find it more personally satisfying, too. When you can mystify them into peeing their pants, so much the better!


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## Frighteners Entertainment

I agree AA.


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## JustJimAZ

Someone just suggested to me that a smaller version could be made transforming a skull into a head, or vice-versa. That would be both a cool build, and a useful scale-model before building a full sized transformation. Or maybe a faerie into a faerie mummy? Hah! Then I could use my mummy faeries.


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## austenandrews

As discussed in another thread, I'm playing around with the idea of having a photo op where TOTs can be decapitated via mirror tricks. I've got a sound-activated skull that I'm also considering swapping onto a kid's body. I'm thinking of a more sudden switch, but I admit the crossfade-before-your-eyes is an amazing gag when you're not expecting it.


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## Aquayne

There is a great book called Haunted Illusions by Paul Osborne it has all of the old carni acts. Spidora, girl to gorilla, headless woman, Head of Azrah, etc. I got a digital pdf copy some years ago along with some other files someone got rid of. It is great.


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## Rahnefan

Classic. Saw one at a state fair many many years ago, will never forget it. I ran out of that tent so fast.

If only I had a volunteer performer I'd have a Spidora gag at my haunt!


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## craigfly06

intresting idea, but the video has been removed. Is there another video?


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## JustJimAZ

I could not find another video on YouTube.
It's basically a Pepper's Ghost - the girl sits in plain view behind the glass, well lit. The gorilla is off to the side, unlit. As they do the act, the lighting changes so you see the gorilla in the glass. There's a moment of black (or a flash of light), to hide the gorilla stepping out from the side, then it tears off the cage doors and everyone runs.

I got the suggested "Haunted Illusions" book and it tells all I need.

Weird that there is no video out there. All 3, uploaded by different users, were removed? 
Like there are "Men in Black" in the sideshow world keeping it a secret!

I did find the site of some people who are doing sideshow tricks again. Looks like the girl now turns into a mummy. Why not? I was going for Red Riding Hood into werewolf!
http://sideshowillusions.com/sideshows.html


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## Ses Carny

There is a book out called "Haunted Illusions" by Paul Osbourne. It's a fantastic book. I've built many of the sets in there. The girl to gorilla is one of my favorites and I've built quite a few of them. The best part is having NO blackout and the gorilla charges out of the cage, in full site, the entire time. I've put the lexan glass on hinges with magnets to hold it open. When the girl's light is fully dimmed, she grabs a hidden wire and when the gorilla is ready to "escape", the sirens and the strobe lights turn on and she pulls the lexan glass toward her, thus opening a full walking path for the gorilla. The magnets on the edge of the lexan catch on a strip of metal on the girl's cage and it stays open. The crowd never sees the glass move because there's two strobe lights, one inside the gorilla's cage and one outside, both pulsing at different beats. That offsetting of the two strobes perfectly hides the moving glass. Now the gorilla can shuffle forward, grab the cage door and "break out". We had people paying 2 and even some, 3 times a night to come through and try to figure out how the gorilla escaped.


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## spong8

Lance Burton used this principle as an appearance before he retired during his stage show. He'd slowly materialize like a ghost and then continue on with hsi show. Anyone go ahead with the idea and catch it on video? I'd love to see how this illusion worked out for y'all.


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