Monkeys, Go Home! Movie Review (1967)

Welcome back to the continuation of Dean Jones’ temporary run as a male lead for the Disney movies. I do like him, I really do, I just have a weird sense of humor and I find this entertaining. Anyway, enough about that. For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots, how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.

A Brief Summary

(Taken from D23)

A young American, Hank Dussard, inherits a large olive farm in Provence, France. Labor is too costly to harvest the olives, so Hank trains four chimpanzees to do the job, and thus incurs the wrath of the villagers. Eventually, the American foils a local labor leader, wins the girl he loves, and the olives are harvested.

What works

• Even during the first viewing, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. There was some hesitation at first (often occurs with these new-to-me live-action films) after watching the trailer but it didn’t take long into the movie for me to really get into it and enjoy it.
• I like the difference in tone between Hank’s conversation with Paraulis compared to his conversation with Father Sylvain. Similar in what is being said (the focus being on it being hard for a single man to pick all the olives, needing labor help) yet the audience/Hank can tell who is actually wanting to help versus just looking out for themselves.
  • Paraulis starts off as a lively, helpful character. Scratch that. Maybe knowing his later role as primary antagonist, but his conversation with Hank (now that I listen more clearly) seems more of a scam attempt to gain the olive grove than words of wisdom/warning (see the final bit in the Honorable Mentions section).
    • “Do yourself a favor and reconsider.”
      • Yeah, failed attempt to buy out the property. But I am seriously questioning myself on whether or not I actually believed Paraulis during the first viewing. I mean, obviously, during the 2nd viewing I was able to pick up on the scam, but I don’t know if I paid attention enough during the first viewing. Would I possibly have been bamboozled if I were in Hank’s shoes? hmmm maybe. okay, probably. From afar I would have been able to see the red flags, I think (I’d like to think so), but from up close, I might not have caught on to the scam.
• Hank wins over the town and then Paraulis comes back with a new plan. (honestly not even surprised that it’s a ‘fake’ cousin, though how he figured he would legally get away with it after it’s revealed and everything, I don’t know)
• At this point, it should be clear that I am always happy when a movie is light on drama (with exception), and this movie didn’t disappoint. It’s light on drama and it was easy for the conflicts to be resolved. While Marcel is still kind of hit or miss for me (see the next section), for the most part I didn’t think any of conflicts that appeared in the movie were a waste of screen time.
• The final ‘surprise’ is a boy monkey for the girls, causing them to stop working and the villagers to help pick all of the olives for free for their new american neighbor (who helps as well after basically deciding with Maria to get married)

What may or may not work

• We don’t really learn about any of the characters, with Hank being the slight exception. While it’s not completely necessary as all the characters are charming and do their respective jobs in keeping the plot moving, but there’s nothing really special about them.
• So Marcel was, I would say, a secondary antagonist. He doesn’t really cause much harm throughout the plot, which on the one hand is really nice. I mean, he’s really just full of hot air. Just because he’s worried that he’ll lose Maria to Hank when Maria doesn’t even like him. But maybe it’s also because we don’t know much about him that he seems like a lack-luster antagonist, and barely even that.
  • ‘A big red-blooded butcher like you afraid of a vegetarian’ Paraulis to Marcel (freakin’ Paraulis egging him on.)

Honorable Mentions

• The final bit of Hank’s conversation with Paraulis after he turns down Paraulis’ offer.
  • ‘You almost had me fooled there a minute.’
    • ‘eh?’
    • The real estate pitch in Southern France is the same as the USA.’
    • Naturally I do not expect you to take my word. Find out for yourself.
    • Uh-huh. I intend to. If you’d tell me how to get there.
    • If you should change your mind, Monsieur Dussard, consult no one else, the others are all thieves.

Side Questions

• With the new boy monkey’s arrival, are they going to build another room for the monkeys, a bigger room?

Would I watch this movie again?

• I wouldn’t say it’d be my first pick for a movie night, but I would have no problem watching this again.

If you’ve seen Monkeys, Go Home!, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!

Rewind to the beginning of the Disney Film Project

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