AP Film Studies: Apes Of Wrath

The science and fiction of Every Which Way But Loose.

IT'S AN ORANG THING: Clyde gives the one-finger salute.
By AP KRYZA

Every Which Way But Loose is a bizarre film, even for 1978. It’s about a dude (Clint Eastwood) who cruises around California drinking beer, bar brawling, chasing tail, listening to country music and then drinking more beer with his best friend, Clyde, an orangutan.
The film, which screens at Laurelhurst Theater this week, was a box-office smash.

But is it realistic? Can an alcoholic orangutan operate an asphalt machine? Do alcoholic orangutans fight and flip people the bird? And should humans use alcoholic orangutans in movies, given that Eastwood's endangered co-star was later beaten to death by its trainer?

We consulted two orang experts—Joyce Kaplan, a zoology instructor at Portland Community College, and Michael Reid, a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at the University of Toronto—to evaluate the plausibility of this, Eastwood's finest hour.


On Clyde's operation of heavy machinery:

"I wouldn't put it past someone to train an orang to drive, but I'm not sure I'd want to be driving on the road where this asphalt was laid. Communicating the use of complex heavy machinery to another species is probably asking a bit much." —Kaplan

"Wild ex-captive orangutans who were orphaned, rehabilitated and returned to the wild have been known to start outboard boat engines and ride down rivers. I'm not sure how their steering is, but at some sites with released orangutans, any canoes (even without motors) have to be sunk in order to keep orangutans from stealing them." —Reid


On beer drinking:

"I have heard some discussion that perhaps orangutans might have a slightly greater alcohol tolerance than we do because of their diets. Orangutans love to eat fruit: If fruit gets too ripe and falls to the ground, it can start to ferment, producing alcohol. Some vervet monkeys that have colonized the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts have been known to steal drinks from patrons at beach bars and get very drunk." —Reid


On fighting:

"I would not want to be punched square in the jaw by an orangutan even the size of Clyde, a juvenile orangutan. The damage from a punch could easily break bones in the face. Imagine taking a punch from Mike Tyson and adding greater strength to it. Fortunately, orangutans don't seem to punch the way we do by making fists." —Reid

"Most likely, injuries in a confrontation with an orangutan would be from bite wounds." —Kaplan


On flipping the bird:

"Based on my experience, I believe intelligent species of animals can pick up on many of the emotions they detect from a caregiver, to go along with the actions they might mimic. I think they could put together the general idea [of flipping the bird].  A small group I worked with used to climb up the side of the keeper area and pee on people we'd bring behind the scenes. I think that had meaning!” —Kaplan 


Also Showing: 

  1. The Hollywood seeks to make us feel old with 1984: The Year in Music Videos. Hollywood Theatre. 7:30 pm Wednesday, Sept. 10.
  1. Along with being one of the best con-artist movies of all time, Stephen Frears’ The Grifters marked the emergence of Annette Bening as a most formidable and unpredictable actor. Pix Patisserie. Dusk Wednesday, Sept. 10.
  1. The Portland Geek Council presents the oft-overlooked, Trekkie-baiting comedy Galaxy Quest. Hollywood Theatre. 7 pm Thursday, Sept. 11.
  1. The (Re)Discoveries series dusts off the iconic, oft-referenced 1923 silent comedy Safety Last! NW Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium. 7 pm Thursday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 13.
  1. In honor of the late Robin Williams, 20 percent of ticket sales for Good Will Hunting will benefit the Lines for Life suicide prevention program. Academy Theater. Sept. 12-18.
  1. Legendary German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder tackles racism and social norms in 1972’s Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, the story of a Moroccan worker’s romance with an aging German housekeeper. Whitsell Auditorium. 7 pm Friday, Sept. 12 and 4:30 pm Sunday, Sept. 14.
  1. Cinema Classics honors the late Eli Wallach with The Magnificent Seven, which shows what can happen if a great director remakes a certified classic. Which, of course, never happens anymore. Hollywood Theatre. 2 pm Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 13-14.
  1. 1978’s Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow introduced audiences to Jackie Chan in the best possible way: through a series of amazing battles, incredible stunts and more busted crotches than a season of Jackass. Hollywood Theatre. 7:30 pm Tuesday, Sept. 16.

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