Konga – 1961 | 90mins | Horror, Sci-Fi | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Konga is one of many fantasies of an unexplored darkest Africa. Konga is a chimp that has rescued Dr Decker (Michael Gough), a renowned botanist, when his plane had crashed in remotest Uganda. The chimp had led Decker to the nearest village and consequently accompanied Decker when he returned to Britain. A rare carnivorous plant, which contains a growth serum, is also brought back. Decker tests this on Konga to prove a supposed evolutionary link between plant and animal life, but the chimp, which is constantly growing and is now the size of a huge ape.

Crazed by his new-found power, the evil botanist hypnotises the gigantic ape to murder his interfering rivals and the boyfriend of Sandra (Claire Gordon), with whom he has fallen in love. Decker’s assistant and girlfriend Margaret (Margo Johns), discovers his feelings toward Sandra, and seeks revenge by injecting Konga with a large dose of the serum. The ape grows to colossal proportions and strides towards central London on a rampage, forcing an astonished policeman to utter the immortal lines, ‘Fantastic! There’s a huge monster gorilla that’s constantly growing to outlandish proportions loose on the streets. He’s moving to the Embankment area.’ With Decker in its hand, Konga is eventually stopped by the British army with the use of rockets and machine guns.