Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla

Jungle-dwelling natives find two long-haired, bearded men dressed in frayed tuxedos asleep in the jungle and carry them to their chief and his daughter, who insists on protecting them. She mimes instructions that the men are to be dressed, shaven and given haircuts, all while they are still asleep. Upon waking, the men introduce themselves to the chief's daughter Nona and explain that they had fallen from a plane en route to Guam, deployed their parachutes and have been living on wild berries and raw fish. Nona explains that her father is Chief Rakos and that they are on the island of Cola Cola.

At a luau, Duke establishes a closer relationship with Nona while Sammy is introduced to Nona's overly friendly and plump sister Saloma, causing him to join the luau dancers and perform a comedy routine, followed by Duke's rendition of "'Deed I Do". Nona tells Duke that she was educated in an American college to prepare her for ruling the island as its queen.

When Duke inquires about leaving the island, Nona suggests that Dr. Zabor, conducting scientific experiments on the island, might help. Dr. Zabor offers to help Duke and Sammy leave the island, and offers them the use of his castle and wardrobe. He has designs on Nona and sends his assistant Chula to spy on her with Duke. Back in the laboratory, Dr. Zabor injects the chimpanzee Ramona, transforming her into a small monkey with a tail.

The following morning, as Nona returns to the laboratory, Dr. Zabor realizes that the serum's effect was only temporary and that Ramona has reverted to a chimp. He injects Duke with the serum and watches him transform into a gorilla.

As Nona and Sammy return to the laboratory in search of Duke, Dr. Zabor claims that the gorilla is actually Ramona. He and Nona travel the village, leaving Sammy in the laboratory with the gorilla, who pantomimes to Sammy that he is really Duke. Upon reaching the village, Sammy explains to Nona that the gorilla is Duke. She embraces the gorilla as Chula arrives with Dr. Zabor, who aims his rifle at the gorilla. Sammy shields the gorilla with his body and is mortally wounded. As the gorilla kneels over Sammy and pats his face, the scene shifts to Duke and Sammy in the dressing room of a New Jersey nightclub. Nona is in the gorilla-trainer act, with Chief Rakos in a gorilla suit. Chula is a waiter and Dr. Zabor is the manager of the club.

Sammy Petrillo and Duke Mitchell performed a musical comedy act in the style of Martin and Lewis. Their manager Maurice Duke pitched the idea of them starring in a film to several studios, including Realart Pictures, whose owner Jack Broder found their act hilarious although his assistant, producer Herman Cohen, disagreed.^[2]: 93 Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla was to be the first in a series of films starring Mitchell and Petrillo, although it is their only feature-film appearance together.^[2]: 97

According to Cohen, Jerry Lewis was furious when he learned of the film project and angrily confronted Broder.^[2]: 94 Paramount Pictures producer Hal B. Wallis, who had Martin and Lewis under contract, threatened to sue Broder for releasing a film that featured a team that closely resembled Martin and Lewis.^[3] After shooting wrapped, Broder offered to sell Wallis the film's negative for a substantial sum. Although Wallis wanted to buy it in order to destroy it, the men could not agree on a price. Broder, forced to recoup his investment himself, released the film through Realart. Wallis never spoke to Broder again.^{[2]: 96–97}

Bela Lugosi, ill from his morphine addiction and with his career in sharply decline, was cast because Realart had reissued his Universal Pictures horror films.^{[2]: 95–96} Although the film was originally titled White Woman of the Lost Jungle, Broder's young son suggested the title of Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla. Cohen retitled the film to capitalize upon Lugosi's appearance.^[4]

The film was produced over a six-day period at the General Service Studios in Los Angeles^[1][5] with a budget of $12,000.^[1]

In a contemporary review for the New York Daily News, critic Seraphina Alaino wrote: "[W]e're introduced to a couple, Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo, who are an outrageous imitation of the comedians Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Just in case some faithful fans of the famous pair might be tempted to compare the teams, don't waste your time. ... Come to think of it, Ramona the chimp was the only authentic actor among the crew."^[6]

Variety wrote: "This low-budgeted, long-titled comedy-horror pic is destined for a quick demise ... Pic is hinged together on a slim yarn that never builds in yocks or in horror."^[7]

The film entered the public domain in the U.S. in 1980.

In preparing for his role as Bela Lugosi in the 1994 biopic Ed Wood, Martin Landau watched Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla three times, later saying that it was "so bad that it made Ed Wood's films look like Gone with the Wind."^{[citation needed]}