1966 Studio Pitch

8th March, 1966: Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, James Brolin and Linda Harrison film a confrontation scene between Dr Zaius and astronaut John Thomas*. The test film is used to secure the go-ahead from studio executives to make Planet Of The Apes. The rudimentary ape makeup is by Ben Nye.

Edward G. Robinson as Dr Zaius

Linda Harrison as Zira

James Brolin as Cornelius

*"In pre-production, Taylor's original name was going to be John (or Johnny) Thomas. Charlton Heston appeared as this character in the 1966 Screen Test, alongside Edward G. Robinson as Zaius, and with James Brolin as Cornelius and Linda Harrison as Zira. The name was only changed as filming approached - a Michael Wilson script dated 5th May 1967 contained the name 'Thomas', with only revisions made in June changing the name to 'Taylor'. Indeed, the 'Production Information Guide' published on 29th January 1968 to promote the upcoming movie mistakenly used the name 'Thomas' in its synopsis. 'John Thomas' is a British euphemism for a penis, which may have contributed to the name-change."

- The Sacred Scrolls, Planet Of The Apes Wiki