Man, ape, and truck

The man and ape trucking duo was a very exciting concept for people in the 70’s. The 1978 breakout hit, Every Which Way But Loose, staring Clint Eastwood and an orangutan named Manis, which played Clyde, ushered in the short yet golden age of combing trucks with men who have ape companions. Every Which Way But Loose was following by the sequel, Any Which Way You Can.

Eager to cash in on the public’s burning appetite for truckers who have ape companions, NBC launched the television series B.J. and the Bear in 1978. B.J. and the Bear was about a trucker named B.J., played by Greg Evigan, and his chimpanzee companion, Bear.

Some argue that cinema and television have never fully recovered from loss of the popularity of the man, ape, and truck combination.