King Kong: The women in his life - LA Times King Kong: The women in his life Fay Wray in the 1933 'King Kong' Warner Bros. Entertainment The famed actress, who began working in the silent era, played unemployed actress Ann Darrow in the 1933 original. The famed actress, who began working in the silent era, played unemployed actress Ann Darrow in the 1933 original. (Warner Bros. Entertainment) All Hail The King: The Top 5 King Kong Toys | CompleteSet All Hail The King: The Top 5 King Kong Toys All Hail The King: The Top 5 King Kong Toys No skyscraper is left unscaled as we look at the collectibles and extensive film history of King Kong John Wilson Posted on April 28, 2016 Very few characters in movie history have had the longevity of King Kong . In less than a dozen films, a few animated offerings and a handful of print media, Kong has become part of the lexicon to such a degree that even people who have never seen a single frame of the films will know his name. It all started in a studio in 1933.

King Kong was conceived by filmmaker Merian C Cooper . Cooper said the idea of a giant ape terrorizing New York City came to him in a dream and he liked it so much that he decided to make it into a film. This idea is not unprecedented. There is a long tradition of jungle films that generally follow the pattern of an explorer or scientist that enters the jungle and discovers a monstrosity. This basic premise was the building block that would become the 1933 version of King Kong which we will discuss in detail (along with the franchise’s rich history) below. Let us begin with five of the mightiest King Kong collectibles and toys! King Kong 1933 Movie version PVC Figure Released by X-Plus This 11.4 x 11.2 x 5.6 inches figure is one of the few representations of King Kong in his 1933 film incarnation, His upright stance, equal length arms and legs and all over weight distribution makes him “unlike man or beast” as Merian C. Cooper once put it.

His wide eyes and expressive face add to the almost human look and it’s that heavy brow and conical head which give the creature more of a missing link look. The wild hair that covered the film version is smooth and sculpted in this small but interesting PVC figure. 1933 King Kong Stop-Motion Armature Replica Released by Sideshow Collectibles This replica statue was created based on the collection of special effects wizard / monster maker / film historian Bob Burns. It shows the armature that existed underneath the rubber and fur stop-motion model used to create King Kong’s performance as orchestrated by Willis O’ Brian and his effects team. The armature is an identical recreation of the original with flexible fingers, jointed jaws and period appropriate screws and tool marks as are present on the original. The replica has even been aged and weathered to be an appropriate representation of the original object. The “T-Rex Battle” Armature is a great representation of a one of a kind original. King Kong Resin Model Kit Released by Polar Lights This 9 inch model kit features King Kong from the 1933 film standing triumphantly over a defeated T-Rex in the swamp of Skull Island.

Kong stands with his foot on the neck of the dead dinosaur and is beating his chest while looking into the sky. The conical head, furrowed brow and flattened features of the original hold out but this Kong bears his teeth in a triumphant growl. The uniform fur and the scales on the figure make this kit superior to most of the fully sculpted figures and sculptures out today. King Kong McFarlane Toys Movie Maniacs Released by McFarlane Toys This 14 x 13 x 6 figure is a representation of the 1976 King Kong down to the “chrome steel” chains and metallic presentation stand. Complete with Dwan (the 70’s Fay Wray analog) in a tight red dress, there is nothing happy or empathetic about this Kong. His teeth are bared and his eyes are flashed with red. This version is an amalgam of the film Kong and what a true gorilla looks like. The arms are longer than the previous version with longer fingers. The toes are longer, more jointed and the big toe is pulled away. Also the molded fur shows a more natural pattern than the previous version. Additionally, this Kong has been through hell.

There are scratches and scars all over his body that shows life on Skull Island was no picnic. This is a figure that I actually own having bought it during a visit to New York City at the FAO Swartz toy store for my collection. Kong’s Last Stand Released by Weta Collectibles The 8 x 11 x 13 statue is based on the 2005 Peter Jackson King Kong reboot. After escaping his confinement on the Broadway stage and then pursuit by the police and the army, Kong climbs with Ann to the top of the Empire State Building. Attacked by bi-planes, Kong leaps up and grabs one by its wing and spins it around causing it to crash. The details on the sculpt here is amazing. The Jackson Kong is much closer to a true gorilla with a barreled chest, long muscled arms and shorter but strong legs. The lean of the figure as it extends up into the plane makes the figure look very dynamic and even the small and intricate details like the tiny windows and ladder rungs on the building top and the soon to be doomed pilots make this an unforgettable piece. Now that we’ve walked through the standout collectibles, let’s take a look at the history of King Kong!

King Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World In the 1933 film, filmmaker Carl Denham secures the steamship Venture for his latest expedition but is unable to secure an actress. He stumbles across the homeless Ann Darrow and invites her on the adventure of a lifetime. After weeks of secrecy, Denham reveals that their destination is Skull Island where a mysterious entity called Kong exists. Denham, his film crew, and Ann land on the island and find a native village set behind a massive wall. Inside, they find the natives about to sacrifice a young woman to Kong as his “bride”. The chief spots them and angrily halts the ceremony and upon seeing the blond-headed Ann, offered the crew six of the village women. They rebuffed the villagers and returned to the ship. In the night, villages sneak onto the ship and kidnapped Ann. They tied her to an altar outside the wall and summon Kong who is revealed to be a giant gorilla-like animal that walks on two legs. Kong takes Ann away and is soon pursued by Denham, Driscoll, the ship’s first mate that had fallen in love with Ann during the voyage, and a number of the crew.

All are killed in incidents with dinosaurs that also roam the island except Denham and Driscoll. Driscoll continues to pursue Kong and Ann and Denham return to the ship for more weapons. Driscoll manages to rescue Ann and return to the village, where Denham has set a trap to now capture the pursuing Kong with gas. They capture Kong and bring him to New York . Denham creates a theatre production where the chained Kong is revealed and Ann and Driscoll are brought on stage. Kong sees the frenzy of flash photography as an attack on Ann and breaks free. Everyone flees and Kong rampages through the city trying to find Ann and finally captures her again and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building. Armed bi-planes fire at Kong, who puts Ann down to fight them and finally falls off the building and dies, prompting the famous line “It was beauty that killed the beast.” This movie was a true success for the time. It has now spawned two direct reboots and a couple of sequels, each with their own unique interpretations and cultural mores that were a product of their times.

In the 1976 Dino De Laurentiis reboot , which is set in the then present day, the team went to Skull Island in search of oil and the male protagonist is a primate paleontologist and environmentalist. At the end, Kong climbs the newly constructed World Trade Center. In the “more faithful” 2005 Peter Jackson reboot , Denham was an unscrupulous filmmaker, Driscoll was a writer and Ann was a strong willed and assured woman who empathized with Kong. Even Kong himself was more three-dimensional and nuanced than previous incarnations. He wasn’t just a rampaging beast; he was seemed introspective and playful. And he was decidedly more gorilla like than the mostly up-right walking previous Kongs. The upcoming 2017 Kong: Skull Island will be set in the seventies in Detroit, which will undoubtedly inform that story, but may also be informed by the time it is made. Even the 2013 stage play , while set in the Great Depression, features a contemporarily strong woman. The sequels, however, always seemed to go far afield.

In the direct sequel to the 1933 film, Denham returned to Kong Island to find Kong had a son. In a 1986 sequel to the 1976 film, Kong survived his fall, a female giant ape was discovered and she gave him a blood transfusion. The two mated and had a son. In a 1962 Japanese created film and a remake set to be released in 2020 , Kong fought his fellow giant monster counterpart, Godzilla . Because it was based in Japan, King Kong lost of course. In each of the three Kong animated series, 1966’s The King Kong Show , 2000’s Kong: The Animated Series and 2016’s Kong – King of the Apes (currently airing as a Netflix original series), King Kong is practically domesticated and helps a family or team fight evil, monsters and even crusades for the environment. In nearly every instance, Kong was a more anthropomorphized creature than one that shows the characteristics of a true gorilla. Just How Big Is King Kong? One of the most unusual occurrences throughout the films is the ever changing size of King Kong .

In the original film, Merian Cooper imagined Kong to be 40 or 50 feet tall, but stop motion animator Willis O’Brien scaled Kong to be 18 feet on Skull Island and 24 feet in New York City. Cooper played with the perspective of the film to make Kong appear to be 60 feet tall. When they needed the bust for the close-up of Kong’s head, it was scaled to be that of a 40 foot ape and the mechanical hand and arm would belong to that of a 70 foot ape. Cooper was well aware of the size differences and didn’t care. He believed that viewers would be enthralled with Kong and not consider his size. In the 1976 remake, Kong was 42 feet on Skull Island and 55 feet in New York City. Its unfortunate the sequel saw Kong going up to 60 feet and mostly walk on his knuckles. In an interest to be more “realistic”, Peter Jackson and his Weta Digital crew created a fictitious species called Megaprimatus Kong, which was an offshoot of Gigantopithecus.

This Kong was scaled to be consistently 25 feet tall and was much more gorilla like in his movements. A Few Closing Thoughts On Kong A lifelong love of monkeys and apes, monsters and a slightly sad and sappy story means that I never had a chance when it comes to King Kong. Even the laughably bad sequels and the oversimplified animated series draw in each time because I just love Kong. I own five movie poster replicas and the aforementioned NYC purchased King Kong figure and it didn’t stop there. I was also drawn to the lesser and smaller ape films like Mighty Joe Young and its 1998 remake . I was drawn to the Planet of the Apes films and have watched every Tarzan film ever made . Heck, I even liked George of the Jungle with Brendan Frasier! Julius Schwartz probably didn’t actually say that “gorillas on the cover equaled sales”, but that didn’t stop me from buying every issue of any comic book with a gorilla on the cover, especially if it was Titano (fighting Superman) or Detective Chimp or Angel and the Ape solving crimes.

I was never more worried for the Justice Society than when they had to battle the albino ape Ultra-Humanite or when the Flash had to fight Gorilla Grodd . Put a monkey on your cover and you have definitely sold a copy to me. If I was a far smarter person, I’m sure that I could come up with some psychological reason for my love all things monkey (which I do use as a blanket term of all apes) but they are just cool to look at, both in real life and on the screen. As long as people keep making interesting stories with apes on the screen, specifically apes named Kong, I’ll be right there in the top row waiting. KING KONG’S ANN DARROW: The Beauty that killed The Beast | SCREENQUEENS KING KONG’S ANN DARROW: The Beauty that killed The Beast Posted on by girlsonfilm Leave a comment The classic man vs. beast story of King Kong would be nothing without the girl. The infamous blonde Ann Darrow has three unique interpretations that have changed in characterization over the span of 72 years.

1933 The original 1933 film was akin to the classic monster movies of its heyday, such as Frankenstein and Dracula. And similar to Frankenstein, though we fear him we also grow to pity him. No monster movie was complete without a damsel in distress. Damsels in distress were the objects of desire that needed to be obtained by the villains of the story. Carl Denham, one of the main characters in the film, is a movie director who needs a pretty girl for his own monster movie that will be filmed on an uncharted island. In a quote he acknowledges Hollywood’s need for this role. “Do you think I want to haul a woman around? Because the Public, bless ’em, must have a pretty face to look at. Well, isn’t there any romance or adventure in the world without having a flapper in it?” King Kong’s object is Ann Darrow, played by Fay Wray. Carl Denham picks up the homeless unemployed actress on the street to be that pretty girl he needs for his movie. She fulfills the damsel in distress trope by being a helpless victim and in need of rescue. Ann is unable to help herself, so she needs to be rescued.

That job is for Jack Driscoll, the first mate on the ship who believes that “women just can’t help being a bother”. This conversation between Denham and Driscoll illustrates the themes of King Kong. The beast will fall for beauty for that reason only- her pretty face. Ann’s already got Jack Driscoll, but now she will get Kong. “Oh, you have gone soft on her, eh? I’ve got enough troubles without a love affair to complicate things. Better cut it out, Jack.” “Love affair! You think I’m gonna fall for any dame?” “I’ve never known it to fail: some big, hard-boiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang, he cracks up and goes sappy.” “Now who’s goin’ sappy? Listen, I haven’t run out on ya, have I?” “No, you’re a pretty tough guy, but if Beauty gets you, ya Huh, I’m going right into a theme song here. It’s the idea of my picture. The Beast was a tough guy too. He could lick the world. But when he saw Beauty, she got him. He went soft. He forgot his wisdom and the little fellas licked him.

Think it over, Jack.” Ann is captured by the natives and offered up as a delectable sacrifice for Kong, but instead of eating her he is enamored with her beauty. There is no emotional reciprocity in Kong and Ann’s relationship. Ann remains a damsel in distress by screaming her head off while being held by Kong like a rag doll, the prize that he has won. She does not feel anything for him but terror, even as he protects her from T-Rexes and other creepy-crawly creatures. Their interaction also continued in a censored near-nude scene where Kong rips off Ann’s clothes and tickles her breasts and legs and then, get this, sniffs his finger! Censors felt this was too racy, as it clearly shows Kong’s sexual desire to own Ann. When Jack Driscoll shows up and rescues her, she doesn’t bat an eye leaving him. Kong continues to angrily pursue his prized procession. He pursues her even after being sent to New York and breaking free of his bonds, chasing Ann down and taking her to the Empire State building. Ann continues to be terrified.

The viewer’s sympathy for the ape is finally stirred as we see Ann’s continual fear of him despite his abundant and passionate attention on her. Conclusion: The 1933 King Kong is truly a product of it’s time, a classic monster movie. The viewpoints of the 20th century did not allow women to be anything other than a damsel in distress, and gorillas were viewed as a violent uncultured brute, the perfect villain for a monster movie. 1976 The 1976 version updates and completely overhaul’s the original film’s Hollywood premise and themes. Instead, it embeds the story with environmental commentary. Fred Wilson is the Carl Denham character as an oil executive forming an expedition to a hidden island searching for more oil. Jack Prescott is the Jack Driscoll character, a primate palaeontologist who wants to see the island for himself. Jessica Lange plays Dwan, the updated Ann Darrow character. (And no, that is not a typo) Dwan floats up unconscious on a raft near the ship. We learn she is an aspiring actress with an affinity for horoscopes, and was shipwrecked from a director’s boat party.

She survived because she remained below deck while everyone watched the porn Deep Throat. However, the writing for her character (despite being given some more traits and interests than Fay Wray’s) ends up belittling her right from the start and portraying her as quite a nutcase. For example, she is happily chattering away about “how her luck is about to change” and asking everybody their astrological sign just mere seconds after being told that all of her friends were killed. Dwan also shows no concern about the fact that she is now on an uncharted jungle island expedition with danger around all corners. This version attempts to establish Dwan as more than a damsel in distress type and instead as a “feminist” character. She does not just scream the whole time, instead she stands up to the ape. “You goddamn chauvinist pig ape! You wanna eat me? Then go ahead! Choke on me!” It does not come off as strong feminist rhetoric, but a lame attempt at a joke that’s even coy and flirtatious. This version attempts to establish a friendlier and more romantic connection between Kong and Ann than in the original. In one scene, Kong blows air on Dwan to dry her from the waterfall.

Dwan looks enamored and seems to enjoy it. She is starting to care about him. But all romantic themes are thrown aside in the next scene when we see Kong happily leering at Dwan as he peels off her already barely-there clothes. (Just like the censored scene from the ’33 original) The technology of this version (which is actually just a man in an ape suit for the close-ups) allows Kong for more expression, and we clearly see his sexual desire. Kong is still viewing her as an object, just as in the original. And the visual style of Dwan’s appearance, unconscious, in a clinging wet gown, is a male fantasy view. The film comments on the sexual desire themes, but they are played for laughs as dirty jokes. “There is a girl out there who might be running for her life from some gigantic turned-on ape!” And this dialogue between Dwan and Fred. “How can I become a star because of… because of someone who was stolen off that gorgeous island and locked up in that lousy oil tank?” “Its not someone Its an animal, a beast who tried to rape you.” “That’s not true.

He risked his life to save me.” “He tried to rape you honey. And before you cry a lot, you should ask the natives on that island what they thought of losing Kong.” Also, Jeff Bridges’ character woos Dwan with this charming pick-up line before he kisses her. “The ape had the right idea” The famous Empire State Building scene is changed to Kong climbing on top of the World Trade Center buildings. Instead the sheer terror of Fay Wray’s Ann Darrow, this film boldly changes the ending to have Dwan plead with Kong to take her back in his grip so the helicopters won’t attack him. Conclusion:The effort to put feminist spin on the Ann Darrow character fails and feels like a satire. Although the film-makers attempt to establish a more romantic and empathetic connection between Kong and Dwan, it is still dripping with sexual and misogynistic overtones. 2005 The 2005 version tells the same basic plot line as the original, but it is lovingly crafted and expanded upon by director Peter Jackson. He took great care to create a captivating story that honoured and delved deeper into the original’s. Ann Darrow is completely re-conceived, far beyond Fay Wray’s screaming terrified rag doll.

The writers saw their heroine as a tough survivor from the loneliest city in the world, with dreams and ideas of her own. She is not just a pretty face. They created Ann as a woman who feels compassion and empathy the giant gorilla once her initial terror subsides. While Ann is more dynamic as a character, so is Kong. He is not portrayed as a brute or monster – (1930’s perception of the animal) instead he is portrayed as innocently animalistic. A gorilla that learned to communicate with sign language, and valued social interactions inspired Peter Jackson for this characterization. This is not the monster movie villain of the original. Instead, he is a Quasimodo type and lonely figure who feels affection for the first time. This in depth characterization is made possible by the incredible CGI technology of today. What is most unique about this interpretation is that it completely rejects any subtext of sexuality, making an intricate relationship for Ann and Kong. Kong is still offered Ann as a sacrifice, but it is more for eating. Kong still desires and protects Ann, but it is because he wants a friend. This deeper relationship is established throughout several scenes in the film. The first scene is after Kong has captured Ann.

He treats her as more of a plaything, a toy. He doesn’t rip off her clothes or fondle her. He pushes her down over and over again after she stands up. Ann, a performing clown and comedienne, eventually dances and does tricks to amuse and distract him. He pushes her for more and more until she grows tired and rebels, which makes him mad, and then embarrassed. Ann starts to understand and identify with him in that moment, seeing him as an isolated creature. Ann stops becoming a victim in that moment and becomes something he empathizes with. He is curious about her, he wants to protect her because he cares about her and she has touched his soul. Kong saves and rescues Ann from dinosaurs, as in the original. After saving her life, they sit by a cliff and see a beautiful jungle sunset. Ann puts her hand to her heart, showing that sharing this tender moment with him moves her. Kong offers his hand to Ann, and she lovingly sits in it as they stare at the sunset. Ann is incredibly upset when Kong is captured and unjustly taken from his home.

Back in New York Kong and Ann share another tender moment after he escapes the theatre by dancing with her on an ice-skating rink. This isn’t the Kong of the original that snatched Ann from her bedroom. Kong sought her out, and Ann willingly returned. The famous finale on top of the Empire State Building shows Ann pleading and heartbroken that Kong is being attacked (similar to the 70s version.) Kong and Ann share an extremely loving final look as Kong holds his final gaze on her. He gives one last look at not just a beautiful girl, but the one person in the world that he cared about, and who cared about him. Conclusion: Thanks to modern technology and an interpretation that strips any sexuality, this version makes Ann Darrow a well-rounded character and creates a deeper relationship between Kong and Ann. Andy Serkis’ incredible motion capture work as Kong allows for an infinite range of emotions to explore that dynamic. The classic monster movie is turned into a love story. All Hail The King: The Top 5 King Kong Toys | Den of Geek All Hail The King: The Top 5 King Kong Toys CompleteSet counts down the five of the mightiest King Kong collectibles and toys...

tumblr Editor’s note: This story comes from our sponsored collectibles partner, CompleteSet . Head over to CompleteSet to show what you have, track what you want, and collect all in one place. Few characters in movie history have had the longevity of King Kong . In less than a dozen films, a few animated offerings, and a handful of print media, Kong has become part of the lexicon to such a degree that even people who have never seen a single frame of the films know his name. It all started in a studio in 1933. King Kong was conceived by filmmaker Merian C Cooper. Cooper said the idea of a giant ape terrorizing New York City came to him in a dream and he liked it so much that he decided to make it into a film. This idea is not unprecedented. There is a long tradition of jungle films that generally follow the pattern of an explorer or scientist that enters the jungle and discovers a monstrosity. This basic premise was the building block that would become the 1933 version of King Kong which we will discuss in detail (along with the franchise's rich history) below. Let us begin with five of the mightiest King Kong collectibles and toys!

King Kong 1933 Movie version PVC Figure Released by X-Plus This 11.4 x 11.2 x 5.6 inches figure is one of the few representations of King Kong in his 1933 film incarnation. His upright stance, equal length arms and legs and all over weight distribution makes him “unlike man or beast” as Merian C. Cooper once put it. His wide eyes and expressive face add to the almost human look and it's that heavy brow and conical head which give the creature more of a missing link look. The wild hair that covered the film version is smooth and sculpted in this small but interesting PVC figure. 1933 King Kong Stop-Motion Armature Replica Released by Sideshow Collectibles This replica statue was created based on the collection of special effects wizard / monster maker / film historian Bob Burns. It shows the armature that existed underneath the rubber and fur stop-motion model used to create King Kong's performance as orchestrated by Willis O'Brien and his effects team. The armature is an identical recreation of the original with flexible fingers, jointed jaws, and period appropriate screws and tool marks as are present on the original.

The replica has even been aged and weathered to be an appropriate representation of the original object. The “T-Rex Battle” Armature is a great representation of a one of a kind original. King Kong Resin Model Kit Released by Polar Lights This 9-inch model kit features King Kong from the 1933 film standing triumphantly over a defeated T-Rex in the swamp of Skull Island. Kong stands with his foot on the neck of the dead dinosaur and is beating his chest while looking into the sky. The conical head, furrowed brow and flattened features of the original hold out but this Kong bears his teeth in a triumphant growl. The uniform fur and the scales on the figure make this kit superior to most of the fully sculpted figures and sculptures out today. King Kong McFarlane Toys Movie Maniacs Released by McFarlane Toys This 14 x 13 x 6 figure is a representation of the 1976 King Kong down to the “chrome steel” chains and metallic presentation stand. Complete with Dwan (the ‘70’s Fay Wray analog) in a tight red dress, there is nothing happy or empathetic about this Kong.

His teeth are bared and his eyes are flashed with red. This version is an amalgam of the film Kong and what a true gorilla looks like. The arms are longer than the previous version with longer fingers. The toes are longer, more jointed, and the big toe is pulled away. Also the molded fur shows a more natural pattern than the previous version. Additionally, this Kong has been through hell. There are scratches and scars all over his body that shows life on Skull Island was no picnic. This is a figure that I actually own having bought it during a visit to New York City at the FAO Schwartz toy store for my collection. Kong’s Last Stand Released by Weta Collectibles The 8 x 11 x 13 statue is based on Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong reboot. After escaping his confinement on the Broadway stage and then pursuit by the police and the army, Kong climbs with Ann to the top of the Empire State Building. Attacked by bi-planes, Kong leaps up and grabs one by its wing and spins it around causing it to crash. The details on the sculpt here is amazing.

The Jackson Kong is much closer to a true gorilla with a barreled chest, long muscled arms and shorter but strong legs. The lean of the figure as it extends up into the plane makes the figure look very dynamic and even the small and intricate details like the tiny windows and ladder rungs on the building top and the soon to be doomed pilots make this an unforgettable piece. Now that we've walked through the standout collectibles, let's take a look at the history of King Kong! King Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World In the 1933 film, filmmaker Carl Denham secures the steamship Venture for his latest expedition but is unable to secure an actress. He stumbles across the homeless Ann Darrow and invites her on the adventure of a lifetime. After weeks of secrecy, Denham reveals that their destination is Skull Island where a mysterious entity called Kong exists. Denham, his film crew, and Ann land on the island and find a native village set behind a massive wall. Inside, they find the natives about to sacrifice a young woman to Kong as his “bride.” The chief spots them and angrily halts the ceremony and upon seeing the blond-headed Ann, offered the crew six of the village women.

They rebuffed the villagers and returned to the ship. In the night, villages sneak onto the ship and kidnapped Ann. They tied her to an altar outside the wall and summon Kong who is revealed to be a giant gorilla-like animal that walks on two legs. Kong takes Ann away and is soon pursued by Denham, Driscoll, the ship's first mate that had fallen in love with Ann during the voyage, and a number of the crew. All are killed in incidents with dinosaurs that also roam the island except Denham and Driscoll. Driscoll continues to pursue Kong and Ann and Denham return to the ship for more weapons. Driscoll manages to rescue Ann and return to the village, where Denham has set a trap to now capture the pursuing Kong with gas. They capture Kong and bring him to New York . Denham creates a theatre production where the chained Kong is revealed and Ann and Driscoll are brought on stage. Kong sees the frenzy of flash photography as an attack on Ann and breaks free. Everyone flees and Kong rampages through the city trying to find Ann and finally captures her again and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building.

Armed bi-planes fire at Kong, who puts Ann down to fight them and finally falls off the building and dies, prompting the famous line “It was beauty that killed the beast.” This movie was a true success for the time. It has now spawned two direct reboots and a couple of sequels, each with their own unique interpretations and cultural mores that were a product of their times. In the 1976 Dino De Laurentiis reboot, which is set in the then present day, the team went to Skull Island in search of oil and the male protagonist is a primate paleontologist and environmentalist. At the end, Kong climbs the newly constructed World Trade Center. In the “more faithful” 2005 Peter Jackson reboot, Denham was an unscrupulous filmmaker, Driscoll was a writer and Ann was a strong willed and assured woman who empathized with Kong. Even Kong himself was more three-dimensional and nuanced than previous incarnations. He wasn’t just a rampaging beast; he was seemed introspective and playful. And he was decidedly more gorilla like than the mostly up-right walking previous Kongs.

The upcoming 2017 Kong: Skull Island will be set in the seventies in Detroit, which will undoubtedly inform that story, but may also be informed by the time it is made. Even the 2013 stage play, while set in the Great Depression, features a contemporarily strong woman. The sequels, however, always seemed to go far afield. In the direct sequel to the 1933 film, Denham returned to Kong Island to find Kong had a son. In a 1986 sequel to the 1976 film, Kong survived his fall, a female giant ape was discovered and she gave him a blood transfusion. The two mated and had a son. In a 1962 Japanese created film and a remake set to be released in 2020, Kong fought his fellow giant monster counterpart, Godzilla . Because it was based in Japan, King Kong lost of course.

In each of the three Kong animated series, 1966’s The King Kong Show, 2000’s Kong: The Animated Series and 2016’s Kong - King of the Apes (currently airing as a Netflix original series), King Kong is practically domesticated and helps a family or team fight evil, monsters and even crusades for the environment. In nearly every instance, Kong was a more anthropomorphized creature than one that shows the characteristics of a true gorilla. Just How Big Is King Kong? One of the most unusual occurrences throughout the films is the ever changing size of King Kong . In the original film, Merian Cooper imagined Kong to be 40 or 50 feet tall, but stop motion animator Willis O’Brien scaled Kong to be 18 feet on Skull Island and 24 feet in New York City. Cooper played with the perspective of the film to make Kong appear to be 60 feet tall. When they needed the bust for the close-up of Kong’s head, it was scaled to be that of a 40 foot ape and the mechanical hand and arm would belong to that of a 70 foot ape.

Cooper was well aware of the size differences and didn’t care. He believed that viewers would be enthralled with Kong and not consider his size. In the 1976 remake, Kong was 42 feet on Skull Island and 55 feet in New York City. Its unfortunate the sequel saw Kong going up to 60 feet and mostly walk on his knuckles. In an interest to be more “realistic”, Peter Jackson and his Weta Digital crew created a fictitious species called Megaprimatus Kong, which was an offshoot of Gigantopithecus. This Kong was scaled to be consistently 25 feet tall and was much more gorilla like in his movements. A Few Closing Thoughts On Kong A lifelong love of monkeys and apes, monsters, and a slightly sad and sappy story means that I never had a chance when it comes to King Kong. Even the laughably bad sequels and the oversimplified animated series draw in each time because I just love Kong. I own five movie poster replicas and the aforementioned NYC purchased King Kong figure and it didn’t stop there. I was also drawn to the lesser and smaller ape films like Mighty Joe Young and its 1998 remake.

I was drawn to the Planet of the Apes films ( learn more ) and have watched every Tarzan film ever made. Heck, I even liked George of the Jungle with Brendan Frasier! Julius Schwartz probably didn’t actually say that "gorillas on the cover equaled sales", but that didn’t stop me from buying every issue of any comic book with a gorilla on the cover, especially if it was Titano (fighting Superman) or Detective Chimp or Angel and the Ape solving crimes. I was never more worried for the Justice Society than when they had to battle the albino ape Ultra-Humanite or when the Flash had to fight Gorilla Grodd. Put a monkey on your cover and you have definitely sold a copy to me. If I was a far smarter person, I’m sure that I could come up with some psychological reason for my love all things monkey (which I do use as a blanket term of all apes) but they are just cool to look at, both in real life and on the screen. As long as people keep making interesting stories with apes on the screen, specifically apes named Kong, I’ll be right there in the top row waiting.

KING KONG at HOLLYWOOD TEEN MOVIES Behind The Scenes With King Kong In Special Effects [VHS] VHS Enter the fascinating world of movie magic as King Kong is resurrected for an attack on San Francisco for the IMAX film "Special Effects." Meet the director, modelmakers, animators and others involved in the process of bringing the infamous ape back to life. 33 min. King Kong Much has been written about Max Steiner's landmark score for this horror classic, one of the first films to use a completely original score rather than one derived from classical music. This essential addition to any collection is divided into two parts: "The Story of King Kong," which contains dialogue, sound effects and the score; while "King Kong Music Suite" adds nine previously unreleased tracks. King Kong (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) [DVD] (1933) DVD Beauty meets beast atop the Empire State Building in one of fantasy cinema's most beloved classics. A film crew's excursion to a remote island where prehistoric monsters still roam leads to the discovery of a 50-foot gorilla who takes a shine to the production's leading lady.

Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, and "Kong, The Eighth Wonder of the World" star; special effects by Willis H. O'Brien. Packaged inside a collectible tin, this limited edition includes lobby card poster reproductions, a souvenir program reproduction, and more. 100 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes; seven-part "making of" documentary by director Peter Jackson; more. Two-disc set. King Kong (Two-Disc Special Edition) [DVD] (1933) DVD Beauty meets beast atop the Empire State Building in one of fantasy cinema's most beloved classics. A film crew's excursion to a remote island where prehistoric monsters still roam leads to the discovery of a 50-foot gorilla who takes a shine to the production's leading lady. Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, and "Kong, The Eighth Wonder of the World" star; special effects by Willis H. O'Brien. 100 min.

Standard; Soundtrack: English; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; seven-part "making of" documentary by director Peter Jackson; featurettes; more. Two-disc set. King Kong [DVD] (1976) DVD Dino De Laurentis-produced updating of the 1933 classic stars Jeff Bridges as an anti-establishment paleontologist who stows away on a petroleum-scouting expedition to a newly discovered Pacific island that is home to the titular giant primate. Jessica Lange (in her film debut) co-stars as the down-and-out actress who becomes the object of Kong's affections. With Charles Grodin, Rene Auberjonois; scripted by Lorenzo Semple, Jr., creator of the 1960s "Batman" TV series. 134 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; theatrical trailer. King Kong Lives [DVD] (1986) DVD Everybody's gonna cry "Watch out," because the mightiest monster of them all survived his 1976 plunge off the World Trade Center!

The comatose Kong needs an artificial heart to survive--and a compatible blood donor is found when a giant female ape is discovered! Brian Kerwin, Linda Hamilton, John Ashton star. 105 min. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)/King Kong Escapes [DVD] (1967) DVD First, in "King Kong vs. Godzilla," when the great ape is found alive in the South Seas, he is brought to Japan, where he has a slugfest atop Mt. Fuji with the big G. Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara star. Then, when a mechanical replica of "King Kong Escapes" while working for a mad scientist at the North Pole, the real massive monkey is kidnapped--setting the stage for a surreal simian smackdown. Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, Linda Miller star; with the voice of Paul Frees. AKA: "King Kong Strikes Again," "King Kong's Counterattack," "The Revenge of King Kong." 187 min. total on two discs. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English (dubbed) Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish.

King Kong: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries [DVD] (2005) DVD Longtime "Kong" fan Peter Jackson provides an unprecedented glimpse into the process of filmmaking with this limited edition two-disc set that features behind-the-scenes footage, photographs, director's notes, and much more from the six-month production of his 2005 updating of the horror classic. Also includes an 80-page scrapbook and four exclusive production art prints. 3 1/2 hrs. total on two discs. 3 1/2 hrs. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish. King Kong: The Animated Series VHS He's 10 times as big as a man! This fondly remembered 1966 animated series from the Rankin/Bass camp chronicled Kong's adventures fighting pirates, smugglers and the occasional giant monster with the help of scientist Prof. Bond, his daughter Susan, and son Billy.

King Kong Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 35 out of 39 people found the following review useful: The First King Kong Still Going Strong from United States 29 November 2005 With the recent DVD release of this film, and the latest version on the big screen being released two days from this writing, I hope more people take the opportunity to check this movie out, the original King Kong, if they've never seen it. This movie must have been astounding to the people watching it over 70 years ago. I doubt they'd ever seen anything like this, action-wise, and monster-wise. It is still fascinating today, even with the great advancements in special effects. Most action films from the classic years, from 1920 to the late 1960s had corny mostly unrealistic special effects but this film still holds up, extraordinarily so considering its age. The film also had a tremendous amount of action. Young people today are usually bored watching old black-and-white movies but they wouldn't be bored with this one. Once the "girl," Fay Wray gets captured by King Kong, the rest of the movie is one long action scene.

Kong was not the only beast in the movie, either, which surprised me the first time I ever saw this. Protecting Wray, Kong battles a dinosaur, a giant snake, a giant bird and then human beings firing bullets and bombs at him. Wray also was fun to watch, but I''m a male so a pretty woman like her - shockingly exposing her breasts in one scene, too - makes it easier to enjoy the film. Her screaming, however, can get on your nerves. She must have been hoarse for a month after filming this movie. Robert Armstrong, as the film director, and Bruce Cabot, as the ship crewman and Wray''s rescuer, also are interesting to watch and hear. As I said, once the action kicks in, the his a very entertaining movie and impossible to put down. Was the above review useful to you? 27 out of 32 people found the following review useful: The 8th Wonder of the Movies *** This review may contain spoilers *** What can be said? (Possible spoilers, though doubtful) One of the most imaginative, creative, and spectacular action/horror films ever made. It was decades ahead of its time in many ways.

It influenced Spielberg, Jackson, you name it; a whole generation of filmmakers. As a kid in pre-Star Wars days, it was breathtaking to watch on TV (a station always showed it every year on Thanksgiving night after Miracle on 34th Street, go figure). Yes, by today's standards, the effects aren't perfect. But HEY! this was about 5 or 6 years after films began talking! Considering it would be some 30 years before effects would come near it, and another 15 or so before they passed it, that is something. Consider today, effects are primarily computerized, and let's not forget, something that looks like a computerized monster is no less fake (something I hope filmmakers figure out, and fast), and that is after 70 years of technological development. And after all that, they are rendered obsolete within a couple years. The fight between Kong and the T-Rex (or allosaurus) can almost stand against effects out there even today. But I digress.

I shouldn't have to defend the special effects; those who say they look cheesy need only remember that our greatest triumphs today  of which there are few  will be laughed at years from now just the same. The acting is at times tough, but this was the first generation of talking film actors. They had nobody to learn from. Not to mention that it was the acting style of the day. Some have said the movie was about subtle in-jokes, maybe so. But it remains always a film ride that  unless you are ignorant enough to expect 21st century production values  will take your breath away. The segment from when the men run into the jungle after Kong up to the break after the T-Rex fight is about as breathtaking as you get. As a child, I was almost exhausted by the time that part was done. The atmosphere, the scale of adventure, the scope of story telling: all first rate. Also, it so wonderfully blended the mindset of the age with its inspired story telling. It was the last era of innocence before WWII and the modern nuclear age. It was a time when little  though some  of the world was unexplored.

A time when industrialization was taking over, and there seemed no limit to what humanity could accomplish, and no price we were not willing to pay. Dinosaurs and tribal witchdoctors, ancient stone walls and forgotten islands. And on the other side: the Empire State Building (the ultimate expression of industrial might and ingenuity), airplanes (only around for a decade and a half as weapons  the most 'modern' weapon available), movies (still only a couple decades old for all practical purposes), and New York City, the largest and most advanced city in the world. What contrasts! And all right at hand for the writers. In short, it made its point without having to make it obvious. It will be a long time before there are so many symbols at hand for a new story to fall into place so smoothly. And of course, the iconic image of Kong on the Empire State Building  enough said. One other observation. Note that there isn't much overt morality. Nobody is really 'the bad guy'(and thus deserving of a terrible, gruesome death).

The sailors killed are not 'bad' , or made bad for (horror of horrors) suggesting that they shoot at Kong first, or even daring to consider killing a helpless 50 foot gorilla. Carl Denham is not 'bad', the natives on the island are not 'bad', the victims in New York aren't bad, even Kong isn't bad, he's just doing his thing. Everyone is just doing their thing, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but never inherently bad people or animals. Today, of course, you would have the stereotypical lawyer/corporate exec/fanatic politician/religious extremist/merciless hunter; all who deserve death, because they are 'bad people' because of their ideals or beliefs (the modern acceptable prejudice). Kong would be misunderstood, a victim of horrible western heartlessness or corporate greed, and those who die deserve it for messing with his life and the purity of nature. And the soon-to-be-deceased would meet their deserved demise after a scene demonstrating their evil hearts by doing and/or saying something blatant to drive the point of their badness home to any that might have missed it.

Ah, but the good old days, when a film could actually make you wonder who the bad guy really is, and if there isn't, make you wonder even more about what you have seen and why things had to happen that way. King Kong is considered a classic. It earned it. The remake in the 1970s, flagrant in its moral sermonizing, struggled at best. Who knows, maybe Peter Jackson will navigate modern expectations with the elements of the original to produce a remake worthy of the first without turning it into a floppy CGI based morality play. Let's hope. But in all of its glory or bumbling, whichever the case will prove, let the 2005 remake never overshadow the original and its unique impression it left for generations to come. I give it a 10 only because there is not a higher score to assign. Was the above review useful to you? 21 out of 23 people found the following review useful: King Kong - One small step for man. One giant leap for film making! from Faroe Islands 25 April 2010 It's a shame that young people these days, don't know how to enjoy a black & white movie!

I'm 14, and I love black & white movies. We saw this movie at school, and everyone hated it. They said it sucked, because it was in black & white, and the effects were hilariously bad! I disagreed! This movie is nearly 80 years old, and it's still a hit! The cinematography is incredibly beautiful. One of the greatest shots of all time is when Kong is on the top of the building! The acting is fine. The story is great, but my friends found it stupid. They thought it was unrealistic because there were dinosaurs and a giant gorilla on the island etc. This movie is entertaining throughout the whole movie! Most black & whites movies got a lot of dialog and long scenes with no editing, but not in this one! There are plenty of scenes in this movie where there are no dialog, but great editing and entertainment! The effects are so fantastic! Young people may find Kong hilarious when they see a close-up picture of him. But I was absolutely blown away! Imagine that you're in 1933. You go to the movies and you've never seen something like this before! King Kong is a one small step for man. One giant leap for film making!

10/10 from New Jersey, USA 26 December 2005 Released at the height of the Great Depression, "King Kong" was the ultimate great escape for audiences. Its greatest legacy is that over seventy years later, it still has that uncanny ability to completely transport the viewer into its fantasy world. This amazing adventure film is still one of the most viscerally exciting spectacles ever made and changed the course of movie history. The stop-motion animation was the most amazing special effects of its day and still hold up pretty well. The amazing sense of spectacle they created have inspired some of the greatest filmmakers of their generations. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron, and Peter Jackson wouldn't have been inspired to make the films they made had Kong not brilliantly paved the way. Aside from the technical innovations, you have a great music score from Max Steiner (who later scored "Gone With the Wind") that created the template for what movie scoring could do. He paved the way for the likes of John Williams and James Horner.

Movie music, too, could be an art, and Steiner was the first to realize that with "King Kong." Finally, you have the story, which is so much more than just a B-movie serial. It's amazing to find a special effects film that works on so many complex levels aside from the visuals. On one level this a innovative riff on the classic "Beauty and Beast" story with screen legend Fay Wray pitch perfect as actress Ann Darrow, the object of Kong's unrequited affections. On another level, this is gentle satire on movie making, with the reckless actions and sense of adventure and spectacle of director Carl Denham mirroring the real life adventures and desires of Kong's producer and co-director, the mythic-sized Merrion C. Cooper. Still, on a third level, this can be seen as a fable about the greatest jungle of them all, modern civilization, brilliantly realized through New York City. Not many films of this nature could be so rich. This iconic classic was "modernized" egregiously in 1976, and redone as a loving, period-piece homage in 2005. Was the above review useful to you?

27 out of 41 people found the following review useful: Gods and monsters from Saffron Walden, UK 22 August 2004 Forty years before Raquel Welsh, and a whole era before 'Jurassic Park', 'King Kong' was the world's first dinosaur movie. But it wasn't the dinosaurs it featured, but rather the eponymous giant ape, who became perhaps cinema's most enduring icon. The recent death of Fay Wray, the film's star, provides a good opportunity to re-evaluate this classic movie. The most remarkable thing is how exactly this film, made when talkies themselves were less than a decade old, defines the blockbuster to this day. All the elements are there: a ludicrous plot (among the many improbables we have to swallow is the fact that the discovery of living tyranousauri is regarded unremarkable by all); bad acting; a quasi-racist world-view, non-stop action tempered by a little love interest; and stunning special effects. The plot has a surprisingly mature structure, though, and unlike most of its successors, thankfully does not see the need for pyrotechnics right at the start, instead allowing the tension to build before the monster's first appearance.

The scene composition is also frequently truly brilliant, especially the scenes of Kong in New York, and also the scene where he bursts through the gates. It's also interesting to catch certain cinematic conventions in an early state of evolution: one is that if characters are shot from a distance, we hear their voices more quietly. Also of note is the very static camera, pre-dating Orson Welles, of course, but additionally constrained by the need to accommodate the special effects: the scenes with the monster do feel more like a silent movie, or a primitive video game (indeed, the first computer game I ever owned was inspired by this movie, which, owing to a surreal Japanese spelling error, was known as 'Donkey Kong'!). 'King Kong' is certainly no donkey of a film; but in some ways it's a little disappointing to see how little the action adventure movie has advanced from its template in 71 years. Was the above review useful to you? 12 out of 15 people found the following review useful: A Classic from Isle Of Bute, Scotland 14 January 2006 I watched this a couple of days after Peter Jackson's KING KONG hit the cinemas .

I had planned to go to the cinema to see the new version but just found out that it lasted for three hours which is far too long for someone who's addicted to caffeine and nicotine . I much prefer watching a movie with a cup of tea in one hand and a filthy cigarette in the other . Which reminds me that my new year resolution is to give up smoking . Sorry I digress Perhaps the other thing stopping me is a fear of disappointment . I do confess I was disappointed after seeing THE TWO TOWERS at the cinema probably because I loved FELLOWSHIP so much , a film I didn't really expect much from . You see the original KING KONG is regarded as possibly the greatest monster movie ever made and after seeing it again I can see where it got its reputation from . This is a great Hollywood epic One thing you must do however is ignore the failings of special effects from a modern day perspective . Yes we know that the title monster is a giant puppet , yes we know those dinosaurs are bloody laughable but that's not what you should be looking at . What makes the movie so enjoyable is the strength of the storytelling , the emotional depth and most important of all the imagination involved , it has a true sense of scale and wonder .

I really hated the 1976 remake simply because it featured no giant reptiles on Skull Island ( Though there's other reasons to hate the dire remake too ) and you might bite your lip to stop yourself laughing as the expedition are attacked by a whole host of prehistoric monsters but you've got to admit it's very , very enjoyable as are the scenes in New York at the end Was the above review useful to you? 10 out of 12 people found the following review useful: To sleep, perchance to dream from United States 28 October 2006 This film has been compared to a dream quite a bit over the years; I didn't know if I could add to that. But reading some of the reviews here, especially from younger writers, it occurred to me that maybe the problem here is that with the arrival of a totalitarian television culture, cheap imitation computer games and gaudy CGI special effects,and with an economy that offers little more than nightmare for the future, perhaps the fascination with dreams that this film evokes for us has itself become out-of-date. Perhaps the age of human dreaming is over. How vivid are our dreams? How vivid are they when we're not sure what we're dreaming about?

I've seen mint-condition prints of this film, and I've seen scratchy gray television prints; surprisingly, the effect is always the same. In fact, it's been ten years since I saw this film last, and as I write, the images appear to me as a stronger memory than anything I actually lived through. The images are dark, and a bit murky in spots - so are my dreams. The torches of the natives on Skull Island flicker as stars that have fallen to earth. Fay Wray hangs on threads from the posts like an angel with clipped wings. Suddenly, the music stops (and I didn't even notice it playing); then the thunder beats through the jungle's permanent night, except the beating isn't thunder, it's footsteps, and the foliage begins to shake, not from wind, but from the quake of an earth suddenly off its axis - yet no earth could ever be as solid and immovable as this island, for there are no other planets, no other earth but this island - unknowable, dense, impossibly claustrophobic.

Then the jungle parts the dark exploding in the dark, and a primal force, vaguely simian, fills the night, extinguishing stars, and Wray's weirdly whisper-like scream still pierces the air, before a dark hand reaches for her.... Kong breathes; no special fx creature seems able to do that, anymore. Kong's fur ripples along the taut lines of his muscles - no fx beast has demonstrated this since. Kong moves more swiftly than any of his offspring; Kong's eyes radiate a pre-rational intelligence; Kong's fury is passionate and implacable. I've never had any doubt as to who Kong really is: he is everything human still inarticulate, set free to dream in perpetual sleep. His death is swift - painfully realistic - exactly as one wakes to daylight. 'Twas not beauty killed the beast; rather, the beast is beautiful, and so it must die. Only in dreams can beauty live eternal. But humans are not immortal; everything beautiful passes, and every dream must have its end. Was the above review useful to you?

10 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Still the Eighth Wonder from Melbourne, Australia 1 June 1999 It would be pointless to pretend that this film hasn't aged at all. In just about every respect it shows its years; the special effects, the acting, the dialogue. And yet "King Kong" is a film which definitely survives the passage of time. It is simply above the sort of criticism that applies to most movies. It would be wrong to think of "King Kong" as camp or quaint. It packs a lot of primordial energy into its 100 minutes. What it has in abundance is heart, an element that every sequel, remake and spinoff has pretty much lacked. The richly textured visuals are truly unsurpassed - the nightmare of Kong's island always reminds me of one of Goya's more opulent fantasies. Visually "King Kong" is a true masterpiece. At the risk of a lynching, I feel I should point out that "King Kong" offers one of Fay Wray's lesser performances. This very sympathetic actress has been justly rediscovered by later generations; in her own time I suspect she was rather taken for granted.

"King Kong" is responsible for this reappraisal, and she is certainly very appealing and rises to the (not very high) demands of the role. But if you really want to see her at her best, take a look at Von Stroheim's "The Wedding March" or Walsh's "The Bowery". She could do more than scream - though "Kong" proves that she could do that magnificently. "King Kong" is a true masterpiece, and I have to laugh at those who imply racist overtones. Clearly there was no such intent on the part of the producers, and I'm very hard pressed to see them even when they have been pointed out. I must have seen this film hundreds of times, and I always look forward to seeing it again. To quote Carl Denham, "Holy Mackerel! What a show!" Was the above review useful to you? 9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Larger Than Life. from Deming, New Mexico, USA 3 May 2007 *** This review may contain spoilers *** The thing has become an icon of vernacular culture.

A decade or so ago an artist arranged to have a huge balloon of King Kong blown up and attached to the top of the Empire State Building. It didn't work. The consarned thing kept deflating and flapping around in the unanticipated wind. No matter. The image of Kong beating his chest, stripping off Fay Wray's clothes, fighting the Tyrannosaurus, shaking the men off the log into the spider pit, and finally being killed by those damned planes will survive Cristo's -- or anybody else's -- attempt to turn Kong into a work of art. Mainly, it's a work of technology. It was, to say the least, a labor-intensive project under people like Willis O'Brien, Meriam C. Cooper, and Ernest Shoedsack. What gets me about it is that it's so much more than that. King Kong, who was no more than a fourteen-inch puppet, let's face facts, was turned into a genuine actor. Look at his facial expressions. When he's enraged he LOOKS enraged. When he's sad, he looks sad. Now, those are easy expressions to form on a plastic, sculpted face.

Blind people have sculpted accurate impressions of emotions like "rage" or "fear", not to mention Edvard Munch, who was nuts. But "puzzlement"? Check out Kong's expression when he's been seriously wounded by the constant shooting of the nasty airplanes and he picks at his wounds and looks at the blood on his fingertips. We sense that the animal is perfectly comfortable with fighting dinosaurs but has no idea of what he's now dealing with. I'm telling you, when he fell from the building to the ground I cried. I cried like a baby. By the way, when Fay Wray surfaces after the long plunge into the water, her garments slip off her shoulder and you can see what she's got. Was the above review useful to you? 9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: 10 out of 10? This deserves 10,000 out of 10. Author: G.Spider 14 June 1999 Ignore the cranks who seem to look for subliminal messages and underlying hidden meanings in everything. This is a monster movie and a love story and never pretends to be everything else.

Hollywood film-makers of today could certainly learn a few things from watching it with its well-written characters, fast-paced and dynamic script which contains barely a dull moment, excellent dialogue and hauntingly memorable music. Willis O'Brien's animation is at its best and Kong himself comes across as a genuine character and not an unsympathetic one. Scenery is also imaginative, with marvellous attention paid to detail, and the monsters are well-designed. Still the best monster film ever made, if not the best film. Was the above review useful to you? Page 2 of 43:

Question: In films, which actress was the object of the original King Kong's affections?
Answer: FAY WRAY