King Kong is a 1933 American pre-Code monster adventure romance film directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. The screenplay by James Ashmore Creelman and Ruth Rose was developed from an idea conceived by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. It stars Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot and Robert Armstrong, and opened in New York City on March 2, 1933, to rave reviews. It has been ranked by Rotten Tomatoes as the fourth greatest horror film of all time and the forty-sixth greatest film of all time. The film portrays the story of a huge, gorilla-like creature dubbed Kong who perishes in an attempt to possess a beautiful young woman (Wray).
Introduction
King Kong (1933 film)
King Kong (1933 film) | Introduction
Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. Merian C. Cooper Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack Rowland Brown
is gary cooper an actor?
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Yes
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from which origin?
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Helena, Montana, United States
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what is his style like?
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Natural, authentic, and understated acting style
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with whom he was in relation?
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Veronica Balfe
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did he marry her?
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Yes
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in which films were he involved during the span 1925 to 28?
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The Thundering Herd, Wild Horse Mesa, The Johnstown Flood
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is this above lady also from film industry?
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Yes - American actress
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which film did she work in?
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The Gay Nighties, King Kong, Blood Money
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is she alive?
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No - she died on February 16, 2000.
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who is the director of this second film?
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The film was produced and released in 1933, immediately following the success of "King Kong" (1933), and was a modest success. Script writer Ruth Rose intentionally made no attempt to make a serious film on the logic that it could not surpass the first. She stated "If you can't make it bigger, make it funnier." For his part, Denham's actor, Robert Armstrong, preferred the second film, saying that the sequel offered more character development for Carl Denham. The script/screenplay featured scenes of tribal warfare and a climactic dinosaur stampede during the massive cyclone/earthquake that sinks Skull Island at the film's end.
Son of Kong | Production
In his executive capacity, Cooper ordered the "Creation" production shelved, and put its crew to work on "Kong".
King Kong (1933 film) | Concept
The 'big head bust' was placed in the theater's forecourt and a seventeen-act show preceded the film with "The Dance of the Sacred Ape" performed by a troupe of African American dancers the highpoint. "Kong" cast and crew attended and Wray thought her on-screen screams distracting and excessive. The film opened nationwide on April 10, 1933, and worldwide on Easter Day in London, England. It was re-released in 1938, 1942, 1946, 1952 and 1956, the latter following a successful telecast on WOR-TV.
King Kong (1933 film) | Theatrical
"King Kong" contains stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien and a music score by Max Steiner. In 1991, it was deemed "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. A sequel quickly followed with "Son of Kong" (also released in 1933), with several more films made in the following decades, including two remakes which were made in 1976 and 2005 respectively.
King Kong (1933 film) | Introduction
In 2005, Universal Pictures released another remake of "King Kong", directed by Peter Jackson. Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. released a Kong reboot film titled "" in 2017 which was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and is the second installment of Legendary's MonsterVerse, which started with Legendary's reboot of " Godzilla".
King Kong (1933 film) | Adaptations
In 1932, after filming "King Kong," Schoedsack worked on shooting for a film that was never completed called "Arabia". For this project, Schoedsack went to shoot on location in Syria. Another film was made in the "King Kong" franchise. Rose wrote the screenplay for the next film, "Son of Kong" which was released in 1933 by RKO. Schoedsack was the sole director of the film. Also in 1933, Rose and Schoedsack collaborated on the film "Blind Adventure."
Ernest B. Schoedsack | "King Kong" and early 1930s films
The 1933 "King Kong" film and character inspired imitations and installments. "Son of Kong", a direct sequel to the 1933 film was released nine months after the first film's release. In the early 1960s, RKO had licensed the King Kong character to Japanese studio Toho and produced two King Kong films, "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (a crossover with the "Godzilla" series) and "King Kong Escapes", both directed by Ishirō Honda. In 1976, Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis released his version of "King Kong", a modern remake of the 1933 film, which was followed by a sequel in 1986 titled "King Kong Lives".
King Kong (1933 film) | Adaptations
King Kong is a 1933 American pre-Code monster adventure romance film directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. The screenplay by James Ashmore Creelman and Ruth Rose was developed from an idea conceived by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. It stars Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot and Robert Armstrong, and opened in New York City on March 2, 1933, to rave reviews. It has been ranked by Rotten Tomatoes as the fourth greatest horror film of all time and the forty-sixth greatest film of all time. The film portrays the story of a huge, gorilla-like creature dubbed Kong who perishes in an attempt to possess a beautiful young woman (Wray).
King Kong (1933 film) | Introduction
The producers were Lowell Thomas, Merian C. Cooper, and Robert L. Bendick. The film was also directed by Bendick (and an uncredited Mike Todd Jr.). Cooper had long experience with technical innovation in cinema, dating back to directing the original 1933 "King Kong".
This Is Cinerama | Synopsis
Even allowing for its slow start, wooden acting and wall-to-wall screaming, there is something ageless and primeval about "King Kong" that still somehow works."
King Kong (1933 film) | Critical response
Though searched for, the footage is now considered "lost forever" with only a few stills and pre-production drawings. After the 1956 re-release, the film was sold to television (first being broadcast March 5, 1956). RKO did not preserve copies of film's negative or release prints with the excised footage, and the cut scenes were considered lost for many years. In 1969, a 16mm print, including the censored footage, was found in Philadelphia. The cut scenes were added to the film, restoring it to its original theatrical running time of 100 minutes. This version was re-released to art houses by Janus Films in 1970.
King Kong (1933 film) | Censorship and restorations
Leon Gordon also contributed to the screenplay in a minimal capacity; both he and McCoy went uncredited in the completed film. When Creelman returned to the script full-time, he hated McCoy's “mythic elements”, believing the script already had too many over-the-top concepts, but Cooper insisted on keeping them in. RKO head Selznick and his executives wanted Kong introduced earlier in the film (believing the audience would grow bored waiting for his appearance), but Cooper persuaded them that a suspenseful build-up would make Kong's entrance all the more exciting.
King Kong (1933 film) | Script
James Flavin played Second Mate Briggs, and a host of stuntmen and bit players as the ship's crew. Etta McDaniel played a native mother of a child she rescues from Kong's rampage. Sandra Shaw played the New York woman Kong drops to the street from the hotel ledge. Merian C. Cooper played an airplane pilot and Schoedsack the machine gunner in uncredited roles in the film's final scenes. James Dime played a member of the ship's crew
King Kong (1933 film) | Cast
King Kong Lives (released as King Kong 2 in some countries) is a 1986 American monster adventure film directed by John Guillermin. Produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and featuring special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, the film stars Linda Hamilton and Brian Kerwin. The film is a sequel to the 1976 remake of "King Kong".
King Kong Lives | Introduction
Cooper assigned recently hired RKO screenwriter and best-selling British mystery/adventure writer Edgar Wallace the job of writing a screenplay and a novel based on his gorilla fantasy. Cooper understood the commercial appeal of Wallace's work and planned to publicize the film as being "based on the novel by Edgar Wallace". Wallace conferred with Cooper and O'Brien (who contributed, among other things, the "Ann's dress" scene) and began work on January 1, 1932. He completed a rough draft called "The Beast" on January 5, 1932. Cooper thought the draft needed considerable work but Wallace died on February 10, 1932, just after beginning revisions.
King Kong (1933 film) | Script
King Kong is a 1976 American monster adventure film produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Guillermin. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name about a giant ape that is captured and taken to New York City for exhibition. Featuring special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, it stars Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin and Jessica Lange in her first film role. The idea to remake "King Kong" was conceived by Michael Eisner, who was then an ABC executive, in 1974. He separately proposed the idea to Universal Pictures CEO Sidney Sheinberg and Paramount Pictures CEO Barry Diller.
King Kong (1976 film) | Introduction
Despite not using any of the draft in the final production beyond the previously agreed upon plot outline, Cooper gave a screen credit to Wallace as he had promised it as a producer. Cooper called in James Ashmore Creelman (who was working on the script of "The Most Dangerous Game" at the time) and the two men worked together on several drafts under the title "The Eighth Wonder". Some details from Wallace's rough draft were dropped, such as his boatload of escaped convicts. Wallace's Danby Denham character, a big game hunter, became film director Carl Denham. His Shirley became Ann Darrow and her lover-convict John became Jack Driscoll.
King Kong (1933 film) | Script
Due to Denham's quick thinking, Ann is saved from being kicked out of the diner, and he offers her food. As she eats, he explains that he is a director in need of a leading lady. He's producing a movie, the details of which are kept heavily under wraps, aside from the fact that the filming location is accessible only by boat, but promises Ann that if she takes the job, he'll make her a star. Ann agrees, and the two set off to the boat, a steamship named the S.S. Wander, helmed by Captain Englehorn and his crew (Building the Boat).
King Kong (2013 musical) | Act I
De Laurentiis first approached Roman Polanski to direct the picture, but he wasn't interested. De Laurentiis's next choice was director John Guillermin who had just finished directing "The Towering Inferno". Guillermin had been developing a version of "The Hurricane" when offered the job of "King Kong". Guillermin, who was known to have had outbursts from time to time on the set, got into a public shouting match with executive producer Federico De Laurentiis (son of producer Dino De Laurentiis). After the incident, De Laurentiis was reported to have threatened to fire Guillermin if he did not start treating the cast and crew better.
King Kong (1976 film) | Filming
However, according to confidant Ernst Hanfstaengl, Adolf Hitler was "fascinated" by the film and saw it several times.
King Kong (1933 film) | Racism allegation
The vocalizations of the Tyrannosaurus were additionally mixed in with puma screams. Bird squawks were used for the Pteranodon. Spivak also provided the numerous screams of the various sailors. Fay Wray herself provided all of her character's screams in a single recording session. For budgetary reasons, RKO decided not to have an original film score composed, instead instructing composer Max Steiner to simply reuse music from other films. Cooper thought the film deserved an original score and paid Steiner $50,000 to compose it. Steiner completed the score in six weeks and recorded it with a 46-piece orchestra. The studio later reimbursed Cooper.
King Kong (1933 film) | Post-production
It was hoped that "She" would follow Cooper's previous success, "King Kong". Cooper had originally intended to shoot the film in color, but budget cuts by RKO forced him to shoot the film in black and white at the last minute. However, the black and white film had disappointing results at the box office. It initially lost $180,000, although it later had a successful re-release. The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book "The Official Razzie Movie Guide" as one of the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.
She (1935 film) | Introduction
The Production Code's stricter decency rules had been put into effect in Hollywood after its 1933 premiere and it was progressively censored further, with several scenes being either trimmed or excised altogether. These scenes were as follows: A "Brontosaurus" mauling crewmen in the water, chasing one up a tree and killing him; Kong undressing Ann Darrow and sniffing his fingers; Kong biting and stepping on natives when he attacks the village; Kong biting a reporter in New York; Kong mistaking a sleeping woman for Ann and dropping her to her death, after realizing his mistake. An additional scene portraying giant insects, spiders, a lizard and a tentacled creature devouring the crew members shaken off the log by Kong into the floor of the canyon below was deemed too gruesome by RKO even by pre-Code standards, and thus the scene was studio self-censored prior to original release.
King Kong (1933 film) | Censorship and restorations
Following the release of the original film, a sequel was produced that same year with "The Son of Kong", featuring Little Kong. In the 1960s, Toho produced "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962), pitting a larger Kong against Toho's own Godzilla, and "King Kong Escapes" (1967), based on "The King Kong Show" (1966–1969) from Rankin/Bass Productions and pitting Kong against Mechani-Kong and Gorosaurus. In 1976, Dino De Laurentiis produced a modern remake of the original film directed by John Guillermin. A sequel, "King Kong Lives", followed a decade later featuring a Lady Kong. Another remake of the original, this time set in 1933, was released in 2005 from filmmaker Peter Jackson.
King Kong (franchise) | Introduction
"King Kong" was filmed in several stages over an eight-month period. Some actors had so much time between their "Kong" periods that they were able to fully complete work on other films. Cabot completed "Road House" and Wray appeared in the horror films "Dr. X" (1932) and "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933). She estimated she worked for ten weeks on "Kong" over its eight-month production. In May and June 1932, Cooper directed the first live-action "Kong" scenes on the jungle set built for "The Most Dangerous Game". Some of these scenes were incorporated into the test reel later exhibited for the RKO board.
King Kong (1933 film) | Live-action scenes
Jackson, Walsh and Boyens began to write a new script in late October 2003. Jackson acknowledged that he was highly unsatisfied with the original 1996 script. "That was actually just Fran and Peter very hurriedly getting something down on paper", Boyens explained. "It was more one of many possible ways the story could go." The writers chose to base the new screenplay on the 1933 film rather than the 1996 script. They also included scenes from James Ashmore Creelman's screenplay that were either abandoned or omitted during production of the original film. In the scene where Kong shakes the surviving sailors pursuing Ann and himself from a log into the ravine, for example, directors Merian Cooper and Ernest B.
King Kong (2005 film) | Revival of the project
De Laurentiis had been interested in making a sequel to "King Kong" since he made the original. In 1977 he said there would "definitely" be a sequel. "Steve McQueen made a picture in which he died at the end, but they made another picture with Steve McQueen. Many stars die at the end of a picture and then go on to the next picture. Kong is a star. We are going to have a new story, a new Kong." Progress of a sequel was complicated by the fact the 1976 film was considered a financial disappointment and there were ungoing legal uncertainties over who owned the rights to King Kong.
King Kong Lives | Production
That night, the natives kidnap Ann from the ship and take her through the wall gate and to an altar, where she is offered to King Kong, an enormous gorilla-like creature. Kong carries a terrified Ann into the wilderness as Denham, Jack, and some volunteers enter the jungle in hopes of rescuing her. They are ambushed by another giant creature, a "Stegosaurus" (on Skull Island, dinosaurs still exist), which they manage to defeat. After facing a carnivorous "Brontosaurus" and Kong himself, Jack and Denham are the only survivors.
King Kong (1933 film) | Plot
In 1976, Dino De Laurentiis produced a remake of the original film from 1933 which was once again titled as simply "King Kong" and following almost the same basic plot, though it was less well-received than the original film. Despite this, a sequel later followed with "King Kong Lives" in 1986 where Kong is resurrected and meets a female version of his own species and form a family.
King Kong (franchise) | De Laurentiis period (1976-1986)
Schoedsack directed several other films in the 1930s including "The Last Days of Pompeii," "Trouble in Morocco," and "Outlaws of the Orient". In 1940, Schoedsack directed "Dr. Cyclops" which was Hollywood's first science fiction film in technicolor. In 1949 the film "Mighty Joe Young" was released by RKO and was directed by Schoedsack. It was a reunion film of the main King Kong creative team of Cooper, Schoedsack, and Ruth Rose. This would be the last film that Schoedsack would direct due to eye injuries received in World War II from testing photography equipment.
Ernest B. Schoedsack | Later work
B. Gibson, and Fred Reese. Inside the structure, metal levers, hinges, and an air compressor were operated by three men to control the mouth and facial expressions. Its fangs were 10 inches in length and its eyeballs 12 inches in diameter. The bust was moved from set to set on a flatcar. Its scale matched none of the models and, if fully realized, Kong would have stood thirty to forty feet tall.
King Kong (1933 film) | Models
In 2014, "King of Kong: The Musical", which parodied the characters and events depicted in the documentary began its limited run. A scripted film adaptation is also in the works. Director Seth Gordon has said that the movie might be a sequel instead of a remake, telling the story of how the documentary changed both men's lives, as well as their continuing rivalry.
The King of Kong | Adaptations and sequels
Over the next two decades, Universal Studios carried out further photochemical restoration on "King Kong". This was based on a 1942 release print, with missing censor cuts taken from a 1937 print, which "contained heavy vertical scratches from projection." An original release print located in the UK in the 1980s was found to contain the cut scenes in better quality. After a 6-year worldwide search for the best surviving materials, a further, fully digital, restoration utilizing 4K resolution scanning was completed by Warner Bros. in 2005. This restoration also had a 4-minute overture added, bringing the overall running time to 104 minutes.
King Kong (1933 film) | Censorship and restorations
In New York Harbor, filmmaker Carl Denham, known for wildlife films in remote and exotic locations, charters Captain Englehorn's ship, the "Venture", for his new project. However, he cannot secure an actress for a female role he has been reluctant to disclose. Searching in the streets of New York City, he finds Ann Darrow and promises her the adventure of a lifetime. The crew boards the "Venture" and sets off, during which the ship's first mate, Jack Driscoll, falls in love with Ann. Denham reveals to the crew that their destination is, in fact, Skull Island, an uncharted territory of which he has come to knowledge from a Norwegian ship captain who saved some natives of the island from a canoe, although they died before reaching land.
King Kong (1933 film) | Plot
Profits from the 1952 re-release were estimated by the studio at $2.5 million.
King Kong (1933 film) | Box office
The “beauty and the beast” angle was first developed at this time. Kong's escape was switched from Madison Square Garden to Yankee Stadium and (finally) to a Broadway theater. Cute moments involving the gorilla in Wallace's draft were cut because Cooper wanted Kong hard and tough in the belief that his fall would be all the more awesome and tragic. Time constraints forced Creelman to temporarily drop "The Eighth Wonder" and devote his time to the "Game" script. RKO staff writer Horace McCoy was called in to work with Cooper, and it was he who introduced the island natives, a giant wall, and the sacrificial maidens into the plot.
King Kong (1933 film) | Script
It also included the colorized version of the film and a 25-minute documentary, "It Was Beauty Killed the Beast" (1992). The documentary is also available on two different UK "King Kong" DVDs, while the colorized version is available on DVD in the UK and Italy. Warner Home Video re-released the black and white version on VHS with the 25-minute documentary included under the "Warner Bros. Classics" label in 1999. In 2005 Warner Bros released their digital restoration of "King Kong" in a US 2-disc Special Edition DVD, coinciding with the theatrical release of Peter Jackson's remake. It had numerous extra features, including a new, third audio commentary by visual effects artists Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with archival excerpts from actress Fay Wray and producer/director Merian C.
King Kong (1933 film) | Home media
"Kong" did not receive any Academy Awards nominations. Selznick wanted to nominate O'Brien and his crew for a special award in visual effects but the Academy declined. Such a category did not exist at the time and would not exist until 1938. Sidney Saunders and Fred Jackman received a special achievement award for the development of the translucent acetate/cellulose rear screen – the only "Kong"-related award.
King Kong (1933 film) | Awards and nominations
In the second "Futurama" film, "The Beast With a Billion Backs" Richard Nixon's head remarks about an alien invasion that King Kong is "too old to save us this time", and the camera pans to an elderly King Kong holding Ann Darrow's skeleton.
King Kong in popular culture | 1980s to the present
A remote island would be the setting and the gorilla would be dealt a spectacular death in New York City. Cooper took his concept to Paramount Studios in the first years of the Great Depression but executives shied away from a project that sent film crews on costly shoots to Africa and Komodo. In 1931, David O. Selznick brought Cooper to RKO as his executive assistant and promised him he could make his own films. Cooper began immediately developing "The Most Dangerous Game", and hired Ernest B. Schoedsack to direct. A huge jungle stage set was built, with Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray as the stars.
King Kong (1933 film) | Concept
Son of Kong (also known as The Son of Kong) is a 1933 American Pre-Code adventure monster film produced by RKO Pictures. Directed by Ernest Schoedsack and featuring special effects by Buzz Gibson and Willis O'Brien, the film stars Robert Armstrong, Helen Mack and Frank Reicher. The film is the sequel to (and was released nine months after) "King Kong".
Son of Kong | Introduction
He alludes to a monstrous creature named "Kong", rumored to dwell on the island. The crew arrives and anchor offshore. They encounter a native village, separated from the rest of the island by an ancient stone wall with an enormous wooden gate. They witness a group of natives preparing to presumably sacrifice a young woman termed the "bride of Kong" by confining her on the other side of the wall. The intruders are spotted, and the native chief stops the ceremony. When he sees Ann, he offers to trade six of his tribal women for the "golden woman." They rebuff him and return to the "Venture".
King Kong (1933 film) | Plot
Ruth Rose (January 16, 1896 – June 8, 1978) was a writer who worked on several films in the 1930s and the 1940s, most famously the original 1933 classic "King Kong".
Ruth Rose | Introduction
Dino De Laurentiis quickly acquired the film rights from RKO-General and subsequently hired television writer Lorenzo Semple, Jr. to write the script. John Guillermin was hired as director and filming lasted from January to August 1976. Before the film's release, Universal Pictures sued De Laurentiis and RKO-General alleging a breach of contract and attempted to develop their own remake of "King Kong". In response, De Laurentiis and RKO-General filed separate countersuits against Universal Pictures, all of which were withdrawn by January 1976. The film was released on December 17, 1976 to mixed reviews from film critics, but was a box office success.
King Kong (1976 film) | Introduction
In the early 1930s, Cooper began development for his film "King Kong". He had already gotten two other writers to work on "Kong". The first one, Edgar Wallace, died before he could make any significant changes, and the second, James Ashmore Creelman, wrote a screenplay that was too slow-paced, descriptive, and had too much flowery dialogue according to Cooper. So he hired Rose to rework it. Rose cut out many of the long, unimportant scenes that Creelman had written, in order to make it more fast-paced. She is credited with writing such famous lines as "Oh, no. It wasn't the airplanes.
Ruth Rose | "King Kong"
Further extended broadcasts followed in November 1980 and March 1983.
King Kong (1976 film) | Extended television version
The script was still in revision when the jungle scenes were shot and much of the dialogue was improvised. The jungle set was scheduled to be struck after "Game" was completed, so Cooper filmed all of the other jungle scenes at this time. The last scene shot was that of Driscoll and Ann racing through the jungle to safety following their escape from Kong's lair. In July 1932, the native village was readied while Schoedsack and his crew filmed establishing shots in the harbor of New York City. Curtiss F8C-5/O2C-1 Helldiver war planes taking off and in flight were filmed at a U.S.
King Kong (1933 film) | Live-action scenes
John Mosher of "The New Yorker" called it "ridiculous", but wrote that there were "many scenes in this picture that are certainly diverting". The "New York World-Telegram" said it was "one of the very best of all the screen thrillers, done with all the cinema's slickest camera tricks". The "Chicago Tribune" called it "one of the most original, thrilling and mammoth novelties to emerge from a movie studio." On February 3, 2002, Roger Ebert included "King Kong" in his "Great Movies" list, writing that "In modern times the movie has aged, as critic James Berardinelli observes, and 'advances in technology and acting have dated aspects of the production.' Yes, but in the very artificiality of some of the special effects, there is a creepiness that isn't there in today's slick, flawless, computer-aided images...
King Kong (1933 film) | Critical response
King Kong is a 2005 epic monster adventure film co-written, produced, and directed by Peter Jackson. A second remake of the 1933 film of the same title, the film stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, and, through motion capture, Andy Serkis as the title character. Set in 1933, it follows the story of an ambitious filmmaker who coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to the mysterious Skull Island. There, they encounter prehistoric creatures living on the island as well as a legendary giant gorilla known as Kong, whom they capture and take to New York City.
King Kong (2005 film) | Introduction
It won a noncompetitive Special Achievement Academy Award and was also nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Sound. Of the three "King Kong" main films, it is the only one to feature the World Trade Center instead of the Empire State Building. A sequel titled "King Kong Lives" was released in 1986.
King Kong (1976 film) | Introduction
In 1933, during the Great Depression, New York City actress Ann Darrow is hired by financially troubled filmmaker Carl Denham to star in a film alongside actor Bruce Baxter. Ann learns her favorite playwright, Jack Driscoll, is the screenwriter. Filming takes place on the SS "Venture", under Captain Englehorn, and under Carl's pretense that it will be sailing to Singapore. In truth, Carl intends to sail to and film the mysterious Skull Island. Captain Englehorn has second thoughts about the voyage, prompted by his crew's speculation of trouble ahead. On the voyage, Ann and Jack fall in love. The "Venture" receives a radio message informing Englehorn there is a warrant for Carl's arrest due to his defiance of the studio's orders to cease production.
King Kong (2005 film) | Plot
"King Kong" was also, somewhat controversially, colorized in the late 1980s for television.
King Kong (1933 film) | Censorship and restorations
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on , with a weighted average rating of 9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""King Kong" explores the soul of a monster – making audiences scream and cry throughout the film – in large part due to Kong's breakthrough special effects." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "Universal acclaim". "Variety" thought the film was a powerful adventure. "The New York Times" gave readers an enthusiastic account of the plot and thought the film a fascinating adventure.
King Kong (1933 film) | Critical response
Selznick became the vice president of RKO and asked Cooper to join him in September 1931, although he had only produced 3 films thus far in his career. Cooper began working as an executive assistant at age thirty-eight. He officially pitched the idea for "King Kong" in December 1931. Shortly after, he began to scope out actors and build full-scale sets, although the screenplay was not yet complete. The screenplay was delivered to Cooper in January 1932. Schoedsack contributed to the film, focusing on shooting scenes for the boat sequences and in native villages, leaving Cooper to shoot the jungle scenes.
Merian C. Cooper | "King Kong"
In 1933, film director Carl Denham (Jack Black), has acquired a mysterious map, which reveals the secret location of a large island known as Skull Island, located in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean. Carl hires playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) to write his script and plucks a starving, out-of-work actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) to play the part of leading lady and a tramp steamer called the "Venture" to take them to the island. The ship, controlled by Captain Englehorn (Thomas Kretschmann) arrives at the island on October 12. Three lifeboats containing the cast, crew and sailors are dispatched to the island.
King Kong (2005 video game) | Plot
While Schoedsack and Cooper made several other films together, they are most known for directing the 1933 film "King Kong." After finishing production on "The Most Dangerous Game," Schoedsack joined Cooper in the production of "King Kong." Schoedsack focused on scenes with human actors, while Cooper headed the special effects. Schoedsack, Cooper, and Rose inspired the characters of John Driscoll, Carl Denham, and Ann Darrow respectively. The script was co-written by Schoedsack's wife, Rose. This film marked a transition in the working relationship of Schoedsack and Cooper. After the film, Schoedsack only directed films, while Cooper produced them. Their partnership ended, however, in the late 1930s.
Ernest B. Schoedsack | "King Kong" and early 1930s films
Ann thanks him for his kindness and, after he leaves, examines the dresses and wonders what exactly this whole job is going to entail ("Cabin Soliloquy"). Back on the main deck, tensions are high between Englehorn and Denham. Despite the repeated questions as to where they were going, Denham dodges every single one. ("Pressure Up"). Ann explains to Denham that she isn't your typical damsel in distress once he asks her to scream for the camera. After two months on the water, the captain and crew are ready to snap. During filming Carls explains to Ann about the filming location, Skull Island and Englehorn hearing this snaps.
King Kong (2013 musical) | Act I
Although the draft was incomplete, Wallace only made minor revisions to it, each at Cooper's own request, before his fateful doctor's appointment in late January; when Cooper called Wallace in early February to discuss the script, someone else answered; Wallace was in the hospital. By 10 February, Wallace was dead, and Merian C. Cooper was left without a screenwriter. The fragmentary nature of Wallace's script meant that the main dialogue-free action of the film (the jungle sequences) would have to be shot first, both as insurance and as a showreel for the board of RKO.
Edgar Wallace | "King Kong"
He was meant to direct "Midway" (1976) but was replaced by Jack Smight. His next job came from Dino De Laurentis who was looking for a director for his remake of "King Kong" (1976). He had been turned down by Steven Spielberg, Milos Forman, Roman Polanski and Sydney Pollack before going with Guillermin. "To me John Guillermin is a talent guy," said De Laurentis. "He is a strange character, but this don't mean anything to me. All directors are strange characters. Bergman is a strange character, Fellini is a strange character - all directors. He was very open to special effects.
John Guillermin | "King Kong"
John Guillermin (11 November 192527 September 2015) was a British film director, writer and producer who was most active in big budget, action adventure films throughout his lengthy career. His more well-known films include "I Was Monty's Double" (1958), "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" (1959), "Never Let Go" (1960), "Tarzan Goes to India" (1962), "Waltz of the Toreadors" (1962), "The Blue Max" (1966), "The Bridge at Remagen" (1969), "The Towering Inferno" (1974), "King Kong" (1976), "Death on the Nile" (1978), "Sheena" (1984) and "King Kong Lives" (1986). From the 1980s he worked on much less prestigious projects, and his final films consisted of lower budgeted theatrical releases and made-for-TV films.
John Guillermin | Introduction
Hong Kong is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Lewis R. Foster and written by Winston Miller. The film stars Ronald Reagan and Rhonda Fleming; the lead supporting actors are Nigel Bruce, Marvin Miller, Mary Somerville and Lowell Gilmore. The film was released on January 12, 1952, by Paramount Pictures. It was re-released in 1961 with the title "Bombs Over China".
Hong Kong (film) | Introduction
In fact, some of film sets for "Kongo", which were designed by MGM's art director Cedric Gibbons, were also used for "Red Dust".
Kongo (1932 film) | Production notes
In 1976, Dino De Laurentiis produced a modern remake of the original film directed by John Guillermin. A sequel, "King Kong Lives", followed a decade later featuring a Lady Kong. Another remake of the original, this time set in 1933, was released in 2005 from filmmaker Peter Jackson. The most recent film, "" (2017), set in 1973, is part of Legendary Entertainment's MonsterVerse, which began with Legendary's reboot of "Godzilla" in 2014. A crossover sequel, "Godzilla vs. Kong", once again pitting the characters against one another, is currently planned for 2021. The character of King Kong has become one of the world's most famous movie icons, having inspired a number of sequels, remakes, spin-offs, imitators, parodies, cartoons, books, comics, video games, theme park rides, and a stage play.
King Kong | Introduction
It was popular and Teague was offered a second King script, "Cat's Eye" (1985).
Lewis Teague | Director
A giant gate built for this film was later used in the 1933 film "King Kong", and was among the sets torched for the "burning of Atlanta" in "Gone with the Wind" (1939). Other sets and costumes were re-used for the 1965 Elvis Presley film, "Harum Scarum". "The King of Kings" was the first movie that premiered at the noted Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California on May 18, 1927. The film was screened there again on May 24, 1977 to commemorate the theater's 50th anniversary. The movie has two Technicolor sequences, the beginning and the resurrection scene, which use the two-strip process invented by Herbert Kalmus.
The King of Kings (1927 film) | Production details
And then, he believe in the story; he believe in the love story. And if he believe in it, it works. Because John Guillermin believe in this fantastically human love story... Every director at one point jump from one category to another category. No director can be genius from first movie. You must give a chance when people are talented. And I recognize in John some quality. And he did it with KONG. He surprised you, surprised all critics." "The original 'Kong' was part of my childhood and I loved it," said Guillermin. "I dreamed about it. What I wanted to do was to re-create what I'd felt about it the first time I saw it, but still adapt the story to our own day.
John Guillermin | "King Kong"
The Second Woman (Chinese: 情谜, Qing mi) is a 2012 Chinese-Hong Kong film directed by Carol Lai.
The Second Woman (2012 film) | Introduction
In 1984, "King Kong" was one of the first films to be released on LaserDisc by the Criterion Collection, and was the very first movie to have an audio commentary track included. Criterion's audio commentary was by film historian Ron Haver; in 1985 Image Entertainment released another LaserDisc, this time with a commentary by film historian and soundtrack producer Paul Mandell. The Haver commentary was preserved in full on the FilmStruck streaming service. "King Kong" had numerous VHS and LaserDisc releases of varying quality prior to receiving an official studio release on DVD. Those included a Turner 60th anniversary edition in 1993 featuring a front cover which had the sound effect of Kong roaring when his chest was pressed.
King Kong (1933 film) | Home media
Naval airfield on Long Island. Views of New York City were filmed from the Empire State Building for backgrounds in the final scenes and architectural plans for the mooring mast were secured from the building's owners for a mock-up to be constructed on the Hollywood sound stage.
King Kong (1933 film) | Live-action scenes
It was praised for its special effects, performances, sense of spectacle and comparison to the 1933 original, while some criticised its 3-hour run time. It won three Academy Awards: Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects. A tie-in video game was released alongside the film, which also became a commercial success.
King Kong (2005 film) | Introduction
"Dr. Cyclops" was directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, responsible a few years earlier for "King Kong". Like that film, "Dr. Cyclops" features elaborate sets and special effects. It is the first American horror film made in full, three-strip Technicolor; "Doctor X" (1932) and "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933) were made using the earlier two-color process. Schoedsack took special care to make certain that the color effects were believable.
Dr. Cyclops | Production
A device called the surface gauge was used in order to keep track of the stop-motion animation performance. The iconic fight between Kong and the "Tyrannosaurus" took seven weeks to be completed. O'Brien's protegé, Ray Harryhausen, who later worked with him on several films, stated that O'Brien's second wife noticed that there was so much of her husband in Kong. The backdrop of Skull Island seen when the Venture crew first arrive was painted on glass by matte painters Henry Hillinck, Mario Larrinaga and Byron C. Crabbé. The scene was then composited with separate bird elements and rear projected behind the ship and the actors.
King Kong (1933 film) | Special effects
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1953:
List of Hong Kong films of 1953 | Introduction
In February 1933, the title for the film was registered for copyright. Throughout filming there were creative battles. Critics at RKO argued that the film should begin with Kong. Cooper believed that a film should begin with a "slow dramatic buildup that would establish everything from characters to mood ..." so that the action of the film could "naturally, relentlessly, roll on out of its own creative movement," and thus chose to not begin the film with a shot of Kong. The iconic scene in which Kong is on top of the Empire State Building was almost called off by Cooper for legal reasons, but was kept in the film because RKO bought the rights to "The Lost World".
Merian C. Cooper | "King Kong"
In 1933, Radio Pictures produced the original classic "King Kong" which was followed by the less respected "Son of Kong" later the same year. The films were largely praised for their use of stop-motion effects.
King Kong (franchise) | Radio Pictures period (1933)
After the RKO board approved the production of a test reel, Marcel Delgado constructed Kong (or the "Giant Terror Gorilla" as he was then known) per designs and directions from Cooper and O'Brien on a one-inch-equals-one-foot scale to simulate a gorilla 18 feet tall. Four models were built: two jointed 18-inch aluminum, foam rubber, latex, and rabbit fur models (to be rotated during filming), one jointed 24-inch model of the same materials for the New York scenes, and a small model of lead and fur for the climactic plummeting-down-the-Empire-State-Building shot. At least two armatures have survived – one believed to be the original made for the test footage – and are owned by Peter Jackson and Bob Burns.
King Kong (1933 film) | Models
Jungle films were launched in the United States with "Beasts in the Jungle" (1913), and the film's popularity spawned similar pictures such as "Tarzan of the Apes" (1918). "The Lost World" (1925), made movie history with special effects by Willis O'Brien and a crew that later would work on "King Kong". "King Kong" producer Ernest B. Schoedsack had earlier monkey experience directing "" (1927), also with Merian C. Cooper, and "Rango" (1931), both of which prominently featured monkeys in authentic jungle settings. Capitalizing on this trend, Congo Pictures released the hoax documentary "Ingagi" (1930), advertising the film as "an authentic incontestable celluloid document showing the sacrifice of a living woman to mammoth gorillas." "Ingagi" is now often recognized as a racial exploitation film as it implicitly depicted black women having sex with gorillas, and baby offspring that looked more ape than human.
King Kong (1933 film) | Background
From 1933 through 2020, there have been 12 "King Kong" films produced, with 10 American productions and 2 Japanese productions.
King Kong (franchise) | Filmography
Cooper. Warners issued identical DVDs in 2006 in Australia and New Zealand, followed by a US digibook-packaged Blu-ray in 2010. In 2014 the Blu-ray was repackaged with three unrelated films in a "4 Film Favorites: Colossal Monster Collection". At present, Universal holds worldwide rights to "Kong"'s home video releases outside of North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. All Universal's releases only contain their earlier, 100 minute, pre-2005 restoration. However, in the UK, Warner Home Video released the film digitally and on Blu-Ray and DVD in early 2017. The Blu-Ray contained the same contents as the US release, but unfortunately for the DVD, that was based on the first Disc of the 2-Disc DVD release.
King Kong (1933 film) | Home media
The inspiration for the climactic scene came when, "as he was leaving his office in Manhattan, he heard the sound of an airplane motor. He reflexively looked up as the sun glinted off the wings of a plane flying extremely close to the tallest building in the city... he realized if he placed the giant gorilla on top of the tallest building in the world and had him shot down by the most modern of weapons, the armed airplane, he would have a story of the primitive doomed by modern civilization." The film was initially banned in Nazi Germany, with the censors describing it as an "attack against the nerves of the German people" and a "violation of German race feeling".
King Kong (1933 film) | Racism allegation
The film has since received some significant honors. In 1975, "Kong" was named one of the 50 best American films by the American Film Institute, and, in 1991, the film was deemed "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. In 1998, the AFI ranked the film #43 on its list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. American Film Institute Lists
King Kong (1933 film) | Legacy
This new "Kong" isn't a horror movie-it's an absurdist love story." Richard Schickel from "Time" wrote that "The special effects are marvelous, the good-humored script is comic-bookish without being excessively campy, and there are two excellent performances" from Charles Grodin and Jeff Bridges. "Variety" wrote that "Faithful in substantial degree not only to the letter but also the spirit of the 1933 classic for RKO, this $22 million-plus version neatly balances superb special effects with solid dramatic credibility." Film historian Leonard Maltin cited the remake as "Addle-brained...has great potential, but dispels all the mythic and larger-than-life qualities of the original with idiotic characters and campy approach...Hardly the sort of picture one would touch after making "Tootsie" (for which Lange won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, 6 years later)." Vincent Canby, reviewing for "The New York Times", claimed the movie was "inoffensive, uncomplicated fun, as well as a dazzling display of what special-effects people can do when commissioned to construct a 40-foot-tall ape who can walk, make fondling gestures, and smiles a lot." However, he was critical of the use of the World Trade Center instead of the Empire State Building during the climax, but he praised the performances by Bridges and Grodin and the special effects creation of Kong.
King Kong (1976 film) | Critical response
Once the film was underway, Cooper turned his attention to the studio's big-budget-out-of-control fantasy, "Creation", a project with stop motion animator Willis O'Brien about a group of travelers shipwrecked on an island of dinosaurs. When Cooper screened O'Brien's stop-motion "Creation" footage, he was unimpressed, but realized he could economically make his gorilla picture by scrapping the Komodo dragons and costly location shoots for O'Brien's animated dinosaurs and the studio's existing jungle set. It was at this time Cooper probably cast his gorilla as a giant named Kong, and planned to have him die at the Empire State Building. The RKO board was wary about the project, but gave its approval after Cooper organized a presentation with Wray, Armstrong, and Cabot, and O'Brien's model dinosaurs.
King Kong (1933 film) | Concept
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1954:.
List of Hong Kong films of 1954 | Introduction
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1952:.
List of Hong Kong films of 1952 | Introduction
Born in 1921, his life degenerated, after a meteoric boxing rise, into drunkenness and gang violence. He knifed his girlfriend, asked for the death sentence during his trial and instead was sentenced to 14 years' hard labour. He was found drowned in 1957 and it was believed his death was suicide. He was 36.
King Kong (1959 musical) | Background
This is a partial list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1957.
List of Hong Kong films of 1957 | Introduction
The reasons for the dropped subplot was due to the increased attention on Kong and Dwan's love story and financial reasons as De Laurentiis did not want to use stop-motion animation in the film. Nevertheless, a giant boa constrictor was incorporated into the film.
King Kong (1976 film) | Writing
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1955:.
List of Hong Kong films of 1955 | Introduction
Carl Denham was intentionally modeled after and inspired by Orson Welles. Their new draft was finished in February 2004.
King Kong (2005 film) | Revival of the project
Marketing and promotion costs were an estimated $60 million. The film's length also grew; originally set to be 135 minutes, it soon grew to 200, prompting Universal executives to fly to New Zealand to view a rough cut, but they liked it so their concerns were addressed. Other difficulties included Peter Jackson's decision to change composers from Howard Shore to James Newton Howard seven weeks before the film opened.
King Kong (2005 film) | Filming
On May 3, 2011, a DVD version of the film was released as part of the Warner Archive Collection series .
Kongo (1932 film) | Introduction
In 1925 he was the architecture and set director for the original film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World". This film received accolades for its innovative art direction and special effects. To quote one review in the NewTimes: "And while Harry O. Hoyt is credited as director, a host of fellow auteurs must take credit for Lost World's still impressive thrills, especially the effects work of Willis O'Brien (who would later animate "King Kong" in 1933) and the wild set design from Milton Menasco." A complete list of Menasco's film credits is given here.
Milton Menasco | Introduction
Patrick Kong (; born 1975) is a Hong Kong film director and screenwriter.
Patrick Kong | Introduction
Some have held that it was Haydon and not Fay Wray who provided the heroine's bone-chilling screams in 1933's "King Kong", but this claim is disputed.
Julie Haydon | Early career and films
"King Kong" is well known for its groundbreaking use of special effects, such as stop-motion animation, matte painting, rear projection and miniatures, all of which were conceived decades before the digital age. The numerous prehistoric creatures inhabiting Skull Island were brought to life through the use of stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien and his assistant animator, Buzz Gibson. The stop-motion animation scenes were painstaking and difficult to achieve and complete after the special effects crew realized that they could not stop, because it would make the movements of the creatures seem inconsistent and the lighting would not have the same intensity over the many days it took to fully animate a finished sequence.
King Kong (1933 film) | Special effects
The background of the scenes in the jungle (a miniature set) were also painted on several layers of glass to convey the illusion of deep and dense jungle foliage.
King Kong (1933 film) | Special effects
The stampede was going to utilize the models that had been built for "Creation" (1931) (most being used in the earlier "King Kong"). However these sequences were never filmed due to the film's tight budget and shooting schedule. Helen Mack's character is never referred to as "Hilda" in the film. The name "Hilda" is used in the credits and her father refers to her as "Madame Helene" during the show. Denham just calls her "kid".
Son of Kong | Production
The Australian production took five years of planning and over five months of rehearsals. Its director, Daniel Kramer, said that it took "three years of auditions and workshops" before performances began. He added, "It's tempting to focus on the spectacle of King Kong himself. But it is only through the humanity of the life around him – the people of New York City, the comic megalomania of filmmaker Carl Denham, the stubborn opposition of first mate Jack Driscoll, and the grace, beauty and power of our leading lady, Ann Darrow – that he truly takes life." The musical, according to the 2013 press notes, "has gone back to the source – the novella of the original film by Merian C.
King Kong (2013 musical) | Development
This silent period piece drama film was produced in 1938 by Zenshō Cinema. The film was broken into two parts. The first part called Edo ni Arawareta Kingu Kongu: Henge no Maki |江戸に現れたキングコング:変化の巻 ("King Kong Appears in Edo: The Episode of the Monster") was released on March 31, 1938, while the second part called Edo ni Arawareta Kingu Kongu: Ōgon no Maki |江戸に現れたキングコング:黄金の巻 ("King Kong Appears in Edo: The Episode of Gold") was released a week later on April 7, 1938. Both films ran 5 reels in length and premiered at the Yûrakukan theater in Asakusa, Tokyo. Going by the plot synopsis as well as flyers promoting the film, it is believed by historians that the ape (looking more like a yeti) is only referred to as "King Kong" in name only and does not appear gigantic outside of promotional photos.
King Kong Appears in Edo | Production