King Kong is a landmark 1933 Hollywood horror-adventure film in black-and-white about a gigantic prehistoric gorilla named Kong.
The film was made by RKO and was written originally for the screen by Edgar Wallace, Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman from a concept by Merian C. Cooper. A novelization of the screenplay actually appeared before the film, in 1932 adapted by Delos Lovelace, and contains descriptions of scenes not in the movie.
The film was directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack and starred Bruce Cabot and Robert Armstrong. It is notable for Willis O'Brien's ground breaking stop-motion animation work, Max Steiner's musical score, and actress Fay Wray's performance as the ape's improbable love interest. King Kong premiered in New York City on March 2, 1933.
Plot Description
The film starts off in New York City during the depths of the Great Depression. Carl Denham, a film director famous for shooting ''animal pictures'' in remote and exotic locationsm is unable to find an actress to star in his newest project via traditional channels, and thus is forced to wander the streets searching for a suitable woman. He chances upon a poor girl, Ann Darrow, who has been caught by a greengrocer after trying to steal an apple. When the starving Ann faints in Denham''s arms, he buys her a cup of coffee and offers her a job starring in his new film. Although Ann is apprehensive, she has nothing to lose, and agrees. They set sail on the frieghter Venture, getting out of New York harbor just ahead of the authorities.
Whilst on the ship, first mate Jack Driscoll complains Ann is constantly getting in the way. Denham, after maintaining secrecy for much of the trip, tells the Venture''s captain, Englehorn, they''re searching for an island, uncharted on any normal map. He says that two years earlier a skipper gave him the one map on which it is charted, having received it from a native of Kong''s island who had been swept out to sea. And then Denham mentions Kong, which in his words, is said to be something monstrous, a legend of vague fear.
Love is brewing between Jack, who feels women have no place on board ships, and Ann. As the Venture moves through the fog surrounding Kong''s island, the crew hear drums in the distance. They finally arrive at the island''s shore and see the native village, which is located on a peninsule, cut from the bulk of the island by an enormous and ancient wall. Going ashore, the crew encounters the natives, who are about to hand over a girl to Kong as a ritual sacrifice. One of the natives points out Ann would make a better bride than the girl. An offer to buy Ann is rebuffed, and the crew returns to the ship.
Shortly after Jack and Ann openly express their love for one another, Ann is kidnapped by the natives and handed over to Kong in a ceremony; when Kong emerges from the jungle, he is revealed to be a giant gorilla. After taking control of the wall from the natives, some of the crew go after him, and encounter an aggressive Stegosaurus and carnivorous Apatosaurus (in real life, both species were herbivores).
Kong moves on and places Ann on a tall stump. He catches the pursuing crewmembers while they are crossing a ravine on a log and shakes them off, killing all except for Driscoll and Denham. Meanwhile, a Tyrannosaurus Rex is about to attack Ann; Kong returns and a long struggle between the two titans ends when Kong breaks the T. Rex''s jaw. He takes Ann up to his cave, where two more battles ensue with a pterosaur and a plesiosaur.
While Kong is thus distracted, Jack rescues Ann, and takes her back to the wall. Carl declares that they can make a fortune if they can get Kong back to New York; since they''ve got something the gorilla wants, the men can therefore can lure him. But Jack insists Ann is something Kong won''t get again. Kong then breaks through the large door in the wall and rampages through the native village, killing many of the inhabitants. Carl explodes a gas bomb, knocking Kong unconscious, whereupon he exults in the opportunity to take the giant back to New York as an exhibit: "He''s always been King of his world. But we''ll teach him fear! We''re millionaires, boys! I''ll share it with all of you. Why, in a few months, it''ll be up in lights on Broadway: ''Kong - the Eighth Wonder of the World!''"
The next scene begins with Kong''s Broadway debut, just as Denham described. Along with scores of curious New Yorkers, Denham, Driscoll and Ann are in evening wear for the gala event. As the curtain lifts, we see a manacled Kong displayed on the stage. Denham assures the audience that they are safe because the chains are made of chromed steel. All goes well until photographers, using the crude powder-flash cameras of the era, begin snapping shots of Ann and Jack, who are by now engaged. Under the impression that the flashbulbs are attacking Ann, Kong breaks his chains and escapes from the theater, charging along Second Avenue, where he tears apart the elevated railroad, killing scores of people.
He then kidnaps Ann from a hotel room and carries her up the Empire State Building. By this time, the authorities have summoned four Navy World War I-era biplanes to shoot Kong down. The ape gently sets Ann down on the observation deck and climbs atop the dirigible mooring mast (which was later replaced with an antenna), trying to fight off the planes. Despite being able to destroy one of them, Kong is no match for modern technology; gunned down, he crashes to his death in the street below. Denham rushes up, and a New York City cop remarks, "Well Mr. Denham, the airplanes got him," whereupon Denham muses, "No, ''twas Beauty killed the beast."
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Critics' Opinions
The film received mostly positive but some negative reviews on its first release. Variety concluded "after the audience becomes used to the machine-like movements and other mechanical flaws in the gigantic animals on view, and become accustomed to the phony atmosphere, they may commence to feel the power." The New York Times found it a fascinating adventure film: "Imagine a fifty-foot beast with a girl in one paw climbing up the outside of the Empire State Building, and after putting the girl on a ledge, clutching at airplanes, the pilots of which are pouring bullets from machine guns into the monster''s body" [2].
More recently, Roger Ebert wrote in his Great Films review that the effects are not up to modern standards, but "there is something ageless and primeval about "King Kong" that still somehow works."
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