Since doing my Sonic Retrospective last year (Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3), I've found myself wanting to do more retrospectives based on other things I like. I will most likely be doing one for Godzilla eventually, but he's not the one with a major movie coming out this year, is he?
No, now's the time to pay our respects to the one, the only, KING KONG!
With 'Kong: Skull Island' coming out soon, I'm going to look back on the history of all 7 of Kong's adventures on film leading up to the new movie.
Let the voyage begin!
No, now's the time to pay our respects to the one, the only, KING KONG!
With 'Kong: Skull Island' coming out soon, I'm going to look back on the history of all 7 of Kong's adventures on film leading up to the new movie.
Let the voyage begin!
PART 1: THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD
KING KONG
(March 2, 1933)
(March 2, 1933)
Everyone has their own opinions as to what the greatest movie of all time is. Usually names like Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind and The Godfather come up. But if you were to ask me what I thought some of the greatest films of all time, one of the first films I would mention is KING KONG.
There are many kids who outright refuse to watch older movies for no reason other than they are not in color, and for that I pity them. I saw King Kong at a very young age and it left a really big impact on me.
Most of the black and white movies I watched were of the Science Fiction genre and King Kong was one of those films. I think it's practically impossible to not know who or what Kong is, and I was already a fan of Dinosaurs and giant monster flicks. You offer me a movie about a giant Gorilla who fights Dinosaurs and rampages through a city? I'M IN!
There's so much to love about this movie.
The characters are entertaining to watch and you root for them to get out of trouble they face. The adventurous, charismatic filmmaker Carl Denham played by Robert Armstrong, the tough but gold-hearted sailor Jack Driscoll played by Bruce Cabot and let's not forget our charming, optimistic, leading lady Ann Darrow played by the incomparable Fay Wray.
The musical score composed by Max Steiner can be soft and moody one moment, but then fast and energetic the next.
Then there's Kong himself. Even though the original Kong was nothing more than a 18 inch puppet covered in rabbit fur, the way he moves and acts will make you feel like you're looking at a real creature. Kong will undoubtedly be the character you come to care about and root for the most, from his first appearance, to his fight against the "T-Rex" and his iconic, final stand atop the Empire State Building.
King Kong was a movie made during a much different time in American History, with The Great Depression in full force, people needed an escape during a time when movie tickets cost only 35 cents. And those who did got quite a show.
What some may not realize was that this was not a movie made by any ordinary filmmakers. On the contrary, the Directors and Producers of King Kong were some of the biggest Mavericks who ever dedicated their lives to film.
Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack (It's pronounced as "Showed"-sack) were fearless adventurers who often lived many of the movies they made. One of them, "Chang" actually featured a scene in which a character is being chased up a tree by a tiger. Schoedsack himself climbed up a tree and filmed an ACTUAL Tiger trying to get up the tree to kill him. Having previously filmed battles during World War I, if bullets and bombs weren't enough to scare Schoedsack, a tiger might have seemed like nothing more than a really big pussycat.
And using his own experience as a war pilot, Cooper himself appeared in the film as the pilot who would gun down Kong. Schoedsack appeared alongside him as the rear gunner.
And no discussion about King Kong would be complete without mentioning the work of the man who pioneered the art of Stop-Motion Animation, Willis O'Brian. Stop-Motion is a long and arduous process, but O'Brian made it seem like a piece of cake. He adds real character to his creations and without his hard work, Kong would be just another lifeless Gorilla throwing a tantrum.
Both O'Brian and the crew behind King Kong also spared no expense in the presentation of the film in terms of set design, camera work and visual effects that come together creating a wondrous fantasy that is a feast for the eyes even today.
It was the work produced by these talented men who would inspire many more filmmakers like Ray Harryhausen, Eiji Tsuburaya and Peter Jackson, who considers the original King Kong to be his favorite film ever.
And honestly, I could go on and on praising this movie by spouting more facts that many others have said countless times. But I've got 6 more movies to talk about before the new movie comes out. So for now, I'll leave off with this:
Whenever you think of the greatest movies of all time, for your consideration: King Kong, a true cinematic marvel that is and always will be a wonder of the world.
There are many kids who outright refuse to watch older movies for no reason other than they are not in color, and for that I pity them. I saw King Kong at a very young age and it left a really big impact on me.
Most of the black and white movies I watched were of the Science Fiction genre and King Kong was one of those films. I think it's practically impossible to not know who or what Kong is, and I was already a fan of Dinosaurs and giant monster flicks. You offer me a movie about a giant Gorilla who fights Dinosaurs and rampages through a city? I'M IN!
There's so much to love about this movie.
 |
| Left to Right: Bruce Cabot, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong |
The musical score composed by Max Steiner can be soft and moody one moment, but then fast and energetic the next.
Then there's Kong himself. Even though the original Kong was nothing more than a 18 inch puppet covered in rabbit fur, the way he moves and acts will make you feel like you're looking at a real creature. Kong will undoubtedly be the character you come to care about and root for the most, from his first appearance, to his fight against the "T-Rex" and his iconic, final stand atop the Empire State Building.
King Kong was a movie made during a much different time in American History, with The Great Depression in full force, people needed an escape during a time when movie tickets cost only 35 cents. And those who did got quite a show.
What some may not realize was that this was not a movie made by any ordinary filmmakers. On the contrary, the Directors and Producers of King Kong were some of the biggest Mavericks who ever dedicated their lives to film.
Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack (It's pronounced as "Showed"-sack) were fearless adventurers who often lived many of the movies they made. One of them, "Chang" actually featured a scene in which a character is being chased up a tree by a tiger. Schoedsack himself climbed up a tree and filmed an ACTUAL Tiger trying to get up the tree to kill him. Having previously filmed battles during World War I, if bullets and bombs weren't enough to scare Schoedsack, a tiger might have seemed like nothing more than a really big pussycat.
And using his own experience as a war pilot, Cooper himself appeared in the film as the pilot who would gun down Kong. Schoedsack appeared alongside him as the rear gunner.
And no discussion about King Kong would be complete without mentioning the work of the man who pioneered the art of Stop-Motion Animation, Willis O'Brian. Stop-Motion is a long and arduous process, but O'Brian made it seem like a piece of cake. He adds real character to his creations and without his hard work, Kong would be just another lifeless Gorilla throwing a tantrum.
Both O'Brian and the crew behind King Kong also spared no expense in the presentation of the film in terms of set design, camera work and visual effects that come together creating a wondrous fantasy that is a feast for the eyes even today.
It was the work produced by these talented men who would inspire many more filmmakers like Ray Harryhausen, Eiji Tsuburaya and Peter Jackson, who considers the original King Kong to be his favorite film ever.
And honestly, I could go on and on praising this movie by spouting more facts that many others have said countless times. But I've got 6 more movies to talk about before the new movie comes out. So for now, I'll leave off with this:
SON OF KONG
(December 22, 1933)
(December 22, 1933)
King Kong was a massive success, grossing over $2 million on it's initial release. Because of this success, it was decided that a sequel should be made.
Now it's common knowledge that if a film is really successful at the box office then a sequel is put in production, usually taking 1-2 years to complete. In the case of Son of Kong, only 10 months had passed after the release of King Kong. A sequel to a movie that comes out in the same year as the original? That is not something that happens a lot today.
In this one, Denham returns to Skull Island after hearing about a possible treasure located somewhere on the island. He comes across a 12-foot albino Gorilla who he assumes to be Kong's son (nicknamed 'Kiko') and rescues him from quicksand.
Hijinks ensue.
Much of the same cast and crew returned for the sequel, gave it their all and turned out an OK film. As expected, Son of Kong is nowhere near the quality of the original. Script writer Ruth Rose (also the wife of Ernest B. Schoedsack), said that if they couldn't make it bigger, then they would make it funnier. And funny this movie is, the humor is actually the main reason to watch this film and not in a so-bad-it's-good way. And the stop motion creatures are always cool to watch. I have only one real complaint with the movie. There is no real build-up to the appearance of Kiko. He just appears after cutting to the next scene and I find it very jarring.
Other then that, I really don't have much else to say about 'Son of Kong' other than it's an enjoyable, short companion piece for those who wish to return to the world of King Kong.
A few years after the release of Son of Kong, the original King Kong would see a number of re-releases to theaters, but it took at least 30 more years till Kong would start to return to theaters in new stories made by a new generation of filmmakers looking to make their mark on the legacy of Kong.
Next stop, Japan!
Now it's common knowledge that if a film is really successful at the box office then a sequel is put in production, usually taking 1-2 years to complete. In the case of Son of Kong, only 10 months had passed after the release of King Kong. A sequel to a movie that comes out in the same year as the original? That is not something that happens a lot today.
In this one, Denham returns to Skull Island after hearing about a possible treasure located somewhere on the island. He comes across a 12-foot albino Gorilla who he assumes to be Kong's son (nicknamed 'Kiko') and rescues him from quicksand.
Hijinks ensue.
A few years after the release of Son of Kong, the original King Kong would see a number of re-releases to theaters, but it took at least 30 more years till Kong would start to return to theaters in new stories made by a new generation of filmmakers looking to make their mark on the legacy of Kong.
Next stop, Japan!
Till next time, I have been your host Gryphon
and I hope you've enjoyed your time here in my lair.
So long...
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