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King Kong [1933] (2 discs)

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Director:Ernest B. Schoedsack
Merian C. Cooper
Writer:James Ashmore Creelman
Ruth Rose
Composer:Max Steiner
Length:104 minutes
(1 hour 44 minutes)
MPAA Rating:UR
Sorting Category:Action
Sorting Tub:Hotel
IMDB Rating:8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:100%
Amazon Rating:4.5/5 stars
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Classifications:
  • Fantasy
  • Action
  • Stop Motion
  • Drama
  • Family
Available Formats:
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Synopsis: A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.


Reaction: The 1933 classic, King Kong, has lingered for decades in our public consciousness. This one is truly a modern American myth.


Personal Rating: 8/10

Select Cast and Crew
Ernest B. Schoedsack => Director
Merian C. Cooper => Director
James Ashmore Creelman => Writer
Ruth Rose => Writer
Max Steiner => Composer
Bruce Cabot => John Driscoll
Fay Wray => Ann Darrow
Frank Reicher => Captain Englehorn
James Flavin => Second Mate Briggs
King Kong => King Kong
Noble Johnson => Native Chief
Robert Armstrong => Carl Denham
Sam Hardy => Charles Weston
Steve Clemente => Witch King (as Steve Clemento)

Random Trivia For This Title:

  • [?] Edgar Wallace died in Hollywood in February 1932 while working on the story for this film.
  • [?] Jean Harlow refused the lead part.
  • The models of King Kong built for the island scenes were only 18 inches high. When producer/director Merian C. Cooper decided Kong needed to look bigger while in New York, a new 24-inch armature was constructed, thus changing Kong's film height from 18 feet on the island to 24 feet while in New York.
  • The trees and plants in the background on the stop-motion animation sets were a combination of metal models and real plants. One day during filming, a flower on the miniature set bloomed without anyone noticing. The error in continuity was not noticed until the film was developed and shown. While Kong moved, a time-lapse effect showed the flower coming into full bloom, and an entire day of animation was lost.
  • The project went through numerous title changes during production, including The Beast (original title of draft by [?] Edgar Wallace in RKO files), The Eighth Wonder, The Ape, King Ape and Kong.
  • Was voted the 47th Greatest Film of all time by [Entertainment Weekly].
  • King Kong's roar was a lion's and a tiger's roar combined and run backwards.
  • The success of this film is often credited for saving RKO from bankruptcy.
  • Both Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack had been wrestlers, and they acted out the fighting moves for the battle between the T-Rex and Kong in the effects studio, before the animators shot the scene.
  • The whole idea allegedly originated when co-director/co-producer Merian C. Cooper had a dream about a massive gorilla attacking New York City.