King Kong (1933)
An epic adventure of a filmmaker, an actress, and a legendary beast, perfect for fans of classic monster tales.
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
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King Kong(1933)
Overview
Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.
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Cast
Full Cast & Crew
Robert Armstrong
Carl Denham

Fay Wray
Ann Darrow

Bruce Cabot
Jack Driscoll

Frank Reicher
Captain Englehorn

Victor Wong
Ship's Cook Charlie

James Flavin
Mate Briggs

Sam Hardy
Charles Weston

Noble Johnson
Skull Island Native Chief

Steve Clemente
Skull Island Witch Doctor

Roscoe Ates
Press Photographer (uncredited)

Merian C. Cooper
Pilot of Plane that Kills Kong (unc...

Frances Curry
Intended Sacrificial Bride for Kong...

Paul Porcasi
Apple Vendor (uncredited)

Ernest B. Schoedsack
Machine-Gunner on Plane that Kills ...

Harry Strang
Policeman at Headquarters (uncredit...

Bill Williams
Theatre Usher (uncredited)

Dick Curtis
Member of Ship's Crew (uncredited)

Reginald Barlow
Ship's Engineer (uncredited)

Roy Brent
Member of Ship's Crew (uncredited)

Edward Clark
Member of Ship's Crew (uncredited)
Featured Comments/Tips
There's something wrong with this community that has this one rated lower than the Peter Jackson debacle.
Wow 2 / 2 directing 'amp; technical aspect 1 / 1 story .5 / 1 act I 1 / 1 act II 1 / 1 act III 1 / 1 acting .5 / 1 writing 1 / 1 originality 0 / 1 lasting ability to make you think 0 / 0 misc 8 / 10
In watching this movie, and I'm talking about actually scrutinizing it intently, I was shocked at the amount and the extremity of the violence that was in the picture. Natives were being bitten, swallowed and purposely stepped upon by Kong. The sailors were chased, trampled and eaten by the dinosaurs and then we have all the New York City violence on top of it all where Kong tosses a woman to her death and bites on a bystander. Also, for it being an "almost" 90 year old movie, the special effects STILL stand up rather well and STILL look convincingly realistic. In fact, I believe these FX are of a better quality than the 1976 remake and even comes close to the 2005 CGI version. If you've never seen this classic, mostly because "who would want to watch that old-style claymation" or you can't watch anything not "in Living Color," you really need to give this one a try. For those of you that have seen it, let me urge you to rewatch it, possibly with some newly-opened eyes.
It should be noted right away that the 1933 film "King Kong" contains a number of sexist and racist moments. If you can't overlook this in older films, then you shouldn't catch up on this classic. Personally, I'm able to look past this in this case, and I'm actually thrilled, especially from a technical point of view. What was already possible here in 1933 with the creative use of special effects is astounding. Obviously, "King Kong" is the model for numerous monster films, including a high body count and quite a bit of mayhem. It doesn't even have to hide from many modern films, as "King Kong" is still quite watchable today. The iconic finale in New York is particularly impressive.
Pretty cool technical achievement, with even some genuinely solid moments. The moment when Kong breaks through the gate holds up to this day. Of course the effects are dated somewhat, but they hold up pretty well--nice mix of mattes, miniatures, stop motion, etc. What makes this one tough is the misogyny and the racism--you can see this as a kid and it's an adventure film but hard to avoid seeing the metaphors as an adult. Bummer.
The fluid pace of the action, coupled with the surprising brutality of Kong, makes it so I could watch on repeat.
Merian C. Cooper presents _King Kong_, the Eighth Wonder of the World. When celebrated filmmaker Carl Denham goes in search of a legendary creature on a secret island he and his team end up on a fantastical adventure. It’s a fairly simple story that structures itself around a Beauty 'amp; the Beast theme, and this works in giving the film a certain old fashion charm. Additionally, the actions scenes are incredibly well-done, making for some exciting and iconic moments; such as Kong battling airplanes on the Empire State Building. Also, the film uses some interesting techniques that are able to blend stop-motion and live-action into the same scenes; creating a spectacular visual spectacle. Truly a wonder, _King Kong_ stands as a cinematic classic that continues to thrill audiences.
To this day, this first, classic version of a King Kong movie is still the best in my mind. Sure it is in black and white and the stop-motion monsters are ridiculous compared to the CGI versions of today, but the story is good and the special effects were top notch at the time. Watch it with the eyes of the time and fill the stop-motion gaps with your imagination, something often missing I modern movies. Just a classic you should not miss.
Possibly the greatest monster movie ever made. It take 45 minutes for the monkey to tip his hat, but from there it is all action, adventure and more action! Dinosaurs, monsters, crazed action in the jungle and New York...somehow appears to be a period movie made much more recently than a modern movie made nearly a century ago. You need to see this film sometime, and probably many times, during your life.
Merian C. Cooper presents King Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World. When celebrated filmmaker Carl Denham goes in search of a legendary creature on a secret island he and his team end up on a fantastical adventure. It’s a fairly simple story that structures itself around a Beauty 'amp; the Beast theme, and this works in giving the film a certain old fashion charm. Additionally, the actions scenes are incredibly well-done, making for some exciting and iconic moments; such as Kong battling airplanes on the Empire State Building. Also, the film uses some interesting techniques that are able to blend stop-motion and live-action into the same scenes; creating a spectacular visual spectacle. Truly a wonder, King Kong stands as a cinematic classic that continues to thrill audiences.
It must of been incredible to see these effects back in the day. The movie still holds up pretty well but Peter Jackson's version will always be my version. I saw that one so many times as a kid. Still seeing this one make me appreciate it more and see how far we have come.
Lui è forte, potente, amato e temuto. E si presume, vedendolo così, anche ottimamente dotato. Che non guasta. Lei è bella e fragile, svenevole e isterica. Per lui è amore a prima vista, lei lo circuisce e lo porta via, nella grande città . Un giocattolo nuovo da mostrare ai suoi amici intellettuali. Poi si stufa e molla. Lui gli intellettuali li prenderebbe a schiaffoni, ma, depresso, si lascia andare e muore. Lei uno così non lo troverà mai più.
My favourite movie of all time. Imagine in 1933, sitting down to watch this when 15yrs earlier, cinema didn't even really exist! Short, brilliant pacing, outstanding cast and FX, that for the time, were nothing short of mind-blowing. I love this movie.
Featured User Reviews
Carl Denham: "And now, ladies and gentlemen, before I tell you any more, I'm going to show you the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld. He was a king and a god in the world he knew, but now he comes to civilization merely a captive - a show to gratify your curiosity. Ladies and gentlemen, look at Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World". King Kong was a true cinema classic that inspired and amazed film lovers out there. The effect's in the movie may be dated to some and I do admit they have aged, but I got to say it's better damn impressive even around the 30's the stop motion animation looks pretty good in some scenes as this movie is 82 years old as I speck. The movie dose have flaws but the flaws are nothing really big to ruin or stain the movie experience. Like my flaws with the movie is that sometimes I can see some little mistakes with the effect's and yes I know they were just starting on the effect's at the time and it was a good start, but I did notice at little mistakes that a lot of people can easily notice and it was a bit laughable. But all that aside what else can I say that's already been said about this movie go check it out, it's a great movie.

While it may not have been the first, _King Kong_ is undeniably the grandfather of monster movies. Shot in the pre-code days, its cavalier attitude and abundance of eye candy probably had just as much influence on the industry’s forthcoming, self-imposed laws of decency as it did on Godzilla, Gamera and their kin. _Kong_ was a major event in the early ‘30s, a big box office hit in the midst of the Great Depression and an indelible pop culture monument. Its magnitude, no doubt, gave the Hollywood elite much to consider. Dozens of men are violently killed on-screen. A three-story ape curiously peels off a woman’s clothes and sniffs his fingers. Should we be showing this stuff to our kids? And so, subsequent re-releases were trimmed and cut. Repeatedly. One famously gruesome scene, in which a handful of men are devoured by spiders and insects, has never been restored. Not for lack of trying, let me tell you. It’s one of film’s most famous lost relics. Suffice to say, the uncensored, old school version of _King Kong_ is a trip. Once the first act’s setup is out of the way, it’s all about the uncompromising spectacle, all the time. Some effects hold up astonishingly well in the modern light (especially set pieces like the fifty-foot gate) while others, particularly the creature effects, are clunky but well-intentioned relics. This flick goes hard, pushing and experimenting at every opportunity, but always with the intent of broadening the world and deepening the immersion. So the giant ape close-ups look toothy and silly. Maybe the stop-motion action scenes stutter and jump from time to time. These pioneering filmmakers were flying without a manual, inventing skills that wouldn’t be fine-tuned for decades. I find their dedication to trailblazing, in the name of richer cinema, admirable. If nothing else, it’s fun to watch. On multiple levels.

In watching this movie, and I'm talking about actually scrutinizing it intently, I was shocked at the amount and the extremity of the violence that was in the picture. Natives were being bitten, swallowed and purposely stepped upon by Kong. The sailors were chased, trampled and eaten by the dinosaurs and then we have all the New York City violence on top of it all where Kong tosses a woman to her death and bites on a bystander. Also, for it being an 85+ year old movie, the special effects STILL stand up rather well and STILL look convincingly realistic. In fact, I believe these FX are of a better quality than the 1976 remake and even comes close to the 2005 CGI version. If you've never seen this classic, mostly because "who would want to watch that old-style claymation" or you can't watch anything not "in Living Color," you really need to give this one a try. For those of you that have seen it, let me urge you to rewatch it, possibly with some newly-opened eyes.
So this is the bar, and this is the reason that people don't like any of the remakes... except the 2005 remake, people don't like that because it stinks. But this shot for the moon. It promised the audience a giant ape, it gave the audience a giant ape... and a sort of love story that was really cute and relatable that brought it all together. It reached for the stars visually, it grabbed one, and it told an amazing story along with it. It was a win on every front. So, now, when people watch King Kong remakes, they look at them and they don't live up to the effort that this movie put into itself. They all look better, but they don't feel as well crafted as the original, because they aren't. They are all a little lazy in comparison because it's easier to do it now. In 11 years its going to be 100 years old and people are still going to marvel at the work put into it.

Shown recently by the BBC and wow, how fantastically this has stood the test of time. I can see why there have been so many remakes of this iconic tale of ambition, power and true love but none that shine a candle to this - even after over 80 years. Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray do their bit as the producer and the starlet, but the true stars are lighting, photography and special effects which are masterful as we visit this ancient island divided by a great wall (how on earth did the natives ever manage to build it?) that keeps the prehistoric monsters at bay. This is adventure cinema at it's absolute best; and even the writing is reasonable. If you don't feel sympathy for Kong at the end then where is your heart?
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