King Kong [1933]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1933
Running Times: 98 mins [Argentina]     100 mins [Germany, USA]
Format: black and white     35mm
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: RKO Radio Pictures Inc
Executive Producer: David O. Selznick
Producers: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest Schoedsack

SCRIPT
Script: Ruth Rose, James Creelman
Story: Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace

DIRECTION
Directors: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest Schoedsack

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Eddie Linden, Kenneth Peach [uncredited], J.O. Taylor, Vernon Walker

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Ted Cheesman

MUSIC
Music: Max Steiner
Orchestrator: Bernhard Kaun [uncredited]

SOUND
Sound Recording: Earl A. Wolcott
Sound Effects: Murray Spivack
Sound Effects Associate: Walter Elliott [uncredited]
Re-Recording Mixer: Clem Portman [uncredited]
Sound Mix: RCA Photophone System

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Supervisor: Mel Berns [uncredited]

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Willis O'Brien, Harry Redmond Jr [uncredited]
Special Effects Cameraman: Clifford Stine [uncredited]
Optical Photographers: Linwood G. Dunn [uncredited], William Ulm [uncredited]
Matte Supervisor: Frank Williams [uncredited]
Matte Painter: Henri Hillinck [uncredited]
Dunning Process Supervisor: C. Dodge Dunning [uncredited], Carroll H. Dunning [uncredited]
Chief Technician: Willis H. O'Brien
Technicians: Marcel Delgado, E.B. Gibson, Orville Goldner, Fred Reese, Carroll Shepphird
Rear Projection Process: Sidney Saunders [uncredited]
Painting Technician: Peter Stitch [uncredited]

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Directors: Carroll Clark, Al Herman, Van Nest Polglase [uncredited]
Set Decorator: Thomas Little
Sculptor: John Cerisoli [uncredited]
Technical Artists: Victor Delgado [uncredited], Zachary Hoag [uncredited]
Construction Technician: W.G. White
Art Technicians: Byron L. Crabbe, Mario Larrinaga

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistants: Walter Daniels, Archie F. Marshek

LOCATIONS
Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA; New York City, New York, USA; San Pedro, California, USA

CAST
Fay Wray [Ann Darrow]
Robert Armstrong [Carl Denham]
Bruce Cabot [Jack Driscoll]
Frank Reicher [Captain Englehorn]
Sam Hardy [Charles Weston]
Noble Johnson [native chief]
Steve Clemento [witch king]
James Flavin [Briggs]
Roscoe Ates [press photographer - uncredited]
Lynton Brent, Frank Mills [reporters - uncredited]
Barney Capehart, Bob Galloway, Dusty Mitchell, Russ Rogers, Eric Wood [pilots - uncredited]
Merian C. Cooper [pilot of plane that kills Kong - uncredited]
Dick Curtis, Gil Perkins, Charles Sullivan, Harry Tenbrook, Blackie Whiteford [sailors - uncredited]
Dorothy Gulliver, Carlotta Monti [girls - uncredited]
Ethan Laidlaw [mate - uncredited]
Vera Lewis, LeRoy Mason [theatre patrons - uncredited]
Victor Long [lumpy - uncredited]
George MacQuarrie [police officer - uncredited]
Etta McDaniel [native woman - uncredited]
Paul Porcasi [apple vendor - uncredited]
Russ Powell [watchman - uncredited]
Russell Saunders
Ernest B. Schoedsack [machine-gunner on plane that kills Kong - uncredited]
Sandra Shaw [woman dropped by Kong - uncredited]
Madame Sul-Te-Wan [maid - uncredited]
Jim Thorpe [native dancer - uncredited]
Ray Turner [native - uncredited]
Victor Wong [Charlie the cook - uncredited]

An team of film-makers mount an expedition to a remote South Seas island discover a massive gorilla, worshipped by the locals as the deity Kong. The team take the ape to New York where it falls in love with a beautiful young actress who was part of the original expedition and breaks free of his chains to be with her. Pursued by the authorities, Kong goes on the rampage, abducts his beloved, and heads for a fateful climb up the Empire State Building...

Still the greatest monster movie ever made. An 18in tall model made of rubber and fur managed to reduced grown adults to floods of tears in one of the most memorable finale's in cinema history and created a movie myth that has endured despite tawdry remakes, knockabout encounters with Godzilla and dreadful TV cartoons. Willis O'Brien's breathtaking special effects can still put most CGI effects to shame - when they say they don't make 'em like this anymore, King Kong is the kind of movie they're talking about.

Germany
DVD Distributors: Kinowelt [D 1864]

UK
Video Distributors: Thorn EMI [TVC 90 0063 2]; Polygram / 4 Front [0853703]; 4 Front Video [0439603]
DVD Distributors: Universal Pictures Video [0780802]

USA
Theatrical Distributors: RKO Radio Pictures Inc; Janus Films Inc; Radio Pictures; Sanford Productions
Video Distributors: Warner Home Video; RKO; Turner; Media
Laserdisc Distributors: Image Entertainment [I 6003]; Criterion [CC102L]; Image [ID7415TU - double billed with The Son of Kong [1933]]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: Atp

Australia
Rating: PG

Finland
Rating: banned [from 1933 - 1939]; K-16

France
Rating: U

Germany
Rating: 6

Norway
Rating: 11

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: unrated

1991
National Film Preservation Board, USA
Added to the National Film Registry

1933
April
7: USA - theatrical release

September
8: Sweden - theatrical release

1939
March
25: Finland - theatrical release

1959
April
20: Denmark - theatrical re-release

1985
November
13: UK - certified PG by the BBFC [for video release]

1991
August
Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc release [Image [ID7415TU - double billed with The Son of Kong [1933]]]

1992
July
27: UK - video release [Polygram / 4 Front [0853703]]

1994
June
3: UK - certified PG by the BBFC [for video release]

1997
January
13: UK - video release [4 Front Video [0439603]]

1998
June
26: UK - certified PG by the BBFC [for video release]

September
24: UK - certified PG by the BBFC [for video release]

1999
November
5: Germany - DVD release [Kinowelt [D 1864]]

2001
January
1: UK - DVD release [Universal Pictures Video [0780802]]

March
11: France - theatrical re-release [restored version]

2003
December
26: UK - television broadcast [on Sci-Fi]

2005
November
2: UK - rated PG by the BBFC [for theatrical release]
11: UK - rated PG by the BBFC [for video and DVD release]

The Most Awesome Thriller Of All Time

Out-leaping the maddest imaginings! Out-thrilling the wildest thrills!

The strangest story ever conceived by man.

The Beast - working title
The Eighth Wonder of the World - advertising title
The Eighth Wonder - advertising title
King Ape - working title
Kong - working title

SEQUEL
The Son of Kong [1933]

REMAKES
King Kong [1976]
King Kong [2005]

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
100 Years at the Movies [1994]
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies [1998]
Amazon Women on the Moon [1987]
David O. Selznick: Your New Producer [1935]
Heartstoppers: Horror at the Movies [1992]
Hollywood Dinosaur Chronicles [1987]
Hollywood: The Selznick Years [1969]
Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies, and the American Dream [1998]
King Kongs Faust [1985]
Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment [1966]
Movies Are Adventure [1949]
Special Effects: Anything Can Happen [1996]
Three Wishes [1995]
Universal Horror [1998]

KEYWORDS

giant apes, apes, animals, lost worlds, islands, film makers, boats, new york, monsters, dinosaurs, giant spiders, jungles, deities, gorillas, stop motion animation, chrysler building, empire state building

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007