KING KONG

Review: Ann Darrow and director Carl Denham travel to the Indian Ocean for a location shoot. Ann is taken hostage by the natives and prepare her as a sacrifice to the huge ape Kong who rules their jungle. Although, when Ann is rescued, Kong is captured, this is when the real trouble begins. Directors: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Actors: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, Sam Hardy, Noble Johnson, Steve Clemente, James Flavin, Roscoe Ates and Reginald Barlow
Year: 1933
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy and Horror
Conclusion: 5/5
Arguably, the greatest monster movie of all time. Merian C. Cooper’s first idea for this film was of a giant ape on top of the world’s tallest building, fighting airplanes. He then worked backwards from there to develop the rest of the story. Upon its first opening weekend the film grossed $90,000, which became the biggest opening ever at the time. The Empire State Building had only been completed two years previously to this film being made. In the book 1000 Films to change your life it quotes “A monster in size, but Kong is also by turns noble, sympathetic and – finally – tragic”. On August 10 2004, just two days after Fay Wray died, the Empire State Building darkened its lights in honour of her memory.