KING KONG: 90 YEARS OF CLASSIC FURY

A classic, monster movie reaches its 90th-anniversary on March 2: King Kong!

Everyone knows the fable. It's part of Americana and global folklore, and its juxtaposing parts are far too amazing, far too thrilling to fade from the pop-cultural consciousness.  

Kong's grab of Ann Darrow is both surreal and sensual; his fight with the T-Rex, thrilling beyond belief; and his ascent to the top of the Empire State Building (where he swats at a squadron of biplanes with his wee lady nearby), one of the most imaginative moments ever to kiss celluloid. 

The movie is also a unique retelling of Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve's Beauty and the Beast, injected with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, though wrought with enough harrowing suspense to set one's hair on edge from beginning to end, thanks in no small part to Max Steiner's pulse-pounding score, and jammed with allegorical insinuations that prompt discussion to this day. 

King Kong is the brainchild of directors/producers Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper. Cooper conceived the story with Edgar Wallace, James Ashmore Creeland and Leon Gordon, though Schoedscak's spouse, Ruth Rose (an Ann Darrow prototype in her own right) is said to have had the most influence on the tale's construction. (She went on to script Son of Kong, released later the same year, and in 1949, Mighty Joe Young.)

The cast is as perfect as one could hope, with the drop-dead gorgeous Fay Wray as the curvy, fair-haired Ann Darrow; Robert Armstrong as ambitious-to-a-fault moviemaker, Carl Denham; Bruce Cabot as heroic first mate, Jack Driscoll; Frank Reicher as practical Captain Englehorn; Nobel Johnson as an adamant Skull Island chief; Sam Hardy as Denham's concerned, business buddy, Charles Weston; and Victor Wong as the affable ship's cook, Charlie.

Willis O'Brien brought Kong to life through stop-motion animation, from models sculpted by Marcel Delgado. Unlike the fast-as-hell CGI characterizations that often populate movies today, Kong is nuanced, from his facial twitches to his bodily sways and punches: a credible, multilayered entity with tons of personality to spare. If one should ever have the good fortune to see the enormous ape on the big screen (as I have), one will understand why he holds no equal. (But even in small-screen samplings, the proof in the pudding can't be denied.) 

I love Kong with all my savage heart and soul. Though his 90th mark isn't as significant as his 100th will be, any cause to celebrate him, and the movie that made him a cinematic legend, is enough for me to say, "Happy Anniversary, my big, hairy pal!" You've aged well, Kong, and without any question, like vintage wine, you'll continue to grow ever greater with the progression of time. 

KONG '33 RETURNS TO THE BIG SCREEN

On March 15, Fathom Events returns "King Kong '33" to cinemas, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies. 

Written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman (from a concept by Edgar Wallace), produced by David O. Selznick, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack and directed by the latter two, "King Kong" sports mind-boggling, stop-motion effects by Willis O'Brien, a rollicking score by Max Steiner, and an iconic cast that includes Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Noble Johnson and Frank Reicher, among other memorable performers. 

"King Kong" has stood the test of time for its exotic wonder, monster/dino attacks and related, relentless action, which features the most spectacular climax in film history. 

No CGI concoction (and that includes the "Jurassic Park" entries) can match the ferocity of "Kong '33". There's no question that it will remain revered for centuries to come, inspiring and thrilling audiences time and again.

Be sure to revisit one of the greatest, titanic labors of love ever conceived--"KING KONG"!!!

HAPPY 70TH, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG OF AFRICA!!!

Sure, I could've waited five more years to commemorate the anniversary release of one of the greatest great-ape movies ever made, but the 70th mark (this July 27th) seemed as good an excuse as any to praise its virtues. 

"Mighty Joe Young" is the brainchild of "King Kong" and "Son of Kong'"s creators and participants: director Ernest B. Schoedsack; writer Ruth Rose; producer Merian C. Cooper (abetted by the legendary John Ford); brackish actor Robert Armstrong; puppet maestro Marcel Delgado; and stop motion animator Willis O'Brien. It's also the first feature film to employ the titanic talent of Ray Harryhausen, who was inspired by O'Brien to excel in the animation field. (Pete "the Black Scorpion" Peterson, an amazing animator in his own right, also worked on this fantastic feature.)

"Joe'"s format is similar to "King Kong", though with more warmth: that is, a sprinkling of "Son of ..." seasons it.

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For those unaware, Joe is a ultra-humongous gorilla, adopted when a baby by Jill Young, played as a child by Lora Lee Michel and for the film's bulk, by Terry Moore. The two hold an impregnable, sibling-like bond, which becomes most evident when a group of fortune seekers comb Africa to capture beasts for an extravagant, Hollywood show. 

Among these seekers is Armstrong's Max O'Hara (a chip off the old, Carl Denham block), Frank McHugh's Windy and a congenial cowpoke named Gregg (Jill's ultimate love interest), played by western veteran Ben Johnson. Though Gregg cautions the lass against his boss' misguided intent, O'Hara convinces Jill that she and Joe could live a better life by headlining his palatial nightclub.

The nightclub scenes may seem impractical (i.e., dangerous for the vulnerable yet short-fused Joe and O'Hara's unprotected patrons), but what enfolds brims of wild whimsy. The highlights depict Joe propping Jill upon an ornate platform as she keys "Beautiful Dreamer" (his favorite song) and a tug of war which pits Joe against a queue of strongmen, led by former heavyweight champ, Primo Camera and Phil Oalfsson's Super Swedish Angel. 

Such moments shine high if only for their permeating pathos, which overflows with heart, soul and heaps of humanity, especially from the expressive Joe. Armstrong's O'Hara is also pivotal in delivering the latter, taking the Denham dynamic of "Kong" and "Son of..." into a single, movie arc, performing first as Joe's exploiter, but in the end, as one of the affable ape's supreme supporters and saviors. 

"Mighty Joe Young" is a film that can and will appeal to any age group and within any period in which it's viewed. Few movies can make that claim, which is why fantasy connoisseurs consider this fish-out-of-water adventure a classic. 

If you're the sort to visit my blog, you likely own a copy of this marvelous movie; so go on and give another whirl. You'll find it holds up with the best of the best: every ounce the sweet, beautiful dream you've long recalled and treasured.