King Kong (1933 film)

King Kong is a 1933 American monster adventure horror film from the pre-Code era. It was directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, with special effects handled by Willis H. O'Brien and a score composed by Max Steiner. Released by RKO Radio Pictures, this movie kicked off the King Kong franchise by blending live-action footage with stop-motion animation, using rear-screen projection. The idea originated when Cooper was inspired by a dream or vision of a giant gorilla on a building. The cast includes Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot. The story centers on a massive gorilla named Kong, who develops an attachment to a beautiful young woman who is given to him as a sacrifice.

The film debuted in New York City on March 2, 1933, but the widely cited official release date is March 7, 1933. During its first release, it made a profit of $650,000, and by its 1952 re-release, total domestic rentals reached $2,847,000. Censors cut several scenes, but these were restored in 1970. In 1991, the Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 2010, Rotten Tomatoes ranked it as the greatest horror film ever and the fifty-sixth greatest film of all time. Multiple new editions have been released. A sequel, *Son of Kong*, came out the same year, and several more films followed, including remakes in 1976 and 2005.

The novelization of the film, published before its release, entered the public domain because it lacked a copyright notice, making the characters and story public domain. The film's own copyright is set to expire in the United States in 2029. Analysis of the film has covered topics like racial stereotypes, Ann's relationships with other characters, and the conflict between nature and civilization.

**Plot**

In New York Harbor, filmmaker Carl Denham, known for wildlife films in remote locations, charters Captain Englehorn's ship, the *Venture*, for a new project. He struggles to find an actress for a female role he has kept secret. On the streets, he discovers struggling actress Ann Darrow and promises her "the thrill of a lifetime." The *Venture* sets sail, and Denham reveals their destination is an uncharted island shaped like a skull. He hints at a mysterious creature named Kong said to live there. The cr