If I had to pick, I'd say that KING KONG (the 1933 version) is my favorite monster movie. And why shouldn't it be? It's a great adventure story, loaded with action, snappy dialogue, and of course, some of the greatest monsters seen on the screen in cinematic history, including the great Kong himself.
The film was the brain child of producer/director Merian C. Cooper, and along with the famous mystery writer, Edgar Wallace, they conceived a tale about a lost island inhabited by living creatures that had survived past the Age of Dinosaurs. Special effects wizards Willis O'Brien and Marcel Delgado set to work creating a giant, ape-like creature that would become iconic.
Plenty of photographs were taken from the production of the film, and Willis O'Brien maintained a voluminous personal collection of almost 300 of them. The trove was recently sold at auction for the monumental sum of $75,000.
BONUS!
Early concept art for MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (RKO, 1949) signed by Willis O'Brien. Rendered in pencil, ink and gouache on 20" x 15" artist's board.
Original concept art for the unproduced film, KING KONG VS. FRANKENSTEIN. The project is believed to have morphed into KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (Toho, 1963).
Lots more Kong HERE!
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