Horror Patch’s HALLOWEEN MONSTER MASH – Day 21: King Kong!

In this holiday feature, we will showcase the best monster movies ever made during each day of the month, leading up to Halloween.

DAY 21

KING KONG (1933)

Actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) travel to the Indian Ocean to do location shoots for Denham’s new jungle picture. Along the way, the actress meets and falls for rugged First Mate John Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). Upon arriving at a mysterious island, Ann is taken hostage by natives who prepare her as a sacrifice to the enormous ape Kong who rules over their jungle. But when Ann is rescued and Kong is captured, the real trouble begins.

King Kong is one of the greatest monster movies ever made, and one of the first. The film is directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack and stars Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot and Robert Armstrong.

Wray is known as the original scream queen to which all others are measured by. Kong and the dinosaur special effects in the film were brought to life using stop motion animation. Effects technition Willis O’Brien, who is known as the pioneer of stop motion animation led the way and brought Kong to life for audiences. A young Ray Harryhausen served as O’Brien’s effects helper on the film.

When most people think of big Hollywood monster movies, King Kong usually comes to mind first. Seeing this film as a young lad helped to cement my love of creatures and monster movies.