The A to Z Challenge
....Melvyn Douglas starred with Fay Wray (The Vampire Bat) who starred in...
1. KING KONG-1933-HORROR FANTASY
Director: Merien C Cooper & Ernest B. Shoedsack
Stars: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot and King Kong, the 8th Wonder of the World!
Plot: A film producer hires a down on her luck gal to travel to a remote island to film something huge. She is kidnapped by the natives to be a sacrifice for the big hairy Ape(Nope I don't mean Donald Trump). The Ape, King Kong, takes a liking to her and takes her to his home with her rescuers in hot pursuit.
Quote: AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! (done by the Queen of Scream, Fay Wray)
Oscar Noms: Nil
Oscar Wins: Nil
Love: The special effects which were brilliant for their day
Favourite Scene: When Kong tickles Ms. Darrow and her dress falls away
Favourite Character: Who else! King Kong of course.
Tidbits: When you see Kong's (rabbit) fur move and bristle, this was due to the handling of the model by Willis O'Brien since it was stop motion animation. Also the huge wall to keep Kong out went up in Flames during the burning of Atlanta in Gone With the Wind(take a close look and you can see it)
6 Degrees (more or Less) of Separation: Fay Wray starred with Ralh Bellamy(Him again!) (Woman in the Shadows) who was directed by Roman Polanski (Rosemary's Baby) who directed Adrien Brody (The Pianist) who starred in....
2. KING KONG-2005-HORROR FANTASY
Director: Peter Jackson
Stars: Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Andy Serkis, Thomas Kretschmann
Plot: A shady film producer hires a writer and down on her luck gal to make a movie on location. They reach the remote island, the girl is kidnapped and given to Kong who likes her and takes her away. She sees something in this big hairy ape( don't all women??).
Quote: It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty who killed the Beast.
Oscar Noms: Art Direction
Oscar Wins: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
Love: The special effects and the acting of Kong(thank you Andy Serkis!)
Favourite Scene: Ann Darrow enjoying a very brief happy moment with Kong on the ice in Central Park
Favourite Character: King Kong! Andy Serkis better win an Oscar one day
Tidbits: Andy Serkis, who portrayed Kong, studied gorillas and one became infatuated with him.
6 Degrees (more or Less) of Separation: Naomi Watts was directed by David Lynch (Mulholland Drive) who directed Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet) who is the daughter of Ingrid Bergman who starred with Spencer Tracy (Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) who...see ya tomorrow!
I've seen both of these. I liked the more modern one, and the classic with the stop motion has it's own charm. I kind of liked those stop action films. Very ingenious for the time.
ReplyDeleteThe original Kong was so forward in the style at that time. If it wasn't for that film so many others would never have been made.
DeleteNot sure if I ever saw the remake. Love your 'hairy ape' comment about Trump.
ReplyDeleteYes..well, he is anapish idiot.
DeleteOne more instance where Serkis should have been nominated for an Oscar. One day that dude will get his due credit.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Jackson's version.
Yes! strike is so great. The 2nd film was so sad and I cried.
DeleteI remember seeing the original one on TV in the UK on Christmas Day. I felt so very sorry for King Kong. I haven't seen the modern one though.
ReplyDeleteYes, Kong was very much a sad character but if you felt sad for him in the 1933 movie, you'll feel really bad for him in the remake.
DeleteHi, dear Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI love all versions of the King Kong story and its adaptations including Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. I have seen the original 1933 film starring the lovely Fay Wray a half dozen times. The special FX technique of stop motion animation was primitive but effective and is still being used in modern productions to evoke otherworldly fear and dread. I also enjoyed the remakes of King Kong starring Jessica (American Horror Story) Lange and Naomi Watts (my all time favorite actress). I appreciate the connections you are making using Six Degrees.
Thank you, dear friend BB!
Oh I love Mighty Joe Young and Son of Kong. I even lovemaking Kong vs Godzilla:)the 70's remake is....not that great but the latest one made me cry.
DeleteCute you featured the two movies like this :) I saw the latter one but not the former one :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Both are great and the first is what started it all.
DeleteI remember how bad the first looked now a days when I watched it. The remake was done very well indeed.
ReplyDeleteThe remake with Jack Black was pretty good. Jessica Lange's version? Yeah, that's a big PU.
DeleteThe remake with Jack Black was pretty good. Jessica Lange's version? Yeah, that's a big PU.
DeleteThe original is so good but the Lange remake is...horrible. The last one is so very sad.
Deletei always cry for that gorilla. It just isn't fair.
ReplyDeleteI do too!
DeleteSpencer Tracy? I'll be shocked if you're not linking to Katherine Hepburn (although he had quite the career in movies with others, too).
ReplyDeleteNever saw King Kong. It's a creature feature, and I avoid those like the plague.
Oh bummer....they're very good.
DeleteHm. Can't judge the new one, never saw it.
ReplyDeleteThe new one is excellent and makes me cry every time.
DeleteI LOVED King Kong (not the Jessica Lange version...PUKE). In fact, the wall to keep Kong out has contributed to my personal lexicon. Have you ever seen those sound-reducing walls which stretch along the highway? You know what I call them? Yes, "King Kong Walls."
ReplyDeleteI know those walls and yes..you're so right...hahahahaa. The Lange version is laughably bad..very bad.
DeleteI am trying something new and drawing a gorilla at the moment, and he kind of looks like king kong. I am more of a cat and landscape type of artist, but my friend has this idea, and if he likes my gorilla, maybe it will work. I am just kind of wondering if it will.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see this work
DeleteI never did watch any King Kong movies,
ReplyDeleteOh bummer...to me anyway.
DeleteI saw the first one as a child and it gave me nightmares!
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
It's a scary movie for a kid...totally freaked me out. It was a movie for a Sunday afternoon and watched it with my dad , mom and brother. Fond memories.
DeleteI love your theme! I'm down and out. Maybe someone will hire me to go after King Kong. Oh, wait! I already have him. It's Willy Dunne Wooters.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Hahahaaa poor Willie. I thi my hubby has Kong attributes also since he likes thumping his chest. hahahaaaaaa
DeleteI love King Kong! Both of those movies. Although I like the original one best. It's so classic.
ReplyDeleteGreat theme Birgit!
Michele at Angels Bark
Glad. You like the first film so...I think it's great.
DeleteBoth were good in their own way, and reflective of the time they were made.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the times but the first one really does evoke emotions.
DeleteI sense a theme here. Hairy apes. Amiright???
ReplyDeleteAhhh yup it seems to fit.
DeleteI like the Jack Black version the best. The first part was pretty spooky. You're right. Andy Serkis ought to win an Oscar.
ReplyDeleteserkis is so good at what he does and should be recognized. KIng Kong was very series when they fell into that pit with sspiders and ugly worm things..yuck.
DeleteI haven't seen either version of King Kong, but I have seen the clip of Fay Wray's scream. Whew, hurts my vocal chords just to listen! I didn't know Andy Serkis played Kong, he did an excellent job as Gollum in Lord of the Rings!
ReplyDeleteYes Fay Wray was known as the Queen of scream. Andy Serkis also played the main ape in Planet of the Apes..he is so good at what he does.
DeleteOh yes, saw both, but have to say that first one is a real classic and worth seeing. Got your 'hairy ape' joke and couldn't...heh-heh, agree more!
ReplyDeleteThe first is a classic and I love it. Glad you like my little joke.
DeleteBirgit, I remember King Kong with Fae Ray. I can't recall where I saw this movie, but it was a lot of fun to watch the vintage film and think how the action scenes would be daring. There's a wax museum in Pigeon Forge that has a bigger than life King Kong climbing the Empire State building on the exterior and on top of their place. It's really super neat! If you want you to see the photo of it, you can, here. I need to go back to take some pictures with my big girl camera. Thanks for stopping in to read my A2Z "K" post yesterday!
ReplyDeleteI love the King Kong films but find the 2nd one hard to watch because there is so much more feeling for the ape. I will check this out too.
DeleteI didn't like the 2005 film (especially the needlessly horrid monsters). I've never seen the original.
ReplyDelete