It’s not for nothing the original KING KONG from 1933 has secured a slot on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movies of all time. The film is an undeniable classic. That doesn’t mean I want to read exhaustive accounts on the making of every classic film, but KONG is one of those rare exceptions, and Ray Morton’s KING KONG: THE HISTORY OF A MOVIE ICON FROM FAY WRAY TO PETER JACKSON the authoritative last word on the subject.
Researched to the point of minutiae and lavishly illustrated with a host of full-color and black-and-white photographs, illustrations and storyboards, this HISTORY lesson begins with a brief overview of KONG creator Merian C. Cooper. If you’ve read the recent Cooper biography, this short chapter yields no new information. But it’s a mere appetizer to the meat: a long, hard look at KONG itself.
Arguably, the story behind the movie is more interesting than the story of the movie. With so many egos vying for control, movie sets are a hotbed of in-fighting, and KONG was not immune to that. Drawing Cooper’s particular ire was special effects genius Willis O’Brien, who soon would suffer a string of tragic events. The revelations are not limited to the first KONG, either, as Morton’s book devotes lengthy chapters to every sequel and remake thereafter, including the rushed SON OF KONG and the Japan-lensed, kiddie matinee faves KING KONG VS. GODZILLA and KING KONG ESCAPES.
For example, had Dino DeLaurentiis had his way, his ‘76 KONG would have outgrossed JAWS and been directed by Roman Polanski. At the time, Universal was trying to develop its own remake with a Bo Goldman script, which turned into a huge legal battle for Dino. He won, of course, leading the way for his Jessica Lange-starrer (wrongly thought of as a flop today) and its turkey sequel, KING KONG LIVES, which screenwriter Ronald Shusett insists was written as a spoof, though not shot that way. The shooting of LIVES may be the most interesting section of the book, as the process of an ill-fated film from idea to box-office bomb is something I always find fascinating.
Morton goes one better to include a look at the KONG films “that never were,” from a project announced by Roger Corman to a John Landis remake. Furthermore, Morton discusses the franchise’s various parodies, ripoffs, TV incarnations and mass merchandising efforts (with lots of great photos of long-forgotten memorabilia). And yes, the genesis of Jackson’s current blockbuster, introducing a whole new generation to the giant ape, is told as well.
At 350 oversized pages, Morton’s HISTORY is an absolute treasure trove for KONGphiles, overflowing with more information than you ever knew before (and possibly wanted to) about filmdom’s most famous “Giant Terror Gorilla,” as Cooper so fondly referred to him. If there’s a negative aspect to the book, it’s the detailed plot summaries of each film; they’re simply not needed and tiresome. Morton could’ve taken the easy way out and simply threw something together to capitalize on Jackson’s film, but it’s obvious he undertook the project seriously and, more importantly, with genuine love.
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