King Kong: The Practical Effects Wonder - Documentary

[@katiekeenanfilm]

KATIE’S NOTE: ​Hi thank you all for watching! I never intended for so many to see it! I am a film student and I made this as a project and uploaded it to KZbin for my portfolio in hopes for an internship somewhere. It was a rushed project because I had to complete it in 2 weeks in addition to my overall workload so I definitely might have accidentally said the wrong things and never realized. For example, they definitely met in WW1 and I can’t believe I accidentally said WW2 🤯! All other errors are my mistakes as well! This was made in only a couple weeks and I am no historical expert on the matter. Just did some research and relayed it as best as I could! I am learning with film as I go so thank you for your criticism! When I tried to edit the video in YT Studio, it wouldn’t let me since it got so many views. The comments are a great resource for information as well! I do hope people learned something about my favorite movie of all time

[@doktorscottdiabolical]

LOL! Ditto! My most successful video was just an experiment in creating a step-by-step guide. People watch for weird reasons. I clicked on your video primarily to see the truck @4:32. But I enjoyed the entire video.

[@Ozznando]

You did a great job, and it's my favorite film as well. Very nicely done.

[@joseantoniocustodio7232]

Don't beat yourself over that WW2 issue. Remember that Game of Thrones which had millions of dollars for a budget and hundreds of production staff and highly paid producers, directors, and actors still featured a Starbucks cup in a scene. The pacing of your video was excellent, the explanations of the filming techniques clear. Should you wish to, with today's technology, you can edit that portion in the future without having to waste film. If I was your professor, I'd still give you an A for that. Maybe even an A+.

[@namelessjedi2242]

You did a great job. I knew King Kong was a classic and revolutionary, but never understood just how complex the effects really were. And yes, they are still effective today!

[@FreddyJ120]

Well done, Katie! A great mini-doc packed with lots of wonderful info. I learned a lot today! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@fredschmidt100]

Thank you for a very fine documentary. I was born in 1953 NYC. The million Dollar Movie on channel 9 at 8:00 played the same film all week, So I saw Kong a lot as soon as I could turn on the TV. At the dinner table, my father said that I could have anything I wanted if I got straight A's in 1st grade. I did get A's and my father said 'what would you like", thinking a comic or a 10 cent balsa airplane. I said 'I want to go to the Empire State Building' 'Why" my father had the most puzzled look' 'Cause that's where King Kong was' I stated my fathers promise . . .OK . . .So one Saturday we went to my grandmas in the Bronx, dropped off my mother & brother and my father & I got on the subway and emerged at the ESB. Up we went to the observation deck . . . .Honestly and seriously, I am 70, something of an expert in films. KK is my favorite. There is real excitement and terror in the film. The soundtrack/music score is a masterpiece. It stands alone. I eventually met Fay Wray just a few years before her death and got an autograph

[@loveathome7041]

A movie way ahead of its time and can't be replicated with a remake. A classic I grew up watching.

[@TheVideoGuyfromOhio]

That doesn't mean the 2005 film is any bad, it's well made in its own right

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

I absolutely agree. All that innovation is still ambient even after 90 years. Sure, sfx have come a long way as far as efficiency, but the overall 'look' is what matters in the end, and the original KONG has a gritty, primeval feel to it that is perfectly suited to the subject matter which modern digital effects just cannot replicate. I'm sure some of this is due to the film being black & white, which also lends a 'documentary' feel which is appropriate given the movie is based on the exploits of the filmmakers, it depicts the then-current Great Depression and features the newly constructed Empire State Building. All of this 'on-the-spot' energy is sensed as you watch the original KONG.😊

[@hoover2501]

Cooper and Schoedsack met during world war 1 is what I think you meant. Kong was made in 1933 and if they had met during WWII they would have needed to go back in time. A relatively minor detail. King Kong must always be regarded as one of the top 10 greatest accomplishments in cinema if not the greatest. There are many great films from the past but how many of them are truly important to the craft itself like this movie was and is. Truly one of the eight wonders of Cinema. Ray Harryhausen would go on to perfect stop action film. His masterpiece in my opinion is Jason and the Argonauts. This is only worth a mention because it is a tribute to how King Kong innovated this type of film.

[@hankgrover3430]

good catch, Hoover!

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

Yo, she made a nice correction in the description! She also said people will refer to this movie techniques "till the end of time"; which is unlikely, haha

[@hoover2501]

@@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS Yo.... Did not see that. The end of time can be construed many ways. This magnificent cinematic feat WILL not be forgotten until there is a time when there is nothing to remember. I do believe she was using a figure of speech. Have you ever heard the riff in the middle of My Sharona? Pretty good I think.

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

@@hoover2501 Whoa, are we talking about the riff change at 2:40 with the ripping solo?! I don't believe I remember this video or even heard the whole song but I definitely had the Weird Al - Dare to Be Stupid cassette version of My Bologna. This bassist has an awesome Rickenbacker like Cliff Burton from Metallica and the guitarist shredding on that cool Les Paul!

[@simonmok4191]

If it wasn't for the stop motion techniques used in this movie, we would never have had the AT-AT scenes at the beginning of George Lucas' Empire Strikes Back.

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

It's crazy that KING KONG wasn't nominated for any awards in 1933. No other movie from that year, nor from that entire decade came close to the cinematic innovation achieved in KONG. But beyond the groundbreaking effects, the film is multi-layered with timeless themes and that's really why it endures after 90 years.

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

It is indeed, considering the round breaking filmmaking on display with the mix of effects, sound effects, music, and editing. Fred Jackman and Sidney Saunders did win a technical achievement award at the 1934 Oscars for their development and effective use of the translucent cellulose screen in composite photography for R.K.O. which was first used in King Kong, for I believe the scene where Kong fights the T-Rex fight while Ann watches from atop the tree.

[@drhkleinert8241]

Its that fsacinating that this movie STILL works...i watch this maybe 6 yrs old with my big brother on TV and now i am 58, still love this movie and have that great memories, it was the "movie of my big brother and me" and we watched it the last time we were together. He died a few days later at the age of 46, very unexpected. And i think KONG was the ignition of every special effect, it shows what is possible on screen and i am sure it makes many great names like Stan Winston etc be interested in SFX, and of course Ray Harryhausen.

[@bentramer682]

I belive they didn't have a category for special effects awards until 1980 for American Werewolf in London

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

@@bentramer682 Then it should have been up for best picture, screenplay, editing or sound recording. The tight dialogue and pacing is flawless, and what KONG did for the relatively new technology of sound films is undeniable. Or it should have gotten a special Oscar for "Best Unique and Artistic Picture" -- the award given to SUNRISE in 1929. In any case, KONG is certainly a more worthy contender than what won 1933's best picture -- CAVALCADE. I mean seriously, what were they thinking???

[@oneAndyHicks]

The award didn't exist for the first decade or so when the academy was created, it was more so just appreciating the work that went into the effects than winning something, but King Kong was so revolutionary I believe it won an honorary Oscar.

[@dondragmer2412]

Actually Katie, Cooper and Schoedsack met in WW I. WW II didn't begin until 1939, 6 years after King Kong was made.

[@johncaulfield8935]

She probably just misspoke

[@copernicofelinis]

And don't forget that WW1 wasn't called WW1 until after WW2. It was 'the Great War' back then. They made a similar error in Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow.

[@TboneTenEighties]

One of the greatest motion pictures ever made. This is filmmaking. Long live the imagination.

[@proto-geek248]

We don't need imagination anymore, AI imagines for us 🤮

[@TboneTenEighties]

@@proto-geek248 You couldn't be more wrong. Not being mean or anything but today it's a lost art. No heart n soul goes into movie making anymore. Just "time is money" bs. Computer animation "cgi" is lazy garbage in comparison to practical effects imo. This movie was made in 1933 and was never duplicated since. Enjoy the masterpieces from the past. You will not get anything remotely close today. ✌

[@jerrywalls3402]

To me, this is the perfect movie. It has something for everyone. There's action, romance, adventure, and giant monsters! Who could ask for anything more?

[@cyrusq5999]

KING KONG (1933) - JAWS (1975) - ALIEN (1979) are perfect films.

[@wrestlingconnoisseur]

Unfortunately, I wanted to see a movie about action, romance, adventure, giant monsters and flesh eating robots. So, no thank you.

[@mermaidmelodies1492]

@@cyrusq5999 I will exchange The Wolf-Man (1941) for Jaws, and decree your list correct! :)

[@mattwebb5276]

​@Bennett Theissen lol go back to sleep FFS 🥴🥴🥴🙄🙄🙄🥴🥴🥴

[@seanbatiz6620]

Well, although was made more in the vein of comedic satire, the other classic movie that your comment also fits with, is Caveman!! Freakin’ loved that movie ever since first seeing it IN THEATER back in ‘81! That one, was what caused me to appreciate early cinema special effects, alongside enjoying countless hours of cartoon show, Gumby… I don’t think I watched this original Kong until either late Jr High or early HS @ 1990; incredible amount of work/talent!

[@richardsisk1770]

I met Linwood Dunn and Cecil Love in the mid 1970’s and worked with them at Film Effects of Hollywood for a short time. It was an honor to work with such brilliant people. I had seen Mr. Dunn give a presentation at FILMEX which was accompanied by footage from many great films and later Cecil Love told me that he also worked on Kong.

[@mitchdematoff9671]

As a film composer, I am a huge film buff. Thru the time I was a kid to today, King Kong remains one of my favorite movies of all time. It amazed myself and my friends for years, trying to figure out how they created what we saw. We all had a version of what we thought in the way of how they created the special effects. We probably had about 30% of it right. After all these years, you and others have now answered all my questions about the making of this film. The funny thing is....with all the background knowledge I now have about its technology in creating the movie.....it doesn't take away from the movie magic it created to myself and the viewer. Regardless of its age.... it will remain through history, one of the greatest films of all time. P.S. Lets not forget the brilliant ( and first complete ) film score composed by Max Steiner. The Jedi master composer.....

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

I absolutely concur. No matter how often I read or hear about the making of this film, it never ceases to fascinate me. Every time I watch the original KING KONG I am captivated by its enduring magic.

[@chrisevans4123]

I remember crying my eyes out as a kid In response to witnessing King kongs brutal ending on the empire state building ,...to this day , though I'm now in my 50s, I still feel sadness at the ending,. Its such a powerful and thought provoking movie,.....the film remains a classic , ...and the amount of painstaking detail and work that went into its production,...makes me just realise how incredibly talented and revolutionary the whole production team were.....in producing movie magic

[@neilthompson3017]

Same here

[@bane8305]

Same here bro Im 23 now but in 2005 I was like 6-7 i cried when kong was falling off in slow mo... shit was crazy

[@vernonsmith6176]

Wait until you see the ENDING of Son of Kong...now that's SAD...😢

[@bane8305]

@@vernonsmith6176 son of kong ? lol

[@vernonsmith6176]

Yes, I think it came out a year or two later. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Like Kong, son of Kong has a sad ending.

[@RonRicho]

Thank you, Katie Keenan. This is a wonderful video for fans of the genre and film fans and historians. I hear people say King Kong was an amazing film for its time but no King Kong is an amazing film for all time. Genius doesn't even begin to describe it.

[@lemorab1]

I loved King Kong when I first saw it on TV in the late 1950's. I saw it again about a decade later on the big screen and it held up. It still holds up. Many of these scenes are more impressive than the CGI effects that we have now. These jungle scenes are more beautiful than the ones in "Avatar."

[@drhkleinert8241]

I am a huge fan of the 33 Kong and had a bad meaning when i heard about a New Kong by Jackson (bec the 76 Movie is THAT garbage). But, its great too, by a completely different kind. I like it, too. But what i DONT want is a colorized version of the 33 one, it works that well on black/white

[@lemorab1]

@@drhkleinert8241 I agree with you about the 1976 version. Unbelievable how bad that one is. I haven't seen the Naomi Watts version, but the trailer looked promising. Then again, when compared to the 1976 abomination, just about anything looks promising.

[@douglasnieblas74]

Another innovation with King Kong was the film’s score which was made to fit each scene. Today all movies are made this way but in 1933 it was groundbreaking.

[@josephharvat6202]

I think you could argue that this was the first time that a musical score was used to its full potential in a motion picture.

[@jpsned]

Max Steiner composed the film score.

[@IraRabinowitz]

Production cost of the film was $513,242.02. RKO could not afford any more money for a score. Merian C. Cooper refused to use stock library tracks so laid out about $50,000 of his own money for a custom musical score.

[@jpsned]

@@IraRabinowitz Cooper is an amazing man. His biography, "Living Dangerously," describe all of the incredible things he accomplished in his lifetime.

[@mermaidmelodies1492]

Yes! Max Steiner's "King Kong" is one of my top ten film scores, along with Howard Shore's 'Middle Earth' Musics, Basil Poledouris' "Conan", Michael Giacchino's "Speed Racer", and Hans J. Salter's "The Wolf-Man". I guess John Williams could have a place on the list as well, but that's more of an "over-all achievement". (Too many good along with some 'meh' to pinpoint for me.)

[@markfoggetti1230]

Nice job Katie. I had a chance to meet Fay Wray at the George Eastman House in Rochester NY. She was 93 yrs old. She said that Kong was her biggest co-star. Still a great film with tons of emotion. When I saw the film many years ago it was filled with dust and scratches. When we saw it with Fay Wray it was a super clean film print from the George Eastman House. It was so clean you could see the projection effects and film mattes clearly where the scratched one hid all that.

[@willswalkingwest7267]

This just blew me away. What a professional analysis of the creation of one of cinema's greatest achievements.

[@lucasRem-ku6eb]

Jurassic Park is based on a MAYA Demo, SGi script, we all seen these walking Dino demo's SGi was too Fancy, MAYA on PC triggers all studio's do do it digital now. Stop Motion Animation, the France pioneers ! More of a painting then a real movie it was...

[@almag6872]

@@lucasRem-ku6eb - Actually the demo that got Jurassic Park done with CGI rather than stop motion was generated with Lightwave on a Video Toaster. Maya didn't exist at the time.

[@lucasRem-ku6eb]

@@almag6872 Lightwave was MAYA back then, SGi on intel changed the industry. SGI was to fancy to build system.

[@almag6872]

@@lucasRem-ku6eb Sorry, Maya was Autodesk 3D studio back then, later to become 3DMax. Lightwave, at the time, was part of the video toaster system by Newtek which was a completely different company. I used to work at ILM so I'm pretty familiar with what was being used, including the entire room of Macintoshes that fixed all the SGI screwups that they never made public. . . and as for SGI on Intel, there's no such thing. SGI is a hardware system that has nothing to do with Intel. What changed the industry was that Intel chips finally became faster than SGI, so they no longer held onto any edge in the market. When we were working on Johnny Mnemonic at Sony, the pre-vis guys on Windows systems were churning out shots that the fancy SGI machines couldn't match, and eventually other companies made the same discovery. SGI went bankrupt in 2009

[@lucasRem-ku6eb]

@@almag6872 Alias Wavefront was bought by Autodesk, great move. Autodesk, both MAYA and Auto Cat in one studio !

[@pedaldancer]

Katie, you did a great job with this. I had the pleasure working at Chasen's restaurant in the '90's till it's closing, I was fan of King Kong and watched it many times over the years. Fay Wray would come in Chasen's every Friday for years. I was able to talk to her many times because she would always come in early and wait for her Doctor husband to get off work. You did a great job with this, and imagine you have a great future.

[@xiaoka]

You will rarely see an older movie shown on regular tv. This one really stands the test of time.

[@stratocasterguy]

This is still the best version of King Kong. None of the remakes even come close.

[@Koviklay]

Absolutely the best -- I've seen it more times than I care to count and it holds up every time.😊

[@robvangessel3766]

The fascinating thing about early movie technology and camera techniques - going all the way back to 1899 - is that special photographic effects came before almost everything else. Even simple dolly shots! Mainly sprung up from George Melies, merging tricks inspired by magicians' stage acts and immediate understanding of how film emulsions worked.

[@TonyHendren]

Great narration and insight into the film. The brilliance of Kong is how they created a deep character for their monster that you never forgot. Too bad so many monster movies never learned this lesson and used it.

[@Fugettaboutit]

This movie still mesmerizes me when I watch it for what it achieved in its day. The cinematography as well was breathtaking.

[@Eduardo-uo7qs]

Congratulations Katie, nice work! My daughter is studying Cinema at the University and I sent your vídeo to her! "King Kong" (RKO, 1933) is amazing. Rio-Brasil

[@omegaman1409]

This film still stands the test of time. Better than some films out there. Wonder if they can release it in HD.

[@fixerone1963]

Doing it old school with their technology of the time, total respect for their craft. First time I watched this as a kid back in the 70's I was in awe. Still the best version to watch. Thanks for the cool video, so much neat information.

[@Dr_Do-Little]

I remember watching it as a very young kid in the mid 70's. I was terrified by some of the scenes yet mesmerized. Probably where my love for stop motion started. Strange feeling to watch those same scene today. The emotion they trigger. I also remember the hype when the 1976 one came to television. It was all about the animatronics... Finally failed short to the emotion from the original one Special effects are not just about realism or perfection. They need to bring the emotion first. If they're good enough to suspend your disbelief. That's all you need.

[@sw5114]

The emotion was brought big time. Throughout the entire movie. We saw it on Million Dollar Movie each night for a week when it came to NY in the 50’s. Our parents were excited to have us see what they experienced in the 30’s. We were all crazy in love with the picture.

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

What I really appreciate about this movie no matter how often I've seen it, is its tight pacing. There isn't one superfluous word of dialogue or wasted frame of film in its total 100-minute running time. We get basically the whole story explained in the first 20 minutes after which it picks up speed and doesn't let up all the way to the final fadeout. A brilliant example of narrative and editing without an ounce of padding -- everything we see and hear is absolutely relevant to the story.

[@frankbillak1580]

One thing critics miss was how incredibly rapid-paced the movie was. After the slow beginning, once Kong is shown, all the action on Skull Island and NYC takes place basically just over an hour. Nothing like this occurred until the second Indian Jones movie.

[@mikehunt4986]

Which would explain why I love both movies so much! (Temple of Doom is my favorite Indiana Jones movie and one of my favorite movies of all time.)

[@walterfechter8080]

My family and I watched "King Kong" when a local TV station aired it over one particular Thanksgiving weekend. My younger brother said, "Look at Kong's fur -- it's moving like the wind is blowing it." I told him, "It's where the guys who moved the model had their fingers -- they blotted out the fingers." I was a dino kid even before I watched "King Kong" for the first time. My first encounter with stop-motion dinos was the 1953 Warner Bros film, "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms." Thanks, Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen! Thanks, Katie Keenan!

[@john-brady]

Thank you Katie Keenan, this was truly a pleasure to watch. You managed to capture both the spirit of the film and gave the viewer a fine picture of the technologies behind it. A groundbreaking masterpiece says I. And it pretty much saved the studio from financial collapse at the time. My favorite film of all time… Well done

[@tsegulin]

Six years later the big Kong amphitheater set was burned in the first footage shot for another extraordinary Selznick feature - the burning of Atlanta in 'Gone With the Wind'. In its day King Kong was a huge a leap in visual effects as would be Star Wars 44 years later. Many of the same techniques like miniature rear projection, bluescreen (a full colour version of the B+W Dunning-Pomeroy process), large scale props matte paintings, miniatures and optical effects printing were used. The really amazing thing was that Kong could not have been made without the art and technical skills of one man, Willis O'brien. Great video - thanks Katie.

[@drhkleinert8241]

In fact KONG shows what is possible to show and of course all other fx interested guys in Hollywood want to learn how they did it. Thats why these back pro, mirrors, stop motion etc were used in many movies after KONG, and it gave the inspirations for other, young fx makers. Stop Motion is still in use and i think Willis and Ray would be very happy and proud about this fact. No KONG, No Joe, no Sinbad, no whereever. Even in Terminator 1984 they use the same tricks like in KONG.

[@thewurm9177]

Terrific job Katie, I really enjoyed this. King Kong is timeless. Thank you so much! 🦍

[@pinomartellotowers]

I first saw this movie in 1977 and had watched many times over. I think for a 1933 movie with special effects, you got to hand it to them, they did a stellar job. when i watched as as kid, back then it looked realistic. Great movie guys, you done a marvelous job.

[@quetzalflight5790]

Ms . Katie Keenan thank you so much for your work on this great film. You did answer all of the questions regarding the making of king kong brief and straight to the point and entertaining.

[@viktordtz2080]

Almost a hundred years !!! Movie is magic!

[@phoenixgal2278]

Great detailed explanations. of the Stop Motion special effects techniques in King Kong. I don't believe that there were any other videos more detailed than yours. Thank you!😇♥

[@gregorm9183]

@Katie Keenan That was excellent Katie, enjoyed watching and learnt so much about Kong 33, thanks. Best of luck for your future film endeavors!.

[@douglasfreeman3229]

I saw this film as a boy in about 1976. I still think it is amazing. Beautifully directed and great pacing. Still utterly thrilling and moving. A good, solid adventure film with an epic feel.

[@289cobra9]

Ever see the King Kong 1976 movie?

[@douglasfreeman3229]

@@289cobra9 Yes. I went to see it when it was released. It wasn't good. Rick Baker (?) in a gorilla suit. Not good.

[@289cobra9]

@@douglasfreeman3229 It wasn't a good movie. Nothing beats the original.

[@ImTheDaveman]

One of the best documentaries I've seen on 1933s King Kong! Bravo! Okay - I lied. This is THE best documentary I've seen on the subject.

[@louisliu5638]

Fun fact: I was working for Jet Courier in LA in the seventies and picked up some cargo in a small warehouse south of LAX. Along one wall of the warehouse was the ARM of KING KONG from the movie!!!!

[@ivanvdk8276]

I saw this movie around 1966 at our Belgian coast and outside. Being then still a child, I was so frightened by King Kong and all the things he was doing with the human beings. I still remember when the wooden gates opened to allow contact between the ape and the girl, the scene in the theater and the battle on the tower building between the ape and the airplanes. But felt sad when he died. A nice documentary Katie; well done. Interesting to know how this movie was made with the facilities they had in 1933. Belgian greetings. Wish you succes with all the things you do in the future.

[@proto-geek248]

It blew me away as a kid also.

[@mermaidmelodies1492]

12:38 - The image of the 'Brontosaurus' coming out of the mist and up the hill totally inspired the first "eyewitness" account of the Loch Ness Monster. When you read the account of the creature crossing the road in front of the witness and realize that King Kong had just been released in the UK before the Loch Ness event, it is plain to see that Willis H. O'Brien, Merian C. Cooper, and Ernest B. Schoedsack were not only responsible for "Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World", but also for "Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster". How COOL is THAT!!

[@proto-geek248]

King Kong is more real than the Loch Ness Monster.

[@thedarksiderebel]

Man, the scene where they run across the log still looks so good even now. With a more detailed model, i might even say it looks better than digital compositing

[@michaelarmenta8289]

That was great! King Kong has always been one my favorite movies. Thanks for giving all involved props.

[@williamschlenger1518]

I saw this movie many times but never realized how much work went into it.These people were genius's.

[@JozettaStych]

Ray Harryhausen called it the most outrageous fantasy ever committed to film, and Ray Bradbury commented that one kept coming back to it, as with a fire, to warm one's hands. Try to find an old copy of "The Making of King Kong" (1977) by Orville Goldner and George E. Turner-it is the best source of inside information imaginable (Orville Goldner was a technician on the production) and dispels a lot of the sort of misinformation that's been propagated by Peter Jackson and others. For example, the often-reported size of Delgado's Kong puppets-all three were only eighteen inches in height, with the *sets* being scaled differently to make Kong appear larger in the city. The musculature of Kong was created with foam rubber, despite Jackson's insistence to the contrary: Marcel Delgado is quoted unambiguously to this effect in the book. Thank you for casting a light upon this timeless spectacle. Though it has been superceded technologically many times over, its aesthetic and emotional impact has never been surpassed.

[@mizzphitzbeta]

Stop motion during that time period still blows my mind like WOW! 🤩

[@robote7679]

Beautiful assemblage of shots and images with great informative commentary. There truly is a magic to King Kong. Seeing the work put into creating that magic only makes it more amazing. Great job!

[@MissAmazanda]

I've seen thousands of movies and I still consider this one of my favorite films of all time, I'm a huge Godzilla and King Kong fan

[@davo2404]

You have a very bright future ahead of you Katie, this was a wonderful production, thank you.

[@charlesriver6628]

Outstanding video Ms Katie Keenan! King Kong has been my favorite for over 60 decades now! The jungles of Skull Island are beautiful! The prehistoric creatures, though not considered to be anatomically correct by today’s scientific beliefs, are the best I have ever seen to this day! Not to mention Murray Spivack’s sound effects and Max Steiner’s high stress music score! This is one top notch motion picture with all the ingredients of a compatible talented team!

[@J.DeLaPoer]

Well done stop-motion is always extremely impressive to me. I loved Cosgrove Hall's "Wind in the Willows" stop-motion movie and TV series of the 1980s... Apparently on that show they only created _8 seconds of footage per day._ And that's still considered very fast production even now (modern stop-motion averages 30 minutes to an hour for every 1 second of usable footage with current tech). Plus that was working entirely in a closed studio with the sets and figures all at scale -- no real world stuff or live action at all. So doing much more complicated live action integration with the stop-motion in "King Kong", besides the primitive clunky tech of the 1930s, is just incredible.

[@greeneyes66]

There is so much heart and innovation in this masterpiece of a movie - it belittles lots of today's blockbuster vehicles. You'd be hard pressed to find another example where they broke ground the way the creators did for King King did in 1933.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

I love those vintage old stop motion movies! I rather watch those than any recent films 🎥 amazing stuff!

[@eefneleman9564]

This movie always brings tears to my eyes.

[@proto-geek248]

Me too. For the story, for the nostalgia & for the hard work.

[@steveconnor5388]

Finally for 55 years of my life I wondered how did they make this cult classic that was ahead of its time thanks for posting this excellent video

[@daryleschroeder6299]

Thank you Katie for an excellent documentary. Very entertaining and informative. I've loved King Kong since I was a little boy and always will. One of the greatest gems of all film history and you did it justice in your short film. If this is the quality you can produce on your own please make more!

[@rs8034a]

Thank you for putting this project out for the public - King Kong is one of my all-time favorite films and it was very interesting to see how it was made

[@simonmok4191]

Katie's narration is brilliant. I totally enjoyed this documentary.

[@NV..V]

A wonderful video about my favorite movie! Thank you....

[@rubenperez3882]

Love anything dealing with the original King Kong. Great job Katie!

[@Sinnsonido]

Still one of my favorite films of all time. No matter how often they try to remake this, it's the original that always hits the hardest. Gotta give credit to the great Max Steiner though, for the powerful music that infused the energy of this motion picture, and for virtually inventing the film score.

[@johntabler349]

The first place the remakes fail is Ann. 1933 Ann was spunky whitty and optimistic despite being down and out, she was an American depression era "princess "and the audience fell in love with her right off the bat. The movie doesn't work otherwise

[@stankormy5717]

This movie was ahead of its time!

[@geesterfunk]

what a great video! I never went to film school but always loved the subject, you really have a great eye and vison for documentary film making, this making of could be on Netflix or some other streaming service, you've got my sub and I look forward to your work in the future, keep going with your dream!

[@DocTinfoil]

Thank you Katie! Some 40 years ago, I would have done ANYTHING to get hold of the information you've just collated and shared so brilliantly! Now, after 40 years in movie Special effects (currently at Weta Workshop), I still want to say a massive thank you!♥

[@proto-geek248]

For more on Kong, the special 2-disc edition DVD has an amazing commentary & several informative documentaries on the creation of the film. Way recommended 🦍

[@rolandomoreno7607]

The amount of invention, geniality and commitment on making this movie is amazing. I wonder how the people at that time feel when they saw those incredible special effects. If i had to compre it to something "new" that i saw it would be the now classic "Welcome to Jurassic Park" scene.

[@sw5114]

Was just thinking of how the heritage of King Kong came right into Jurassic Park ( original)

[@Cruiserweight190]

What an EXCELLENT breakdown!

[@whataboutrob442]

King Kong '76 was my favorite movie when it came out. The ending had me in tears.

[@tombassman]

Thank you for this video. I remember being very young watching tv alone at night, switching channels and seeing the native ceremony at the giant gate. I had no idea what was about to happen and was equally excited and terrified as the ‘monster ‘ approached. I’d never heard of King Kong so it was an unforgettable experience.

[@proto-geek248]

That's awesome & very rare for something like that to happen. I'm a little envious. It's sort of akin to when you get to experience a really great twist in a plot that you didn't know was coming.

[@sclogse1]

The light in the forest distance during the tyranasaurous fight is so beautiful...Gustav Dore inspired. I don't know if that was a painting or pencil illustration in the rear, but it's sublime. What gets me about Kong is the sheer gaul of the story. These guys were out to blow people's minds. And did. The giant hand reaching into the bedroom must have hit people right in their subconscious.

[@proto-geek248]

Well put.

[@rodmcdaniel8644]

Your voice was perfect, easy to understand in tone and intonation. Congratulations.

[@johncbeer]

Katie, thank you so much for unearthing this information. The annual airing of my favorite film as a kid in the 70s was something I centered my world around. I had absolutely no idea how complex the never-been-done processes were. Can you imagine how difficult it must've been even getting people on board with the investment of time, money, and sheer effort? That alone is miraculous. I'm going to go watch it again simply because of your video.

[@gunterangel]

And we must not forget: this was still the time of the deepest depression and investors were very shy to loose their money.

[@proto-geek248]

They were truly shooting from the hip.

[@raincoatriver]

Thank you Katie, this is terrific. Kong will always be in the running for greatest film ever.

[@model101t800]

Looking back, this was not only an iconic film but also an important one for the industry It is remarkable that objects from this 90-year-old film can still be found today Both stop motion Kongs armatures still exist, Peter Jackson has one, believe Bob Burns has the other

[@cadicorniche]

I have seen the original movie countless times - and I cry at the end EACH time. After seeing it, many times when I was a kid, as an adult - I finally realized this film is a love story.

[@LymanPhillips]

To me, king kong, the wizard of oz and Casablanca are 3 of the top movies of the first half of the 20th century. I'd also throw city light in there as well. I hope you can cover the other two movies. You did an amazing job on this one.

[@proto-geek248]

I'm gonna have to throw in The Shaggy D.A. for good measure.

[@LymanPhillips]

@@proto-geek248 🤣

[@proto-geek248]

@@LymanPhillips 😏

[@Camop-iz9kt]

Happy 90th birthday to the one and only KONG! A superb documentary. Thanks!

[@jasonhaley5779]

The film that won best picture for 1933 was "Cavalcade." No one remembers it. But everyone remembers "King Kong!"

[@charlesriver6628]

GREAT POINT!!!!!

[@TheEternalDeathRex]

Thank you for making such a wonderful documentary about one of my favorite films of all time. I grew up with modern movies like Jurassic park and such but even then this movie still holds a place of aw for me, It still blows me away. So Its still a joy to watch a video talking this film to this day. Thanks again.

[@chaseme9860]

This and The Wizard of Oz are two movies of the 1930s that had to be way more incredible to see at the time than anything made today. The 4 movies that were groundbreaking for my time were Toy Story, Beowulf, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Jurassic Park. Today, aside from improving CGI, It seems that we have reached a plateau in what can be done with the big screen.

[@jameslacey5474]

The giant curved screen that they now use for rear screen is a new development.

[@jhphillips18]

Need to add Gone with the Wind Also

[@chaseme9860]

@@jhphillips18 Gone with the Wind is just a regular movie. It wouldn't be notable for innovative special effects.

[@jameslacey5474]

@@chaseme9860 They burned down the wall from' King Kong' for the burning of Atlanta scene in 'Gone With the Wind'.

[@gunterangel]

@@chaseme9860 It may not be so obvious as with 'King Kong', but both 'GWTW' and 'TWOO' were amongst the first movies, where many of the same optical special effects techniques - like matte paintings and the optical printer- were used as in 'King Kong'. And it was even a more complex task since all this was done in technicolor, a very complicated color process. 'GWTW' actually contains hundreds of such process shots. That they don't become very obvious is a proof of the high quality work done by the FX people and that they did groundbreaking work as well. For instance that shot where we see the carriage of Rhett and Scarlett in silhouette passing the grumbling burning King Kong gate: this was a process shot done within the optical printer, where the footage of the burning and grumbling gate and the footage of the carriage with the horse passing seemingly in front of it were put together. The illusion was perfect !

[@alaskaaksala123]

Those techniques of the era just made the movie more interesting and really caused a kids imagination to work…awesome stuff..

[@ricard0elias399]

This will always be the holy grail of movie special effects.

[@davidfisher8870]

If they met during WW2, did they travel back in time to make King King?

[@tomr7901]

I thought the same thing . Must of meant ww1

[@RossTotino]

It's a huge mistake!

[@wildman2012]

She misspoke... it's not a "huge" mistake.

[@xqqqme]

@@tomr7901 While we're busy correcting mistakes, it's "must have" not "must of." People hear the contraction "must've" spoken out loud and apparently think the component words are "must of."

[@tonyclifton265]

i just watched King Kong for the first time and i was amazed by the special effects which still look good today so must have been mind-blowing to audiences in 1933. i'm so glad to find out how they did it. bravo!

[@woodandwheelz]

I explain to my kids about all of this. How they did all of this amazing stuff without computers, no CGI, and how awesome it is. They just come back with, "But it looks so cheesy." LoL! I agree. according to todays standards, it is quite cheesy. However, when you know the background of the how to's, it's still very amazing. Ultraman was ahead of it's time. I still enjoy all of the old Godzilla movies. Zipper and all.

[@proto-geek248]

CGI is what looks cheesey. And lazy. What King Kong looks like is professional hard work, innovation & unparalleled imagination.

[@woodandwheelz]

@@proto-geek248 I will disagree with your first comment but only for more recent years. CGI has come a long way from what it was just 10 years ago. When done properly you can't even tell the difference. Of course, there are several times that I know it's CGI and I'm impressed at how good it looks. However, there is still plenty of poorly done CGI out there. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE with the second part of your comment. I am still more impressed with the Puppet work/Stop motion of the past. That was definitely professional hard work and innovation. I can't imagine everything that had to go into that to make it look seamless. Yes, CGI is faster, and up until recently, not as clean.

[@Sabowie]

What a legendary film! A true classic!

[@Cymrusaint]

This is my favourite film of all time. But, there is something that bugs me about it now that I didn't notice when I saw it originally as a kid. As the narrator says, Kong shows his love for Ann, but at no point does Ann reciprocate this love. This is something they changed in later films, which felt right.

[@drhkleinert8241]

Maybe its bec the 33 Kong is a "stupid and aggro big animal", not a kind of smart and humanlike big silverback like the Jackson Kong.

[@erikramaekers63]

Fay Wray should have stopped screaming naar the end,i agree.

[@gunterangel]

But that's exactly what is so tragic about Kong, that his affection for Ann is never reciprocate. If Ann had shown any affection for Kong, his tragedy wouldn't have been half as moving. It's simply great story telling !

[@dennissmith5807]

Outstanding video! I discovered KK on tv in 1975 when I was 8.

[@docholliday342]

They met during World War II got into a Time Machine and made a movie in 1933!! That is an incredible story

[@pologawd6178]

Thought I was the only one that noticed that,😂.

[@DrScorpio313]

@@pologawd6178 No, it was noticed elsewhere too!🤣

[@draxxicek]

I came to the comments to check who else noticed this :)

[@Ocarina654]

Really great, well made video. King Kong really is such a great film, even now. The technical mastery on display in it is incredible, not to mention the great story and writing.

[@jimmerhardy]

This is a loving and beautifully produced documentary. Thank you.

[@THE-HammerMan]

Katie, you've made a most excellent masterpiece yourself with this short documentary. I also greatly appreciate your real narration. Thank you.

[@katiekeenanfilm]

Thank you!! I appreciate the love!

[@Bonobo3D]

Thank you, Katie. Your video, showing the effects that made King King, is the perfect companion piece to the 1933 film.

[@paulclarke7571]

Great job Katie! King Kong, like Frankenstein and Nosferatu were cinema classics and have stood the test of time. Thank the powers that be, that the people responsible for these movies followed their vision and left us these treasures.

[@richardadams4928]

Truly a great cinematic achievement. I had the Famous Monsters of Filmland (RIP, Forry) with Kong and must have re-read it about a MILLION times.

[@ranulf8477]

I ve got the whole collection and every King Kong movie on Bluray. This one here is a great documentary for every fan!

[@zh84]

This is an excellent documentary. Thank you for creating and posting it. I learned a great deal. It's a great film too, in its way. It has a psychological depth that modern CGI superhero epics lack.

[@raymundotorres6905]

This is my favorite movie of all time, its magical, mysterious, entertaining, very different

[@RQL-ol7sn]

Katie Keenan, you are a born storyteller! You should be teaching at film school, not attending it. Your attention to detail is very impressive. And the pace of the narrative is fantastic. Here's a word you will be hearing many many many more times in your career: Bravo!

[@katiekeenanfilm]

Oh my goodness, your comment absolutely made my year!! Thank you so much for recognizing those traits in my work because this is truly my life-long passion. It warms my heart to know that I’m doing it right 🥲

[@ericajohnson7535]

MIND-BLOWING... still looks pretty good 90 years later...