1933: King Kong - How Early Special Effects Created the 8th Wonder of the World

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King Kong is one of the most incredible examples of early special effects, combining some of the most cutting edge technology of the time. This video takes a look at some of the first special effects in cinema and how film makers created Kong, one of the most incredible cinematic spectacles in cinema history.
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[@blakelycreative3171]

My father saw the opening of King Kong at Grumman's Chinese Theater in the 1930s. We had him describe that event over and over throughout the years and I never tired of hearing the details. They had a full orchestra playing the score w tons of dancers dressed as natives moving from the stage, through the isles into the lobby. This was just the warm up to the film. Thanks Dad!

[@James-w1e5k]

Your father was one of many who got the greatest treat in the world. I have a replica program of that pre-opening info and make one really envious. It would've been neat to see this filmed and saved to view. Kong is my favorite, and I think you got the best treat of all: a first-hand account of that whole fascinating evening. You have been blessed with his memories and having a really cool dad. Thanks for your story.

[@loobygub9346]

I can only imagine how terrifying Kong must've looked in 1933. Fantastic movie.

[@louisborselio8608]

He was terrifying to me in 1969 on TV.

[@sabineb.5616]

@connextro , yes, I think that a lot of the original footage of the original version looks funny for today's audiences. When my son saw the iconic fight of Kong with the T-Rex for the first time, he asked me, why the teddy was fighting with a giant squirrel! 😉😉😉

[@sabineb.5616]

@@louisborselio8608 , well my small son thought that a teddybear was fighting with a huge squirrel, when he saw the iconic fight of Kong with the T-Rex 😉😉😉

[@louisborselio8608]

@@sabineb.5616 The fact your small son sees Kong fighting a T-Rex as a Teddy bear fighting a squirrel only means your son is still in the early stages of awareness development. Not only will he see Kong and the Rex as a gorilla and a dinosaur fighting each other in the very near future , but he will soon have no recollection of the bear vs squirrel.

[@sabineb.5616]

@@louisborselio8608 , when this happened, my son hadn't watched the whole movie. He was a toddler back then and had just walked into the living room on a rainy Sunday afternoon. If we hadn't told him that the two creatures he was seeing on the tv screen were not at all a teddy and a squirrel, he might indeed have forgotten about it within a few hours. But he was very upset that we didn't allow him to watch the full movie because he was still too young! We told him that this wasn't a movie for kids of his age, and that the two creatures he had seen, were not a teddy and a squirrel. It's quite possible that he would've forgotten the whole incident very quickly if we hadn't told him what he had seen. But since we had told him, and hadn't allowed him to watch the full movie he threw a tantrum and remembered the incident for quite a while. He still remembered it a couple of years later, when we allowed him to watch the full movie. He was very interested in dinosaurs back then, and knew the difference between a squirrel and a T-Rex. But he wasn't scared at all by the movie. And that's the point why I mentioned this incident. I greatly admire the guys who made the first Kong movie! They were extremely creative, and they realized that an actor in an ape suit would be far less realistic than the models they manufactured and fotographed for the very time consuming stop-motion process! And the first Kong movie remained the gold standard for seven decades! The 1976 remake actually looks less good, because they made the big mistake to use a guy in an ape suit. But for our modern eyes these movies don't look scary anymore. With CGI and motion capture Peter Jackson finally had the tools to create the first truly realistic Kong. And a brilliant Andy Serkis gave the big guy a unique personality with a heart and a soul.

[@claydogmadman7843]

One of the greatest movies of the 20th Century... King Kong lives on...

[@carmeng5421]

I had the pleasure of meeting Marcel Delgado, the Kong "builder", years ago when I was friends with his son. He was kind enough to show me his work room and one of the Kong models. It was about 16 or 18 inches high, standing on one of the counters in his workshop. Being not even 20 years old then, I didn't appreciate the significance of what I saw. But I've never forgotten it!

[@jltrem]

I'm bordering on 70 years old. First saw the original version of "King Kong" as a young child on television. I can't honestly say how many times I've watched this film, but countless is an appropriate adjective. Every time I watch it I'm amazed at some aspect of it. It is probably my favorite film. In my opinion it stands head and shoulders above any remake. Last year I finally had a chance to see it in a cinema on a big screen, then Covid hit. Broke my heart.

[@KeithDec25]

Even the films "mistake" where Kong's fur bristled when O'Brien and helpers moved his arms and legs added to Kong's majesty...The amount of filmmakers Kong influenced-like Ray Harryhausen ...Film was truly larger than life and gone into mythology....Never thought you would cover this film Your research is GREAT Keep up the great work

[@lyndoncmp5751]

I always thought it was meant to be wind catching his fur, seeing as he was so tall.

[@dkamphaus43]

@@lyndoncmp5751I believe that's what a reviewer thought at the time of the film's release.

[@zeppo2240]

Wes Anderson too with Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs

[@JewelRiders]

Kong is DEFINIETLY one of the best films. ever. period.

[@sean9806]

I agree

[@voronOsphere]

Yes!

[@vincentlewis1297]

Kong is the best-paced movie I've ever seen. From the first to last scene, the narrative tempo is perfect. The arrival at Skull Island is incredibly evocative of dreadful mystery, ancient, uncanny and foreboding. The chase following Anne's abduction initiates a dramatic escalation punctuated with wonder and with horror... then it gets weirder as Kong rampages through the art-deco metropolitan dazzle of a New York night... what a King-sized cine-magic thrill-ride of a movie!!

[@CarStreetGasGone]

How's the music?

[@zeppo2240]

90 years old and still one of the most entertaining movies of its time

[@wrecklessfilmsofficial]

This movies is so good that the effects overshadow how revolutionary and the sound design and score was as well.

[@1950Grendel]

Every time I see an RKO movie with the radio signal I expect to hear Max Steiner's three note Kong theme.

[@deadpan80]

7:20 its amazing how we really take for granted the craftsmanship on display here - I have seen this film multiple times, but never really gave this shot a second thought, but when you go into detail just went into achieving this seemingly "invisible" effect - its simply breath-taking. King Kong was truly a work of genius.

[@EricHowl]

Same

[@dingo4010]

I remember seeing that movie about 10 years ago. I watched the whole thing and was amazed at what they could do back then.

[@davesiemienski3667]

I watched this phenomenal film in the mid 1950s as a boy, and was enthralled by its plot, effects, powerful music, and the awe-inspiring visuals. When you factor in the 1933 time frame, this movie exceeds everything I have seen since in the remarkable combination of film making mastery and audience enjoyment. Your inspection and script very faithfully highlights these features that many fail to fully appreciate. Keep up your fantastic work.

[@claydogmadman7843]

The 1933 Movie King Kong movie was the biggest Oscar snub in cinematic history...

[@zantigar]

King Kong was too big for the Oscars!

[@travisbickle4360]

I think they was no special effects or animated category then. So movies like Kong and Disney movies were not qualified even though they were revolutionary

[@ChanceKearns]

@@travisbickle4360 the first Disney animated movie wouldnt be released for another 4 years

[@RickTBL]

Should have won best movie and best music score, at the very least. Who remembers Cavalcade?

[@minnowpd]

It was the antidote to unemployment. One gets that old Germanic schadenfreude . Getting pleasure from the suffering of others.

[@markpedroza7294]

At 7:02 that was Kong trying to grab Jack Driscoll not Carl Denham..

[@bearfoot561]

Thanks for pointing that out.

[@mcplatterpig]

@@bearfoot561 I didn’t know sarcasm could be conveyed in text lmao

[@kingkong1111100]

You have made a thoughtful and intelligent video about my favorite movie since I first saw it 70 odd years ago on television in New York. I only wish I had been around in 1933 at either the Roxy or Radio City Music Hall when it premiered. How wonderful it would have been to see these extraordinary special effects for the first time ever. I was there for the road-show premiere of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey thirty five odd years later in 70mm which was, I guess, comparably new special effects model and matte work.

[@louishamilton1710]

The effects still translate well today.

[@paulware4701]

Kong's battle with the t-rex is the first cinematic image I can ever remember; I was very young and my parents had left me with a baby sitter and when they came back we were watching this scene on the telly; I suspect that that baby sitter never got hired again! (Based on other factors, I was probably about six or seven years old, so this would have been between 1966 and 1968). Funnily enough, I didn't find it scary; it was so exciting and gripping I was just carried away with it. As early memories go, it's one to cherish.

[@filmlist1177]

The amount of creativity exceeds expectations

[@CalvinG973]

I love this channel and the quality content. Keep up the great work!!!

[@benjaminshiels1824]

In terms of ambitious special effects in ground breaking film's, Hardcore Henery definitely deserves a mention being fully shot in first person view and ALL seemingly done (via cg of course) in one take with Charlto Copley playing most of the roll's. Anyone who love's spfx n hasn't seen this movie MUST check it out. It really is something else! 👍

[@spockboy]

I would like to add to your wonderful essay about the greatness of older special effects in our modern age of CGI. Orson Welles once said "No limitations, is the enemy of art" and if you look at a lot of films today, some of the artistry is clearly missing. The fact that the effects artists of the past had to figure out exactly HOW to make what was written on the page come to life is what made them great. It forced them to be creatively innovative, and to think outside of the box. Now it has become far too easy, which to paraphrase Orson, has made special effects teams more creatively complacent I think. Not all obviously, but certainly some. I agree with your excellent comment about mixing techniques to achieve a level of realism and uniqueness. I employed this technique when I was a young artist and would use watercolors, airbrush and pencil all in the same rendering to achieve a unique look. Keep up the good work!

[@Beforethecredits]

Great topic. I watched Kong early this year before going to see Skull Island. The special effects had to have been mind blowing at the time. I actually had this exact topic jotted down as a possible episode myself. Looks like I'll be moving it further down the list now. Great episode.

[@onehundredyearsofcinema]

Thanks man, great minds think alike! I have been linking the comparison videos you have been doing (bates motel / IT). do you have any more planned?

[@Beforethecredits]

If I see an opportunity for them in the future I plan to do them. If Hannibal gets a season 4 they want to do Silence of the Lambs so that would be a great comparison opportunity. When IT comes out I might do some of those scenes as well. We will see how everything plays out there. Currently Im working on getting better at After Effects so I can make my Essays better. I sadly feel that my current editing style is a turnoff for a lot of people.

[@scottgamble7767]

@ One Hundred Years of Cinema : I just ran across this. VERY nicely done Charlie. So many people try to do these sorts of video's on KZbin and fail miserably. This one was really enjoyable to watch. Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

[@thegodzillaatomicblastprod1702]

When King Kong undresses Ann in the 1933 film that scene was cut from the theatrical version. Now people have found the footage and it has been put in newer versions of the film

[@maxschrader3884]

It was actually in the original 1933 release but were removed due to the Hays code in the 1938 rerelease. The original film was lost until the late 1960s.

[@branco6942]

King Kong 1933 set the boundries therefor it still is the number 1 special effects movie of all times!!

[@CDubya.82]

Amazing special effects in King Kong. I watched it tonight and had to find a video such as this cause although I picked how some shots were done, the more complex scenes still slightly threw me.

[@TheJohnnyBE]

I may have seen this nearly a 100 times as a kid in the late 50s/early 60s, and never grew tired of it. Million Dollar Movie on WOR-NY/Channel 9 showed it, and other classics, every day for a week, several times a year.

[@1950Grendel]

"If you missed any part of King Kong, or wish to see it again, the next showing will be at 11:00".

[@stream.homeplace6945]

Thank you for what you do. This video, more than any other I've seen, has helped to demystify some aspects of storytelling (in any medium) for me. "If you're a filmmaker, don't rely too heavily on any one technique. Use the diverse array of tools at your disposal to tell your story in as many ways as possible, and you can build a world that feels real." To me, this meaning of storytelling transcends film-making because it's in simple, thoughtful terms. :) Big fan of your channel and your work!

[@onehundredyearsofcinema]

Thank you, That's so kind.

[@AnthonySmith-ty7ij]

Another special effects films that was used that same year, Universal's The Invisible Man. Especially the great work by John P. Fulton of showing the invisible man with some clothes on to the use of 4 shots when Claude Rains was unwrapping his bandages in front of the mirror.

[@onehundredyearsofcinema]

+Anthony Smith those shots are absolutely amazing. I remember seeing it for the first time and it blowing my mind what they could do back then!

[@jimlassiter749]

Great video! Subscribed! And thanks for not having irritating commercials!

[@juanramirez-wk8ty]

King Kong can never be surpassed because of it's place in cinema history , every film spectacle that came after to this very day owes it a debt of respect.

[@EricHowl]

Yo charlie u did an amazing job of eloquently celebrating his work and king kong I really appreciate you

[@robertzverina7181]

Jan Svankmajer does impressive effects work, combining stop motion, claymation, puppetry, and other techniques. His aim is more expressionistic than striving to convince, but through his art creates emotional realities.

[@michaelsterckx4120]

The special effects still stand up and are extraordinary.

[@MrNerdista]

Terrific episode. Perhaps my favourite of this series? Love what you're doing and it's great to see your channel grow at such a rapid rate.

[@ardiffley-zipkin9539]

Well done, Charlie. Your video provides the best description of the methodology used to create Kong. The 1933 film is still number 1. Kong Skull Island which I saw a few years ago was the next best depiction of Kong.

[@mitchdematoff9671]

As a kid, the local TV station would play it 3 times over the weekend..I watched it all 3 times in awe. Every year. The story, the music, the imaginary scenery, the characters and especially the special effects of Kong and his dinosaur mates was more then enough to spark a child's imagination. Unfortunately at the time, the more gritty scenes were edited for TV. As I got older, my friends who were also huge fans of the movie; would watch it and try and figure out how they pulled it off. We came to some right conclusions, but it did not take away from the films magic. Although todays film techniques are far more sophisticated, this film still holds up as a great piece of mastery and development that would show what the medium was capable of. I too could imagine what the impact of King Kong was to audiences in 1933. And lets not forget the great characterization of the actor that portrayed Carl Denum and the beautiful Fay Wray. This is and will always be one of my favorite films of all time. It is also one of the greatest movies ever made.

[@santiagofabiano1990]

What an amazing movie. Also an amazing job you have done explaining detail by detail how it was done. Is there a possibility you add subtitles to your videos? I’m sure you could reach out to many more people

[@CurtisAlfeld]

It's really fantastic watching these old, revolutionary effects-based movies and comparing them to modern movies. Almost every movie that comes out, now, has loads of CGI, even in movies you wouldn't think would need them, and it's gotten so good that you don't notice a lot of them. Every time a new sci-fi or action movie comes out, we all know there's going to be a ton of CGI, and we take the effects for granted. Every movie, now, has a massive explosion, an intense vehicle crash, or something else that isn't feasible or possible to actually do, and alot of those things go forgotten. We've already seen everything. But, put yourself in 1933. No one has seen a massive ape fighting a dinosaur. Seeing that must have been truly special.

[@jonathanwebb5767]

Thank you for your entertaining and informative film! I love the original Kong. It's a masterpiece of special effects and storytelling and features so many groundbreaking and innovative ideas! I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed, but it even features one of the first uses of motion blur! It might be due to a mistake, or happy accident of the camera being jogged, but the shot where the plane swoops in on Kong includes two of three frames of film that are blurred (giving the illusion of movement). It's so perfect that I like to assume O'Brien did it on purpose to make the animation flow more realistically at that moment! Genius!!

[@Zircillius]

At 5:34, that's not rear projection. It's a traveling matte, as indicated by the minor errors (transparency, loss of contrast) that occur when the actors pass in front of the Kong miniature

[@tubite2]

Some of us old Kong nerds read much of this in the old Famous Monsters of Filmland magazines. Nice compact presentation. Great picture. Thank you.

[@1950Grendel]

FM was the best.

[@thetetrarchofapathy9728]

Willis O'Brien created and patented new equipment for Kong during its production. A great book that came out about 8-10 years ago gave details on all the Kong films; they have diagrams of the equipment and a lot of the processes discussed here. You covered it in very good detail, and in under 10 minutes! Very nice.

[@levistubbs8949]

Just had to order a copy off e-bay, was so impressed with your vlog .

[@Roamancing]

Really quite amazing reflecting how far Special Effects have come.

[@jamiesteiner3108]

Hey man, great video. Just discovering your channel and I'm looking forward to going through it.

[@samdanner6244]

I really love your work and insight. I saw kingkong 55 years ago. I am now 66 years old and it looks just as real as CGI. Spot-on work.

[@tracevance5914]

When I think of movies that have advanced the ways that special effects are accomplished in movies, three always come to my mind. King Kong, Gojira, and Jurassic Park.

[@saigokun]

I just discovered your channel and I am already a fan of your analyses of these films.

[@thiccboss4780]

perfect expectations overwhelmed

[@calunchained]

Still really enjoying these videos and eagerly awaiting each one, keep it up!

[@maripan1336]

Got so excited to see you uploaded! Thanks for all your hard work making them :)

[@24yearsoldgirl]

00:58 State of special efect 02:49 double expose 03:39 the travelling mat 05:32 rear screen projection

[@thewerepyreking]

What an amazing channel. Your work will go down in history within my friends and family the same way that O'Brian's work will. I hope I can represent you both.

[@ironhandz1]

Besides Kong, I would pick Tron, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, 2001, 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Superman I, Outland, American Werewolf, George Pal's War of the Worlds, Wizard of Oz.

[@SuperLaney81]

King Kong is masterpiece. It is STILL amazingly impressive today!!!!

[@charlesellenberger8067]

Well done! Mr. O’Brian would be proud of you.

[@spockboy]

Great job on the video. BTW @ 7:25 There was also superimposed smoke in that shot.

[@FanaddictsofFilm]

Fantastic presentation. I enjoyed this.

[@ThisIsRachelleB]

This video has helped me with my Film essay so much!

[@georgeelmerdenbrough6906]

Kong was as impressive to its first audience as Jurrasic Park was to us .

[@Phil-r6k]

Certainly many films have ‘surpassed’ the special effects of KING KONG in the past 91 years, but KONG was the template. Digital special effects artists use the exact same principles today as Willis O’Brien used in 1933. Layering of images is just that, whether it’s analogue practical effects or digital. O’Bie layered with physical objects, foreground props, rear-screen projections, mid-ground props, matte paintings, etc., whereas digital artists merely click the layers in place. I first saw KING KONG on the big screen at eight years old in 1971 when it was rereleased with all excised scenes restored in a grand old movie palace called The Saenger on Canal Street here in New Orleans. The theater still exists, though it’s not exclusively a movie theater any more. It was an experience that will never dwindle in my memory. Although one might argue that the original silent film THE LOST WORLD (1925) was the great adventure template, KING KONG surpassed it in a proper cinematic evolution that became THE template for all adventure films to come.

[@fabien.boussat]

There's so much...I don't kow...poetry in this 1933 film. About the making of the special effects, each time I stumble upon a video showing how the Hell they did it back then, I'm just amazed at how difficult it has been. Whenever I stumble upon a Peter Jackson making-of I'm like... Yeah. Ok. Computer generated: makes sense. Dream over. Neeeext.

[@Roamancing]

Fascinating history, much of which I was unaware of.

[@eugenedegeorge5084]

I've always thought that King Kong is the greatest movie ever made based on the equipment and knowledge they had at the time. Also it was King Kong which inspired Ray Harryhousen, who gave us so many great stop-action movies in the fifties, sixties and seventies.

[@darthstarkiller1912]

I've loved the original "King Kong" since middle school, and when I saw the remake back in '06, it really makes a film buff like me amazed of how much visual effects had changed in over 70 years.

[@행호할캥홍]

We can learn so much from earlier pioneers So interesting

[@randyacuna5643]

If the Oscar's were given for special effects, this film and the Invisible man would be the front runners.

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

Also at 5:32 you start talking about rear screen projection, but that shot is actually a Dunning process shot, or traveling matte, the same thing when Kong puts Fay in the tree at 5:49. The medium shots of Fay are rear screen, but the long shot of hhim putting her in the tree is either a Dunning shot, or a Willaiams shot. Still a lot of nice info on the film, thanks for posting.

[@brunoarnabar7450]

Richard Williams has amazing material both in his animations and the content around it

[@solameencuentro]

I like your video...you have a new subscriber!!! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@sophiescribbles]

Just gotta say this is a really fantastic series, really great work!!

[@kevinbrady6075]

I still watch it today!

[@hamburgareable]

Great episode. Keep up the good work!! Very splendid.

[@Sardarkhan69]

Great work!

[@fallspeed]

Nice Job! Love your channel.

[@mrjayslab]

I taught a movie critique/review writing class to 8th graders showing them about 20 films over the course of a year. The original King Kong usually got some of the highest ratings of the 20

[@alexanderl8794]

Awesome work! Keep going!

[@randyacuna3248]

I felt that the Invisible man ( 1933 also) effects were just as good.

[@AquaAngelfire]

Wonderful video! I look forward to checking out more of your content! 🖤

[@alanjohnson4541]

Great video. Love it

[@alex9920ro]

This video actually made me want to watch King Kong (the original version from 1933).

[@icarsten6625]

Shortly before Peter Jacksons Kong hit the big screen I attended a screening of the original 1933 in a movie theatre in Munich. Wow, it really left a lasting imprint on the audience.

[@darryl3422]

As a young boy I believed Kong was real...I still do

[@nudge2626]

Another great video. Keep up the good work

[@heroesandkaijutokusatsucha4968]

i just saw the first movie last year, it was great!

[@TheSouthpaw217]

Love the detail of the series! Keep it up

[@porflepopnecker4376]

No film has surpassed KING KONG.

[@mubiusford8693]

Porfle Popnecker If You mean progress in visual effects , then yes . No film had ever reached this level....

[@porflepopnecker4376]

I mean in that and all other aspects.

[@ixlewerx]

AMEN!!!!

[@claydogmadman7843]

Porfle Popnecker The movie was snub from an Oscar nomination back in 1933... Even now in the 21st century Kong still lives on strong...

[@WHOOOSHXDOfficial]

Thomas Meehan nope

[@johnpanter9714]

Great video. Insightful and interesting. King Kong is not just the best special effects film of all time. To me it symbolises everything thats magical about cinema.

[@allanbroadfield5121]

Enjoyed your video but I spotted your deliberate mistake - that was Kong feeling over the cliff edge for the Jack Driscoll character, not Carl Denham.

[@Xeronimo74]

Another excellent video!

[@Jeaniesunshine-fb5rk]

Thank you. I wish I understood this when I was young.

[@Flapperdame16]

I remember when the 2005 Kong movie came out, I was 9 years old. I remember one day my Grandfather who was at the time, 83 (11 in 1933), seeing a tv promo for Kong. He then said, "That won't be any good! I remember the original with Fay Wray!" At the time, I was just amazed by what he said, now thinking about that memory, he's not wrong!!!

[@A10N50]

when I first got watch the original movie I was like "man, King Kong, is a real menace in this one"

[@tusk1142]

After watching this now i can't wait for the 1954 episode

[@canbest7668]

Love this! But Sorry but at 6:58 Kong is reaching for Jack Driscoll not Carl Denham!

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

When we consider the kind of subjet matter cinema was concerned with at the time, KING KONG stands head and shoulders above it all. Not only on a technical level, but on sheer imagination as well. It really was a different moviegoing experience. Even today, if you watch a lot of 1930s movies and then watch KONG, you're immediately struck by how ahead of its time it was. The fact that such an innovative film didn't get a single Oscar nomination is absolutely baffling. While audiences flocked in droves to see it and it broke attendence records, it was just too 'unconventional' for the highbrow Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to see it as 'award worthy'.

[@virginia7191]

Nice video but that wasn’t Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) in that scene. It was John Driscoll (Bruce Cabot).

[@danielcurtis6910]

I also love the beast with 20,000 fathoms

[@eddielester3589]

That thing was Scary...lol

[@timonsteup2877]

I think it is a shame that the 100 years of Cinema series stopped.