When I was 5 years old I went to New York City with my parents. We went to Times Square and King Kong (1933) was playing. This was around 1953. My parents decided it was a good idea to see the movie. What a mistake for a 5 year old! I was terrified! My Mom said I spent the whole movie standing in the aisle ready to run. The bad part was when we left the theater it was night time and we could see the Empire State building from times square. Remember I was 5 years old. I had nightmares for years. And I mean years! Now as an adult "King Kong" is my favorite scary movie of all time.
What a great flick. My Mom saw it when it came out when she was a teenager in 1933. I saw it in the late 60's on TV and have had a copy since starting out in BETA to DVD today.
As a kid, the original Kong was my most favourite movie, still is. I came from a working class family in the western suburbs of Melbourne Australia and convinced my parents in 1981 to buy a VHS videocassette recorder and one blank 3hr video tape. That was worth about 3 months pay for my dad and my mom promptly recorded Blood and Sand with Tyrone Power. That was the only film we had for months until King Kong was showing late one Friday. I secretly fast forwarded to half way through the tape and recorded Kong over Tyrone knowing mum always fell asleep halfway through! I wore the tape out watching Kong religiously twice per day before and after school….now I have it permanently on my iPhone. Thanks Dan for solving a long time mystery for me about the long and round faces. I always thought Kong looked different at times..
The fact you correctly called him the king of all monsters has earned you a new subscriber. Godzilla wouldn't even exist as he is if not for the original king of monsters, King Kong! So, it always pleases me when King Kong is recognized as such.
Even though it was kind of an oversight on my part when I created the video, I totally agree :-) I'm not that big of a Godzilla fan, but I have got beaten up pretty good over it lol. Thanks for the subscription and your support :-) Dan
The original & by far the best King Kong & Kong movie . I was absolutely memorised when I watched this as a child, & I still watch it & love it as much today. This Kong was monstrous & ferocious than all of the other incarnations . It will always be one of my most favourite films ❤
When I was a kid and saw this for the first time in the early’60’s, I cried when Kong fell to his death. For the next fifty years my family would ask me if I still felt sorry for King Kong. The answer is always… yes. I’ve seen one of the original Kong articulated models when it was on display at the MOMI in London back in the ‘80’s. It was so cool to see it up close and personal. A real piece of cinematic history.
Recently started watching your videos. Just fantastic!!! You have a really smooth radio announcer voice!!! Super easy and nice to listen to!! Great stuff on LIS. Love all your content!!!
In 1976 I was at MGM watching the filming of KING KONG. Make-up and effects legend Rick Baker was inside the KK suit, rehearsing the with the “stomp on the village” miniature and later, watching gorgeous Jessica Lange in her red/white striped half shirt and jean shorts. A few years later, when very kind Bob Burns arranged my visit to an EFX shop, a full size animated Kong bust was made for the 50th anniversary of the original, 1933 Kong film. Thanks again, Bob!
my favorite King Kong movie is King Kong Escspes (1968)where Kong battles a giant Robot version of himself, Mechani Kong. I met Linda MIller who played Suan.
@@MoviesMusicMonsters it seemed to be always on Sunday afternoons when i was a teenager....i really grew to appreciate it more when I got older especially after I got to meet Linda MIller at Galaxy con Richmond a couple of years ago. Its got Dr Who who wants Kong to dig up Element x to take control of the world with the mysterious Madame Prianna and of course Rhodes Reason who plays the Commander of a UN sanctioned exploratory submarine who opposes Dr Who's congest of the world using elementx and the big fight between Dr Who's mechanical duplicate of King Kong in Toyoko.
It's the perfect movie. Greatest movie ever made. Perfectly executed, edited, paced. Never a dull moment, it keeps your attention. You stay in it the whole time. My favorite movie in case you can't tell.
There's supposed to be a Third 18-inch Armature out there somewhere. For years It was supposed to have been kept by Marcel Delgado, Who held on to It after the Production. That's the One the Smithonion thought they had, But It turned out to be Fake.
My girlfriend and I started watching the show Monarch which led me to pick up all the recent American Godzilla and Kong movies. They are great and bring back fond memories of watching the older ones
As a kid in the late 50's I saw & loved King Kong & Might Joe Young! They were frequently shown, and are still the "Best" versions of any King Kong movies!! Long Live KONG!
Interesting that you have a cardboard cutout of Carrie fisher in the background because she once said in an interview that she lived in a house that once belonged to actor Robert Armstrong who was in King Kong it even had a secret room for Alcohol because of Prohibition 😊😊
I'm getting pretty old and King Kong was already a very old movie when I watched it on television as a kid. It was supremely entertaining and it was fun to imagine just how blown away people at the time must have been! Truly a part of American history. (And world history most likely. It would be interesting to hear the effect it had on the world if any.)
I just found this channel and I absolutely love it. The details about what has happened to so many pieces of movie and TV history has always intrigued me. Another reason I like it so much is that while watching the videos I think of my best friend Bill who passed away from cancer over four years ago. He was a huge movie buff and I know he would also enjoy this channel. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Great content! I’m watching all of these now! Someone might have already spotted this but I do believe that when you mentioned Phil Kellison, the pictures you showed were of David Allen while he was animating his Kong VW commercial. Again, great content! Keep it going!
People actually DID run out of the theatres in fear, back in 1933. And did you notice, the nearly 3D effects, when Kong was trashing that village, and throwing a hut towards the camera!....so innovative for that time! This film deserves to be so well-appreciated...and what a shame, that the impressive Skull Island Wall, was actually burned, during filming of Gone With the Wind!! That Wall would have made an incredible tourist attraction.
His car ad is fantastic. Closest I’ve seen to the ‘33. I’m in the UK but grew up like you fellas on old Horror and Sci-Fi movies, Irwin Allen, OUTER LIMITS, NIGHT GALLERY and home grown stuff too like DR WHO and THUNDERBIRDS. Your films always hit the mark. Thank you mate.
Man, I loved King Kong and Mighty Joe Young when I was a kid. I can remember still watching all the great monster movies on Saturday when they aired. I still miss my 13 inch B/W with rabbit ears!! Boy, those were the days!! I'm still a big Ray Harryhousen fan. That's been almost 5 decades ago. Time sure flys.😢
I used to own the Armature replica from sideshow collectibles. I wish a company would offer an 18-inch replica of the finished model. It wouldn't have to be articulated but even a statue with fur would be nice
My Great Uncle, Edwin (Eddie Linden) working under O’Brien (Chief Technician) did most of the work with the stop-motion animation along with Walker and Taylor. Still, Kong is a family favorite. ❤️
Years ago I was in a used bookstore in Hollywood. I bought a used copy of a book called _Speaking of Silents,_ which contains transcribed interviews with famous actress. After I purchased it, I openned up to the title page. It was autographed by the author, Willam Drew, to Fay Wray!!! How cool is that?
That is massively cool! Fay Wray is my favorite Hollywood Crush...So beautiful, and very vibrant and creative in her later years...She lived to the age of 96. She was a much better actress than the rest of the so-called "scream queens" of the era. Her career started way back in 1925...and she eventually showed up on TV shows, like Perry Mason, etc...She did not retain her incredible, sexy looks as an older woman, but did have a nice, "mature" look about her.
I was able to see Kong at Movie World when I was a child. I recall it being an eclectic collection of movie props scattered around a large building. Wish I had been more appreciative on what I was seeing
Hey Dan! I subscribed to your channel because you are great at what you do. My Father told me that people ran out of the theater when Kong first appeared.
You know what? I think you're right. I remember that now. The problem is, they initially advertised it as an authentic prop from the 1933 movie. I'm not sure if it's still there or not. Thanks for writing, Dan
When Bob Burns was in better health, he went to a lot of conventions. In the 90's he was going to Wonderfest in KY. One year he brought Kong and everyone got to see AND touch the armature and take pics. Bob has always been such a great guy. One year he wore his Tracy outfit and had blast at the WF show on Saturday night. It was the last time he was able to perform as Tracy. I have great video of that. I also made Bob a custom 8" Mego Bob Burns and Tracy box set for his birthday at WF one year. He was very touched.
Love your channel Dan!!! I was fortunate enough to visit Bob Burns in late 2002 or 2003 for when he started doing his famous Halloween haunts again. That year he put on Howard Hawks "The Thing". Awesome experience overall BUT as an animator, the highlight of that visit was getting to hold the King Kong "Round Face" armature. To say I wasn't ready is an understatement. I remember it well because as Bob was showing a group of us his collection, he turns to me and says "I know what you want to see!" before opening a cabinet and taking "Round Face" out before plopping it right into my hands. It was incredible holding this piece of film history. Gotta admit, got a bit teary eyed. This was after seeing many fantastic pieces from Bob's collection including Star Wars, The Time Machine itself, the Alien Queen head (the jaw still worked!) and countless items from other James Cameron's films, Chris Walas films from Enemy Mine to David Cronenberg's the Fly. The zombie baby from Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive/Braindead" (a gift from P.J. himself) was sitting on the lap of a T-1000 dummy. It still makes my head spin thinking of all those priceless treasures. To this day, that visit is one of my most cherished memories relating to classic movie monsters.
About 10 or 12 years ago or so, I went to a convention in Kentucky called Wonderfest. That was like the third year I was able to go and Bob Burns had Kong there to show him.
I love these "What happened to..." videos. Kong and Robby were HUGE influences on me. Please do more. How about the spaceships from Forbidden Planet or Lost in Space? or any of Ray Harryhousen's models.
Hey, I got a whole bunch of new video plans for the upcoming year. Doing the research now :-) thanks so much for your support, hope you had a great Christmas, Dan :-)
Growing up in the 1970s on what was called WOR TV Channel 9 in NYC, I would look forward to Thanksgiving to see King Kong son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. The next day would be Godzilla films. It's definitely an all-time classic. Have you ever seen the colorized version of this? I thought it was decent. You have a great studio, and I appreciate seeing an all-time favorite movie of the horror genre being reviewed of the facts you pointed out.
Okay, that is absolutely amazing. I grew up in the Buffalo New York area and that was the exact same channel, channel 9, out of new york, that I watched King Kong on as a kid. That is so cool:-) hope you had a great holiday, Dan
3:50 Sorry to have to correct you and I don't know where you heard that, but the deleted footage wasn't "edited for TV" but had been deleted soon after the 1933 premiere mostly because of the Production Code and one or two because RKO thought they were too gruesome (The Spider Pit sequence): The Brontosaurus mauling crewmen in the water, chasing one up a tree and killing him. Kong undressing Ann Darrow and sniffing his fingers. Kong biting and stepping on natives when he attacks the village. Kong biting a man in New York. Kong mistaking a sleeping woman for Ann and dropping her to her death, after realizing his mistake. This deleted footage was thought lost until a 16mm print was found in 1969 and efforts were started to cut the scenes back in. See Ray Morton's 2005 book, _King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon From Fay Wray to Peter Jackson,_
One thing the censors missed-I do not know how! is the sexy scene, when Fay Wray comes up, out of the water, after that rope sequence...she shows us her ample breasts, just for one second or so...amazing, for that era!
While I've enjoyed most Kong movies, I gotta say the original is probably still my favorite. Everything seems to work and create the perfect vibe for the story.
Hi Dan I absolutely love watching you and your fantastic channel I am a big movie lover and your channel fills the bill for me very informative and very interesting keep you the super work my friend abundant love and blessings from Canada sincerely ❤Richard
Great video! Very informative. I love the presentation; the editing is snazzy, and your set is so cool! I've been a huge Kong fan for basically all my life, and I didn't know the stories behind how PJ and Bob Burns got their Kong armatures, so thanks for teaching me something new! Happy New Year! :)
@@lunamotionproductions9559 Oh neat! I didn't know that. I'm glad that Bob is still gonna take care of Kong. He seems like a very trustworthy guardian for the big guy.
Great retrospective, l love hearing stories about lost movie props being found. Bless everyone's favorite gorilla man / archiver bob burns for all he does. Also is that an original "lost in space" robot behind you?!?
The photo at 6:40 shows animator JIM DANFORTH, but we get the impression that it's Phil Kellison. Actually, it was Hollywood SFX guy Howard Anderson who discovered the Kong armatures (both?) in the RKO prop room around 1960. Anderson and Kellison intended to use the armatures in their big, upcoming production "Jack the Giant Killer' (which soon was farmed out to the legendary "Projects Unlimited" company). Kellison stripped down the "round-face" armature (still covered with rotting Son of Kong rubber and fur), but "found that the armatures were too antique. The (1933) machine work had been crude, and most of the parts were worn." Quote above taken from the FABULOUS, IN-DEPTH, MUST HAVE article on the making of "Jack" (Starlog Magazine's "CINEMAGIC" magazine, issue #34, spring, 1986). Every serious "old-world" SFX guy should have a copy. Several photos of Kellison (one of them taken at the same session as your 6:52 image), and TONS of great info on "Jack", including Kellison's memories. Article by Paul Mandell. LR
Actually, a tiny bit of Kong wound up in the Jack movie -- just a little finger, which was borrowed from the armature but never returned. Jim Danforth has published his memoirs in a gigantic three volume CD set (no printed book copies were made). They are absolutely terrific, crammed with highly detailed stories about every job he ever worked on. "Dinosaurs, Dragons and Drama." It's sold by the mail order company Creature Features in LA. I don't think any more are going to press so get it while you can. Also worth noting, the re-release of the VERY FINEST 3 volume set of Harryhausen books, "Ray Harryhausen: Master of the Majicks" is being readied for reprinting as of January/2024. Even if you have the previous 3 volume set, the updates are so voluminous that it could practically be called a new release. Available from Archive Editions. They are only printing enough to fulfill pre-orders. Majicks is bound to sell out immediately, so look them up and place your order. (Yes, I'm friends with the people involved with these books but I don't see a dime, I just want to get the info OUT THERE for interested parties.)
I am so glad I found your channel! I absolutely love all the content you present. It’s everything I love about movies! Your knowledge on every topic is “impressive, most impressive!” 👍
Very cool, Dan. Love how you dig into the history of these bits of Americana. The original King Kong is a personal favorite of mine. It's a great flim. Tragic ending, though. This movie inspired all of the kaiju movies that followed.
I heard of a guy who re-created the entire film using modern cameras and equipment , but did the effects all as they were done in camera originally. Even creating his own armatures. Have you heard anything about this fella . I saw a documentary once in a DVD set,
I wondered that too. Kong was a giant ape species of his own. There was never any mention of him being a gorilla. I just think a lot of people just assumed that.
This is a great history. I had toured Forry Ackerman's mansion in LA and thought I recalled seeing a King Kong but was not 18" tall. He definitely had some of the Willis O'brian dinosaurs (and Martian ship from War of the Worlds, and an original Maria from Metropolis). Maybe I am having a false memory re the Kong. Have to dig thru my foto archives... It was a real mecca for fans, too bad, all gone now.
*Wonderful!* I've loved King Kong ever since I was a child (and I'm still a kid at heart). Now … a passionate plea: I've heard that Bob Burns gives tours to his collection. Does _anyone_ know how to contact him? I've written emails to his web address but never received an answer.
I find it amazing how old King Kong’s legacy is, it’s amazing to think just how much of an impact King Kong had on the world and especially in the movie industry since it inspired King Kong. I honestly love to think about just how much of a Legend King Kong came to be, I can truly say he’s one of the most iconic Movie Monsters I’ve ever seen as of today.
@@MoviesMusicMonsters I truly thought Peter Jackson knew what he was doing with King Kong, while I don’t really like how he set up a blue ray edition with extra scenes like the sea monster or the Styraccosaurus, I truly think the entire project was amazing in and of itself, I think it’d be foolish to not make a Son of Kong sequel for the movie, just letting the material rot isn’t a good idea.
Yikes. I thought it was the other guy, that's what Google said LOL never trust the internet. Thanks for pointing that out I appreciate it :-) hope you had a great christmas, Dan
I was just talking to my brother about this topic today. Absolutely. Clash of the titans, Sinbad movies. Stay tuned :-) hope you had a great holiday, Dan
I subbed about 4 hours ago and the channel had about 55. something K subs. Now, it's already 56.1K It's blowing up! Congrats Dan! As an early Gen Xer, I am really enjoying the content!
When I was 5 years old I went to New York City with my parents. We went to Times Square and King Kong (1933) was playing. This was around 1953. My parents decided it was a good idea to see the movie. What a mistake for a 5 year old! I was terrified! My Mom said I spent the whole movie standing in the aisle ready to run. The bad part was when we left the theater it was night time and we could see the Empire State building from times square. Remember I was 5 years old. I had nightmares for years. And I mean years! Now as an adult "King Kong" is my favorite scary movie of all time.
You must look back and have a giggle, either way fantastic story, very jealous, kids must love this story! Thank you!
Yeah, it was pretty violent for a film made back in 1933!
Scary but it had a sad ending.
I have a similar story. My dad took me to see King Kong 2005 when I was 8 at the movies and I remember being scared lol.
@@EightWonder369scared when I was 5 i saw that king king was cool and awesome and I got some collectibles in 2016
What a great flick. My Mom saw it when it came out when she was a teenager in 1933. I saw it in the late 60's on TV and have had a copy since starting out in BETA to DVD today.
My favorite movie as a kid in the 50's. Plus the original Frankenstein ,"Day the Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, Forbidden Planet , "Them"
As a kid, the original Kong was my most favourite movie, still is. I came from a working class family in the western suburbs of Melbourne Australia and convinced my parents in 1981 to buy a VHS videocassette recorder and one blank 3hr video tape. That was worth about 3 months pay for my dad and my mom promptly recorded Blood and Sand with Tyrone Power. That was the only film we had for months until King Kong was showing late one Friday. I secretly fast forwarded to half way through the tape and recorded Kong over Tyrone knowing mum always fell asleep halfway through! I wore the tape out watching Kong religiously twice per day before and after school….now I have it permanently on my iPhone. Thanks Dan for solving a long time mystery for me about the long and round faces. I always thought Kong looked different at times..
The fact you correctly called him the king of all monsters has earned you a new subscriber. Godzilla wouldn't even exist as he is if not for the original king of monsters, King Kong! So, it always pleases me when King Kong is recognized as such.
Even though it was kind of an oversight on my part when I created the video, I totally agree :-) I'm not that big of a Godzilla fan, but I have got beaten up pretty good over it lol. Thanks for the subscription and your support :-) Dan
The original & by far the best King Kong & Kong movie . I was absolutely memorised when I watched this as a child, & I still watch it & love it as much today. This Kong was monstrous & ferocious than all of the other incarnations . It will always be one of my most favourite films ❤
When I was a kid and saw this for the first time in the early’60’s, I cried when Kong fell to his death. For the next fifty years my family would ask me if I still felt sorry for King Kong. The answer is always… yes.
I’ve seen one of the original Kong articulated models when it was on display at the MOMI in London back in the ‘80’s. It was so cool to see it up close and personal. A real piece of cinematic history.
Recently started watching your videos. Just fantastic!!! You have a really smooth radio announcer voice!!! Super easy and nice to listen to!! Great stuff on LIS. Love all your content!!!
And he also is a Giant!
In 1976 I was at MGM watching the filming of KING KONG. Make-up and effects legend Rick Baker was inside the KK suit, rehearsing the with the “stomp on the village” miniature and later, watching gorgeous Jessica Lange in her red/white striped half shirt and jean shorts. A few years later, when very kind Bob Burns arranged my visit to an EFX shop, a full size animated Kong bust was made for the 50th anniversary of the original, 1933 Kong film. Thanks again, Bob!
No kidding? That's amazing. Did you get any photos?
Watching the full studio shot, I can't take my eyes off the Princess Leia/Metal Bikini cardboard standee... RIP, Carrie, you are missed...
my favorite King Kong movie is King Kong Escspes (1968)where Kong battles a giant Robot version of himself, Mechani Kong. I met Linda MIller who played Suan.
I haven't seen that one in forever :-) I'll check it out :-) thanks Dan
@@MoviesMusicMonsters it seemed to be always on Sunday afternoons when i was a teenager....i really grew to appreciate it more when I got older especially after I got to meet Linda MIller at Galaxy con Richmond a couple of years ago. Its got Dr Who who wants Kong to dig up Element x to take control of the world with the mysterious Madame Prianna and of course Rhodes Reason who plays the Commander of a UN sanctioned exploratory submarine who opposes Dr Who's congest of the world using elementx and the big fight between Dr Who's mechanical duplicate of King Kong in Toyoko.
It's batsh*t bonkers. Not a "serious" film, clearly made for kids, but loads of fun.
@@lunamotionproductions9559 what’s a serious film about king kong? Give me a break!
*Susan
Great presentation with a voice designed by the voiceover gods.
It's the perfect movie. Greatest movie ever made. Perfectly executed, edited, paced. Never a dull moment, it keeps your attention. You stay in it the whole time. My favorite movie in case you can't tell.
There's supposed to be a Third 18-inch Armature out there somewhere. For years It was supposed to have been kept by Marcel Delgado, Who held on to It after the Production. That's the One the Smithonion thought they had, But It turned out to be Fake.
You do such a great job presenting this show.
OMG, DAN!! HOW is it possible that you have your own life-sized LIS Robot???!!!!! Love the channel! You do an Amazing job!!
Thanks!!
My girlfriend and I started watching the show Monarch which led me to pick up all the recent American Godzilla and Kong movies. They are great and bring back fond memories of watching the older ones
That bare armature is terrifying. Some sort of ape terminator.
Definitely not that Kong!!😂 Surely not the high point of his career, though the Kiaju movies deserve a video of their own. Another cool video Dan!👍👍
Hey, thank you so much :-) hope you had a great Christmas :-) Dan
As a kid in the late 50's I saw & loved King Kong & Might Joe Young! They were frequently shown, and are still the "Best" versions of any King Kong movies!! Long Live KONG!
Interesting that you have a cardboard cutout of Carrie fisher in the background because she once said in an interview that she lived in a house that once belonged to actor Robert Armstrong who was in King Kong it even had a secret room for Alcohol because of Prohibition 😊😊
I'm getting pretty old and King Kong was already a very old movie when I watched it on television as a kid. It was supremely entertaining and it was fun to imagine just how blown away people at the time must have been! Truly a part of American history. (And world history most likely. It would be interesting to hear the effect it had on the world if any.)
I never looked into the foreign marketplace. That's a great idea :-) thanks for reaching out, Dan :-)
@@MoviesMusicMonsters That's what I'm here for! 😁🖖
King Kong, the first great monster of the movies (even before Godzilla)! Thanks
Thats why Kong is King of the monsters not Godzilla
When I was a little kid I really liked this movie and I really liked mighty Joe Young
I just found this channel and I absolutely love it. The details about what has happened to so many pieces of movie and TV history has always intrigued me. Another reason I like it so much is that while watching the videos I think of my best friend Bill who passed away from cancer over four years ago. He was a huge movie buff and I know he would also enjoy this channel. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Dan....your series is INCREDIBLE!!!! Thank you!!!!
Your narrative was accurate, informative and most appreciated. In only eight more years KING KONG (1933) will celebrate its 100th anniversary !!!
Love the B9 behind you . :)))
Hey thanks so much :-) I built in myself. There is a video on my Channel about how I built him :-) hope you had a great christmas, Dan
Great content! I’m watching all of these now!
Someone might have already spotted this but I do believe that when you mentioned Phil Kellison, the pictures you showed were of David Allen while he was animating his Kong VW commercial.
Again, great content! Keep it going!
What a great and interesting channel you have!
Haruo Nakajima played Gojira (Godzilla) in the 1954 movie. Nakajima died 2017frm pneumonia (he was 88).
The full sized Kong bust was also used in the scene where he first appears to a tied up Fay Wray. Still packs a whallop!!
People actually DID run out of the theatres in fear, back in 1933. And did you notice, the nearly 3D effects, when Kong was trashing that village, and throwing a hut towards the camera!....so innovative for that time! This film deserves to be so well-appreciated...and what a shame, that the impressive Skull Island Wall, was actually burned, during filming of Gone With the Wind!! That Wall would have made an incredible tourist attraction.
His car ad is fantastic. Closest I’ve seen to the ‘33. I’m in the UK but grew up like you fellas on old Horror and Sci-Fi movies, Irwin Allen, OUTER LIMITS, NIGHT GALLERY and home grown stuff too like DR WHO and THUNDERBIRDS. Your films always hit the mark. Thank you mate.
Man, I loved King Kong and Mighty Joe Young when I was a kid. I can remember still watching all the great monster movies on Saturday when they aired. I still miss my 13 inch B/W with rabbit ears!! Boy, those were the days!! I'm still a big Ray Harryhousen fan. That's been almost 5 decades ago. Time sure flys.😢
I used to own the Armature replica from sideshow collectibles. I wish a company would offer an 18-inch replica of the finished model. It wouldn't have to be articulated but even a statue with fur would be nice
Would love a tour of the collectibles in your studio
That's outstanding :-) I certainly wish I could afford one of those :-) I'll be doing a studio tour soon :-) Dan
My Great Uncle, Edwin (Eddie Linden) working under O’Brien (Chief Technician) did most of the work with the stop-motion animation along with Walker and Taylor. Still, Kong is a family favorite. ❤️
Years ago I was in a used bookstore in Hollywood. I bought a used copy of a book called _Speaking of Silents,_ which contains transcribed interviews with famous actress. After I purchased it, I openned up to the title page. It was autographed by the author, Willam Drew, to Fay Wray!!! How cool is that?
That is massively cool! Fay Wray is my favorite Hollywood Crush...So beautiful, and very vibrant and creative in her later years...She lived to the age of 96. She was a much better actress than the rest of the so-called "scream queens" of the era. Her career started way back in 1925...and she eventually showed up on TV shows, like Perry Mason, etc...She did not retain her incredible, sexy looks as an older woman, but did have a nice, "mature" look about her.
Thank you, Dan! Kong was always a welcome featured personality when I bought Famous Monsters of Filmland magazines! I wish that I still had them.
Hey, thanks for the support :-) you can get them on eBay pretty cheap :-) take care hope you had a great christmas, Dan :-)
I was able to see Kong at Movie World when I was a child. I recall it being an eclectic collection of movie props scattered around a large building. Wish I had been more appreciative on what I was seeing
Hey Dan! I subscribed to your channel because you are great at what you do.
My Father told me that people ran out of the theater when Kong first appeared.
Hello Dan, Thanks for this interesting story on King Kong. Another great video and remembering these great classics and keeping its history alive.
I believe the armature that the Smithsonian had was the one from the famous Volkswagen commercial that only aired one time in the early 70's.
You know what? I think you're right. I remember that now. The problem is, they initially advertised it as an authentic prop from the 1933 movie. I'm not sure if it's still there or not. Thanks for writing, Dan
When Bob Burns was in better health, he went to a lot of conventions. In the 90's he was going to Wonderfest in KY. One year he brought Kong and everyone got to see AND touch the armature and take pics. Bob has always been such a great guy. One year he wore his Tracy outfit and had blast at the WF show on Saturday night. It was the last time he was able to perform as Tracy. I have great video of that. I also made Bob a custom 8" Mego Bob Burns and Tracy box set for his birthday at WF one year. He was very touched.
These stories are great...and so is the teller. Thanks, Dan.
Love your channel Dan!!! I was fortunate enough to visit Bob Burns in late 2002 or 2003 for when he started doing his famous Halloween haunts again. That year he put on Howard Hawks "The Thing". Awesome experience overall BUT as an animator, the highlight of that visit was getting to hold the King Kong "Round Face" armature. To say I wasn't ready is an understatement. I remember it well because as Bob was showing a group of us his collection, he turns to me and says "I know what you want to see!" before opening a cabinet and taking "Round Face" out before plopping it right into my hands. It was incredible holding this piece of film history. Gotta admit, got a bit teary eyed. This was after seeing many fantastic pieces from Bob's collection including Star Wars, The Time Machine itself, the Alien Queen head (the jaw still worked!) and countless items from other James Cameron's films, Chris Walas films from Enemy Mine to David Cronenberg's the Fly. The zombie baby from Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive/Braindead" (a gift from P.J. himself) was sitting on the lap of a T-1000 dummy. It still makes my head spin thinking of all those priceless treasures. To this day, that visit is one of my most cherished memories relating to classic movie monsters.
About 10 or 12 years ago or so, I went to a convention in Kentucky called Wonderfest. That was like the third year I was able to go and Bob Burns had Kong there to show him.
I love these "What happened to..." videos. Kong and Robby were HUGE influences on me. Please do more. How about the spaceships from Forbidden Planet or Lost in Space? or any of Ray Harryhousen's models.
Hey, I got a whole bunch of new video plans for the upcoming year. Doing the research now :-) thanks so much for your support, hope you had a great Christmas, Dan :-)
@@MoviesMusicMonsters Can't wait. I'm one of late subs. I just found you a few days ago. Great channel. Thanks for all your work.
Growing up in the 1970s on what was called WOR TV Channel 9 in NYC, I would look forward to Thanksgiving to see King Kong son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. The next day would be Godzilla films. It's definitely an all-time classic. Have you ever seen the colorized version of this? I thought it was decent. You have a great studio, and I appreciate seeing an all-time favorite movie of the horror genre being reviewed of the facts you pointed out.
Okay, that is absolutely amazing. I grew up in the Buffalo New York area and that was the exact same channel, channel 9, out of new york, that I watched King Kong on as a kid. That is so cool:-) hope you had a great holiday, Dan
@@MoviesMusicMonsters I grew up in the Bronx. The holiday was OK.
I absolutely love your channel! All your videos are well researched and polished! Worthy of Travel Channel!
Hey, thank you so very much for the support :-) hope you had a great christmas, Dan :-)
The True King of the Monsters King Kong always has and always will be my favorite Monster along with karloffs Frankenstein Great Video Dan !😎👍❤💯
Good stuff Dan, as always, very informative!
Great STUFF !!! Love this Channel
Thank you for doing this video. The original Kong Kong movie is amazing. FYI, you showed pictures of David Allen when talking about Phil Kellison.
Yeah, I realize that after the fact. My bad. Thanks for the great comments :-)
Thanks Dan. One of the greatest. What an amazing film to pull off in the 30's. I've always wondered about the fur flickering. Makes sense now. 😮
Thanks for writing :-) thanks for the support :-) Dan
Awesome channel. Glad I'm following. Great timing to end my year watching this channel.
Fantastic! Thank you and I appreciate all the time that you spent to put this together. Very informative!
Hey, thank you so much. Your comments are so appreciated. :-) Dan
The log scene haunted me for 20 years.
3:50 Sorry to have to correct you and I don't know where you heard that, but the deleted footage wasn't "edited for TV" but had been deleted soon after the 1933 premiere mostly because of the Production Code and one or two because RKO thought they were too gruesome (The Spider Pit sequence):
The Brontosaurus mauling crewmen in the water, chasing one up a tree and killing him.
Kong undressing Ann Darrow and sniffing his fingers.
Kong biting and stepping on natives when he attacks the village.
Kong biting a man in New York.
Kong mistaking a sleeping woman for Ann and dropping her to her death, after realizing his mistake.
This deleted footage was thought lost until a 16mm print was found in 1969 and efforts were started to cut the scenes back in. See Ray Morton's 2005 book, _King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon From Fay Wray to Peter Jackson,_
One thing the censors missed-I do not know how! is the sexy scene, when Fay Wray comes up, out of the water, after that rope sequence...she shows us her ample breasts, just for one second or so...amazing, for that era!
GREAT VIDEO!! AND INFO.
Me too:-) I always felt bad for the big guy :-) hope you had a great christmas, Dan
While I've enjoyed most Kong movies, I gotta say the original is probably still my favorite.
Everything seems to work and create the perfect vibe for the story.
Another fantastic video, thanks man! I love the original Kong movie, proper escapism with heart.
Hey, thanks so much I appreciate the support :-) hope you had a great christmas, Dan
Hi Dan I absolutely love watching you and your fantastic channel I am a big movie lover and your channel fills the bill for me very informative and very interesting keep you the super work my friend abundant love and blessings from Canada sincerely ❤Richard
Happy New Year from a new subscriber!
Amazing video that just popped up on my feed and I'm glad it did
Hey, thank you so much for the kind words and support. Truly appreciate it. Hope you had a great new year, Dan :-)
I love the 1933 King Kong!
Me too!
Great video! Very informative. I love the presentation; the editing is snazzy, and your set is so cool!
I've been a huge Kong fan for basically all my life, and I didn't know the stories behind how PJ and Bob Burns got their Kong armatures, so thanks for teaching me something new!
Happy New Year! :)
Actually PJ has purchased Bob's armature as well, but Bob gets to be caretaker as long as he lives.
@@lunamotionproductions9559 Oh neat! I didn't know that. I'm glad that Bob is still gonna take care of Kong. He seems like a very trustworthy guardian for the big guy.
Great retrospective, l love hearing stories about lost movie props being found. Bless everyone's favorite gorilla man / archiver bob burns for all he does. Also is that an original "lost in space" robot behind you?!?
I just joined your channel...one of the best channels on youtube!!
Keep up the incredibly educational, entertaining material.
The photo at 6:40 shows animator JIM DANFORTH, but we get the impression that it's Phil Kellison. Actually, it was Hollywood SFX guy Howard Anderson who discovered the Kong armatures (both?) in the RKO prop room around 1960. Anderson and Kellison intended to use the armatures in their big, upcoming production "Jack the Giant Killer' (which soon was farmed out to the legendary "Projects Unlimited" company). Kellison stripped down the "round-face" armature (still covered with rotting Son of Kong rubber and fur), but "found that the armatures were too antique. The (1933) machine work had been crude, and most of the parts were worn."
Quote above taken from the FABULOUS, IN-DEPTH, MUST HAVE article on the making of "Jack" (Starlog Magazine's "CINEMAGIC" magazine, issue #34, spring, 1986). Every serious "old-world" SFX guy should have a copy. Several photos of Kellison (one of them taken at the same session as your 6:52 image), and TONS of great info on "Jack", including Kellison's memories. Article by Paul Mandell. LR
Actually, a tiny bit of Kong wound up in the Jack movie -- just a little finger, which was borrowed from the armature but never returned. Jim Danforth has published his memoirs in a gigantic three volume CD set (no printed book copies were made). They are absolutely terrific, crammed with highly detailed stories about every job he ever worked on. "Dinosaurs, Dragons and Drama." It's sold by the mail order company Creature Features in LA. I don't think any more are going to press so get it while you can.
Also worth noting, the re-release of the VERY FINEST 3 volume set of Harryhausen books, "Ray Harryhausen: Master of the Majicks" is being readied for reprinting as of January/2024. Even if you have the previous 3 volume set, the updates are so voluminous that it could practically be called a new release. Available from Archive Editions. They are only printing enough to fulfill pre-orders. Majicks is bound to sell out immediately, so look them up and place your order. (Yes, I'm friends with the people involved with these books but I don't see a dime, I just want to get the info OUT THERE for interested parties.)
Nice to see your channel taking off Dan your videos are very entertaining .
Hey, thanks so much I really appreciate it :-) hope you had a great christmas. Dan :-)
OUTSTANDING presentation!
Hey, thank you so much I really appreciate the support :-) hope you had a great Christmas :-) Dan
Nice videography, attractive set, and great narration!
Hey, thank you so much for the support. Truly appreciate it. Hope you had a great christmas, Dan :-)
Love your narratiin voice!!! And great insights!!! Thank you!!
Thank you for the history lessons. ❤
Also heard the meat eater or tripod trex from 1033 King Kong design inspired the design gorosaurus from King Kong escapes
Your show is the greatest.
Can you cover the original 1954 Godzilla suit?
I'm definitely going to be doing some Godzilla stuff this year :-) thanks for the support. Dan :-)
Dan, awesome channel and great content. I'm spreading the word!
Hey, thank you so much I really appreciate it :-) Dan
I am so glad I found your channel! I absolutely love all the content you present. It’s everything I love about movies! Your knowledge on every topic is “impressive, most impressive!” 👍
Hey, thank you so much :-) more videos to come :-) I truly appreciate the support :-) hope you had a great christmas, Dan
Never EVER loan anything to a museum.
I went to a star wars exhibit. All they had of the prequels were the costumes because the sfx were all digital. This was quite heartbreaking.
Keep up the good work dan
Delightful! You really need to interview Charles Band about David Allen.
Great suggestion thank you :-)
@@MoviesMusicMonsters 1978 Laserblast.
"You picked a fine time to leave me, Fay Wray!
New York's in an uproar,
There's planes on their way . . !"
Very cool, Dan. Love how you dig into the history of these bits of Americana. The original King Kong is a personal favorite of mine. It's a great flim. Tragic ending, though. This movie inspired all of the kaiju movies that followed.
I love your work. Please keep it up.
I heard of a guy who re-created the entire film using modern cameras and equipment , but did the effects all as they were done in camera originally. Even creating his own armatures. Have you heard anything about this fella . I saw a documentary once in a DVD set,
I've never understood why Peter Jackson, who clearly knows Kong, decided to change him into a giant gorilla.
I wondered that too. Kong was a giant ape species of his own. There was never any mention of him being a gorilla. I just think a lot of people just assumed that.
I think it’s because he wanted Kong to stand out from the crowd when it came to ape like monsters.
Luv to hear about the lost in space "Space Pod" and what happened to it
Great video Dan thank you
Thank you so much :-) much appreciated :-) Dan
Love watching your videos!
This is a great history. I had toured Forry Ackerman's mansion in LA and thought I recalled seeing a King Kong but was not 18" tall. He definitely had some of the Willis O'brian dinosaurs (and Martian ship from War of the Worlds, and an original Maria from Metropolis). Maybe I am having a false memory re the Kong. Have to dig thru my foto archives... It was a real mecca for fans, too bad, all gone now.
Wow let me know if you find those photos :-)
Hey Dan found em. So let me know how you want me to send them to you.@@MoviesMusicMonsters
Approaching 60k..awesome Dan
Getting there :-) thanks so much.
*Wonderful!* I've loved King Kong ever since I was a child (and I'm still a kid at heart). Now … a passionate plea: I've heard that Bob Burns gives tours to his collection. Does _anyone_ know how to contact him? I've written emails to his web address but never received an answer.
Bob Burns is 88 years old now, as of 2023. I have not heard from him in a while, hopefully he's in good health.
I find it amazing how old King Kong’s legacy is, it’s amazing to think just how much of an impact King Kong had on the world and especially in the movie industry since it inspired King Kong. I honestly love to think about just how much of a Legend King Kong came to be, I can truly say he’s one of the most iconic Movie Monsters I’ve ever seen as of today.
Excellent analysis and oh so true :-) what did you think of the Peter Jackson digital remake? Dan
@@MoviesMusicMonsters I truly thought Peter Jackson knew what he was doing with King Kong, while I don’t really like how he set up a blue ray edition with extra scenes like the sea monster or the Styraccosaurus, I truly think the entire project was amazing in and of itself, I think it’d be foolish to not make a Son of Kong sequel for the movie, just letting the material rot isn’t a good idea.
There was a saying back in the day, "How tall was King Kong? As tall as Fay Wray's knees."
Great video! But the guy you are showing animating a color King Kong is Dave Allen, who made a Volkswagen commercial in the early 70's.
Yikes. I thought it was the other guy, that's what Google said LOL never trust the internet. Thanks for pointing that out I appreciate it :-) hope you had a great christmas, Dan
Enjoying the videos! Hope you'll feature Ray Harryhausen at some point, what a gifted artist!
I was just talking to my brother about this topic today. Absolutely. Clash of the titans, Sinbad movies. Stay tuned :-) hope you had a great holiday, Dan
I subbed about 4 hours ago and the channel had about 55. something K subs. Now, it's already 56.1K It's blowing up! Congrats Dan! As an early Gen Xer, I am really enjoying the content!
Hello again from Eugene Oregon! thanks for great info and pictures , looking forward to more!
Another great one! But your B9 Robot kept distracting me LOL. Maybe spend a video just on that 😉
He already has.