The Making Of 'King Kong': Screams, Score And More

Since I was a kid, my favourite movie needs to be King Kong. A large gorilla eternally attempting to protect a girl that he loves—what’s to not love? From the menacing groans, consuming storyline, and (source) brilliant illustrations and sound design, it was really a work of art. So how did they managed to craft such a basic movie that continues to captivate the hearts and minds of viewers, even to today?

The journey of creating King Kong has been adventurous and arduous in equal elements. It all started in 1933 when RKO Pictures risked their complete future on the religion of a no-name film director, (source) Merian Cooper, and the dream-group of special results designers, (source) Willis O’Brien and Marcel Delgado.

The special results staff, of which I prefer to call the ‘dream-team’, was composed of three main members: director Cooper, animator O’Brien, and sculptor Delgado. This trio of men pooled all their artistic and technical graces to bring the ape to life. Cooper was the driving pressure, while O’Brien and Delgado provided the unimaginable visuals.

O’Brien and Delgado’s daunting task was to create what we now come to call stop movement animation. They used a mix of clay, latex, and rubber to craft scale models of King Kong and the assorted sets within the movie. King Kong alone was composed of practically 18,000 separate gunshot rubber sheets.

The intricate details of every frame had to be taken under consideration, and the shooting of each time-intensive scene would have to begin all over if one minor mistake had been to happen. The special results crew was in a position to complete the shooting within nine hours of dedicated labor, and it would gross over $2 million in field office revenue, making it one of the fan favorites as well as a monetary success.

No good movie is complete with out a memorable rating, and King Kong is not any exception. Max Steiner was the musical mastermind and introduced the rating to a soaring peak. He took inspiration from classical music composers corresponding to Beethoven, John Williams, and even Richard Strauss to create a score that reworked the abnormal shots into close to symphonic splendors.

The soundtrack was daring, yet evocative. It was Steiner’s ambitious model and power which made King Kong a basic. In the words of Cooper himself, "Steiner seems to instinctively draw emotion out of a picture. His rating saved building a crescendo that made you wrinkle up with emotions that had never been used before in movies!"

The massive workforce behind King Kong labored had tirelessly to bring this traditional story to the masses, and that i tip my hat to their passion and commitment. It’s this similar pioneering spirit that continues to inspire filmmakers to push the boundaries of the art form, even to at the present time.