King Kong (1976)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

John Guillermin

Writers:

Merian C. Cooper (idea) and
Edgar Wallace (idea) ...

Release Date:

17 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The most exciting original motion picture event of all time.

Plot:

A petroleum exploration expedition comes to an isolated island and encounters a colossal giant gorilla.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Gorilla | King Kong | Oil | Ape

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Nov. 17

9:30 AM

AMC

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Jack Prescott
Charles Grodin	...	Fred Wilson
Jessica Lange	...	Dwan
John Randolph	...	Captain Ross
Rene Auberjonois	...	Roy Bagley
Julius Harris	...	Boan
Jack O'Halloran	...	Joe Perko
Dennis Fimple	...	Sunfish
Ed Lauter	...	Carnahan
Jorge Moreno	...	Garcia
Mario Gallo	...	Timmons
John Lone	...	Chinese Cook
Garry Walberg	...	Army General
John Agar	...	City Official
Keny Long	...	Ape Masked Man

Also Known As:

King Kong: The Legend Reborn (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Finland:K-12 (cut) (1977) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1998) | Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario - 2005) | New Zealand:PG | Australia:M (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

The mechanical hands used each weighed 1,650 pounds. During filming of the scene where Kong caresses Dwan, the hand left Jessica Lange with a painfully pinched nerve in her neck.

Goofs:

Continuity: Although the story spans several days to several weeks, it is always full moon.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe Perko: OK, Boan, how much you got here?
Boan: About eighteen hundred.
Joe Perko: Eighteen hundred? What's going on?
Boan: There's Bagley.
Joe Perko: Hey, Mr. Bagley! Something's haywire. They only loaded me enough pipe to push one test hole. Less than two thousand feet.
Roy Bagley: Yeah, that'll be enough.
Boan: Are you kidding? On Bagatan, we didn't come until we were past twenty-six thousand feet.
Roy Bagley: You take my word, fellas. This hole proves out within two thousand, or it's a write-off.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in King Kong (2005)

Definately has its moments

In an era when many hollywood blockbusters are criticised for an over-reliance on sophisticated special effects to the detriment of everything else, this poorly remembered remake stands as a cautionary example of what can happen when a basically decent film gets let down by low-tech back up.

Producer Dino De Laurentis both cheated and deceived his audience here; selling the film on the hype of a state of the art full-size hydraulic ape that would re-define the effects landscape. Instead, what we got was the tired old fallback of the man in a monkey suit waddling bow-legged around some highly unconvincing sets.

Its such a shame because this film actually has a lot going for it. The screenplay is sprightly, good-humoured and faithful to the original while updating it with some then topical issues like fuel crises, feminism and even pornography. The makers also have a whale of a time with endless phallic imagery and self-referential quips more common to movies of the 90s than 70s.

The characters are far more quirky and idiosynchratic than you normally get in this sort of fare; a hippie academic, a star-struck, dipsy blonde and a buttoned-up corporate shark. Lange has gone on to become one of the most honoured and respected actresses of her generation, yet her career almost died right here. She was actually so good at playing the shallow, D-list airhead that critics and public alike thought it a reflection of her real self and dismissed her out of hand. Yet looking at her performance in hindsight she just oozes skill and star quality.

The film hardly puts a foot wrong until Kong appears. The production is smooth, the photography impressive, the locations superb and the story and characters engaging. But a fantasy adventure stands and falls by the suspension of disbelief achieved at the crucial moment. The first act of the 1933 Kong drags interminably until the King himself appears - then it soars. The reverse happens here; Rick Baker turns up in his ape suit, knocking down plastic trees and fighting a big rubber snake and the spell is shattered - in fact it was never even cast. The problem is also compounded by the screenplay's only serious error; making Kong sympathetic and pitiable far too early. The original Kong was always awesome and scary, even when he began to become sympathetic. Here he is just a bit too likeable, to quickly.

That the film remains just about watchable after this point is a testament to the performers and the strength of the story, but ultimately this effort has to go down as a missed opportunity to make a quality remake of a legendary film. Lets hope Peter Jackson doesn't make the same mistake next time round. You can't imagine him getting the film visually wrong, but it would be ironic indeed if he fell into the modern malaise of neglecting other key elements like story and character. Indeed, he could do worse than give the first hour of this movie a peek before he puts pen to paper.