The Son of Kong (1933)

The men who captured the giant ape King Kong return to Skull Island and find his likewise gigantic but far more friendly son.

Director:

Ernest B. Schoedsack

Writer:

Ruth Rose (story)

Stars:

Robert Armstrong, Helen Mack, Frank Reicher

3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Armstrong	...	Carl Denham
Helen Mack	...	Hilda
Frank Reicher	...	Capt. Englehorn
John Marston	...	Captain Nils Helstrom
Victor Wong	...	Charlie - Chinese Cook
Ed Brady	...	Red

Storyline

After the disastrous results of his last expedition, Carl Denham leaves New York aboard a ship to escape all the trouble. After a mutiny, he and a few companions are left behind on Skull island, where they meet a smaller relative of King Kong and make friends with him.

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Plot Keywords:

diamond | cigar smoking | deception | 1930s | king kong | 

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Taglines:

The Twelve Foot Ape Befriended them On the Island of King Kong!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Son of Kong

Filming Locations:

Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,342,880

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the production of this film, the wife of Kong animator Willis O'Brien shot dead their two sons and then tried to take her own life. She survived her attempted suicide, but this incident all but destroyed O'Brien. After this, he steadfastly refused to discuss this film. O'Briens protege Ray Harryhausen had many questions about the making of this film, but they remained unanswered, as the memories were far too painful to relive. Willis O'Brien passed away in 1962.

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Goofs

When Little Kong fights the Nothosaurus in the cavern following the discovery of the treasure they are both reflected in the glass used in the process shot superimposed on Denham and the girl in the background.

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Quotes

Carl Denham: [excited] Boy, look at him scrap! Just like his Old Man!

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Crazy Credits

The opening titles announce the film as "a serio-comic phantasy".

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Connections

Featured in TJ and the All Night Theatre: Son of Kong (1980)

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Soundtracks

Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean
(uncredited)
Music by David T. Shaw (1843)
Played as the ship passes the Statue of Liberty

User Reviews

OK creature feature but nothing more than that

With journalists hounding him, lawsuits piling up and criminal charges being proposed for the damage his "exhibit" did to New York, Carl Denham decides to get away from it all and hide out with Captain Englehorn, sailing round the world carrying freight. Months go by and he can't help thinking over his discovery, eventually deciding that he should return to Kong Island for another look. A mutiny on the ship leaves him and a few others afloat in a life raft and washing up on the island, where they find diamonds but also the son of Kong, who turns out to be friendly.

Rushed out with little love, a smaller budget than the original film and with nothing in particular to add other than the chance of more box-office success, it is no surprise that Son of Kong is vastly inferior to its parent and regularly given kickings from those reviewing it. Watching it myself, it is easy to understand why because the film has nothing of significant interest in it and really just stands as a fairly average creature feature that doesn't really merit the connection to the original film. The plot conspires to get some of the original cast back onto Kong Island so that they can find jnr, get rescued by him a few times and then get off the island. It isn't an engaging story and the end was just an anticlimax.

The failures in narrative are obviously trying to keep themselves hidden by giving as much time to the creatures as possible. This mainly involves Kong Jnr fighting a bear and a dinosaur; these both look good for the period but they aren't that involving. It doesn't help that Kong Jnr is just a comedy effect for the majority of the film and thus has little or no value as a character. The cast retread their roles without any thanks; they do well enough but you do have to wonder if they regretted doing it rather than just keeping their success from the original.

Overall this is an OK creature feature but doesn't have much value beyond that and certainly doesn't have anything to make it worth holding up beside the original film. The effects are good and there are a few monster fights that will keep children amused but it isn't really worth looking at if you're hoping for more than that.