King Kong (1976)

Director:

John Guillermin

Writers:

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

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

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
Sid Conrad	...	Petrox Chairman
George Whiteman	...	Army Helicopter Pilot
Wayne Heffley	...	Air Force General
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Forrest J Ackerman	...	Fleeing Extra in Crowd (uncredited)
Rick Baker	...	King Kong (uncredited)
Todd Baker	...	Shea Stadium Spectator (uncredited)
Corbin Bernsen	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ray Buktenica	...	Naval Officer (uncredited)
Larry M. Byrd	...	Excited Fan (uncredited)
S.C. Dacy	...	Newspaper Photographer (uncredited)
Donald F. Glut	...	Guy in Amphitheater (uncredited)
Walt Gorney	...	Subway Driver (uncredited)
Brent Huff	...	Extra (uncredited)
Shawn McAllister	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Joe Piscopo	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ira S. Rosenstein	...	Logan (uncredited)
David Ulmer	...	Man Running in Terror (uncredited)
Billy Zoom	...	Man Running from Monkey (uncredited)

Directed by
John Guillermin

Writing credits
Merian C. Cooper		(idea) and
Edgar Wallace		(idea)
James Ashmore Creelman		(1933 screenplay) (as James Creelman) and
Ruth Rose		(1933 screenplay)
Lorenzo Semple Jr.		(screenplay)

Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer
Federico De Laurentiis	....	executive producer
Christian Ferry	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Casting by
Joyce Selznick

Production Design by
Mario Chiari
Dale Hennesy

Art Direction by
Archie J. Bacon
David A. Constable
Robert Gundlach

Set Decoration by
John Franco Jr.

Costume Design by
Moss Mabry
Anthea Sylbert		(gowns and native costumes)

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Rick Baker	....	makeup effects
Jo McCarthy	....	hair stylist
Rob Bottin	....	makeup effects (uncredited)

Production Management
Terry Carr	....	production manager
Brian E. Frankish	....	unit production manager: Hawaii (as Brian Frankish)
George Goodman	....	unit production manager: New York
Jack Grossberg	....	in charge of production
Phil Tucker	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nathan Haggard	....	assistant director: second unit (as Nate Haggard)
Pat Kehoe	....	second assistant director
William Kronick	....	second unit director
David McGiffert	....	assistant director
Kurt Neumann	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert L. Clark	....	set painter (as Robert Clark)
Curtis 'Red' Hollingsworth	....	set painter
Mentor Huebner	....	illustrator
Jack M. Marino	....	property master (as Jack Marino)
Gary Martin	....	construction coordinator
David J. Negron	....	illustrator (as David Negron)
Ken Richey	....	greensman
William Cruse	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
James J. Klinger	....	sound effects editor
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recording mixer (as William McCaughey)
Jack Solomon	....	sound mixer
Harry W. Tetrick	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Joe Day	....	special effects
Carlo Rambaldi	....	special effects
Glen Robinson	....	special effects
Terry W. King	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Andrew Miller	....	special effects (uncredited)
Wayne Rose	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Louis Lichtenfield	....	matte artist (as Lou Lichtenfield)
Barry Nolan	....	photographic effects assistant
Aldo Puccini	....	miniature coordinator
Frank Van der Veer	....	photographic effects supervisor
Harold E. Wellman	....	additional photographic effects

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunt coordinator
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loyd Catlett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roger Creed	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
J. David Jones	....	aerial stunts (uncredited)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Julius LeFlore	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Lovelett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kelly Nichols	....	stunt double: Jessica Lange (uncredited)
Beth Nufer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Diane Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ray Saniger	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sunny Woods	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bettcher	....	camera operator (as Al Bettcher)
Ed Carlin	....	gaffer
Robert Edesa	....	assistant camera
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
Robert Sordal	....	key grip
Michael Burke	....	electrician (uncredited)
Doug Byers	....	electrician (uncredited)
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Jeffrey W. Petersen	....	rigger (uncredited)
Michael J. Schwartz	....	electrician (uncredited)
Gary Stark	....	electrician (uncredited)
Dennis Young	....	grip (uncredited)
Ron Zarilla	....	second assistant camera: New York (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Arnie Lipin	....	wardrobe (as Arny Lipin)
G. Fern Weber	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Margo Anderson	....	assistant film editor
Robert Pergament	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor
Aaron Rochin	....	music re-recordist
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Joe Sawyers	....	transportation coordinator
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)
James Nordberg	....	driver: special effects department (uncredited)

Other crew
Gordon Armstrong	....	publicity coordinator
Bruce Bahrenburg	....	unit publicist
Don Chandler	....	sculptor of Kong
Jeffrey Chernov	....	messenger
Dino De Laurentiis	....	presenter
Charlotte Dreiman	....	production secretary
Doris Grau	....	script supervisor
Lori Imbler	....	production coordinator
Robert F. Kocourek	....	production auditor
Michaeldino	....	hair design for kong
Meryle Selinger	....	production accountant
Fred Sidewater	....	assistant to producer (as Fredric M. Sidewater)
Eddie Surkin	....	mechanical coordinator: Kong
Scott Thaler	....	messenger
Claude Thompson	....	native dance choreographer
Michael Winter	....	messenger
Frans J. Afman	....	financial services (uncredited)
Laurie Arnow-Epstein	....	construction accountant (uncredited)
Stephen A. Glanzrock	....	production assistant: New York (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Dino De Laurentiis Company

Distributors

• Prodis (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Tobis (1976) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1976) (Australia) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1978) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Home Video (1996) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• TF1 Vidéo (2000) (France) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Video Classics (19??) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Van der Veer Photo Effects

Other Companies

• Bulgari  miss lange's jewelry
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Joyce Selznick & Associates  casting
• Nikon  still cameras
• Pacific Title and Art Studio  titles
• Sally Perle & Associates  extras casting

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:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Bo Derek was offered the role of Dwan but turned it down.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Kong leaps from one World Trade Center tower to the other, wires can be seen holding him up.

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 "Saturday Night Live: Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry (#2.12)" (1977)

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.