by Herbert H. Stein

When the new blockbuster remake of King Kong came to theaters a few years ago, I thought I would take a closer look at the original film. Most of the monster pictures of the past are relatively forgotten, but somehow Kong has held its place in our imagination. I remember reading many years ago that it outrated nearly all other old films on New York City television. How many of us associate to Kong when we think of the Empire State Building? Without Kong, Fay Wray would be known only to movie trivia buffs. In fact, a few years later, the “blockbuster” has faded into the lists of films we can scroll through on television while the clumsy, grainy original still holds an iconic spot in many of our minds. What I found when I examined the classic Kong was that that is not an accident. Continue reading The Enduring Power of “King Kong” (1933)