Review King Kong (1933)

Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10



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Still missing after all these years.....

The infamous "Spider Pit" scene....

King Kong was settled upon as the title, and the film cut from 125 to 100 minutes, with scenes that slowed the pace or diverted attention from Kong deleted.

Probably the most infamous deleted scene was what later became known as the "Spider Pit Sequence", where a number of sailors from the Venture survived a fall into a ravine, only to be eaten alive by various large spiders, insects and other creatures.

In a studio memo, Merian C. Cooper said that he cut the scene out himself because it "stopped the story". Aside from some still photographs and pre-production artwork, no trace of it has ever been found.

Decades later, Peter Jackson would incorporate a re-imagining of this sequence for his 2005 King Kong remake, and he also shot another version of the scene for fun using stop-motion animation, which was included among the bonus features of the two-disc DVD of the 1933 original.

The original deleted scene remains resolutely missing....

Here is the Jackson recreation from 2005, which integrates nicely into the original film's footage....



 
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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
There are more clues about how the actual spider pit scene would have looked than people realise......


 
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Carol

Carol

Member: Rank 5
@Doctor Omega
Yes, thanks for the bonus information - the sequence on Jackson's film is hideously effective, but also does slow down the plot as the original makers realised.
(1) Pure coincidence that a major cut from The Exorcist was Regan's "spider-walk"?
(2) Total trivia by way of a thnk you Doc: - yonks ago I went to an excellent exhibition of film/ TV effects - must have been MOMI in London, but part of me wants to say it was in Brum, Anyway, what amazed me was that the original 1933 King Kong model was only about a foot high (so smaller than my teddy) and was a good match in size for Thunderbirds' Parker - also in attendance with Lady Penelope's pink Rolls. So yeah! Stuff Godzilla, Giant Spiders and snakes...I want to see Kong v. Parker - you can't keep a good cockney down, however furry you think you are!
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
At about the same time that Peter Jackson did his recreation, special effects legend, Jim Danforth started work on his own recreation, but the funding for it ran out, as well as it clashing with Jackson's.

But we do have a few precious seconds of what Danforth did manage to create....



 
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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
This production of "King Kong," based on the original soundtrack is often represented to people as a 1938 radio production of the movie.

This is an urban legend.

This is in actuality a record release from the early 1960s.

It is very good and does sound like a radio program but it was not.



 
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