Help support the Mego Museum
Help support the Mego Museum

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

'33 King Kong/Empire State Building questions

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • J.B.
    Guild Navigator
    • Jun 23, 2010
    • 2880

    '33 King Kong/Empire State Building questions

    Before I saw the movie as a kid, my only images of Kong on top of The Empire State Building was this pic (which I assumed was a still from the movie):



    (I loved that pic and would draw it all the time.)

    and this large comic I had:



    When I finally saw the movie, I was very disappointed to see there was some type of tower/antenna at the very top.



    Anyone know why that tower/antenna was not part of that classic pic or the comic?

    I did notice when I saw the Peter Jackson version that when Kong reaches the top of the Empire State Building, the first thing he does is knock off the tower/antenna. Making it look like my favorite pic.



    Always wondered if that was an homage to the pre-tower/antenna images of Kong.
    Last edited by J.B.; Mar 11, '17, 6:35 PM.
    You are transparent; I see many things... I see plans within plans.
  • enyawd72
    Maker of Monsters!
    • Oct 1, 2009
    • 7904

    #2
    Well, in that first pic I have to assume they removed it so as not to skewer his King Kong Ding Dong...LOL

    Comment

    • thunderbolt
      Hi Ernie!!!
      • Feb 15, 2004
      • 34211

      #3
      Originally posted by enyawd72
      Well, in that first pic I have to assume they removed it so as not to skewer his King Kong Ding Dong...LOL
      Or, even worse, appear to be his King Dong.
      You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

      Comment

      • apes3978
        Permanent Member
        • Nov 19, 2005
        • 4893

        #4
        I don't want to take away from the subject of this thread, but that comic looks awesome-I never knew about it until now...

        Comment

        • J.B.
          Guild Navigator
          • Jun 23, 2010
          • 2880

          #5
          Originally posted by enyawd72
          Well, in that first pic I have to assume they removed it so as not to skewer his King Kong Ding Dong...LOL
          Originally posted by thunderbolt
          Or, even worse, appear to be his King Dong.
          Gentlemen, I appreciate a good d!ck joke like the next guy, but these burning questions require serious answers!
          You are transparent; I see many things... I see plans within plans.

          Comment

          • Mikey
            Verbose Member
            • Aug 9, 2001
            • 47242

            #6
            The top of the ESB changed a few times.

            It was originally built to be able to tie off and unload Zeppelins (tried once and failed)

            Then I think it had a few radio masts up there --- and finally the microwave and TV transmitter aerials

            My guess is between 1933 and 1950 the tippie-top changed almost every year - to some degree

            Comment

            • enyawd72
              Maker of Monsters!
              • Oct 1, 2009
              • 7904

              #7
              Originally posted by J.B.
              Gentlemen, I appreciate a good d!ck joke like the next guy, but these burning questions require serious answers!
              I was being (mostly) serious...the way he is straddling the tower in that first pic, the antenna would literally be stuck up his rear end, so I'm guessing they simply removed it for the shot. Kind of like how they remove rear view mirrors in cars all the time to shoot through the windshield without obscuring the actor's faces.

              Comment

              • J.B.
                Guild Navigator
                • Jun 23, 2010
                • 2880

                #8
                Originally posted by enyawd72
                I was being (mostly) serious...the way he is straddling the tower in that first pic, the antenna would literally be stuck up his rear end, so I'm guessing they simply removed it for the shot. Kind of like how they remove rear view mirrors in cars all the time to shoot through the windshield without obscuring the actor's faces.
                Don't think they removed it for the shot. I'm starting to think they just pieced that pic together to promote the movie. Not only is the tower missing, but I just noticed that he's missing the chain cuff on his right wrist.


                Maybe that's the way they originally wanted it to look like but had difficulty with the stop motion on such a tight area, so they had to add something for the model to hang on to. And then Jackson comes along many years later and does what Cooper and Schoedsack couldn't. I dunno, just a guess.
                Last edited by J.B.; Mar 12, '17, 11:58 AM.
                You are transparent; I see many things... I see plans within plans.

                Comment

                • thunderbolt
                  Hi Ernie!!!
                  • Feb 15, 2004
                  • 34211

                  #9
                  Originally posted by J.B.
                  Gentlemen, I appreciate a good d!ck joke like the next guy, but these burning questions require serious answers!
                  I was being serious, it might have been a bit of tasteful editing.
                  You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

                  Comment

                  • enyawd72
                    Maker of Monsters!
                    • Oct 1, 2009
                    • 7904

                    #10
                    "Don't think they removed it for the shot. I'm starting to think they just pieced that pic together to promote the movie."

                    Yeah, that's what I meant...they removed it specifically for that PIC. There's no way Kong could straddle the tower with the antenna in the way. Mystery solved.

                    I think you're reading way too much into it. Mistakes and continuity errors are rampant in most films, even back then. My favorite? The Wolf Man. The first time Lon Chaney transforms, he's wearing a white undershirt and light colored pants. The next shot he's completely changed clothes and is wearing dark pants and a long sleeve shirt buttoned right up to the collar. I guess he didn't want to catch a chill while eating people...LOL.

                    Comment

                    • J.B.
                      Guild Navigator
                      • Jun 23, 2010
                      • 2880

                      #11
                      Originally posted by enyawd72
                      "Don't think they removed it for the shot. I'm starting to think they just pieced that pic together to promote the movie."

                      Yeah, that's what I meant...they removed it specifically for that PIC. There's no way Kong could straddle the tower with the antenna in the way. Mystery solved.
                      Don't go putting that deerstalker away just yet, Dwayne; this mystery is not solved. I don't think you understand what it is I'm saying. I don't think they removed anything from that pic; that's what they wanted the top of the building to look like: A dome with no tower; which is what that pic shows, the old comic book shows and this concept art piece shows.


                      They just couldn't do it; they needed something for the stop action figure to hang on to.

                      I also don't think it's a coincidence that Jackson's Kong makes it very clear when he gets to the top that he's not pole dancin' for anyone.

                      I don't have any proof to back this up, just a gut feeling.
                      You are transparent; I see many things... I see plans within plans.

                      Comment

                      • mjaycox
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jun 16, 2008
                        • 337

                        #12
                        The whole thing is a composite posed for the advertising. Kong has the skull island face, not the New York face in this shot. I will check my making of Kong book later, but I suspect the antenna hadn't been affixed yet to the model, and this shot was done early on in production as a test
                        Warm up?! We may as well sit around this cigarette!

                        Comment

                        • enyawd72
                          Maker of Monsters!
                          • Oct 1, 2009
                          • 7904

                          #13
                          Originally posted by J.B.
                          Don't go putting that deerstalker away just yet, Dwayne; this mystery is not solved. I don't think you understand what it is I'm saying. I don't think they removed anything from that pic; that's what they wanted the top of the building to look like: A dome with no tower; which is what that pic shows, the old comic book shows and this concept art piece shows.



                          They just couldn't do it; they needed something for the stop action figure to hang on to.
                          Right...I get that. What I'm saying is that in that original photo, the way the Kong model is straddling the dome, it would have been physically impossible to have the antenna on the tower anyway. It would literally skewer his crotch. So, for that publicity photo the antenna was either removed because it would be in the way, or the antenna was added later because as you said, the animated model needed something to hang onto.

                          In my work at The Last Moving Picture Company I've seen several original Kong stills complete with original studio retouching done to them. Stuff was airbrushed out, fur detail enhanced, etc.

                          Comment

                          • J.B.
                            Guild Navigator
                            • Jun 23, 2010
                            • 2880

                            #14
                            Originally posted by mjaycox
                            The whole thing is a composite posed for the advertising. Kong has the skull island face, not the New York face in this shot. I will check my making of Kong book later, but I suspect the antenna hadn't been affixed yet to the model, and this shot was done early on in production as a test
                            Which makes sense, since there are too many planes in the shot, the wrong Kong face and the missing chain cuff on the right wrist.
                            You are transparent; I see many things... I see plans within plans.

                            Comment

                            • J.B.
                              Guild Navigator
                              • Jun 23, 2010
                              • 2880

                              #15

                              That's as far as '33 Kong made it to the top.
                              You are transparent; I see many things... I see plans within plans.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              😀
                              🥰
                              🤢
                              😎
                              😡
                              👍
                              👎