'33 King Kong/Empire State Building questions

[J.B.]

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.

[enyawd72]

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

[thunderbolt]

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.

[apes3978]

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...

[J.B.]

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.

Gentlemen, I appreciate a good d!ck joke like the next guy, but these burning questions require serious answers!

[Mikey]

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

[enyawd72]

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.

[J.B.]

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.

[thunderbolt]

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.

[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.

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.

[J.B.]

"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.

[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

[enyawd72]

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.

[J.B.]

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.

[J.B.]

That's as far as '33 Kong made it to the top.