Some bad news concerning the dvd release of the original "King Kong" (1 Viewer)

[Ed St. Clair]

Then we were informed that new materials had been found that would allow the inclusion of scenes that Willis O'Brien had originally intended to be in the movie but were deemed too gory for 1933 audiences to endure

My goodness, the 'too gory for Americans', yet OK for Europeans, stuff was found in like 1976!!!
In Europe.
That's the hold up???

 

[Mark-W]

Personally, as much as I love this film, I can wait another 12+ months as long as I know it is eventually coming. The fact that Jackson is making his verison only makes me feel certain we'll see it no later than the release of his film...Now if WB is saying they are holding off to provide with a Citizen Kane like DVD (minus the accidental removal of the raindrops, of course), then I am all too happy to wait. Since they have stated this, at least we know we won't be getting mediocre transfer.

Mark

 

[Jay Pennington]

My goodness, the 'too gory for Americans', yet OK for Europeans, stuff was found in like 1976!!!

On 16mm. Maybe they still hope to find 35mm elements.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

Jay Pennington,
Good one!
So, that's the story?
Only a 16mm print was found in Europe?
Wouldn't the theater's in Europe have been showing this film in 35mm?
Or, was the 16mm found, a collector's print?
Thank's!

Was I at least correct about the 'spider'?

 

[Jeff_HR]

All else fails, we'll get it in 2005 no matter what elements they have or have not found. They won't risk losing a tie-in with what will likely be the biggest summer movie that year

I'm beginning to give this idea more credence. I want as good a DVD of this film as the next person, but "how long" do you keep looking for better elements? When do you decide that what we have is as good as it gets? So how long does WB look, 2 yrs, 5 yrs, 10 yrs? Ideally I'd like to see this on DVD before I die. :frowning:

 

[Jan Strnad]

Actually, IMHO, the previously-deleted scenes that have been added back into King Kong could have stayed lost. The life-sized Kong head used for the "eating the native" shot suffers horribly in comparison to the animated Kong, again IMHO, and I'd be happy to have a print that deleted it.

While waiting for the super-duper version, I have nothing watchable. I have the LD, but no functioning LD player, and I have a VHS that I can't stand to watch. I'd be very happy with an "interim" DVD.

Jan

 

[Matt_H]

maybe they are just saying all this becuse they accidently lost their materials

only new thing they could really add is the spider scene. I'm pretty sure that's lost and I rember that the creaters didn't want it in anyways. I would like to see some documentaries I seem to remeber a documentary(or maybe just cool commercial intros and outros) playing on TNT during their airings of kong in the early 90s/late 80s. hell fay wray still alive right let's get an interview or something before she turns to dust. I really want this on dvd but i can hold out as long as the end product is
1.pretty definitive
2.in the next two years
3.isn't bastardized(colored,no original audio track,etc.)

 

[Ray H]

hell fay wray still alive right let's get an interview or something before she turns to dust.

Not to be insensitive, but I was thinking the same thing.

 

[RickER]

Isnt Fay Wray dead? I would like to see the audio commentary from the Criterion LD on the new DVD. That was one of my first LD's with a commentary and it was really fun. I enjoy a good film class on disc. and the Criterion LD HAD some stuff added back, but it sure looked ragged compared to the rest of the movie.

 

[Ray H]

I believe Wray's still alive. Must be pretty old though. I read a quote from her a few months back about her opinions on Peter Jackson remaking King Kong.

 

[Lee Bombard]

Still alive...

From the Internet Movie Database:

In January 2003, a 95 year-old Fay Wray was awarded the "Legend in Film" Award at the Palm Beach International Film Festival when she appeared there in person to celebrate Rick McKay's film "Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There," which she also appeared in. In addition to her honor, McKay's film was honored with the Audience Award "Best Documentary" of the festival by unanimous vote. Adrien Brody and Robert Evans won awards in addition to Wray and McKay at the same festival.



Miss Wray has been quoted as saying, "At the premiere of 'King Kong' I wasn't too impressed. I thought there was too much screaming...I didn't realise then that King Kong and I were going to be together for the rest of our lives, and longer..."

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I believe Wray's still alive. Must be pretty old though. I read a quote from her a few months back about her opinions on Peter Jackson remaking King Kong.

I remember the same interview. Not only is she still kicking, but she's very much "with it." I could only hope to have all of my intellectual faculties with me at her age.

 

[Jack Theakston]

She recently attended the Film Forum during the Von Sternberg fest. She's alive and still kicking at 96.

 

[Paul_Scott]

better elements can always turn up somewhere down the line and better transfers created.
if Warner doesn't 'archive' as much good material as they can while Wray is still with us, then that would be a worse oversight, imo.

i would hope they listen to some fanstasy film fans and get Forry Ackerman on camera as well.

 

[Jay Pennington]

Only a 16mm print was found in Europe?
Wouldn't the theater's in Europe have been showing this film in 35mm?
Or, was the 16mm found, a collector's print?
Thank's!

Was I at least correct about the 'spider'?

Well I don't know THAT much about the "lost" footage. Only that the stuff that was restored in the 80s (natives being pounded off a platform, stomped and eaten, and whatnot) came from a 16mm print. I don't know if it was from Europe.

I think I read it on the back of the Criterion laserdisc jacket.

As others have said, seeing the spider scene would be cool but let's not get our hopes up that it was found. It was NOT part of the restored footage discussed above.

 

[Sean Campbell]

Well I don't know THAT much about the "lost" footage. Only that the stuff that was restored in the 80s (natives being pounded off a platform, stomped and eaten, and whatnot) came from a 16mm print. I don't know if it was from Europe.

I've always found that the restored footage temporarily takes me out of the movie. The drop in picture quality is noticeable and the music cues don't seem to flow properly with the scenes directly before and after. Maybe it's just because I spent my childhood watching the unrestored print.

 

[Jim Peavy]

Ouch, I disagree that scenes that have been censored throughout the years deserved to be, for whatever reason.

It's true the "big head" doesn't match the animation model as well as it could (though personally I think it's quite effective), but it's used in other scenes that have never been cut out. Bottom line, the filmmakers intended these scenes to be in, and for that reason alone the film should be preserved with them intact.

Also, there's plenty of other stuff that was cut out that I bet you'd agree is terrific. For instance, Kong attacking the natives on the "scaffold" once he's inside the wall, and of course the wonderful scene of him delicately peeling off Fay's clothing and smelling her scent that lingers on it. This latter scene, in particular, is classic stuff.

 

[Derek_McL]

According to a documentary TCM UK often show "The Race To Save 100 Years" those scenes you mention Jim: the man being eaten and Kong's pealing of Fay Wray's dress were in the original 1933 version but were cut in subsequent reissues.

Also that doc categorically states that while they used to be only available in 16mm 35 mm footage has been found and restored to the film. The scenes are definitely in the region 2 UK DVD but I'm not sure if they are restored to 35 mm.

Universal seem to have the rights to Kong in Europe and released their DVD in the UK at least a couple of years ago. I agree with whats been said about it but its certainly watchable enough.

I tend to agree too that this is being prepared to coincide with the release of a blockbuster new version. If not it surely would have been given a higher priority than it has. Next to Citizen Kane King Kong is really the most famous RKO title. I really can't think of a more influential film as far as special effects and sci-fi film-making is concerned.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

Well, some good news (35mm prints found), some bad news (no signs, ONLY hope this get's released w/PJ's version).

I viewed the 'lost' (deleted) scene's in 1978 (maybe, even '77).
I was in college (partying, actually) at the time.
They were about eight people, who showed up. And three of them, I 'made' go with me. They enjoyed it.
A film historian, had brought a 16mm print.
As memory serves me, he stated this was recently found footage. From Europe, were they had never 'censored' KK.
That's my story & I am sticking too it!!!

 

[Dick]

This is gonna be a wildly satisfying set when it does arrive, I've no doubt. And with Warner's recent policy of throwing in a second entire feature as a "bonus," (second version of DR JEKYLL; MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM; GASLIGHT) I would predict they will include SON OF KONG, whether restored or not (probably not, but at least we'd have it).