Anyway, here's a selection of lobby cards issued by Paramount to promote the film, starting off with a couple of John Berkey's dramatic promotional paintings.
The next batch of cards (understandably) focus on the lovely Jessica Lange:
Friday, September 14, 2012
KING KONG (1976) Lobby Cards
Anyway, here's a selection of lobby cards issued by Paramount to promote the film, starting off with a couple of John Berkey's dramatic promotional paintings.
The next batch of cards (understandably) focus on the lovely Jessica Lange:
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I love the 1976 Kong. It much better than Peter Jackson's version. I saw it in the theater originally.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that it's better than Peter Jackson's 2005 version, but it's certainly shorter! :)
ReplyDeleteI found it funny that Jackson said he loved the original (it's his favorite film) but didn't like the 1976 version... yet he borrowed the Ann-Kong relationship from the latter not the former when making his own version.
DeleteI disagree with that. It may seem that way because most people remember the version of the '33 film that had run on television, which had a series of edits for time and content, including the scene where Fay Wray's Ann was also having her clothes removed by Kong the same way Lang's Ann had. It wasn't until the 1980s when restored cuts of the film were being distributed by Warner Brothers (successor to RKO) that people realized what had happened the first time around.
DeleteA bit late with this reply, but it's for future viewers! The previous point being made was that Fay Wray was always scared of Kong, but in the '76 & Jackson versions Ann was initially scared then sympathetic towards Kong and finally positively protective of him. If Jackson was not a great big fibber he would have made his 'Ann' scared of Kong throughougt, consistant with his claim of taking the 1933 classic as his inspiration.
DeleteFor what its worth I felt the 2005 Kong was easily the worst version. A bloated, misguided mess with scenes that 1950's producers of Road Runner or Bugs Bunny would consider a bit too silly.
I'd go with 1976 Jessica Lange over 2005 Naomi Watts.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the 1976 version. Especially the art work which adorns my collectors glasses and my metal lunch box. Truth be told I enjoy all three versions of King Kong.
ReplyDeleteI personally favor De Laurentiis’ King Kong over Jackson's version, which I find overlong and a little too self-indulgent. As extraordinary as Andy Serkis' performance was, the final CGI ape looked too inorganic to my eye, and served only to distance me from the picture. The name of Dino De Laurentiis is, to many, synonymous with a lack of artistic integrity…yet I consider his fantasy output of the late Seventies/early Eighties to be amongst the most amusing and entertaining cinema of that era - Flash Gordon, Dune, Conan, and of course King Kong! Hey, sue me!:)
ReplyDeleteI remember those hands were a really big deal when they were promoting the film. I'm not a huge fan of the movie, but a lot of love went into the making of the film.
ReplyDeleteGot to see this again a few months ago when it ran on one of the cable movie channels after having not seen it in about two decades and definitely enjoyed it a lot more than I thought that I would. It's good, not great, but certainly fun. I (barely) remember seeing this as a young kid when it first came out... and the Twin Towers were a very recent addition to my city. Kong plus the WTC was a natural and brilliant fit for the remake. My father actually worked in the Towers at the time so it was extra cool. This world would be a better place with more adventures of Kong. And on a side note - two gold stars for the well timed use of the word 'titular'.
ReplyDeleteIt is better than the Jackson version.
ReplyDeleteI have to second this version being better than Jackson's. The latest one was bad enough for me to be worried about The Hobbit adaptation, that is all. Not that I am saying King Kong '76 was a good movie, but it had a dorky charm about it. This post makes me want to see it and Rick Baker's monkey suit again.
ReplyDeleteMy feelings about the 1976 "King Kong" have gone back and forth over the years. I don't remember when the movie came out (I would have just turned 3), but I definitely remember when it aired on network TV for the first time. For a few weeks after, I had very vivid nightmares about the scene where Kong wrestles the giant snake.
ReplyDeleteTime passed. I got to see the original "King Kong" and fell under its' spell. Shortly after that, I re-watched the remake, and I was appalled at how campy it seemed... particularly how that giant snake looked like a cheap plastic toy. For many years, I had nothing complimentary to say about this movie.
But, time mellows a man. In a way, this is a lot like how I felt about the 1966 "Batman" TV series (another Lorenzo Semple project) -- I fell in love with it as a child, I rejected it as an young man, but now as an older man, I get the joke. I can appreciate how Semple, Gullermin and company created a movie that works on multiple levels: as a fantasy adventure for younger viewers, as a slick farce for older viewers.
I'm not a fan of Jackson's works at all. They pretty much without exception put me to sleep. Of his Kong, I watched it once and for the life of me can't remember more than a few seconds of it, so I have to agree that Kong '76 was the more interesting one. Glad to see I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteThe 1976 version was the first version of King Kong that I saw. I was 11 when it came out, and remember seeing it on opening night. I really loved it, and I still do, but I think the other two (original and Peter Jackson's) are even better. But this version has the best score - one of John Barry's best. I also think the cast was great. Jessica Lange was so gorgeous and seemed to be "aping" Marilyn Monroe (sorry for the bad pun).
ReplyDeleteI too have a soft spot for the 1976 Kong and was lucky enough to see it in theaters when it came out and it totally blew me away (then again I was 10 years old so it didn't take much to impress me). I haven't seen the film in years and am reminded that I have to buy the DVD. Is it better than the Jackson version? I'm on the fence on that one.
ReplyDeleteI like this version a lot, they did try to update the story and give it a new twist, i think the problem a lot of people had with it was no dinos or stop motion, i wish the longer tv cut would come out on DVD. I do remember it was in the TV guide to play on Irish television on the 12 of september 2001, they showed a john wayne film in its place.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wish they'd release the longer network TV broadcast version on DVD or Blu ray.
ReplyDeleteThe deleted scenes are available individually on a region 2 french release, and there are a couple included on the most recent region 2 UK release, (including alternate footage of the snake fight).
I had the big Colorforms playset of '76 Kong as a kid. :)
The '76 Kong was "my" version as a kid, and I'm certain it was the first version I saw. To this day I do not think it's bad. It wasn't a groundbreaking sensation like the original, but it was certainly a decent take on the material for the times. I liked the twist/update of the oil tanker and the reason for their trip to the island, too. And the whole "our Kong is a functioning, giant robotic gorilla" media campaign is entertaining to look back on, especially considering how many people were fooled by it.
DeleteMy God Jessica Lang! I'd marry her for a whole three months! Since I grew up with the original 1933 version I hated this version when it came out. There was no Tyranosaurus rex and a a little kid that REALLY P'd me off. However, as I got older it began to grow on me and now I love it. I mean how can you not love a woman named "Dwan"... I mean it's like Dawn only... different!
ReplyDeleteI actually saw the movie King Kong because of the game Donkey Kong. Overall through The movie is great. Simplistic and romantic.
ReplyDeleteBased on John Berkey's paintings and the poster illustration of Kong straddling the World Trade Center towers, there was absolutely no way the movie was going to live up to expectations.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, as a child I loved the '76 Kong (I was 7 when it came out). In fact, I recently dug up my old metal Marvel Superheroes lunchbox from my parents' house, and when I opened it, I saw that I had lined the inside with stickers from the King Kong trading cards.
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I can live with this version. I picked it up used on DVD with a generic vid store cover and did my own cover to go on it. Somewhere I still have some of the glasses, trading cards, and a snap-together model of Kong straddling the Twin Towers like on the poster.
ReplyDeleteI actually still want to pick up KING KONG LIVES! on DVD, too, so obviously there's no hope for me.
Oh...as for Jackson's version....there are re-edits out there bringing the running time down to something reasonable. Haven't checked one out yet, but it's on my list.
I think you had to see it on a big screen.It also helped to be young and on Christmas Break.I saw this movie at the Landis theatre in Vineland NJ which is now a national landmark.Even back in the 70's,it was like going back in time to go there,with the big antique popcorn maker and the balcony draped with burgundy velvet.I totally bought into the life sized Robot Kong concept and thought that every scene with kong was like a "miracle".The 70's theme of the movie seemed fine to my 8 year old brain,I had already seen mdern NY City so I could identify with the movies urban backdrop.Filmfather also brings up a good point;I seem to remember that Christmas being a very Super Hero laden Christmas.I also remember the Super jock toys(Super toe,superstick, super net,etc.)being very popular that holiday season.Put all these excellent memories together,and it's small wonder I was so taken with the movie.Even as an adult watching it on a small screen,I find the special effects to still be exciting and the non monster scenes watchable.
ReplyDelete