King Kong (1933)

1h 38m / G / Sci-Fi, Adventure
TRAILER:
VENUE: Historic Duncan Auditorium
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King Kong happens because somebody wants to make a movie. Filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) has heard rumor of some kind of monster named Kong who inhabits an island with a mountain the shape of a skull. When they arrive, the residents of the island kidnap Denham’s traveling companion, an actress named Ann Darrow (Faye Wray) to sacrifice to Kong, who is revealed to be a gigantic gorilla capable of fighting off dinosaurs — yes, the island also has dinosaurs, which weirdly don’t much seem to interest anybody.

You probably know the rest. They bring Kong back to New York, chain him up for exhibition at a Broadway theatre, then realize what a bad idea that was. King Kong was a sensational hit for RKO Pictures, combining solid performances and a titillating story with uncanny stop-motion effects that required the use of every visual-effect trick of the time: matte paintings, rear projection, and time- and labor-intensive model work. The result was a movie that will never be forgotten. Denham was right; Kong is a star.

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Part of both our October "Big Picture: Science Fiction Creature Features" and 2025 A Nightmare on Franklin Street horror series. View the full lineup at https://tampatheatre.org/movie-categories/nightmare/

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