KING KONG goes "beyond the realms of practical adventure," 1933 interview with Merian C. Cooper

"News And Gossip From Hollywood;
Where Apes Grow 40 Feet Tall"
The Loredo Times, Feb. 5, 1933


By DAN THOMAS
NEA Service Writer

HOLLYWOOD, Feb. Dreams seldom become realities — but they often become motion pictures.

There are, for instance, the absurdities of a Marx brothers' film; the almost inescapable happy endings of romances.

Then there are such films as "Just Imagine," made a couple of years ago, based on nothing but a rampant
imagination. In this category, we are about to be handed "King Kong," purely a dream picture if there ever was one. "King Kong" is the result of the dream of an adventurer now so shackled to his desk that his haz­ardous expeditions can take place only in his mind.

For years Merian C. Cooper wan­dered over the globe in search of adventure Many of his roamings have brought him financial rewards with such pictures as "Grass" and "Chang," which he made in con­junction with Ernest B. Schoedsack. Now Cooper is a film executive and an official in four of the nation's big air lines as well. Hence, his wan­derings are confined pretty much within the four walls of his office.

But, that doesn't stop him from dreaming—although now he must dream of tilings which will return a profit. Naturally his mind turns to, travel and adventure. But, there isn't much left in those fields for new screen entertainment. So he had to go further.

"I decided to go beyond the realms of practical adventure," Cooper told me. "I conceived a story basis which at one time or another challenges the imaginations of all adventurers. We who have seen the last remnants of a prehistoric age often have won­dered what would happen if some  thunderous reversal of nature made possible the rebirth of ancient ani­mals.

"Of course, this couldn't, happen. But isn't it an intriguing idea? At least, it's out of the ordinary run of things. And after all, moton pic­tures must possess novelty if they are to be interesting."

And so a year ago the idea for "King Kong," the most novel and imaginative of all films, was born. It has been under production six months. The picture is based on the supposition that somewhere there is an island inhabited by prehistoric animals.

One of them, a huge 40-foot ape, is brought, to New York for exhibition purposes. Crazed by the sight of a fragile, white-skinned woman, he breaks loose and runs amuck on crowded Broadway in search of her. He finds her and carries her to the top of the. Empire State Building. There he makes his last stand against a squadron of army pursuit planes which finally kill him.