Fay Wray

Betsy Palmer winsomely plays the role of Carol Lee, Avery's sister. She is engaged to marry her brother's right hand man, Judson Prentiss, played with appropriate melancholic angst by John Ireland. What Betsy is about to find out from Eva about Judson is calculated to hurt her. What Eva does not count on is the fallout that will ultimately encompass her own precious self with tragic results.

Lucy Marlow plays the role of the ingenue, Eva's cousin who has come to stay with her. At first, she is fooled by Eva, but quickly realizes just what a piece of work Eva is. Avery and Eva's cousin fall in love, however, and end up having the last laugh on Eva.

This is a well-acted drama that will delight all Joan Crawford fans, as well as those who love classic films.

On the DVD: Although a little light on extras, this is happily the Director's Cut, restoring scenes that were censored after the film's original 1933 run, including Kong peeling off Fay Wray's clothes like a banana, and our hirsute hero using unfortunate natives as dental floss. The ratio of 4:3 is correct for a film of this age; the picture and (mono) sound are perfectly acceptable without being revelatory. The 25-minute "making of" documentary from 1992 is a 60th anniversary tribute to the film, which details all of Kong's many ground-breaking contributions to cinema, from Willis O'Brien's use of stop-motion and rear projection effects to Max Steiner's music score. There are contributions from film historians, modern admirers of the film including composer Jerry Goldsmith--who admits that Steiner created a template that Hollywood composers are still following--and a few surviving participants such as sound effects man Murray Spivak. Apparently, director Merian C. Cooper's original idea was to capture live gorillas, transport them to the island of Komodo and film them fighting the giant lizards! Thanks to Willis O'Brien's pioneering effects work good sense prevailed and a cinema classic was born. --Mark Walker
Incredibility, 2009-04-18
I have been writing reviews for "Amazon" for nearly 2 years - and my first was about "Kong type monkey films"! This a.m. I suddenly realised that I hadn't made known my thoughts on "Kong, The Eighth Wonder Of The World". I have mentioned him in previous reviews. I have mentioned his creator, Willis O'Brien but never HIM.
How to do justice to him - I can't say anything that hasn't already been said - except that when I first met HIM , round about 1956, I had to be taken out of the Cinema screaming my head off, in tears 'cos "the big monkey's been killed" - that quote is accurate. I kept asking "Why".
So there you are, an 18 inch model had come to life for a child. I had seen other "violence/monster" films and remained unmoved - jumped ,screamed etc, - yes - but nothing to affect me. This did.
Round about 1970 I went into a Pub. in Glasgow and everyone, customers and staff, were watching the telly, up in a corner. Not a sound to be heard. KONG WAS ON.
Nothing, no C.G.I., or future, effects will ever equal this. Peter Jackson's film is good, very good, and Andy Serkis is believable in both parts - I love his comment of "only one thing....The Abominable Snowman" .
But, I would think, the limitations of the time only add to the charm of this film.
It is wonderful.