Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack

*****
5/5

Arguably the monster movie of all time, this abiding take on Beauty & The Beast has a mythic power that belies its years. At its heart is the amazing ape (and dinosaur) animation of Willis O'Brien, his cutting-edge model work the CGI of its day, but its the tragic story that stays etched on the memory. Robert Armstrong's Hollywood film-maker imperils starlet Fay Wray on a prehistoric island in his bid to turn a local legend into a hit on celuloid. Taking the giant gorilla Kong back to civilisation for entrepreneurial gain is bad for all concerned, not least the captive creature who ends his life atop the Empire State Building is one of cinema's greatest climaxes.
 

(1933)
US   B/W   100 mins