King Kong Opens in Los Angeles on March 24, 1933

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...All heralding the coming of the Greatest Monster Movie of All Time… “KONG, THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD.”

By Steve Vertlieb: Today is the 89th anniversary of the “Hollywood Premiere” of King Kong in Los Angeles on March 24, 1933.

This classic motion picture debuted in New York City on March 2, 1933 at both the Radio City Music Hall and RKO Roxy Theaters, then celebrated a lavish “premiere” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on March 24, 1933.

Willis O’Brien model

My recent tv guest appearance discussing the cultural significance and generational impact of Merian C. Cooper’s original 1933 production of King Kong at Classic Movies With Ron MacCloskey on New Jersey Public Television has been nominated for a prestigious Rondo Award for “Best Event Of The Year.” 

For this Halloween-themed episode of the popular program we explored the cultural significance, history, and legacy of the most famous “Monster” of them all … King Kong … and his nearly ninety-year influence on gorilla films of all shapes and sizes, as well as his career defining impact on the lives and reign of Stop Motion Animation legends, Willis H. O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen. Our spirited conversation both precedes and follows the film segment. Simply click on Classic Movies: “The Gorilla” in order to screen the program. Long Live The “King”.

… Please vote for my recent “King Kong” television appearance at the annual “Rondo Awards” for “Best Event Of 2021.” Find the official ballot at rondoaward.com. Vote for “Talking Kong” with Steve Vertlieb by sending your name and selection to David Colton at [email protected] by midnight on Sunday, April 17th.

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3 thoughts on “King Kong Opens in Los Angeles on March 24, 1933”

  1. Mike Glyer- Of all the HUNDREDS of actual amazing scenes in KING KONG continuously posted on the Net for anyone to use, you apparently decided that was just ‘too much work’, so you just posted ‘any ol pic of the ape’- that old FAKED PASTE-UP still of a comically re-configured Kong awkwardly standing on the ESB (with the metal post he holds onto in the film airbrushed out) and PASTED-IN planes buzzing around him ! Do you really have so little respect for this great movie character, that you dont even CAREFULLY select an ACTUAL movie scene of Kong, and then CARELESSLY choose (or accept from someone) that totally FAKE and COMICAL paste-up still published carelessly since the 1930s ?!!!!

  2. And here I thought the point of that photo was that it had been autographed to the post’s author Steve Vertlieb by King Kong filmmaker Merian C. Cooper. It also resembles Kong’s pose in the statue with Willis O’Brian. You may not have noticed those details.

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