A Gay/campy chronicling of daily life in NYC,with individual kernels of human truth. copyright 2011 by The Raving Queen
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Was The Original "King Kong" Actually A Remake Of The 1925 "The Lost World??????????"
This question ran through my mind, the other day, as I watched this 1925 silent classic. The dinosaurs were similarly stylized, as well they should be, because both here and in "King Kong," Willis O'Brien (whom I was hot for, as a kid!!!!!!!!!) worked on both films. What a difference eight years makes. In 1925, there was a kind of primitive, artistic crudity that gave the film a charm, as if the discoveries the filmmakers had made in the long process of creating this work were continuing right on screen. By 1933, the creatures in "King Kong" were so substantially realistic that, to this day, they outdo anything else in more recent times, especially those 'Jurassic' wannabes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hah! They should be as good!
But, really, consider the fact that "The Lost World" paved the way, not only for "King Kong," but for the classic giant sea monster movies of the 1950's.
Consider the plot. A group of explorers find this lost island, stocked with prehistoric creatures. There is also this man-sized thing called the Missing Link, who is a big hairy thing, not nearly as cute as King Kong, and reminds me of some dates I have been on I would like to forget!!!!!!!!!!!
Then they find this brontosaurus, and they and the filmmakers become fixated on this. They decide to capture it, and bring it back to London. This was, after all, based on a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle, (yes, the Sherlock Holmes author!!!!!!!!!) which I have not read recently, so I am not certain what I am about to report is in the novel.
The brontosaurus is transported to London. But when it get to the docks, something goes awry, and the creature tears through the city, on a rampage! Hope he had tea at Brown's!!!!!!!! Fill in the blanks for yourselves--"King Kong." "The Giant Behemoth," "Gorgo"--need I go on????????????????
I thought the brontosaurus was cute, darlings. One thing about "King Kong," I find the ending so upsetting and sad. The older I get, the more upset I get. He was so cute. So, when I watch this film, as soon as he places Fay Wray on the rim of the Empire State Building--where there must have been quite a draft!!!!!!!!--that is when I stop watching.
This is one thing I love about "The Lost World." The monster is not killed. It makes its way to London Bridge, where the structure collapses, it falls into the sea, and swims off into the sunset.
Isn't that just so sweet? And, of course, you know what happened?
The brontosaurus ends up swimming to Paris! I heard it made out like a bandit at the House Of Dior!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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