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On November 22, Warner Home Video's most requested title, the original 1933 RKO classic King Kong, will debut in a Two-Disc Special Edition and a Two-Disc Collector's Edition DVD. Now newly restored from rare nitrate film elements and digitally mastered in glorious black and white, King Kong features extensive bonus content, including an insightful seven-part documentary with Oscar®-winning director Peter Jackson (King Kong (2005), The Lord of the Rings trilogy); commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston with Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Ruth Rose, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong; and a feature length documentary on Kong creator Merian C. Cooper, directed by renowned filmmaker Kevin Brownlow. The Collector's Edition DVD will be released in a collectible keepsake tin with a 20-page reproduction of the original 1933 souvenir program, King Kong original one-sheet reproduction postcards and a mail-in offer for a reproduction of a vintage theatrical poster.
The King Kong Two-Disc Special Edition DVD will be available for $26.99 SRP/$19.95 MAP and the Collector's Edition will sell for $39.98 SRP.
The King Kong Collection, featuring two more new-to-DVD titles – The Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young – along with the King Kong Two-Disc Special Edition DVD – will also be available for $39.92 SRP. RKO collaboration from Kong directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, The Last Days of Pompeii, will be released simultaneously. These three additional titles will each be sold individually for $19.97 SRP/$14.95 MAP.
With equal parts adventure, horror and old-fashioned romance, King Kong is a milestone of movie-making that has endured for more than seven decades. Recently named as one of the 100 Best Films of All Time by Time Magazine, King Kong premiered in New York City in 1933. The film was an instant success, breaking box-office records to become one of the top moneymakers of the 1930s. King Kong's state-of-the-art visual effects, entertaining story and touching conclusion captivated audiences and started a worldwide love affair with the giant ape.
A film ahead of its time, King Kong defied the technological limitations of the ‘30s. Special effects pioneer Willis O'Brien's revolutionary stop-motion animation was not only technically brilliant but also highly imaginative and continues to impress even in today's era of computer-generated wizardry. Directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, with a rousing score by Max Steiner, King Kong stars Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot and Fay Wray, whose memorable performance as damsel in distress Ann Darrow cemented her place in pop culture and earned her the nickname "The Queen of Scream."
DVD Details
King Kong (1933)
Robert Armstrong stars as movie producer Carl Denham who travels to a mysterious, uncharted island in search of material for his next film. Also aboard are unemployed actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and adventurer Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot).
Once the crew reaches Skull Island they discover it is home to prehistoric beasts including Kong, a giant ape who becomes obsessed with the crew's blonde starlet.
King Kong teems with memorable moments, from the audience's first glance at the giant ape to his last stand atop the Empire State Building.
DVD Special Features Include:
Disc 1: The Movie
- Original 1933 Film classic in Glorious Black and White, Newly Restored and Digitally Mastered
- Commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Ruth Rose, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong
- I'm Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper -- 2005 documentary
- Merian C. Cooper Movies Trailer Gallery
- Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (Feature Film Only)
Disc 2: King-Sized Special Features
- RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World
- The Origins of King Kong
- Willis O'Brien and "Creation"
- Cameras Roll on Kong, The Eighth Wonder
- A Milestone in Visual Effects
- Passion, Sound and Fury
- The Mystery of the Lost Spider Pit Sequence
- King Kong's Legacy
- Creation Test Footage with Commentary by Ray Harryhausen
The Son of Kong (1933)
The filmmakers who created King Kong kept the excitement going with this sequel released the same year as the original. Robert Armstrong reprises his role as Denham, paired with a new damsel in distress, played by Helen Mack. After the two rescue Kong Jr. from a quicksand pit, they are rewarded with his devotion and protection when he defends them from a variety of prehistoric monsters. Composer Max Steiner and special effects expert Willis O'Brien return to provide the film's score and stunning stop-motion animation.
DVD Special Features Include:
- Theatrical Trailer
- Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (Feature Film Only)
Mighty Joe Young (1949)
Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper re-team with King Kong veteran Robert Armstrong for this touching film about a young girl and her pet gorilla. Featuring state-of-the art special effects, Mighty Joe Young seamlessly combined stop-motion animation with live action sequences to capture the 1949 Academy Award® for Special Effects. Supervised by the legendary Willis O'Brien, the film's technical staff also included a young Ray Harryhausen working on his first full-length feature film.
DVD Special Features Include:
- Commentary by Ray Harryhausen, Terry Moore and Ken Ralston
- New Featurette A Conversation with Ray Harryhausen and the Chiodo Brothers
- New Featurette Ray Harryhausen and Mighty Joe Young
- Theatrical Trailer
- Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (Feature Film Only)
The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)
The grandeur of an era and the terror of nature at its deadliest come to the screen in this classic starring Preston Foster, Basil Rathbone, Alan Hale and Louis Calhern. Foster plays a simple blacksmith, Marcus, who rises to glory and riches and crosses paths with Jesus and Pontius Pilate. However, Marcus's wealth means nothing when Mt. Vesuvius awakes and releases its fury on the doomed Roman city.
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