The Son of Kong (1933) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

Producer Carl Denham returns to Skull Island in search of more monsters.

Cast & Crew

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Ernest B. Schoedsack

Robert Armstrong

Helen Mack

Hilda [Helene Peterson]

Frank Reicher

[Captain] Englehorn

John Marston

[Captain] Helstrom

Victor Wong

Chinese cook [Charlie]

Photos & Videos

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Son Of Kong - (Original Trailer)

Film Details

Also Known As

Jamboree

Genre

Horror/Science-Fiction

Adventure

Horror

Sequel

Release Date

Dec 22, 1933

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Location

Santa Catalina Island, California, United States; Santa Monica, California, United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 10m

Sound

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

7 reels

Synopsis

Hounded by reporters, cited as a defendant in numerous lawsuits, and on the verge of being indicted by a grand jury for his involvement in the ill-fated promotion of King Kong, the giant ape, Carl Denham flees New York with his friend, Captain Englehorn, and sets sail for the East Indies. Unsuccessful in their try at the shipping business, Denham, Englehorn and their crew make a stop on the island of Dakang. There they meet pretty Helene Peterson, the sad-luck singer in a traveling show operated by her alcoholic father, and the treacherous Captain Helstrom, who is being investigated by local authorities for the mysterious destruction of his last ship. After Helstrom has a drunken fight with Helene's father, which results in a fire and the showman's death, Helene stows away on Denham's boat, unaware that it is bound for Kong's island. Lured back to the island by Helstrom's stories of hidden treasure, Denham, Helene, Englehorn and Charlie, the cook, are thrown off their boat by a mutinous crew, who have been egged on by the cowardly Helstrom. After reluctantly picking up Helstrom, who also is tossed overboard, the group reaches Kong's island in a dinghy, but is forced by the natives to land on the Skull Mountain side, where prehistoric creatures roam. While exploring the area, Denham and Helene find a baby-sized King Kong and, feeling guilty about the fate of his father, rescue him from a pool of quicksand. Son of Kong protects them from and does battle with various giant creatures, and they in turn bandage his wounded finger. With baby Kong's help, Denham and Helene find the natives' treasure, but at that moment, an earthquake hits and the group must quickly flee the self-destructing island. After Helstrom is killed by a hungry sea monster while stealing the dinghy, Denham is saved from drowning by little Kong, who dies nobly in the effort. Rescued by a passing ship, Helene then proposes to the treasure-enriched Denham.

Director

Ernest B. Schoedsack

Cast

Robert Armstrong

Helen Mack

Hilda [Helene Peterson]

Frank Reicher

[Captain] Englehorn

John Marston

[Captain] Helstrom

Victor Wong

Chinese cook [Charlie]

Ed Brady

Lee Kohlmar

Clarence Wilson

Katherine Clare Ward

Gertrude Short

Gertrude Sutton

James B. Leong

Noble Johnson

Steve Clemento

Frank O'connor

Ken Kuntz

Gene Rossi

Homer Watson

Tex Higginson

J. Goff

Harry Tenbrook

Jack Richardson

Cy Clegg

Dutch Hendrian

Frank Mills

F. Garrety

Constantine Romanoff

Harry Cornbleth

Claude Payton

Sailor/Shoelace peddler

Ed Lanegan

Ed Rochelle

Sam Levine

Jimmy Leon

Nathan Curry

Lawrence Green

Alice Stombs

Crew

S. H. Barton

Chief Electrician

Henry Berman

Assistant Editor

Pete Bernard

Hal Bumbaugh

Ted Cheesman

Cy Clegg

Tom Clement

William Cody

Assistant Director

Merian C. Cooper

Executive Producer

Byron L. Crabbe

James Daly

Assistant Camera

Walter Daniels

Assistant Director addl scenes

Marcell Delgado

E. B. Gibson

Lawrence Green

Double for Noble Johnson

Edward Henderson

Camera Operator

Al Herman

Jack Holbrook

Mario Larrinaga

Eddie Linden

Gaston Longet

Still Photographer

Archie Marshek

Associate Producer

Willis O'brien

Van Nest Polglase

Eddie Pyle

Camera Operator

Fred Reese

William Rheinhold

Assistant Camera

Ruth Rose

Ruth Rose

Gene Rossi

Carroll Shepphird

Clarence Slifer

Assistant Camera

Murray Spivack

Max Steiner

J. O. Taylor

Ivan Thomas

Assistant Director

Vernon Walker

C. J. White

Production Manager

Earl A. Wolcott

Videos

Son Of Kong - (Original Trailer) Producer Carl Denham returns to Skull Island in search of more monsters in the sequel to King Kong, Son Of Kong (1933).

Film Details

Also Known As

Jamboree

Genre

Horror/Science-Fiction

Adventure

Horror

Sequel

Release Date

Dec 22, 1933

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Location

Santa Catalina Island, California, United States; Santa Monica, California, United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 10m

Sound

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

7 reels

Articles

Son of Kong

September 28, 2004

After the unprecedented success of King Kong (1933), it was only natural that RKO studios would rush a sequel into production to take advantage of the giant ape's popularity. The follow-up feature, Son of Kong (1934), picks up where the original film ended and has Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) returning to Skull Island where Kong was first sighted. Denham's motive for returning is a hidden treasure which could aid him in combating all the New York City lawsuits against him for Kong's destructive rampage. Instead, he finds a different kind of treasure - the son of Kong, a huge gorilla covered with white fur. Never mind that the original Kong was supposedly millions of years old and had no mate. But who wants logic in a film like this? Unlike his fifty foot dad, Kong junior is only 25 feet tall but this makes perfect sense when you realize the film's budget was less than half the production cost of King Kong.

Besides Robert Armstrong, Son of Kong also reunites the original director of King Kong - Ernest B. Schoedsack - with that film's special effects supervisor, Willis O'Brien. The stop-motion animation is no less impressive in this sequel and includes a brontosaurus, a stegosaurus, a sea monster, and other strange beasts. There's even an impressive earthquake at the climax but Son of Kong was unable to ape the success of the original. For one thing, the film lacks the menacing tone of its predecessor and more closely resembles a fairy tale with comic overtones except for the tragic ending. At any rate, the movie's poor boxoffice showing convinced RKO to abandon any more giant ape movies until Mighty Joe Young in 1949 which also starred Robert Armstrong in the lead with direction by Schoedsack and special effects by O'Brien.

Movie trivia fans should know that the original title of Son of Kong was Jamboree and that some sources claimed the movie was a reworking of The Enchanted Island, a 1927 feature starring Henry B. Walthall. Exteriors for the film were shot on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California, and the Santa Monica pier in Los Angeles. Recordings of Fay Wray's screams and even parts of Max Steiner's music score from King Kong were also reused in this sequel.

Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Producer: Merian C. Cooper, Archie Marshek, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Screenplay: Ruth Rose
Cinematography: Edward Linden, J.O. Taylor, Vernon L. Walker
Music: Edward Eliscu, Max Steiner
Cast: Robert Armstrong (Carl Denham), Helen Mack (Hilda Petersen), Frank Reicher (Captain Englehorn), John Marston (Captain Nils Helstrom), Victor Wong (Charlie).
BW-70m.

by Jeff Stafford

Son Of Kong

Son of Kong

After the unprecedented success of King Kong (1933), it was only natural that RKO studios would rush a sequel into production to take advantage of the giant ape's popularity. The follow-up feature, Son of Kong (1934), picks up where the original film ended and has Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) returning to Skull Island where Kong was first sighted. Denham's motive for returning is a hidden treasure which could aid him in combating all the New York City lawsuits against him for Kong's destructive rampage. Instead, he finds a different kind of treasure - the son of Kong, a huge gorilla covered with white fur. Never mind that the original Kong was supposedly millions of years old and had no mate. But who wants logic in a film like this? Unlike his fifty foot dad, Kong junior is only 25 feet tall but this makes perfect sense when you realize the film's budget was less than half the production cost of King Kong. Besides Robert Armstrong, Son of Kong also reunites the original director of King Kong - Ernest B. Schoedsack - with that film's special effects supervisor, Willis O'Brien. The stop-motion animation is no less impressive in this sequel and includes a brontosaurus, a stegosaurus, a sea monster, and other strange beasts. There's even an impressive earthquake at the climax but Son of Kong was unable to ape the success of the original. For one thing, the film lacks the menacing tone of its predecessor and more closely resembles a fairy tale with comic overtones except for the tragic ending. At any rate, the movie's poor boxoffice showing convinced RKO to abandon any more giant ape movies until Mighty Joe Young in 1949 which also starred Robert Armstrong in the lead with direction by Schoedsack and special effects by O'Brien. Movie trivia fans should know that the original title of Son of Kong was Jamboree and that some sources claimed the movie was a reworking of The Enchanted Island, a 1927 feature starring Henry B. Walthall. Exteriors for the film were shot on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California, and the Santa Monica pier in Los Angeles. Recordings of Fay Wray's screams and even parts of Max Steiner's music score from King Kong were also reused in this sequel. Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack Producer: Merian C. Cooper, Archie Marshek, Ernest B. Schoedsack Screenplay: Ruth Rose Cinematography: Edward Linden, J.O. Taylor, Vernon L. Walker Music: Edward Eliscu, Max Steiner Cast: Robert Armstrong (Carl Denham), Helen Mack (Hilda Petersen), Frank Reicher (Captain Englehorn), John Marston (Captain Nils Helstrom), Victor Wong (Charlie). BW-70m. by Jeff Stafford

Quotes

Stick with me and you'll be wearing diamonds.
- Carl Denham

Hey, she's got something there.
- Carl Denham

It certainly isn't a voice!
- Captain

Trivia

Recordings of Fay Wray's screams from King Kong (1933) were used in this movie.

One of the scenes involving pterodactyls flying in the far background was matted into _"Citizen Kane" (1941)_ during the scene where Kane and "friends" make for the beach from Xanadu - this was done to saved production costs on "Kane".

The name for "Little Kong" was Kiko, though it was never used.

Notes

The working title of this film was Jamboree. Although most reviews and other sources refer to the title as Son of Kong, the actual onscreen title is The Son of Kong. In addition, although the onscreen credits of the original release print, as recorded in a studio cutting continuity, list Helen Mack's character name as "Hilda," she is called "Helene" in the film. In later prints of the film, Mack's onscreen character credit is listed as "Helene," while Robert Armstrong's character credit is listed as "Carl," Frank Reicher's as "Skipper" and Victor Wong's as "Charlie." Production on The Son of Kong, a sequel to RKO's 1933 film King Kong, began immediately after the hugely successful release of its predecessor. Many of the animation techniques, including stop-action and miniature rear projection, used in King Kong were also employed in this film. Exteriors for the film were shot on Santa Catalina Island, off the Southern California coast, and the Santa Monica pier near Los Angeles, according to studio production files. According to modern sources, recordings of Fay Wray's screaming from King Kong were re-used in this production, as were parts of Max Steiner's King Kong score. Modern sources add the following names to the crew: Special Effects, Harry Redmond, Jr.; Assoc sd eff, Walter G. Elliott; Cameramen, Bert Willis, Linwood Dunn, Clifford Stine and Felix Schoedsack; Set decorations, Thomas Little; Costumes, Walter Plunkett; Makeup Supervisor, Mel Burns; Williams process supv, Frank Williams; Dunning process supv, Carroll Dunning and C. Dodge Dunning. Although some modern sources contend that The Son of Kong was a re-working of a 1927 Tiffany film, The Enchanted Island, starring Henry B. Walthall and Charlotte Stevens (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.1528), the two plot lines are only superficially similar. For information concerning the animation techniques used in the production and other films featuring the "King Kong" character, listing for King Kong.

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