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King Kong (franchise)
Encyclopedia
King Kong is a franchise
based on the story of King Kong
, an enormous fictional ape living on an island in the Indian Ocean
that is taken to New York City
and climbs the Empire State Building
before being killed by airplane fire. The 1933 film is considered one of the best films ever made, and many sequels and other adaptations have been made of the story and the world of Skull Island
.
released in Japan
in 1938
.
An unofficial and enigmatic Japan
ese-made monster/period piece by studio Zenkatsu in which King Kong
attacks medieval Edo
(the former name of Tokyo
), it was one of Japan's first kaiju
(giant monster) films, predating Godzilla
by sixteen years. Although inaccurate to its historical setting, some Caligari-esque expressionistic buildings were added for Kong to climb. The film has been lost since its theatrical run in 1938. It is claimed the film either "disappeared due to negligent maintenance" or was destroyed during the bombings of Japan in World War II.
Fuminori Ohashi, who would later create the suit for Godzilla
in the original 1954 film, created the ape suit and special effects for this film. He explained, "The first model making to be counted as "special art direction" in Japanese cinema was a giant gorilla which I did for the movie King Kong Appears in Edo fifty years ago. It was also the first movie to feature certain kinds of special effects."
The story has the Marketing director of the Pacific Pharmaceutical company, Mr. Tako, hire two employees to go to Farou Island and capture the legendary beast, King Kong. Meanwhile, Godzilla emerges from a huge iceberg and destroys a submarine. Kong is brought back to Japan, and Godzilla comes to Japan as well. At the climax of the film, King Kong and Godzilla battle on Mount Fuji. In the end Kong drags Godzilla into the ocean and after an underwater battle, Kong emerges victorious. There are several differences between this film and the original King Kong. For one thing, Kong was made much larger to compete with Godzilla, and Kong was also given the power to control electricity to compete with Godzilla's fire-breath. In this film, Kong also drinks berry juice which makes him fall asleep. Similarities include that Kong is still from an island, still wrecks a train, still carries a woman in his hand and still climbs up a building in one scene. A version was made for American audiences. Many of the scenes with the Japanese characters were cut, and other scenes with a newscaster were added.
a number of times over the years. Gold Key Comics
produced theirs in 1968, with another by Fantagraphics/Monster Comics, and tie-ins to the 2005 film and a sequel to the original were published by Dark Horse Comics
.
captain
in the films King Kong
and Son of Kong (both released in 1933), the 2005 remake of King Kong
, and in the television series The King Kong Show
, and a 2004 illustrated-novel Kong: King of Skull Island. The role was played by Frank Reicher in the 1933 films and by Thomas Kretschmann
in the 2005 remake.
In the 1933 King Kong, Englehorn appears to be much older than he is in the 2005 version. In the remake
he appears to be more rough and heroic, rescuing the main characters twice. In the new version Englehorn treats the character Carl Denham
with more anger and is less polite to him than the first version. In the original Englehorn appears to be loyal to Denham, sticking with him during several adventures; in the remake
Englehorn is fed up with Denham, finding him barely tolerable and desiring to remove his presence.
who appears in both the 1933
and 2005
versions of the movie King Kong
, as well as the 2005 game.
In the 1933 film Jimmy is a sailor aboard the tramp steamer the S.S. Venture. In the 1933 film he is played by an unknown, uncredited actor
, and is a relatively minor character who doesn't actually appear until after Ann Darrow's sacrifice to Kong by the natives of Skull Island
. He is one of the crew members who volunteers to accompany Jack Driscoll
and Carl Denham
on their mission to rescue her, and is the man chosen to carry Denham's gas bombs. His name is only mentioned once ("Jimmy, bring the bombs!"), and he is killed in the log shaking sequence, the last sailor clinging to the log as Kong drops it into a chasm.
In the 2005 remake, Jimmy is played by Jamie Bell
and the role is expanded. He is a lookout on the Venture and a protegé of first mate
Ben Hayes whom he views as a father figure. He is much younger and something of a kleptomania
c, introduced stealing Jack Driscoll
's pen when he brings him his lunch. After making Jimmy return the pen and chasing him off, Hayes tells Driscoll that Jimmy does not mean any harm, and informs him that he found Jimmy hiding in a cage some years ago, with his arm broken in two places, and "wilder than half the animals in here." Hayes says, further, "He still won't tell me where he came from, but it wasn't any place good." Later, Jimmy reveals that he taught himself how to read by reading Heart of Darkness
, which he borrowed on a "long-term loan" - ie he probably stole it from a library. In the scene where Kong tries to recapture Ann, Jimmy shoots at Kong with a tommygun
but is injured when Kong throws his boat against a boulder
. He is seen being held above water by Jack Driscoll.
He also appears in the video game based on the 2005 film. Jimmy appears in the 1932 and 2005 novelization
s of both films, by Delos W. Lovelace
and Christopher Golden
respectively, as well as the 1991 Monster Comics adaptation drawn by Don Simpson
. Although Lovelace and Golden's novels have Jimmy relatively similar to his counterpart(s) in both films - that is, young and not very big - Simpson's comic portrays Jimmy as being middle-aged, and quite large and brawny.
He also appears in the video game as an ally. Instead of being killed by Kong, he is crushed to death when a V-Rex steps on him.
and humorous references.
One of the most frequently used images of King Kong in popular culture is the scene where King Kong and Ann Darrow are on top of the Empire State Building. This image has been copied or parodied in cartoons, comic books, horror films, and television commercials. A popular television spoof was the segment "King Homer" from The Simpsons
episode "Treehouse of Horror III
", in which the King Kong story was retold featuring Simpsons characters, with Homer
as Kong, Marge
as Ann Darrow and Mr. Burns as the Carl Denham
analogues. The spoof follows the plot of the 1933 film closely; however, it ends with Marge marrying King Homer after he collapses in exhaustion, failing to climb beyond the second story of the Springfield State Building. King Homer also has a cameo in the music video for "Deep Deep Trouble" from The Simpsons Sing the Blues
CD, and years later, makes another appearance in the opening couch gag of "Jazzy and the Pussycats
." Homer grabs Marge from the couch and scales the Empire State Building, all while fending off 1930s-style airplanes. The film was referenced again on The Simpsons in the episode "Monty Can't Buy Me Love
", where Mr. Burns captures the Loch Ness Monster
and brings him back to America to entertain an audience; however, instead of the Monster going berserk during its debut, Burns himself is startled by the flash photography and causes the carnage.
The film character was the inspiration for the 1981 Nintendo
video game Donkey Kong
and subsequent spin-offs. In the game, the hero must rescue his girlfriend from the eponymous ape. The marauding ape climbs a huge structure after kidnapping the woman, as in the film. The game's creator Shigeru Miyamoto
, intended the name "Donkey Kong" to mean "stubborn gorilla". MCA/Universal attempted to sue Nintendo for copyright infringement
in Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.
, claiming that the game infringed its copyright for the film. However, they lost and had to pay Nintendo $1.8 million in damages when it was discovered that King Kong was in fact in the public domain
and that MCA/Universal knew this when they filed the lawsuit. They did not own the copyright to King Kong and had not trademarked the name "King Kong". They had even argued in the past that the name "King Kong" was in the public domain in Universal City Studios, Inc. v. RKO General Inc., et al.
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
based on the story of King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, an enormous fictional ape living on an island in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
that is taken to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and climbs the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
before being killed by airplane fire. The 1933 film is considered one of the best films ever made, and many sequels and other adaptations have been made of the story and the world of Skull Island
Skull Island
Skull Island is a fictional island first appearing in the 1933 film King Kong and later appearing in its sequels and in the two remakes. It is the home of the eponymous King Kong and several other species of creatures, mostly prehistoric and in some cases species that should have been extinct long...
.
King Kong Appears in Edo
is a lost filmLost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
released in Japan
Cinema of Japan
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2009 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived...
in 1938
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
.
An unofficial and enigmatic Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese-made monster/period piece by studio Zenkatsu in which King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
attacks medieval Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(the former name of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
), it was one of Japan's first kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
(giant monster) films, predating Godzilla
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
by sixteen years. Although inaccurate to its historical setting, some Caligari-esque expressionistic buildings were added for Kong to climb. The film has been lost since its theatrical run in 1938. It is claimed the film either "disappeared due to negligent maintenance" or was destroyed during the bombings of Japan in World War II.
Fuminori Ohashi, who would later create the suit for Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
in the original 1954 film, created the ape suit and special effects for this film. He explained, "The first model making to be counted as "special art direction" in Japanese cinema was a giant gorilla which I did for the movie King Kong Appears in Edo fifty years ago. It was also the first movie to feature certain kinds of special effects."
King Kong versus Godzilla
King Kong vs. Godzilla (キングコング対ゴジラ, Kingu Kongu tai Gojira?) is a 1962 tokusatsu kaiju film directed by Ishiro Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of kaiju films featuring the monster Godzilla.The story has the Marketing director of the Pacific Pharmaceutical company, Mr. Tako, hire two employees to go to Farou Island and capture the legendary beast, King Kong. Meanwhile, Godzilla emerges from a huge iceberg and destroys a submarine. Kong is brought back to Japan, and Godzilla comes to Japan as well. At the climax of the film, King Kong and Godzilla battle on Mount Fuji. In the end Kong drags Godzilla into the ocean and after an underwater battle, Kong emerges victorious. There are several differences between this film and the original King Kong. For one thing, Kong was made much larger to compete with Godzilla, and Kong was also given the power to control electricity to compete with Godzilla's fire-breath. In this film, Kong also drinks berry juice which makes him fall asleep. Similarities include that Kong is still from an island, still wrecks a train, still carries a woman in his hand and still climbs up a building in one scene. A version was made for American audiences. Many of the scenes with the Japanese characters were cut, and other scenes with a newscaster were added.
Television
There have been several adaptations of the King Kong story on television.Comics
King Kong has been adapted into comicsComics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
a number of times over the years. Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
produced theirs in 1968, with another by Fantagraphics/Monster Comics, and tie-ins to the 2005 film and a sequel to the original were published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
.
Carl Denham
Captain Englehorn
Captain Englehorn is a fictionalFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
in the films King Kong
King Kong (1933 film)
King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
and Son of Kong (both released in 1933), the 2005 remake of King Kong
King Kong (2005 film)
King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
, and in the television series The King Kong Show
The King Kong Show
The King Kong Show is an American/Japanese children's animated television series produced in 1966 by Videocraft of the USA, and Japan's Toei Animation and is the first anime series produced in Japan for an American company...
, and a 2004 illustrated-novel Kong: King of Skull Island. The role was played by Frank Reicher in the 1933 films and by Thomas Kretschmann
Thomas Kretschmann
Thomas Kretschmann is a German actor best known for playing Leutnant Hans Von Witzland in the 1993 film Stalingrad, Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in The Pianist, Hermann Fegelein in Der Untergang, and Captain Englehorn in the 2005 remake of King Kong.-Early life:Kretschmann was born in Dessau, former...
in the 2005 remake.
In the 1933 King Kong, Englehorn appears to be much older than he is in the 2005 version. In the remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
he appears to be more rough and heroic, rescuing the main characters twice. In the new version Englehorn treats the character Carl Denham
Carl Denham
Carl Denham is a fictional film director in the films King Kong and Son of Kong , as well as in the 2005 remake of King Kong, and a 2004 illustrated-novel titled Kong: King of Skull Island. The role was played by Robert Armstrong in the 1933 films and by Jack Black in the 2005 remake...
with more anger and is less polite to him than the first version. In the original Englehorn appears to be loyal to Denham, sticking with him during several adventures; in the remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
Englehorn is fed up with Denham, finding him barely tolerable and desiring to remove his presence.
Jimmy
Jimmy is a fictional characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who appears in both the 1933
King Kong (1933 film)
King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
and 2005
King Kong (2005 film)
King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
versions of the movie King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, as well as the 2005 game.
In the 1933 film Jimmy is a sailor aboard the tramp steamer the S.S. Venture. In the 1933 film he is played by an unknown, uncredited actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and is a relatively minor character who doesn't actually appear until after Ann Darrow's sacrifice to Kong by the natives of Skull Island
Skull Island
Skull Island is a fictional island first appearing in the 1933 film King Kong and later appearing in its sequels and in the two remakes. It is the home of the eponymous King Kong and several other species of creatures, mostly prehistoric and in some cases species that should have been extinct long...
. He is one of the crew members who volunteers to accompany Jack Driscoll
Jack Driscoll
Jack Driscoll is a fictional character in the King Kong franchise. In the original 1933 film he was the first mate of the ship The Venture, while in its 2005 remake he was a playwright . He was played by Bruce Cabot in the original and by Adrien Brody in the remake...
and Carl Denham
Carl Denham
Carl Denham is a fictional film director in the films King Kong and Son of Kong , as well as in the 2005 remake of King Kong, and a 2004 illustrated-novel titled Kong: King of Skull Island. The role was played by Robert Armstrong in the 1933 films and by Jack Black in the 2005 remake...
on their mission to rescue her, and is the man chosen to carry Denham's gas bombs. His name is only mentioned once ("Jimmy, bring the bombs!"), and he is killed in the log shaking sequence, the last sailor clinging to the log as Kong drops it into a chasm.
In the 2005 remake, Jimmy is played by Jamie Bell
Jamie Bell
Andrew James Matfin "Jamie" Bell is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Billy Elliot , King Kong , Hallam Foe , Jumper , Defiance , The Eagle and The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn .- Early life :Bell was born in Billingham, in the Borough of...
and the role is expanded. He is a lookout on the Venture and a protegé of first mate
Chief Mate
A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...
Ben Hayes whom he views as a father figure. He is much younger and something of a kleptomania
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...
c, introduced stealing Jack Driscoll
Jack Driscoll
Jack Driscoll is a fictional character in the King Kong franchise. In the original 1933 film he was the first mate of the ship The Venture, while in its 2005 remake he was a playwright . He was played by Bruce Cabot in the original and by Adrien Brody in the remake...
's pen when he brings him his lunch. After making Jimmy return the pen and chasing him off, Hayes tells Driscoll that Jimmy does not mean any harm, and informs him that he found Jimmy hiding in a cage some years ago, with his arm broken in two places, and "wilder than half the animals in here." Hayes says, further, "He still won't tell me where he came from, but it wasn't any place good." Later, Jimmy reveals that he taught himself how to read by reading Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness is a novella written by Joseph Conrad. Before its 1903 publication, it appeared as a three-part series in Blackwood's Magazine. It was classified by the Modern Library website editors as one of the "100 best novels" and part of the Western canon.The story centres on Charles...
, which he borrowed on a "long-term loan" - ie he probably stole it from a library. In the scene where Kong tries to recapture Ann, Jimmy shoots at Kong with a tommygun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
but is injured when Kong throws his boat against a boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
. He is seen being held above water by Jack Driscoll.
He also appears in the video game based on the 2005 film. Jimmy appears in the 1932 and 2005 novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
s of both films, by Delos W. Lovelace
Delos W. Lovelace
Delos Wheeler Lovelace was the author of the original novelisation of the film King Kong .That novel was published in serialized form in Mystery Magazine in 1932 and in book form later that year by Grosset & Dunlap, slightly before the film was released...
and Christopher Golden
Christopher Golden
Christopher Golden is an American author of horror, fantasy, and suspense novels for adults, teens, and young readers.Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. He is a graduate of Tufts University...
respectively, as well as the 1991 Monster Comics adaptation drawn by Don Simpson
Don Simpson (cartoonist)
Don Simpson is an American freelance cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator, most noted for creating Bizarre Heroes, Megaton Man, Border Worlds, and the official comic adaption of King Kong....
. Although Lovelace and Golden's novels have Jimmy relatively similar to his counterpart(s) in both films - that is, young and not very big - Simpson's comic portrays Jimmy as being middle-aged, and quite large and brawny.
Benjamin Hayes
Benjamin 'Ben' Hayes is a World War I veteran who appears in the 2005 King Kong film. He is the only black crew member and acts as a father to Jimmy. He leads the rescue party to find Ann. When they run into Kong, he tries to distract him but is captured. As he is about to shoot Kong in the eye with a pistol, he is hurled against the side of a cliff and killed.He also appears in the video game as an ally. Instead of being killed by Kong, he is crushed to death when a V-Rex steps on him.
Impact on popular culture
King Kong is one of the best-known figures in cinema history. He and the series of films featuring him are frequently referenced in popular culture around the world. King Kong has achieved the stature of a pop-culture icon and modern myth. King Kong has inspired advertisements, cartoons, comic books, films, magazine covers, plays, poetry, political cartoons, short stories, television programmes, and other media. The forms of references to King Kong range from straight copies to parodiesParody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
and humorous references.
One of the most frequently used images of King Kong in popular culture is the scene where King Kong and Ann Darrow are on top of the Empire State Building. This image has been copied or parodied in cartoons, comic books, horror films, and television commercials. A popular television spoof was the segment "King Homer" from The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Treehouse of Horror III
Treehouse of Horror III
"Treehouse of Horror III" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 29, 1992. In the third annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Homer buys Bart an evil talking Krusty doll, King Homer is captured by Mr. Burns, and Bart...
", in which the King Kong story was retold featuring Simpsons characters, with Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
as Kong, Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
as Ann Darrow and Mr. Burns as the Carl Denham
Carl Denham
Carl Denham is a fictional film director in the films King Kong and Son of Kong , as well as in the 2005 remake of King Kong, and a 2004 illustrated-novel titled Kong: King of Skull Island. The role was played by Robert Armstrong in the 1933 films and by Jack Black in the 2005 remake...
analogues. The spoof follows the plot of the 1933 film closely; however, it ends with Marge marrying King Homer after he collapses in exhaustion, failing to climb beyond the second story of the Springfield State Building. King Homer also has a cameo in the music video for "Deep Deep Trouble" from The Simpsons Sing the Blues
The Simpsons Sing the Blues
The Simpsons Sing the Blues is the first album released as an offshoot of The Simpsons. The album contains originally recorded music not featured in the series save for the first verse of the track "Moaning Lisa Blues" which was first featured in the episode "Moaning Lisa", aired February 11, 1990...
CD, and years later, makes another appearance in the opening couch gag of "Jazzy and the Pussycats
Jazzy and the Pussycats
"Jazzy and the Pussycats" is the second episode of The Simpsons eighteenth season and first aired on September 17, 2006. When Bart turns a quiet funeral into a chaotic mess, Homer and Marge are faced with angry Springfielders who've had enough of Bart's mischievousness...
." Homer grabs Marge from the couch and scales the Empire State Building, all while fending off 1930s-style airplanes. The film was referenced again on The Simpsons in the episode "Monty Can't Buy Me Love
Monty Can't Buy Me Love
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 2, 1999. In the episode, Mr Burns is jealous of megastore owner Arthur Fortune, who is beloved by the people of Springfield...
", where Mr. Burns captures the Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
and brings him back to America to entertain an audience; however, instead of the Monster going berserk during its debut, Burns himself is startled by the flash photography and causes the carnage.
The film character was the inspiration for the 1981 Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
video game Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong (video game)
is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. In the game, Jumpman must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady, from a...
and subsequent spin-offs. In the game, the hero must rescue his girlfriend from the eponymous ape. The marauding ape climbs a huge structure after kidnapping the woman, as in the film. The game's creator Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
, intended the name "Donkey Kong" to mean "stubborn gorilla". MCA/Universal attempted to sue Nintendo for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
in Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. was a case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. In their complaint, Universal Studios alleged that Nintendo's video game Donkey Kong was a trademark infringement of King Kong, the...
, claiming that the game infringed its copyright for the film. However, they lost and had to pay Nintendo $1.8 million in damages when it was discovered that King Kong was in fact in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
and that MCA/Universal knew this when they filed the lawsuit. They did not own the copyright to King Kong and had not trademarked the name "King Kong". They had even argued in the past that the name "King Kong" was in the public domain in Universal City Studios, Inc. v. RKO General Inc., et al.
Further reading
- Erb, Cynthia Marie, 1998, Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture, Wayne State University Press, ISBN 0814326862.
- McCutcheon, Camillel, "Review of Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong," Journal of Popular Culture 39.4 (August, 2006), 687-688.
- Megalania Dinosaurs In Popular Culture - King Kong