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King Kong

  • 1976
  • PG
  • 2h 14m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
37K
YOUR RATING
King Kong (1976)
Trailer for this remake
Play trailer2:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
Dinosaur AdventureGlobetrotting AdventureJungle AdventureMonster HorrorUrban AdventureAdventureHorror

A petroleum exploration expedition comes to an isolated island and encounters a colossal giant gorilla.A petroleum exploration expedition comes to an isolated island and encounters a colossal giant gorilla.A petroleum exploration expedition comes to an isolated island and encounters a colossal giant gorilla.

  • Director
    • John Guillermin
  • Writers
    • James Ashmore Creelman
    • Ruth Rose
    • Merian C. Cooper
  • Stars
    • Jeff Bridges
    • Charles Grodin
    • Jessica Lange
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    37K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Guillermin
    • Writers
      • James Ashmore Creelman
      • Ruth Rose
      • Merian C. Cooper
    • Stars
      • Jeff Bridges
      • Charles Grodin
      • Jessica Lange
    • 283User reviews
    • 125Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 5 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    King Kong (1976)
    Trailer 2:31
    King Kong (1976)

    Photos233

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    + 228
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    Top cast52

    Edit
    Jeff Bridges
    Jeff Bridges
    • Jack Prescott
    Charles Grodin
    Charles Grodin
    • Fred Wilson
    Jessica Lange
    Jessica Lange
    • Dwan
    John Randolph
    John Randolph
    • Captain Ross
    Rene Auberjonois
    Rene Auberjonois
    • Bagley
    Julius Harris
    Julius Harris
    • Boan
    Jack O'Halloran
    Jack O'Halloran
    • Joe Perko
    Dennis Fimple
    Dennis Fimple
    • Sunfish
    Ed Lauter
    Ed Lauter
    • Carnahan
    Jorge Moreno
    Jorge Moreno
    • Garcia
    Mario Gallo
    Mario Gallo
    • Timmons
    John Lone
    John Lone
    • Chinese Cook
    Garry Walberg
    Garry Walberg
    • Army General
    John Agar
    John Agar
    • City Official
    Keny Long
    Keny Long
    • Ape Masked Man
    Sid Conrad
    • Petrox Chairman
    George Whiteman
    • Army Helicopter Pilot
    Wayne Heffley
    Wayne Heffley
    • Air Force General
    • Director
      • John Guillermin
    • Writers
      • James Ashmore Creelman
      • Ruth Rose
      • Merian C. Cooper
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews283

    6.037.3K
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    Featured reviews

    gwphelps2001

    A Pleasure (Sorry, NOT Guilty!)

    After recently rewatching King Kong '76, I was able to reconnect with why this movie haunts me to this day. True, I do LOVE both versions, being a bit of a MONSTER JONES, but it's Kong '76 that pushes buttons for me that other monster movies don't. It's something that goes beyond awkwardly dated special effects and trespassing upon classic cinema. By God, it IS Rick Baker in that ape suit, lumbering along to John Barry's emotionally moving music. Kong is more of an oversized, misunderstood pet, than a marauding monster. He is loyal to the death to the one who fulfills his emotional need, Jessica Lange. We like her because she looks and sounds like a Marilyn Monroe clone. He likes her because she tries to talk to him and doesn't try to hurt him. Kong is not really the source of the fear, though he does some terrible things. What really scares you is the almost overwhelming power and destructive force of the movie's true monster: modern civilization. No matter how loud Kong roars, the machine guns of three helicopter gunships are louder. Kong transformed from classic movie monster to symbol for nature and the environment in this movie, and that didn't set well with critics. Lange's Dwan, Jeff Bridges' Prescott, me and anyone else who watches events unfold in this movie with an open mind is rooting for Kong, but ultimately there's that stomach turning feeling deep in our gut that reminds us that despite our best efforts and intentions, it's not to be. The Powers That Be have decried that Kong is too big to live, it's too much trouble to capture him, he's gone too far and has to be "put down." To view Kong '76 as a MONSTER MOVIE is something of a mistake by everyone concerned. True Kong is a monster, in that he is monstrous, but like Mary Shelley's "Creature" in Frankenstein, Kong is that freak that nobody wants and everybody fears: He is the truth. The authorities knew that Kong had no place in a bustling city like New York, but instead of trying to right the wrong of their own exploitive nature, they cut the Big Guy down in a hail of bullets and make him fall to his death. Kong's death in '76 was even more pointless than in '33. In '33 it was like trying to escape a wild Grizzly bear. In '76 it was like watching your beloved pet get run over. It's a helpless sadness that transcends tears, cuts deep and somehow stays with you awhile. I sometimes stop the video of Kong '76 just as the Big Fella turns to face the choppers. So I can remember him large and in charge, on top of one of the majestic World Trade towers and giving the proverbial finger to the modern civilization that screwed him over. I let myself wonder if, had I let the movie roll this time, would the helicopters have those damn nets and would they get him back to the island. But movie memories take over and I remember exactly what happens and know that it will happen again and again. King Kong '76 is a hopelessly sad movie even for a monster flick. But, for some bizarre reason, it's always a pleasure to let Kong make me sad for a little bit...and for me, not a guilty pleasure. Sorry, naysayers. Like Dwan and Jack Prescott, I'll stand behind Kong '76 to the bitter end.
    6bscadlejr

    Fun Movie!

    I never got to see this when I was a kid. Finally got around to watching at the age of 59. Really enjoyed it. Not a great movie, but fun to watch. I would certainly enjoy watching it again. I was surprised by the subtle humor and the acting was not bad. Jessica Lange is beautiful and the film itself is beautiful to watch. Kong's facial expressions were great! Sad to see the World Trade Center had such a prominent presence in the film. But who ever would've known what the future held in 1976.
    7jrs-8

    Guilty Pleasure

    I hate to admit this having read many of the reviews but I can't help but enjoy "King Kong". Yes I realize it is silly and yest I realize the special effects aren't.... well, special. But I was 11 years old when this came out at Christmas in 1976. The hype was huge. The posters screamed that it was "The Motion Picutre Event of Our Time". I was caught up in it all and the film has a lot of fond memories for me.

    On the positive side I think John Barry's score is one of his best. The lack of an Oscar nomination was a crime. Jeff Bridges and Charles Grodin (playing a bad guy for a change) are acceptable in their roles. Jessica Lange didn't exactly hint there was a two time Oscar winner present but she looked awfully good. And the supporting cast featuring character actors (Ed Lauter, John Randolph, etc) we've seen over and over again.

    It's no classic. It may not even be that good. But every time it's on I watch it and enjoy it despite its flaws. I guess that's what a guilty pleasure is all about. And this may be my guiltiest pleasure.
    boogieknights19

    Beautiful remake of a legend

    Dino Delaurentis brought this classic fairy tale to the big screen 40 years after the original, and it has become an icon of 70's cinema. It stands on it's own as a cool monster movie, and a love story. The musical score in the film is haunting and evokes memories of the mysterious island. Jack Prscott's explanation of the legend of the great beast of the island sets the pace for the film. Jessica Lange floats in on a raft wearing a tiny black cocktail dress, and is rescued by the woman-starved sailors. She plays the role of Dwan, breathlessly a la Marylin Monroe. She parades around on deck looking like a dancer at a Gentlemen's club ("care for a dance?") wearing a pair of Daisy Dukes she appears ready to burst out of, and a succession of mini-shirts! The film goes on to carefully modernise the original story, and Rick Baker in a monkey suit is the best Kong on film to date. Even Kong gets carried away by Lange's incredible sensuality and physical perfection!
    george.schmidt

    That King Kong - he make-a-me cry!

    KING KONG (1976) ***1/2 Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange (debut), Charles Grodin, Rene Aubejonois, John Randolph, Ed Lauter, John Agar. Remake of the big ape run amok in NYC is just as good as the original classic with some excellent special effects and Rick Baker (self-professed "Monster Maker" make-up man) in the monkey suit. Campy in dialogue yet surprisingly emotional more so than its predecessor making Kong sympathetic as well as Lange's heroine feeling for the poor doomed creature. Admit you cried at the film's bloody end! Best moment: Kong cleaning up a muddy Lange. PS : look for John Lone as Grodin's masseur.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For shots of Kong holding Jessica Lange, the filmmakers built giant hydraulic gorilla arms. The hands were six feet across, and the arms weighed 1,650 lbs. (750 kg.) each. They weren't ready until shooting was well underway. When they were finally built, Dino De Laurentiis was invited to the set to witness a test. He walked into the studio, and a giant arm extended in his direction. Then the middle finger slowly uncurled and extended itself. De Laurentiis broke up. So did the arm; it was frozen, finger up, for a week.
    • Goofs
      (at around 2h 5 mins) When Kong is on the roof of the World Trade Center and being attacked by helicopters, there are many shots where the helicopters can be seen through Kong's head as they fly behind him.
    • Quotes

      Dwan: How can I become a star because of... because of someone who was stolen off that gorgeous island and locked up in that lousy oil tank?

      Fred Wilson: It's not *someone*! It's an animal, a beast who tried to rape you.

      Dwan: That's not true. He risked his life to save me.

      Fred Wilson: He tried to rape you, honey. And before you cry a lot, you should ask the natives on that island what they thought of losing Kong.

      Jack Prescott: Actually, they'll miss him a lot.

      Fred Wilson: Like leprosy.

      Jack Prescott: No, you're dead wrong. He was the terror, the mystery of their lives, and the magic. A year from now that will be an island full of burnt-out drunks. When we took Kong, we kidnapped their god.

    • Crazy credits
      Jessica Lange received an "Introducing" credit, as this was her acting debut.
    • Alternate versions
      The film had 45 extra minutes of footage added to it for its two-part TV premiere.
    • Connections
      Edited into Death Ship (1980)
    • Soundtracks
      Love Theme from King Kong
      Written and produced by Barry White

      Performed by Love Unlimited Orchestra

      © 1976 20th Century Fox Records Inc.

      © Renewed UMG Recordings Inc.

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    FAQ

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    • Where is Kong's island located?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 1976 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • King Kong: The Legend Reborn
    • Filming locations
      • Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA(Skull Island)
    • Production company
      • Dino De Laurentiis Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $24,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $52,614,445
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $7,023,921
      • Dec 19, 1976
    • Gross worldwide
      • $52,614,445
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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