IT CAN'T BE DONE! FILM TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS

"It is through [trick and effects artists] that the motion pictures have scenes that otherwise could never be brought to the screen. It is through them that an added realism is gained."

- Earl Theisen 

This article written by Earl Theisen, Honorary Curator Motion Pictures of the Los Angeles Museum appears in the June 1934 issue of THE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. In it he discusses what were then the early days of special effects film process shots such as rear projection matte paintings. He cites Willis O'Brien's contributions to the techniques used -- what he calls skillful -- in KING KONG. It's a fascinating window into how cinematographers and other effects technicians developed their art way before CGI.

MIGHTY JOE YOUNG: BEHIND THE SCENES

The creators of KING KONG had one more go at his legacy in the 1949 RKO production of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. KONG was re-released three more times after its original run (1938, 1942, and 1946), and studio execs thought audiences were ready for another "giant gorilla" film. The old crew was brought back: Merian C. Cooper produced with Ruth Rose scripting Cooper's story; Ernest B. Shoedsack directed with Robert Armstrong starring. 

The story takes place in Africa where 7-year-old Jill Young (Lora Lee Michel, then Terry Moore as a grown-up Jill) lives with her widowed father (Ben Johnson in his first credited role) on his ranch. She raises a young gorilla, and when it is 10-years-old (and considerably larger) she is convinced to have "Joe Young" transported to Hollywood by entrepreneurs looking for an act for their nightclub after promising Jill enough money to bail out her father's struggling ranch. As one would expect, lots of drama and animated mayhem ensues.

Willis "Obie" O'Brien was originally set to do the stop-motion animation, but he soon got tangled in various production problems and handed over the work to a young Ray Harryhausen, Pete Peterson and Marcel Delgado. As in KONG, Delgado sculpted the various models (Harry Cunningham is credited for building the armatures as he did in KING KONG).

Unfortunately, the film did not do well at the box office and aside from the effects, was met with a tepid response from critics. Plans for a remake were shelved.

Ironically, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for 1949. Perhaps it was fitting, as the Academy Awards had not yet been active in 1933. For his acceptance speech, Obie politely and succinctly said, "Thank you, very, very much."

This photo set shows rare shots from Willis O'Brien's personal collection of work that took place behind the scenes during the making of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG.

Portrait of Ray Harryhausen by RKO studio photographer Bert Six.

YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE LOST WORLD!

In 1925, audiences mobbed theaters to see a silver screen sensation. No, it wasn't because one of their favorite stars were in their latest movie -- it was because of dinosaurs! Released in March, 1935, First National Pictures beat Universal to the punch with THE LOST WORLD, a film based on a popular novel (U's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA would premiere in September). It would also have the distinction of being the first full-length film featuring stop-motion animation. Willis "Obie" Obrien was called in to make the miniature magic happen. He convinced Marcel Delgado to come aboard (Delgado was still in art school and wanted to finish) and create the dinosaur models. He did this by building a steel ball-and-socket armature over which he built it up with sponge and cotton and covered it all with a latex "skin".

Arthur Conan Doyle's THE LOST WORLD was a mid-twenties silent film wonder. Directed by Harry O. Hoyt, it was an adventure film the likes which had not yet been seen. An article in THE HOLLWOOD REPORTER said: "On World, O’Brien created about five seconds of footage a day. The technology was so revolutionary that when Doyle showed an early test reel to the Society of American Magicians in 1922, The New York Times couldn’t decide whether “these pictures were intended by the famous author as a joke on the magicians or are genuine pictures.” 

Combining live action actors with dinosaurs on miniature sets was a tough challenge, but between O'Brien, Delgado and cinematographer, Arthur Edeson, the scenes were remarkable for the early technology.

The film became a box-office smash and earned over $1,000,000, a lot of money in those days. It was advertised heavily, and this 14-page insert appeared in the February 14, 1925 issue of MOTION PICTURE WORLD.

BONUS! Cecil Holland, makeup man for THE LOST WORLD puts the finishing touches on ex-wrestler, Bull Montana, who plays an ape man in the film. From FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #36 (December, 1965):

EXTRA BONUS! Production stills from THE LOST WORLD. Dinosaur models by Marcel Delgado and animation by Willis "O'bie" O'Brien, who both worked together again on KING KONG!

HOW THEY MADE KING KONG (1933)

You can take all the remakes and other films that he has appeared in, and when you put them all together, paws down, they still can't touch RKO's 1933 original KING KONG. A wonder in filmmaking, made by visionary writers, artists and craftsman, KONG is the KING of giant monster movies. From Skull Island to the streets of New York, KONG is one helluva thrill ride, and it holds up even today,

Here's the story from conception to completion, from the Winter 2006 issue of AMERICAN HERITAGE OF INVENTION & TECHNOLOGY.