♪ I'm sittin' on top of the world ♪
♪ I'm rollin' along ♪
♪ Yes, rollin' along ♪
♪ And I'm quittin' the blues of the world ♪
♪ I'm singin' a song ♪
♪ Yes, singin' a song ♪
♪ Glory hallelujah! I just told the parson ♪
♪ "Hey, Par, get ready to call" ♪
♪ Just like Humpty Dumpty ♪
♪ I'm gonna fall ♪
♪ And I'm sittin' on top of the world ♪
♪ I'm rollin' along ♪
♪ Rollin' along ♪
♪ Don't want any millions ♪
♪ I'm gettin' my share ♪
♪ I've only got one suit Just one ♪
Move along.
♪ That's all I can wear ♪
♪ A bundle of money ♪
♪ Don't make me feel gay ♪
♪ A sweet little honey ♪
♪ Is making me say ♪
♪ And I'm sittin', sittin' on top, top of the world ♪
♪ I'm rollin' along ♪
♪ Rollin' along ♪
♪ And I'm quittin' quittin' the blues blues of the world ♪
♪ I'm singin' a song ♪
♪ Yes, singin' a song ♪
♪ Glory hallelujah! I just told the parson ♪
♪ "Hey, Par, get ready to call" ♪
♪ Just like Humpty Dumpty ♪
♪ I'm gonna fall ♪
♪ Yeah! I'm sittin' on top, top of the world ♪
Oh!
♪ I'm rollin' along ♪
♪ Rollin' along ♪
That's a funny one. Isn't that funnier?
It's hysterical, Manny.
As long as we're laughing...
we won't cry over the box office.
Talk about depressing.
Twenty girls in feather boas prancing around like circus ponies.
That's depressing.
I love a good chorus line.
What's this? It's a play.
Who wrote it, Annie?
Some guy. Driscoll.
Driscoll.
From the Federal Theatre.
Don't knock it, honey. At least they got an audience.
It'll pick up. Isn't that right, Manny?
It always does.
See you tomorrow.
The trick is to start to build right from the back of your throat.
Works well out through the nose, too.
Have you eaten today?
Oh...
I'm not hungry. Don't worry about me.
Hey.
You're all I've got.
Come on, take me to dinner.
Okay.
You think the kitchen will still be open on third?
Soup and biscuits. Perfect.
Harry, what's going on?
Hey, open up! We work here. Not anymore, lady.
It's all right for you. We haven't had a paycheck in two weeks.
How we gonna eat?
They're not getting away with this! They just did.
Ann, it's no use.
The show, it's over. It's done.
I'm done.
I'm leaving, Annie.
I'm going back to Chicago.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, Annie.
Ever since you were small, people been letting you down.
You gotta think of yourself now.
You should try out for that part.
Oh, I know what you're thinking.
Every time you reach out for something you care about...
fate comes along and snatches it away.
But not this time, Annie.
Not this time.
Oh, hello, Mr. Weston. Oh, jeez.
Look, miss, I told you already, call my office.
Leave your résumé with my secretary.
Now, why would I want to do that when we can talk about it in person?
Because that's what a smart girl would do.
But I already sent you my résumé. You returned it unopened.
What can I say? Jack Driscoll's very particular about who he works with.
Please, just an audition. That's all I'm asking.
Jesus, you don't give up, do you?
Mr. Weston, I know this role backwards.
Well, that's too bad, 'cause we just gave the part to someone else.
I'm sorry, kid. The play is cast.
I know times are tough.
You want my advice?
Use what you got. You're not bad-looking.
A girl like you doesn't have to starve.
There's a new place. It just opened.
Now listen, princess, this gig ain't the Palace, you understand?
Ask for Kenny K. Tell him I sent you.
Just play the date, take the money...
forget you was ever there.
How much more is there?
Another five reels.
Lights up.
This is it?
This is what we get for our $40,000, Denham?
Another one of your safari pictures?
You promised us romantic scenes with Bruce Baxter and Maureen McKenzie!
Come on, fellows, you know the deal.
We agreed to push Maureen's start date...
so she could get her teeth fixed.
It's not the principle of the thing, it's the money.
Carl, you've been in production for over two months.
Trust me, Bruce and Maureen are gonna steam up the screen...
once we get them on the ship.
What ship?
The one that we hired to get to the location.
What location? Carl! You're supposed to be shooting on the back lot.
Yes, I understand that.
But, fellows, we're not making that film anymore...
and I'll tell you why.
The story has changed. The script has been rewritten.
Life intervened.
I've come into possession of a map.
The sole surviving record of an uncharted island.
A place that was thought to exist only in myth.
Until now.
Whoa, Carl, slow down.
Is he asking for more money?
He's asking us to fund a wild goose chase.
I'm talking about a primitive world never before seen by man.
The ruins of an entire civilization.
The most spectacular thing you've ever seen.
That's where I'll shoot my picture.
Will there be boobies?
Boobies?
Jigglies. Jiblonkas. Bazooms.
In my experience, people only go to these films...
to observe the undraped form of the native girls.
What are you, an idiot?
You think they asked De Mille if he would waste his time on nudie shots?
No! They respected the filmmaker. They showed some class.
Not that you'd know what that means, you cheap lowlife!
Would you step out for a moment, Carl?
Zelman and Associates.
Give me that, quick.
You won't like it. It's non-alcoholic.
Preston, you have a lot to learn about the motion picture business.
Don't write him off, fellows. He's hot-headed, sure...
but Carl Denham's made some interesting pictures.
He's had a lot of near-success.
He's a preening self-promoter.
An ambitious no-talent. The guy's got "loser" written all over him.
I understand your disappointment...
He can't direct. He doesn't have the smarts.
He's washed up. It's all over town.
This jumped-up little turd's gonna bankrupt us.
The animal footage has value.
Sure. Universal are desperate for stock footage.
Then sell it! Scrap the picture.
We got to retrieve something from this debacle.
Get him back in.
Mr. Denham.
I want the cast and crew on the ship within the hour.
No, Carl, you can't do this.
Tell them the studio pressured us into an early departure.
It's not ethical! What are they gonna do, sue me?
They can get in line.
I'm not gonna let them kill my film.
You realize that none of the camera equipment is on board?
We have no permits, no visas.
That's why I have you, Preston.
We have no insurance, we have no foreign currency.
In fact, we have no currency of any kind.
He's there.
Get in there. Who's gonna pay for the ship?
Get in.
You get out of there! Come here! Step on it! Step on it!
Get out! You're finished, Denham!
Don't worry, Preston. I've had a lot of practice at this.
I'm real good at crapping the crappers.
Red Label, 80% proof...
to be packed in a crate marked "lemonade."
You got it.
Tell Maureen she doesn't have six hours to put on her face.
If she wants to be in this picture, she's gotta be on that boat.
She doesn't wanna be in this picture.
Maureen pulled out. She pulled out?
Yesterday. I told you.
You said we were shooting in Singapore, right?
That's what you told her.
Yeah, but we're not shooting in Singapore.
God damn it, Preston, all you had to do was look her in the eye and lie.
I got to get to a phone, talk to Harlow's people.
She's unavailable.
Myrna Loy? Clara Bow? Mae West?
You'll never get her into a size four.
You gotta get a girl that'll fit into Maureen's costumes.
Fay's a size four.
Yes, she is, but she's doing a picture with RKO.
Cooper, huh?
I might have known.
You're not listening. We got to delay the shoot.
Shut production down. We can't sail tonight.
Not an option. Carl.
I said I'd find a girl.
For God's sake, Preston, think like a winner!
Call Jack. I need that goddamn screenplay!
Defeat is always momentary.
What?
Hey! You gonna pay for this?
Excuse me.
Ma'am, I think you dropped this.
Vaudeville, huh?
I worked vaudeville once. That is a tough audience.
If you don't kill them fast, they kill you.
Mr. Denham...
I want you to know...
that I'm not in the habit of accepting charity from strangers.
Or, for that matter...
taking things that don't belong to me.
It was obviously a terrible misunderstanding.
It's just that I haven't been paid in a while.
That's awful. Anyway, Ann... May I call you Ann?
You wouldn't happen to be a size four, by any chance?
No, no. Oh, God, no.
You've got me all wrong. Miss Darrow, please.
I'm not that type of person at all.
What type of person are you?
I'm someone you can trust, Ann. I'm a movie producer.
Believe me, I am on the level. No funny business. Please sit down.
Please. Please.
Okay.
Ann, I want you to imagine...
a handsome explorer bound for the Far East.
You're filming in the Far East?
Singapore.
On board ship, he meets a mysterious girl.
She's beautiful, she's fragile, haunted.
And she can't escape the feeling that forces beyond her control...
are compelling her down a road from which she cannot draw back.
It's as if her whole life has been a prelude to this moment...
this fateful meeting that changes everything.
And sure enough, against her better judgment...
She falls in love.
Yes.
But she doesn't trust it.
She's not even sure if she believes in love.
Uh...
really?
If she loves someone, it's doomed.
Why is that?
Good things never last, Mr. Denham.
So you're interested. Good. That's settled, then.
Now, I don't wanna rush you, but we are under some time pressure.
Well, I really... Ann, I'm telling you...
you're perfect. Look at you.
You're the saddest girl I've ever met.
You're gonna make them weep, Ann. You're gonna break their hearts.
See, that's where you're wrong, Mr. Denham.
I make people laugh, that's what I do.
Good luck with your picture.
Ann? Miss Darrow, please!
I'm offering you money.
Adventure, fame, the thrill of a lifetime, and a long sea voyage.
You want to read a script?
Jack Driscoll's turning in a draft as we speak.
Jack Driscoll?
Sure. Why?
Wait. You know him?
No, not personally. I've seen his plays.
What a writer, huh? And let me tell you, Ann...
Jack Driscoll does not want just anyone starring in this picture.
He said to me, "Carl...
"somewhere out there is a woman born to play this role."
And as soon as I saw you, I knew.
Knew what?
It was always going to be you.
How much do I owe you? Make it a quarter.
Keep the change.
Is this the moving picture ship?
Not exactly.
It's actually this one over here.
Don't let appearances deceive you. It's much more spacious on board.
Is this all of the equipment? Yeah.
This is all of it? Yeah.
We're taking the Bell & Howell? Yeah.
Good. You got all the lenses? Sure.
Carl! Yes!
Get it on board, fellows, come on.
It's bad, it's bad.
They're on their way. I've just had word.
Who? Men in uniform.
The studio called the cops.
Englehorn! Cast off!
Hoist up the mainsail, raise the anchor...
whatever the hell it is you do. We gotta leave!
I cannot do that.
We are waiting on the manifest.
What? Who? English, please.
Paperwork, Mr. Denham.
I'll give you another $1,000 to leave now.
You haven't given me the first $1,000 yet.
Can we talk about this later?
Can't you see we're in the company of a VIP guest?
Ma'am.
Ann Darrow.
So you are ready for this voyage, Miss Darrow?
Sure.
Nervous?
Nervous? No.
Why? Should I be?
It isn't every woman who would take such a risk.
Why don't I show Miss Darrow to her cabin?
Wonderful idea. Thank you, Preston.
Miss Darrow, if you would just...
Hi. My name is Preston. Carl's assistant.
$2,000. It's a deal. Will you take a check?
Do I have a choice?
Please follow me.
If there's anything that you... Excuse me, fellows.
If there's anything that you need, please don't hesitate to ask.
Oh, Jesus! Jack, you scared me.
Listen. If anyone comes to the door, don't open it. You haven't seen me.
Say I got depressed and committed suicide.
Say I stuck my head down the toilet.
You want one? No. I can't stay, Carl.
I got a rehearsal for which I am now three hours late.
What's this? It's the script.
This is a script?
Jack, this is 15 pages.
I know, but they're good. You've got 15 good pages there, Carl.
I'm supposed to be making a feature-length picture.
You told me I had more time. I'm sorry. Look, I gotta go.
No, Jack, you can't do this to me. I have a beginning...
but I need a middle and an end. I gotta have something to shoot.
Look, you got my notes. I got to go, pal. See you.
All right, fine. We might as well settle up.
You're gonna pay me?
I'm not gonna stiff a friend.
I've never known you to volunteer cash before.
How's $2,000 sound?
Sounds great.
I thought it might.
Sounds great. Okay.
Raise the spring line!
Watch the aft!
And "voilà".
Thanks.
You've written "two grand."
So I did. Sorry about that. Let's start from the beginning.
"Two thousand dollars."
It is the 29th, isn't it?
Oh, come on, it's the 25th. It's the 25th.
God, I'm sorry. It'll just take a sec.
Never mind, Carl. Just pay me when you get back.
All right.
Your cabin is the last on the left, Mr. Baxter.
And may I just say how excited we are to have you back with us, sir?
Be a sport and lend a hand here, would you?
Excuse me. I'm trying to... I gotta get...
Christ!
Appreciate the help, fellow.
Let me get the door for you.
Welcome to your stateroom, sir.
Dead slow ahead both, Mr. Hayes.
Dead slow ahead both, Captain.
Oh, Christ!
God damn it!
I keep telling you, Jack, there's no money in theater.
Oh, no! No!
You're much better off sticking with film.
I don't do it for the money, Carl.
I happen to love the theater.
No, you don't.
If you really loved it...
you would have jumped.
You! This is your fault!
This room very comfortable. Plenty dim light, fresh straw.
Jesus. What do you keep down here?
Lion, tiger, hippo, you name it.
You sell them to zoos?
Zoo, circus.
Skipper get big money for rare animal.
Careful. Camel have bad accident on floor.
Stain unremovable.
Skipper catch any wild animal you want.
He'll do you real good price on white rhino.
Choy.
My apologies for not being able to offer you a cabin.
Have you found an enclosure to your taste?
Spoiled for choice.
What are you, Mr. Driscoll? A lion?
Or a chimpanzee?
I'll take this one.
I told you to lock it up.
Sorry, Skipper. Lumpy said... Lumpy doesn't give the orders!
What are you trying to do? Put the whole ship to sleep?
Get them out of here.
Compliments of the chef. Okay.
Oh, Christ. Oh, God.
Lamb's brains in walnut sauce.
Jimmy.
You run those ropes up on deck like I told you?
Doing it now, Mr. Hayes.
How about you return Mr. Driscoll's pen first?
He don't mean no harm.
Thanks.
I'll keep him out of your way. It's okay.
It's just that he likes it down here.
It's where I found him four years ago.
Stowed away in one of them back cages.
His arm was broken in two places.
He was wilder than half the animals in here.
Still won't tell me where he came from.
But it wasn't anyplace good.
You got to straighten up.
Jimmy.
You don't want to be on this ship the rest of your life.
Yes, I do. No, you don't, Jimmy.
You got to be smart. Get yourself educated.
Give yourself some options. Take this seriously!
I do, Mr. Hayes, I do. Look.
I've been reading.
Where'd you get this?
I borrowed it.
On long-term loan.
Look at this. Look, look.
"Adventures on a tramp steamer." See? Just like us.
It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Driscoll.
I'm actually quite familiar with your work, yes.
Hello, Mr. Driscoll. It's so nice to meet you.
Actually, I'm quite familiar with your work.
I'm a huge fan.
I've read everything you've ever written.
No, too much.
Gonna have the ship's engines all over the dialogue.
Seagulls.
Camera noise. Wind. Christ knows what else.
I don't care, Mike.
You're the sound recordist. Make it work.
Ann! Come on in. Let me introduce you to the crew.
This is Herb, the cameraman.
Delighted to meet you, ma'am. Likewise.
May I say what a lovely dress?
Oh, this old thing? I just threw it on.
Isn't that one of Maureen's costumes?
Now, what does a girl have to do around here to get some breakfast?
Lumpy, you heard the lady.
Fancy my porridge à la walnuts?
Oh, Ann, I don't believe you've met...
Ann?
That's all right, Mr. Denham. I know who this is.
Thrilled to meet you. It's an honor to be a part of this.
Gee, thanks.
Actually, I'm quite familiar with your work.
Really?
Yes, and what I most admire...
is the way you've captured the voice of the common people.
Well, that's my job.
I'm sure you've heard this before, Mr. Driscoll...
if you don't mind me saying...
but you don't look at all like your photograph.
Excuse me. Wait a minute, Ann...
He's so much younger in person. And much better-looking.
Ann, stop. Stop right there.
You see, I was just afraid that you might be...
one of those self-obsessed literary types.
I'm sorry, I'm not... You know...
the tweedy twerp with his nose in his book and his head up his a...
It's nice to meet you, too, Miss Darrow.
Good Christ!
She's standing at the railing.
She doesn't know it yet...
But they are sailing towards disaster. You got that?
Okay, so she turns...
the first mate is staggering towards her.
There's a knife sticking out of his back.
Wait a sec. We're killing off the first mate?
That's assuming she knows who the first mate is.
Come on, Jack. It was an honest mistake.
Ann is nearsighted. It could have happened to anyone.
I was joking, Carl.
The point is, she's horrified. She has to look away.
And that's when she sees it.
Sees what?
What?
The island.
We're filming on an island now? When did this happen?
Jack, keep your voice down.
I don't want the crew getting spooked.
Why would they get spooked? What's it called?
All right. It has a local name...
but I'm warning you, Jack, it doesn't sound good.
They call it Skull Island.
Did you get that?
What's wrong with this place?
There's nothing officially wrong with it.
Because, technically, it hasn't been discovered yet.
Okay. All right.
So we arrive at this place.
S...
K...
U...
L...
Island.
All right, everyone, from the top! And action!
I think this is awfully exciting! I've never been on a ship before.
And I've never been on one with a woman before.
I guess you don't think much of women on ships, do you?
No, they're a nuisance.
Well, I'll try not to be. Just being around is trouble.
Cut!
It's great.
Bruce, wonderful performance. You can relax for 10 minutes.
That was very natural. I felt moved.
What do you think, Driscoll? Dialogue's got some flow now, huh?
It was pure effluence.
I beefed up the banter.
Try to resist that impulse.
It's just a little bit of humor, bud.
What are you, a Bolshevik or something?
Actors.
Travel the world, but all they ever see is a mirror.
Good legs.
Sea legs. Well, you know, sea legs.
Yeah.
Not that you don't have good legs. Just making conversation.
Jesus. Miss Darrow!
About the scene today with you and Bruce...
I know it wasn't what you wrote...
but Mr. Baxter felt very strongly that when a man likes a woman...
he must ignore her.
And if things turn really hostile, then...
No?
Interesting theory.
I know. I should have...
It wasn't what I had intended, but...
I'm sorry. I was...
And you made it your own.
I was nervous.
It was funny, actually. You were funny.
Please don't say another word. Good night.
Miss Darrow.
You don't have to be nervous.
Thank you.
Let's take it...
Would you please... We're trying to shoot a scene.
Okay. Thank you.
Okay, again.
We're close. Turn southwest.
There's no land southwest for thousands of miles.
It takes us way outside the shipping lanes.
I won't sail blind in these waters.
I'll make it worth your while.
There's nothing out there.
Well, then you've nothing to lose.
If someone were to tell you this ship was headed for Singapore...
what would you say?
I would say they're full of it, Mr. Hayes.
Well, we turned southwest last night.
Gentlemen, please.
We're not looking for trouble. No.
You're looking for something else.
Yes, we are.
We're going to find Skull Island.
Find it, film it, and show it to the world.
For 25 cents, you get to see the last blank space on the map.
I wouldn't be so sure of that.
What do you mean?
Seven years ago, me and Mr. Hayes were working our passage...
on a Norwegian bark.
We picked up a castaway. We found him in the water.
He'd been drifting for days.
His ship had run aground on an island way west of Sumatra.
An island hidden in fog.
He spoke of a huge wall...
built so long ago...
no one knew who'd made it.
A wall 100 foot high...
as strong today as it was ages ago.
Why'd they build the wall?
Well, the castaway, he spoke of a creature...
neither beast nor man...
but something monstrous, living behind that wall.
A lion or a tiger.
A man-eater. That's how all these stories start.
What else did he say?
Nothing.
We found him the next morning. He'd stuck a knife through his heart.
Mmm-hmm.
Sorry, fellows. You'll have to do better than that.
Monsters belong in B movies.
If you find this place...
if you go ashore with your friends and your cameras...
you won't come back.
Just as long as you understand that.
How long do you expect us to stay out here?
You're writing a stage comedy?
I'm writing it for you.
Why would you do that?
Why would I write a play for you? Yes.
Isn't it obvious?
Not to me.
Well...
it's in the subtext.
I guess I must have missed it.
It's not about words.
Message for you, Captain.
What's going on?
Hayes, why are we changing course?
Englehorn, you can't just... Outside.
There's a warrant out for your arrest.
Did you know that?
I've been ordered to divert to Rangoon.
Another week. I haven't got a film yet.
Please. I have risked everything I have on this.
No, Denham. You risked everything I have.
What do you want?
Tell me what you want. I'll give you anything.
I want you off my ship.
Set a course for Rangoon, Mr. Hayes.
I'm finished.
It's over for me, Jack.
How'd you think this would end, Carl?
Check our position. Use the stars.
There are no stars, Captain.
What is that?
What? That.
That right there.
I don't know. What is it? A coffee stain?
Station the forward lookout and get me the depth by lead line.
Aye, Captain.
30 fathoms, no bottom!
Reduce speed, steerage way only.
Dead slow ahead, both.
You should stop the ship.
15 degrees port.
We're getting out of here, Mr. Hayes.
We'll find clear conditions.
We have seabed!
25 fathoms!
We're shallowing!
20 degrees starboard!
Captain, you don't know where the hell you're going!
Get me another reading!
Another reading!
22 fathoms!
Douse the lights. Aye, Captain.
10 fathoms!
Wall! There's a wall ahead!
Stop engines!
Give me some power! Half astern both.
Half astern both, Captain!
Rocks!
Rocks to starboard, Captain!
To port! Rocks everywhere!
Take the wheel, Hayes.
Hang on!
Full ahead!
Rocks to port, Captain!
Turn, Captain! Starboard, starboard!
Ah!
Shore up that breach!
Get me more men down here now! Come on, move, move!
Hayes! She's taken a pounding!
What about the prop?
The shaft's not bent, as far as we can tell.
But she struck hard against the rock!
Captain!
Better come up quick!
Right there!
Want me to bring them back?
I don't give a damn about Carl Denham.
I want this ship fixed and ready to float on the next high tide!
Come on, move it.
We're leaving, Mr. Hayes.
Can you believe this, Jack?
We've got our picture.
Why does Marlow keep going up the river?
Why doesn't he turn back?
There's a part of him that wants to, Jimmy.
A part deep inside himself that sounds a warning.
But there's another part...
that needs to know.
To defeat the thing which makes him afraid.
"We could not understand because we were too far...
"and could not remember...
because we were traveling in the night of first ages...
of those ages that are gone...
leaving hardly a sign, and no memories.
We are accustomed to look...
upon the shackled form of a conquered monster...
but there...
there you could look at a thing monstrous and free."
It's not an adventure story...
is it, Mr. Hayes?
No, Jimmy.
It's not.
It's deserted. Of course it's deserted.
Use your eyes, Preston. The place is a ruin.
Nobody's lived here for hundreds of years.
Mr. Denham, I think we should go back.
I will handle this.
Look. Chocolate.
You like chocolate?
It's good to eat.
You want?
Take it.
Here, put it in your hand and take it.
For God's sakes, Denham, leave the native alone.
She doesn't want the chocolate.
Aah!
All right!
Just a bunch of women and old folks!
They're harmless!
Ann!
Jack.
Seen enough?
Lighten the ship!
Anything that's not bolted down goes overboard!
Just heave it!
We got away.
We gotta be grateful for that, gentlemen.
What about Mike? He didn't get away! He's still there!
Mike died doing what he believed in! He didn't die for nothing.
And I'll tell you something else. I'm gonna finish this film for Mike!
I'll finish it...
and I'll donate the proceeds...
to his wife and kids.
Because that man is a hero, and he deserves nothing less.
Hear, hear!
Chuck everything except for the potatoes!
What's wrong now? Excuse me, Shakespeare.
Come on, men! Come on, hurry!
Drop those spare cables overboard! Go on, just chuck it!
Where's Ann? What?
Where's Ann?
Ann!
She's free!
Full ahead, both engines!
Ann!
No! Stop! Turn back!
Stop!
We have to turn back.
They've taken Ann.
Kong! Kong! Kong!
All hands going ashore! Report to stations!
Jump to it! Jump to it, gentlemen!
We're doing it, Mr. Hayes!
Come on, move it!
Pull harder!
Row! Row!
Come on!
Kong.
Spread out! Find her!
Miss Darrow!
Check up there, Jimmy! Everybody stay together!
Ann!
She's here somewhere!
What in God's name was that?
Behind the wall!
She's gone!
Carl, what is it?
You saw something.
You can take Hayes and 15 others.
I'll put a guard on the gate until you return.
The rest of you stay with the ship.
Choy!
Not you, Jimmy.
Come on, Mr. Hayes. Look at them.
None of them knows which way to point a gun.
Stay here.
Miss Darrow needs me! No!
Bring the tripod and all of the film stock.
You wanna go with the 6-inch lens?
The wide-angle will do just fine.
You got guns. You got food. You got the ammo.
And you got 24 hours!
24 hours?
This time tomorrow, we haul anchor.
Miss Darrow!
Ann!
Miss Darrow!
Ann!
No!
Ann! Miss Darrow!
Ann!
Christ, it's a bleeding bone yard!
They've been ripped limb from limb.
Ann! Ann!
Just keep walking, Mr. Hayes. Pretend you didn't see me.
Jesus, Jimmy. Hey, I need that!
I'm not giving you a gun!
You were younger than me when they gave you one!
I was in the army. I was trained. I had a drill sergeant.
I wanna help bring her back.
Don't make me regret it.
Conserve your ammunition!
I'm knackered.
I can't breathe. I need a breather.
Fellows, we don't have time for this.
We've lost too much ground already. Come on, get up!
They're not about to quit on you. Cut them some slack.
All right, you got five minutes!
Everybody stay in sight.
Over here. I'm gonna get a wide shot of the valley.
Bloody Nora!
Is that what took Miss Darrow?
There's only one creature capable of leaving a footprint that size.
The abominable snowman.
Yeah, a snowman. We dead meat.
It's got to be what, 20, 25 feet?
Carl saw it.
Let's ask him.
Denham!
Where'd he go?
Walk forward, Bruce.
What? You're the star of this picture.
Get into character and head toward the animals.
What the hell kind of a place is this?
Are you sure about this, Denham?
Don't we have a stand-in for this type of thing?
I need you in the shot, or people will say they're fake.
Nobody's gonna think these are fake.
You're making them nervous. No sudden movements.
I'm not moving.
Mother of God.
What's this?
What is it? What is it? Where's Carl?
Carl? He's up there, filming.
Bugger this!
Run, Jack!
Holy Christ. Go, Jimmy, run!
Run, run, run!
Let go! I'm not leaving the camera!
Let go, you idiot!
Carl, run!
Get down.
Look out!
Coming through!
No!
Carl! Carl!
Get up! Come on. Come on.
Mr. Denham! Mr. Denham!
Herb! Herb, come on!
Take the tripod!
Come on!
I'm pulling you up! Hold on to your end!
Go!
No, I'm not going anywhere without you!
You gotta leave me! Shut up and hold on!
Jimmy, do a head count.
I want to know how many are injured and how bad.
Injured?
Four of us are dead!
It's not your fault.
What happened to Herb is no one's fault.
You're absolutely right, Preston.
And I'll tell you something else.
Herbert didn't die for nothing.
He died for what he believed in, and I'm gonna honor that.
He died believing there was still some mystery left in this world.
And we could all have a piece of it...
for the price of an admission ticket.
God damn it, Preston, we're gonna finish this film for Herb.
We'll finish it...
and donate the proceeds to his wife and kids.
All right, we gotta get back to the ship.
Englehorn sails in nine hours. So? We gotta find Miss Darrow.
Hey, do you hear me? We're gonna be stranded here.
Look, fellows, Miss Darrow was a great gal, no question.
And she was a wonderful person.
It's a terrible loss and we're all gonna miss her.
I always knew you were nothing like the tough guy you play on screen.
I just never figured you for a coward.
Hey, pal! Hey, wake up.
Heroes don't look like me, not in the real world.
In the real world, they got bad teeth, a bald spot, and a beer gut.
I'm just an actor with a gun, who's lost his motivation.
Be seeing you.
Anyone else?
Well, see you. Come on.
No!
I said no!
That's all there is. There isn't any more.
What is it?
Mr. Hayes?
If anything happens, I want you to run.
You understand?
I'm not a coward. I ain't gonna run.
It's not about being brave, Jimmy.
Go back!
Back across the log!
I ain't gonna run! Get Jimmy out of here!
No! Get back! Get back!
Move back!
No! No! Stay back.
No!
Look at me.
Let him go! You got to run, Jimmy.
Do as I say.
Go with Jack.
Run!
No! Shoot him!
No!
Here! Over here!
Hold on! Hold on!
Lumpy! Help me!
Bloody hell, Choy!
No!
Oh, my!
Wait!
Carl.
Jimmy. Jimmy.
Jimmy.
You all right?
No.
Get off! Get it off!
Get off!
Get it off!
Kill it!
Stop moving!
Get it off my face!
Stay still. I am standing still.
Hold on. Be careful!
Don't move! Stay away from the walls!
Coming through!
Get out of there now! Climb!
It's beautiful.
Beautiful.
There.
Thank God.
Don't thank God. Thank Mr. Baxter.
He insisted on a rescue mission.
Me? I knew you'd be okay.
That's the thing about cockroaches.
No matter how many times you flush them down the toilet...
they always crawl back up the bowl.
Hey, buddy? I'm out of the bowl.
I'm dryin' off my wings and trekkin' across the lid.
Driscoll!
Don't be a fool! Give it up. It's useless!
She's dead.
She's not dead.
Jack's gonna bring her back...
and the ape will be hard on his heels.
We can still come out of this thing okay.
More than okay.
Think about it.
You got a boat full of chloroform we could put to good use.
You wanna trap the ape?
I don't think so.
Isn't that what you do? Live animal capture?
I heard you were the best.
Jack!
Look after yourself!
Keep the gate open, will you?
Sure thing, buddy.
Good luck!
I'm sorry.
Ann.
Jack!
Run!
Jack, Jack!
Jack.
Ann, it's okay.
Ann, let's go. Let's go. Come on!
Let's go. Come on.
Come on!
Carl!
Please! Somebody help us!
They've gone.
Carl. Christ.
Carl!
Drop the bridge. Do it now, for Christ's sake!
Not yet.
Wait.
Wait!
Come on!
Now! Throw them!
Throw!
No!
Hold him!
Are you out of your mind?
Stop! Hold the line!
Keep him down!
Heave!
Please!
No! Stop!
Jack.
No. Get her out of...
They'll kill him! There's nothing we can do.
No! Get her out of his sight!
It's too late. Throw it!
Look out!
Let go of me.
We gotta go. Come on.
Come on. Stop it.
Leave me alone!
Ann, please come on.
Kill it! No. No!
It's over, you goddamn lunatic!
All of you, run!
Come on. Come on!
Move it! Move it!
Come on, come on!
Stay there! It's me he wants!
Please stop this! Move! Hold onto her!
Ann, go. Please, I can stop this!
No! Ann, stay there!
Get it out!
Get the hell out of here!
Come on! Jimmy, don't be crazy! Come on.
Don't be crazy.
Let me go!
Cast off!
Come on, Carl!
Row! Wait.
Row, God damn it!
Go back.
Jimmy, no!
No!
No! Don't! Leave him alone!
Hide out in the back!
Wait! No!
No! No! Please don't!
The whole world will pay to see this.
We're millionaires, boys!
I'll share it with all of you!
In a few months his name will be up in lights on Broadway!
Kong! The Eighth Wonder of the World!
What can I say? What can I say?
Any comments, sir?
The Mayor, thank you.
Ready.
What am I?
Thank you very much.
Get used to it.
Listen, great to see you. Ready?
I'm really appreciating that...
Look at you! I remember you.
You're a lucky guy, Denham. Am I a lucky guy?
Maybe you're the lucky guy.
Carl!
Zelman! I told you.
I know you did and I appreciate it.
Let's get a shot of this.
Come on.
Big smile. Yeah! That's great!
"Look at yourself. Look at what you've become."
- "No woman is worth this. - This woman is worth it."
"I don't care what it takes, I gotta win her back."
"Oh, really?"
"She's not gonna buy this for a second."
"Shut up and hand me the grapefruit!"
You're writing a comedy? Yes, I am.
I'm writing it for you.
Why would you do that?
Why would I write a play for you?
Isn't it obvious?
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"I couldn't help but overhear."
"So, he took me to this fancy French restaurant..."
"and halfway through the hors d'oeuvres, he clutches my hand."
"And that's when he told you how he felt?"
"No. He never said it. He never said it?"
"He probably thought he didn't need to say it."
"Well, then how does she know that it's real?"
- "He said it was not about the words." - "Oh, please!"
- "If you feel it, you say it. - It's really very simple."
"He said we'd talk about it later." "Only there was no later."
"It never happened."
"That's how it ended."
"He just let you walk away? He didn't try to save it?"
"I honestly believed things might actually work out..."
"which was really very..."
"foolish."
"Men. Oh, they'll give you the world..."
"but they let the one thing that truly matters..."
"slip through their fingers."
"Typical."
"They're so busy being brave, they forget to use their brains."
"Romance. Who needs it?"
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen...
I'm here to tell you a very strange story.
The story of our adventure...
in which 17 of our party suffered horrible deaths...
their lives lost...
in pursuit of a savage beast...
a monstrous aberration of nature.
But even the meanest brute can be tamed.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, as you will see...
the beast was no match...
for the charms of a girl.
A girl from New York...
Who melted his heart...
bringing to mind that old Arabian proverb...
"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty...
"and beauty stayed his hand.
"And from that day forward, he was as one dead."
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to show you...
the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld.
He was a king in the world he knew, but he comes to you now a captive.
Ladies and gentlemen...
I give you Kong, The Eighth Wonder of the World!
Don't be alarmed. It's perfectly safe.
These chains are made of chrome steel!
Observe, if you will...
I am touching the beast.
I am actually laying my hand on the 25-foot gorilla.
Crank 'em up, fellas.
And now, we have in the auditorium tonight...
a surprise guest.
The real-life hero of this story.
The man who hunted down the mighty Kong!
The man who risked all to win the freedom of a helpless female.
A big hand for Mr. Bruce Baxter!
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
He was right.
About there still being some mystery left in this world...
and we can all have a piece of it...
for the price of an admission ticket.
That's the thing you come to learn about Carl.
His unfailing ability to destroy the things he loves.
Please remain calm, ladies and gentlemen...
for we now come to the climax of this savage ritual.
The sacrifice of a beautiful young girl.
Behold her terror as she is offered up to the mighty Kong!
A big hand, folks, for the bravest girl I've ever met!
Miss Ann Darrow.
Save me from the beast!
Help me!
Where is she?
Where's Ann? I have no idea.
I heard he offered her all kinds of money and she turned him down flat.
♪ Pack up all my cares and woe ♪
♪ Here I go ♪
♪ Singing low ♪
♪ Bye bye ♪
♪ Blackbird ♪
♪ Where somebody waits for me ♪
♪ Sugar's sweet ♪
♪ So is he ♪
♪ Bye bye ♪
♪ Blackbird ♪
Here's your story, boys.
"Beauty and the man who saved her from the beast."
No.
We have to get these people out of here.
Everyone needs to leave, okay? Come on.
Let him roar. It makes a swell picture.
Head for the exits.
Get your own seat, buddy. You're not having mine.
Excuse me, fellows.
Coming through. Coming through, fellows.
Get me down! Help me, please!
Somebody! Somebody help me!
Go! Go! Get out!
Go! Go!
There they are.
Go! Wait for me!
Go back!
This way!
Help!
No!
Taxi! Follow that ape.
Come on, pal, we gotta draw him off.
It's all yours, buddy.
Hey, get out of here, lady!
Come on.
Buddy!
Come on. Come on.
Look out.
Jesus Christ.
Fire!
Stop!
No. No.
Beautiful.
Yes.
Yes, it is.
Hey! Hey!
Nobody past this point.
You can't go in there!
Hey!
Stop him!
Hey! Get back. You're not allowed up there!
What's going on? Go!
No!
Please! No!
No!
Ann. Ann.
Move along.
Just one shot! One shot!
Come, come! Boys, how about a photo?
Look at me.
Come on, watch the camera.
Come a little closer.
That's it, folks. Show's over. Step back!
Clear the area. That's it. Shove off, boys.
Why'd he do that?
Climb up there and get himself cornered.
The ape must have known what was coming.
He's just a dumb animal. Didn't know nothing.
What does it matter? Airplanes got him.
It wasn't the airplanes.
It was beauty killed the beast.