History in pictures

KING OF THE WORLD

Four incredible photos with equally amazing stories

The box office giant King Kong wowed audiences when it premiered in New York City 80 years ago on 2 March 1933. Director Merian C Cooper was so adamant that he didn’t want to use a man in a gorilla suit when making his seminal movie that he brought in special effects wizard Willis O’brien, who pioneered numerous techniques to bring the silver screen silverback to life. These included stopmotion animation, matte paintings and even the use of full-scale models. 1933