King Kong
“Beauty conquered the beast!”
Synopsis
Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.
Part of the King Kong (1933) Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-07-09
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Robert Armstrong
Carl Denham
Fay Wray
Ann Darrow
Bruce Cabot
Jack Driscoll
Frank Reicher
Captain Englehorn
Victor Wong
Ship's Cook Charlie
James Flavin
Mate Briggs
Sam Hardy
Charles Weston
Noble Johnson
Skull Island Native Chief
Steve Clemente
Skull Island Witch Doctor
Roscoe Ates
Press Photographer (uncredited)
Merian C. Cooper
Pilot of Plane that Kills Kong (uncredited)
Frances Curry
Intended Sacrificial Bride for Kong (Uncredited)
Paul Porcasi
Apple Vendor (uncredited)
Ernest B. Schoedsack
Machine-Gunner on Plane that Kills Kong (uncredited)
Harry Strang
Policeman at Headquarters (uncredited)
Bill Williams
Theatre Usher (uncredited)
Dick Curtis
Member of Ship's Crew (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow
Ship's Engineer (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
New York City
Festival / Special Debut
April 7, 1933
Wide Cinema Exhibition
November 13, 1985
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$672K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$10M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
14.88x
+$9.3M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
- Screenplay & Story
- Ruth Rose, James Ashmore Creelman
- Original Score
- Max Steiner
- Original Title
- King Kong
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Production Budget
- $672K
- Worldwide Gross
- $10M
- Production Studios
- RKO Radio Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Ruth Rose, James Ashmore Creelman, Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace
Max Steiner
Vernon L. Walker, J.O. Taylor, Edward Linden
Ted Cheesman
Ernest B. Schoedsack, Merian C. Cooper, David O. Selznick
Department Leadership Roster
Merian C. Cooper
Director
Ernest B. Schoedsack
Director
Ted Cheesman
Editor
Ernest B. Schoedsack
Producer
Merian C. Cooper
Producer
Max Steiner
Original Music Composer
Vernon L. Walker
Director of Photography
J.O. Taylor
Director of Photography
Edward Linden
Director of Photography
Ruth Rose
Screenplay
James Ashmore Creelman
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for King Kong.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring King Kong.
Movie Collection
Movies That I have watched all
All of my ratings are the movies that I have seen.
Movies
What I've Watched.
Movies Watched
Movie Watched List
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Similar Titles to King Kong
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.8
5.2
7.1
7.4
4.9
5.0
5.3
7.5
5.4
1.0
5.6
6.0Anime
4.3
7.1
5.0
More Like King Kong
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About King Kong
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is King Kong about?
Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.
Who directed King Kong?
King Kong was directed by Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack.
Who stars in King Kong?
The principal cast of King Kong includes Robert Armstrong, Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, Victor Wong.
When was King Kong released and how long is it?
King Kong was released in 1933 with a total runtime of 1h 40m.
What was the box office and production budget of King Kong?
King Kong had a reported production budget of $672K and grossed $10M at the worldwide box office (14.88 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for King Kong?
The original motion picture soundtrack for King Kong was composed by Max Steiner.
What is the age rating and content advisory for King Kong?
King Kong holds official age classifications: DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.).