King Kong could not have been possible if not for the contribution of the special effects genius Willis O'Brien who turned an eighteen inch high model into the eighth wonder of the world. O'Brien utilized a cinematic process known as stop-motion animation where miniature models were photographed one frame at a time and repositioned between exposures. When the processed film was projected in sequence the inanimate models moved with the illusion of life.
O'Brien is known as the father of this process which he debuted in his 1917 short film The Dinosaur and the Missing Link. He would further develop the process and create whole herds of dinosaurs in the 1925 classic The Lost World, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel.
King Kong was the greatest challenge yet for O'Brien. He brought the giant gorilla to life on film using eighteen inch high models constructed on metal skeletons with ball-and-socket joints, padded with foam rubber and cotton, and covered with rabbit skins to simulate the beast's fur. His team constructed lavish and intricate miniature sets to provide the appropriate backdrop for the animated models. O'Brien used these models to film all but a few short scenes which utilized a life-sized bust of Kong as well as a life-sized hand to hold Fay Wray and a life-sized foot to trample Skull Island natives.
O'Brien studied the movements of gorillas in zoos and other large animals to develop his characterization of Kong and the dinosaurs of Skull Island as well as attending professional wrestling matches searching for ideas of how to make his creation battle the other prehistoric denizens of Skull Island. It is this attention to the performance of his models that sets O'Brien's work apart as a pinnacle of the art.
Although Willis O'Brien went on to make other films none of them ever attained the heights of King Kong. O'Brien wrote concepts for several films after King Kong but only found the backing to complete a few. His achievements are recognized today but during his lifetime O'Brien was frustrated in his career at times and often the victim of unscrupulous producers.
Some of his more remarkable unfinished projects include The War Eagles where Vikings rode giant eagles to fight prehistoric monsters and another Kong sequel called King Kong Vs. Frankenstein. O'Brien's personal life often met with tragedy, including the death of his sons during the filming of Son Of Kong.
In 1950 he received a special Oscar for his work on Mighy Joe Young which was
the first such award ever given for special effects. This film also launched the career
of his successor in the field of stop-motion, Ray Harryhausen.
O'Brien with the special Oscar awarded him for Mighty Joe Young
A rare photo showing Obie animating Kong
The same scene as it appeared in the film. Fay Wray's image was inserted using miniature rear-screen projection.
Obie with the life-sized bust of Kong. Although seldom used in the film, this prop was on display at the Chinese Theatre during the film's 1933 Hollywood premier.
A close-up of a Kong model. When compared with the life-sized bust above it's not hard to see why the model was used for many of the close-up shots rather than the less convincing life-sized version.
