King Kong: A Complete History, Part 1 | Monstrum

In this episode, we explore the legacy of the monumental 1933 film, King Kong, its groundbreaking special effects, and the complex racial and colonial undertones that continue to shape our understanding of this timeless classic. Be sure and check back with us for our next episode, which will explore Kong in modern times! For audio descriptions, go to Settings - Audio Track - English Descriptive. ***** PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateStoried ***** Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka Director: David Schulte Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Executive Producer: Dr. Emily Zarka Producer: Thomas Fernandes Editor/Animator: JP.W. Shelton Illustrator: Samuel Allan Executive in Charge (PBS): Maribel Lopez Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Additional Footage: Shutterstock Music: APM Music Descriptive Audio & Captions provided by The Described and Captioned Media Program Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios. Follow us on Instagram:   / monstrumpbs   ***** Bibliography Brustein, Robert. “Notes from the Underground.: The New Republic, May 6, 1967, pp. 30. Cárcel, Juan Antonio Roche. “The Myth of King Kong and the Religious Background That Nests in the Human Soul.” Religions, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021, pp. 1–34. Erb, Cynthia. Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture. 2nd ed., Wayne State University Press, 2009. Frazier, Valerie. “King Kong’s Reign Continues: ‘King Kong’ as a Sign of Shifting Racial Politics.” CLA Journal, vol. 51, issue. 2, pp. 186-205. Henderson, Carol E. “‘King Kong Ain’t Got Sh On Me’: Allegories, Anxieties, and the Performance of Race in Mass Media.” Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 43, no. 6, 2010, pp. 1207–21. Jylkka, Katja. “‘Witness the Plesiosaurus’: Geological Traces and the Loch Ness Monster Narrative.” Configurations, vol. 26, no. 2, 2018, pp. 207-234. Morton, Ray. King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon From Fay Wray to Peter Jackson. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2005. Schleier, Merrill. The Empire State Building, Working-Class Masculinity, and ‘King Kong.’” Mosaic, vol. 41, no. 2, 2008, pp. 29–54. Watkins, Rychetta. Black Power, Yellow Power, and the Making of Revolutionary Identities. University Press of Mississippi, 2012. Xaba, Andile. “King Kong adaptations (1959-2017): Traversing culture and society.” Tydskrif vir geesteswetenskappe, vol. 60, no. 1, 2020, pp. 16–37.