The Son of Kong (1933) – Episode 90 – Decades of Horror: The Classic Era

"You'll never catch a monkey that way." Well, Carl Denham oughta know. Join this episode’s Grue-Crew - Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, Jeff Mohr, and guest host and special effects artist Ed Martinez - as they make another journey to the jungles of Skull Island for a playdate with The Son of Kong (1933).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 90 – The Son of Kong (1933)

The men who captured the giant ape King Kong return to Skull Island and find his likewise gigantic but far more friendly son.

IMDb

 

• Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
• Writer: Ruth Rose (story)
• Special & Visual Effects:
  • Chief Technician – Willis O’Brien
  • Art Technicians – Mario Larrinaga, Byron L. Crabbe
  • Technical Staff – E.B. (Buzz) Gibson, Marcell Delgado, Carroll Shepphird, Fred Reese, W.G. White
  • Harry Redmond Jr., special effect (uncredited)
  • Harry Redmond Sr., special effects supervisor (uncredited)
• Cast
  • Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham
  • Helen Mack as Hilda Petersen
  • Frank Reicher as Captain Englehorn
  • John Marston as Nils Helstrom
  • Victor Wong as Charlie
  • Ed Brady as Red
  • Noble Johnson as Native Chief (uncredited)
  • Steve Clemente as Witch Doctor (uncredited)
  • Harry Tenbrook as Tommy (uncredited)
  • Clarence Wilson as Hilda Petersen's Father (uncredited)

This episode signals the return of special effects artist Ed Martinez as a guest host. This time around, he has chosen The Son of Kong for the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Grue-Crew to discuss. Ed thinks of The Son of Kong as being part of a trilogy begun by King Kong (1933) and completed with Mighty Joe Young (1949). In fact, he credits King Kong with his becoming a special effects artist. Chad thinks of King Kong and The Son of King Kong as one continuous story and whenever he watches King Kong, he usually follows it up with The Son of Kong. Expecting more of the same of what he got in King Kong, Jeff was a little disappointed the first time he saw The Son of Kong. Over time, however, he has come to appreciate the film and particularly likes the genesis of Carl Denham. Whitney loves the film even if it does feel a bit weird to describe a horror film with words like sweet and adorable. Of course, they all had to wonder, whatever happened to Queen Kong?

At the time of this writing, you can catch The Son of Kong streaming on HBOmax or as physical media on a Blu-ray disk from Warner Brothers. While you’re at it, make it a double feature with Pappa Kong’s movie and listen to one of our first Classic Era podcasts, Episode 4 - King Kong (1933).

Chad, Whitney, and Jeff give a big Grue-Crew thank you to Ed Martinez! His passion for and knowledge of stop-motion animation and his experience as a director of special effects and a special effects artist added immeasurably to this episode!

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. The next episode will see the return of fellow Grue-Crew member Joseph Perry to the podcast and Whitney, Chad, and Jeff can’t wait!  On that episode, they will discuss a movie chosen by Chad which will be The Mummy (1959), from Hammer Film s and starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Yvette, Furneaux. You’ll want to be there for that one.

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To each of you from each of us, “Thank you so much for listening!”