The original 1933 film King Kong was a massive success, earning $5 million on a budget of just $672,000—even with the Great Depression at its height.

King Kong was one of the earliest films to use stop-motion animation but not the first.

Kong’s infamous roar was created by playing a lion’s roar backward and mixing it with other animal sounds.

Fay Wray played the damsel in distress, Ann Darrow, and the film helped solidify her nickname as the “Scream Queen.” She was also only 5’3″, which made Kong’s massive size appear even more dramatic. During production, one of the giant hand props malfunctioned and nearly injured her.

The film’s success inspired what became known later as “Kong Mania,” with merchandise and toys featuring King Kong being widely sold but far less in comparison to today’s commercialism.

Some of the dinosaur skeletons used in the film were repurposed from the 1925 movie The Lost World.

The jungles and cliffs seen in the film were actually impressive matte paintings, adding to the visual realism.

Several countries banned or censored the film due to its intense violence, which was far beyond what most moviegoers had seen at the time.

King Kong was also one of the first movies to feature a dedicated musical score composed specifically for it. The music was created by Max Steiner, who was paid just $50 a week.

Depending on the scene and camera angle, Kong’s height appears to range from 18 feet to as much as 50 feet.

During production, the film was given the code name “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

A scene involving cannibals was cut from the film after it shocked test audiences.

There were initial plans to shoot the movie in Technicolor, but it was ultimately deemed too expensive and unnecessary.

Some of the dinosaur roars used in King Kong were later reused in other films.

The fictional Skull Island was partly inspired by Komodo Island, located in Indonesia.

The movie was such a success that RKO rushed a sequel, Son of Kong, which was released later that same year in 1933.