You read that right! King Kong was meant to fight the Frankenstein Monster In the original film,.
Godzilla vs. Kong is currently lighting up the big screens (and HBO Max accounts) everywhere. Watching the new film inspired me to do a little geek mythology searching on the original. Discovering that the original concept featured Kong exchanging knuckle sandwiches with an oversized Frankenstein Monster surprised me.
King Kong was meant to fight the Frankenstein Monster in the original film – how’d he get replaced with Godzilla?
Both monsters had been dormant in the years leading up to 1962 film. Willis O-Brien, animator of the original Kong, conceived an idea for Kong Meets Frankenstein, where the two monsters would bash each other in San Francisco.
Right off the bat, several snags emerged. Firstly, RKO, the holder of the King Kong property, was no-longer a production studio. Secondly, the cost of stop-motion discouraged most studios at the time. Thirdly, it was believed that the rights for Frankenstein Monster belonged to Universal Pictures. Plot-twist: the iconic, bolt-necked version of the monster belonged to Universal, but not the original name and concept. The original monster, otherwise known as Prometheus, was in the public domain.
In comes producer John Beck
The ambitious producer John Beck promised to find a studio to produce the film. He eventually did, in the form of Toho studios – of Japan. Toho wanted to make a King Kong film, and also had been wanting to revive their dormant Godzilla monster.
Beck and Toho scrapped the Frankenstein Monster and replaced him with the legendary Godzilla. They also replaced the stop-motion concept with costume design – a notion that Kong’s creator, Merian C. Cooper, vehemently opposed.
Toho gave the actors-turned-monsters creative freedom over their brawl performance. The actors studied Japanese pro wrestling as inspiration for the fight. King Kong vs. Godzilla’s slapstick moments are attributed to its satirical view of Japan’s entertainment industry at the time.
Alternate version with Godzilla as the winner – fact or myth?
Beck also produced an American version of the film, with only a few minor differences (including the cast). An urban myth has permeated over the years that an alternate ending featured Godzilla as victorious. Although this geek myth has been proven false, at least we can sleep at night knowing that the one about Kong almost brawling with Frankenstein is, indeed, true.
The two monumental monsters are poised to take each other on in glorious 2020 CGI, and not even a viral pandemic is enough to halt their tracks. Godzilla vs. Kong, round two of 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, is now in theaters and on HBO Max. For some more Geek Mythology from ScreenPlayas, check these out!
Until next time, my ScreenPlaya buddies, may you walk among titans, conquer your inner giants, and know in your hearts that you’re amazing.
