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.

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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.

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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.