The idea for the film, and the name of the ape, originated with Merian C. Cooper, a remarkable adventurer and documentary-maker who managed to interest David O. Selznick, then head of RKO.

In order to reduce costs, sets were utilised from another tropic island film being shot at the time, The Most Dangerous Game.  The director Ernest Schoedsack was also retained, along with cast members Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray, and composer Max Steiner.

The original idea of putting an actor in a gorilla suit was abandoned when special-effects man Willis O’Brien successfully created an 18-inch Kong of wire, rubber and rabbit fur.

A feeble sequel, Son of Kong, appeared only eight months after the original’s release.  Although intended to be frightening, early audience reaction forced the studio to advertise it as a comedy, with the tagline: ‘He’s just as funny as his Dad was fierce.’