As we have reached the 50 year mark on this wonderful film, I share a story from my book-(The Uninvited Visitor). A book on the making of this blockbuster from the eyes of a trespasser. The backstories on this set are in ways better than the film.
You are invited to be in a major motion picture…
It is mid August. I wake up to the sound of the oscillating fan lightly creaking as it pans back and forth across my room. My curtains flutter in rhythm, like an invitation to the magical world just outside those windows. I have been waiting for this day!
MGM’s backlots have been supercharged with activity for the last year. You could feel the suspense mounting in the air. Everyone knew it was a buildup to something huge. Knowing full well that today is the day, I leap out of bed, while wondering how they’re going to bring a 40 foot great ape to life. I can’t reckon how they might do it, but if anyone can, it’s Carlo Rambaldi.
The deep announcer voice on every morning radio station interrupts each song with breaking news…
Needed tonight! 4000 extras for a motion picture spectacular, entitled KING KONG! Come on down! Doors open at 5PM!
All morning and into the afternoon, this becomes The Buzz around town…
Everywhere I go today, I hear people talking about it… Have you heard about the remake of the classic King Kong? A new movie about a giant ape! And a new—unknown— leading lady! A 40-foot mechanical gorilla that moves! The anticipation was in the streets, on the schoolyard, in the supermarkets, and in the air. I can’t believe what I’m seeing, yet I live here. It feels like the 4th of July.
The tickets were easy enough to get. Heck, they’ve been giving them away like Halloween candy, so, like a good little lad, I go and line up with 4000 other law-abiding citizens. And so, here I stand… in a line that quickly wraps itself around the block.
I watch the flurry of action taking place all around me… people cutting into line, others yelling to curious onlookers, and cars driving by slowly, to get a good look at this historic event. Meanwhile, the 4000 extras quickly turns into 6000.
Folks are being turned away. It’s first come first serve. And some get rowdy. The circus begins to turn into a night at the fights. Many yell as they are ushered away, while demanding to talk to someone in charge. Soylent Green was the last big mob show here, but this is five times that size.
A special processing gate for non-studio employees gets opened up, close to the old caretaker’s house—the one Maureen and I once “occupied.” It’s downright unruly out here! And they have to escort those who truly belong here, through special entrance doors.
They begin to test the lights from crane towers, as technicians climb up and down scaffolding, to fine tune the details. A huge Petrox gas pump covers our giant robotic star. No one can see what they came to see, yet. The lucky 4000 get herded into bleachers that represent Shea Stadium, in NYC.
This entire story and chronicles of all backlot scenes are in my book-(The Uninvited Visitor)
This Helicopter hovers over my house, which is just beyond this set. Jessica Lange and Charles Grodin are inside, Dwan happens to be sick to her stomach being inside this hovering tin can.
“This copter can’t land fast enough” says Jessica Lange
One of -if not the most grand scene ever done on the MGM Backlot. I was one proud Poppa!
TIME Magazine – Kong truly is a Rolling Stone.
Only in Hollywood-a recreation of Dwan being offered up to Kong from an offering from the natives of Skull Island. A promo for Petrox Oil Corporation who discovered and captured this…Beast!
This mini Kong was used for 90% of filming, inside this costume is Rick Baker, the best effects guy in Hollywood. Tonight, this feature breaks out the 40 ft. version that the producer Dino DeLaurentis has fantasized about.
Director John Guillermin, always with a briar pipe in one hand and a megaphone in his other.
Artificial Intelligence has Kong in it’s data base in 2026
This is what 4000 extras look like anticipating the big ape.
Hydraulic controls-like an airplane uses, this has 9 operators controlling every robotic body part, like an orchestra of effects.
Put a Tiger in your tank!
I am postured beneath Dwan next to the alter in this scene where the robot Kong makes his appearance. But don’t worry, this cage is certified by the New York Port authority, nothing can go wrong…
But LOVE finds a way, the Beast is on the loose…
“I’m FREE” -Look out New York!
Disco Kong pose- Saturday Night Fever.
Cut to the opening scene of Kong…Fade in page 1, below…
As we set sail…
My credentials is this IATSE Union card.
Same green card—I could get on that ship.
Welcome aboard…
Script-page 1
Skull Island-Culver City – MGM Backlot. It took several months to build this set.
These native scenes could be heard while I was in class at Culver High, Drums and chants of Kong, Kong. Naturally, my school attendance dropped way off-I wanted to learn about movies.
This camera, several cast watches, all came up missing one night shutting down production.
Natives, bussed in from Long Beach- do to SAG being unable to provide this many African Americans, became a problem on set.Not all “natives” wanted to leave and many busses went back half empty. Drugs were being used, one native fell off the wall – under the influence. Many extras just stayed hidden on the lot, waisted, no hurry to go anywhere. Because of a large theft, called an inside job, production shot all the native background scenes in a row to no longer need what turned into safety issues. A Culver City Policeman on set gave us the lowdown on the theft, the drugs and the suspects that were under scrutiny. Uniformed police came on board after the chaos these scenes were creating. A search of the lot was done, every street, every building to get the lot secure with so much valuable stuff set up on this “Hot Set”
Petrox Oil Company scouting for oil, when the natives spot the “white men”
Above: Script pages by Lorenzo Semple Jr., with page one fade in… sheet right above is for camera
Above: If you can, read my handwritten notes! I wrote them when I got home, while sitting cross legged on my floor, at 3:35 am. Next to it, my transcription… interpreting myself 44 years later!
Finally, notice that I was at Desilu earlier that afternoon. No more sets were standing… just trees—the only sad part about this spectacular evening.
My Black and Whites from that night
Late, late, late at night -most extras went home. Attendance declined every night the public was allowed inside, the boring side of Hollywood and all the waiting required when dealing with tech ended up wearing off what was- intoxicating ambrosia…
Neighbors with homes outside the studio started complaining -lights, noise etc. My family didn’t complain, we love this studio.
Jessica had her trailer parked along side Jeff Bridges’s trailer infant of the Colonial Mansion on the MGM Backlot in the shadow of the giant walls. Jessica would play with her dog, Jeff would strum his guitar killing time when not needed on set.
A “must read” if you enjoyed this film, a 70’s classic.
He’s describing my-” place of worship.” Little does Bruce know, another blockbuster would move in fixing up all these sets. A year later we welcomed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Just when you think you have seen it all-Bring in Rockstars!
2026 meets 1976 – A trespasser’s tale recreated with A.I.
`On Stage 27-another hand sequence, a very delicate actress is about to have her ribs crushed-it’s impossible for special effects to know just what is too much hydraulic pressure. This hand is capable of squeezing Jessica to death. We can’t use her double because it has to be our star in close ups.
A picture I took on this very night… I could not get any closer if I tried! Jessica makes eye contact with me as I shoot this; she is wearing a coat over her sparkling dress, in between scenes.
I love Grips…
Interesting, since Culver City Police told me this theft was committed by “The Natives” and all scenes involving these extras must be completed A.S.A.P. People of interest in this official piece of information were the “natives” with all the wild goings on behind the scenes. Inside job is more like it. Someone who knows the lot, that can outsmart security, and can infiltrate the set through dark passageways and had access to keys. There is much more to this story, take it from me. Costumes, weapons, guns and bows and arrows, and fearsome masks also were inside this trailer. Looting Movie Sets is American as Apple Pie, at least at MGM anyway.
A man with a vision, who doesn’t take “NO” for an answer. In my career at Universal, Dino DeLaurentis had his office in the producer bungalows-inside was a statue of King Kong. Very impressive piece of art. Dino’s vision who overcame every immense obstacle in his path.
A personal note from me—
I lived amongst this set from start to finish. It is still a cherished memory from a special time and place. I have, throughout the course of my career, worked on several blockbusters, but this one stole my heart. I will forever be attached to this Kong and I have a book load of crazy stories and random events from the filming of this iconic movie. Until I finish that, I hope you enjoyed this story… one that took place exactly 50 years ago, this week.
When these towers collapsed, a Kong museum on the top floor would disappear forever. Considering what took place, this film will keep these towers captured forever. As well as the film “The Wire.” 2008-French legend Phillippe Petit actually walked from one tower to the other on a wire. He trespassed his way to the roof -if you want the best adventure I’ve ever heard and wish to see the roof top, no recreation, entirely real, see the documentary, or the Robert Zemeckis (The Walk) 2015.
Saddest page in the script by Lorenzo Semple Jr.
“When my Ape dies-people are going to cry !” quote from Dino DeLaurentis in thick Italian dialect.
Classic 70’s
Written and lived by- Donnie Norden
Phantom of the Backlots 