Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the old ship sitting out there, the s S. Sumatra,
a good ship, but I never want to sail with
her again. I was her captain for many years, mostly
the South Pacific, Surabah, the Philippines, Java, Ceylon, and up
and down the west coast of India. Ah. We had adventures,
this old steel lady and me, but the last one
was the worst one. It was a long time ago,
but I'll never forget it. I still wake up at
night screaming, and I don't scare easily. The newspapers carried
the story of Khan. King Khan was what Denhim called
the beast who was Denhim? I'll tell you the story
about Denham, Driscoll Anne and the monster King Kong. I
first met Denham. I think it was in nineteen thirty two. Yeah.
We were laid up here in New York, har no cargo,
no credit, a full crew to pay, and I had
no money. It was winter, a heavy snow, Christmas coming.
And if the devil came up that gameplay and asked
me to sail him to help, if he had the money,
I would have given him the best cabin and sailed
on the first time. This was my cabin. I remember
sitting here very worried when Riskll, my first mate, knocked
on the door. Come the man came aboard. Captain says
he must see you, mister Driskell. If he's a bill collector,
tell him i' jumped ship.
Speaker 2: He drove to the darkness a driven car.
Speaker 1: So well, and don't stand that. Tell him I'll be
delighted to see here. That's what he said, Go, sir,
Captain angel Horn. Mister Denham, sit down, sir, thank yo.
And what can I do for you?
Speaker 2: Captain? I want to charter your boats.
Speaker 3: I'm Denham of Denim Motion Pictures Incorporated. My company makes
travel films.
Speaker 2: I want you to.
Speaker 3: Take me my cameraman an accurate too, to the southwest Pacific.
Speaker 1: I've been told you're familiar with the area, more than familiar.
The Pacific is where I got my sea legs and
learn my trade. Where exactly is your destination That's something
I can't tell you until we get there. Where her
ship must have a destination or point on the chart
to say to mister.
Speaker 3: Denham, I have the exact longitude and latitude. I'll give
them to you after we reach the East Indies. Now
for the services of your ship through yourself.
Speaker 2: I'm prepared to pay you more than.
Speaker 1: Generous a more than generous sum. Well, times were bad,
and the sailor might just as well be a farmer
if he's not at sea. I agree you to mister
Denim's deal, but if I could have seen a head,
I would have thrown mister Denham overboard the cure that.
Speaker 2: Number three hats.
Speaker 1: All way easy now, mister Driscol, Sir, I want to
hoist anchors and sail on the ebb tide, anxious to
get on the way. I get sick living out shore
too long. Well, angine room reports, steamer is up the boat,
and I'll be glad to get away from this cold
oh heading south, south and east. And that's all I know.
The Geenim is punctual. Send two men down to help
him with his gear. Mister Purscoll, Sir, is a woman
with him. I recognize the outlines, mister Dresco, two men
for along and make credit to cast off mister drescoll Is, Sir.
Denim and his movie people came aboard and were shown
to their cabins below. Decks and Darrow, a beautiful young
lady was an out of work actress who asked no questions.
She had a job and the idea of spending time
in the tropics, appealed to her stand by to cast off.
Speaker 4: All lines, single lap, mister Piscoll, They on on off,
cast off, mister Prescoll.
Speaker 2: Let's go for.
Speaker 1: Helmsman, alluster slow. Let the tide taker, Hi is.
Speaker 5: On a portafort yourself, ill made chips, the chips yourself, all.
Speaker 1: The head slow or heads take over the helm, mister Fisko,
I'll give you the new course. Let me clear the
amberorse light.
Speaker 6: Sir, I relieve an answer.
Speaker 1: I'll be belowd to check with our passengers. M I
tried very hard to be friendly with mister Denham, but
that was very difficult. So we arrived at a working agreement.
He was in charge of his group. I was in
charge of the ship. But nothing I would say would
get Denham to give me the slightest hint of our destination.
I even had Drisco speak with the girl. He was
at that time a handsome young man, and I knew
he upheld the traditions of the sea by having a
girl in every four. No. No, I'm not much of
an actress, just a beginner, and this is quite a
chance for me. What are you supposed to do? Has
Dnham shown you a script? No, he said we'd play
the scenes as they happened. It's a travelog, So I
suppose I'll be sitting around watching Naidens dance or fish
or hunt or something like that. That doesn't seem like
too much. I'm the only actor in the company, so
it'll be plenty for meage.
Speaker 2: What do you think of our star?
Speaker 1: As pretty as I've ever seen, mister Danim. I thought
Sie easily talked that way in books. Oh, it is
a bit of truth and everything, miss Darrow.
Speaker 3: I might be able to use thatline, mister Driscollner, and
I want to run some film tests. The cameras set
up front of born Yeah, up ahead in the nose
of the boat.
Speaker 1: The flowers what it's called?
Speaker 2: Oh, you know what I mean? And put on some makeup, eyeshadow,
lipstick will.
Speaker 1: Take him for her.
Speaker 2: He's not much of a.
Speaker 1: Sailor, he'll learn a captain angel hanld toss him to
the sharks.
Speaker 2: Well, you better go along up to the nose in
the boat.
Speaker 1: Lenim had set up cameras up forward on the four
deck He had the girl leaning on a bla. The
weather was getting warmer as we're headed south. A good
ship for Comsie and people going about their work. Okay, yeah,
look around.
Speaker 2: Roller cameras.
Speaker 1: Action and look you're right, I look left, I look
at me.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 3: Now you see something you don't know what it is.
Slowly now you're amazed by it. Hold let now you
become frightened. It's nothing you've ever seen before. It's coming closer, closer, closer.
You're too frightened to run.
Speaker 1: You help us. You can't scream, you're trying to hide
it from your eyes.
Speaker 2: Good, I'll scream, scream, scream for your life.
Speaker 3: It was only your simple scream says, just to see
how well Anne can follow direction.
Speaker 1: But mister Danimitch would seem to me you had some
purpose of four. Kid was terrified. She's in her cabin now.
Won't let anyone come nearer.
Speaker 2: That just me, and she's a good actress.
Speaker 1: There's something you're not telling us, Denham.
Speaker 3: That's perfectly correct, mister, and I don't intend it sate
until I'm ready.
Speaker 1: You'll tell us now then, I love mister.
Speaker 2: I charted this ship. You go where I tell you
that go.
Speaker 3: And when I tell my actress to scream, she screams,
and it's none of your pristinas.
Speaker 1: Saler hell, mister belaters semper, mister distal, you will go
on deck and cool your temper. Mister Denham, you will
go below, for you're kevin.
Speaker 2: I don't give me any orders. I don't go downstairs
or anybody.
Speaker 1: The expression is below, mister Denham. I am asked our
life and death of all this vessels, and you will
go below, or I will have you left in the brig.
Break means a prison, mister Denim. Mister driscoll I, sir,
you better behave as a first mate should if you
expect to man your own ship. You cannot make clear
decisions when your mind is muddled with personal feelings. The
safety of the ship and her crew is your first concern.
You can break Denhim's neck when we are safe in court?
Speaker 2: Is that clear?
Speaker 1: Aye?
Speaker 2: Ay, sir?
Speaker 1: Very clear? Somewheres or Hatteras we ran into bad weather.
The waves were running high and the sea broke over
the bridge. This sometimes happens in a storm. We shook
loose some of the tard I send bristle below to
make everything secure. He was a good sailor, so I
left it all in his hands. But below decks in
number two hold, this is the captain. You can't please
you problems, mister Drisco. Yes, sir, you're gonna give a technic.
In the older type ships, you had to cross the
deck to get to the card with matches. Safety lines
were rigged and I held down for fear life. As
I crossed the deck to number two hold. I was
annoyed with Bristol, but I knew he would never call
me unless he had a good pleason these crates toorlose. Captain.
This one broke open. Tend him. Denham has enough here
to start a war. Dynamites, hand grenades. There's a case
of high powered rifles, ammunition, gas grenades. Why would he
need these to make movies? Yes, sir, that's what I
was wondering. Just nail up the crates and say nothing,
I said. Denham said, all he was carrying was motion
picture equipment and supplies for six months. As far as
I'm concerned, that's all he's carrying us. We know of
nothing else. None of these guns and dynamite will be
unloaded from the ship. Keep the hatch closed and locked,
mister Driscott, and give me the keys. We made good
time on our way through the Panama Canal into the Pacific,
through every type of weather. Now the skies were clear
and blue as the days grew from warm to a
heart on a course of south by west past Pittgarn
Island proper, then along the Tropic of Capricorn, or almost
to the fijis then at twenty degrees south latitude and
one hundred and sixty degrees longitude west from Greenwich, with
New Caledonia dead ahead, Come ah, mister Benham, Captain, I
believe we've been making excellent time. It depends on where
we're heading.
Speaker 2: You know, Lord Howe Island did.
Speaker 1: South of us, mister Benham, and changed.
Speaker 3: Course southeast and Howe Island to forty degrees south and
one hundred and forty degrees twenty minutes east latitude.
Speaker 2: That's our destination.
Speaker 1: My charts show no islands there.
Speaker 2: That's the fall of the charts. Captain. I assure you
that there is an island there, and that is our destination.
Speaker 1: And for what reason, mister Benham.
Speaker 3: The weirdest, wildest, most impossible thing you've ever seen. I'm
going to make a movie, the lights of which has
never been made before. Have you ever heard of the
word Khan? There are many things I haven't heard, and I, Captain,
I first heard about Khan some five years ago.
Speaker 2: The man who told me was Mad Raving.
Speaker 3: I would have dismissed the whole story if I hadn't
seen a few feet of film he brought back. What
I saw was enough to start me on my way,
and frankly, Captain, that we're almost there.
Speaker 2: I'm a little scared.
Speaker 1: You are the first man to be scared by a rumor.
Speaker 2: You forget the film.
Speaker 1: I include the film. You know, lights and shadows make
strange images. That is all your cong is. Believe me.
Speaker 2: Part of me would like to believe you, But the
other half knows better.
Speaker 1: Then what is Kong if not imagination?
Speaker 3: Not imagination? Captain Kang is some strange kind of giant beast.
Speaker 1: Elms run all ahead, slow.
Speaker 2: Going on past helpers from one ground.
Speaker 1: Elms run all stop, Let go the anchors, mister Drisco.
Speaker 2: Cap mag hawn Capnagwatch do you hear the drums?
Speaker 1: Nothing unusual about drums in this part of the world.
All away, number one boat, Mister whisper the number one boat.
We headed for shore. As the closer we came to
the island, the more I was sorry. We left our
guns aboard the Samantra. The beach was lined with Native
warriors armed with spears and shears. I would not call
it a hospitable welcome. Behind the beach, the forest began,
and rising above the trees, a most incredible sight, a
wall perhaps forty feet high, made all of stone and
running the length of the island as far as I
could see. I looked at Denim and remembered the story
he had told of Klan. For the first time, I
began to believe that he was telling the truth. Anything
seemed possible. Now, need to just the look that Native girl.
Speaker 2: Captain.
Speaker 1: There in the center, there's a girl tied hand and foot.
Stand to mister Fiscal, don't try to be a hero.
These people have their own customs. Listen now, all of you,
if you're fighting, don't show it. This is good acting
practice for all of us. Mister Denham, you go this
one tupple trait or not belong been chief. We come
from Poway ship sails very long time. Be here, Pung
come not for you come might did killer with your girl.
Speaker 6: She go stay along with one year time the sacrifice
your woman with gold hair, you give you great gone,
I give you.
Speaker 1: Friscal Get hand out of air. Back to the boat.
Move great chief, woman with golden hair, not for cong
she belonged to us. Get him stop back slowly, No panic,
mighty chief, very powerful me chief, I'm more powerful well,
with golden hair below me. Get them moved back. He's
thinking it over. Then he makes up his mind. We'd
better be off this highland h It was a closed cores.
We had raised the boat beyond the breakers. When the
Natives reached the beach safe on board the ship. I
tried to get Denham to leave the island, but his
desire for making movies got the better of his judgment.
I agreed to stay when he promised he'd leave Anne
aboard ship. The drums sounded throughout the night. We could
see the flickering campfires on the beach. I thought of
that poor native girl tied up as a sacrifice for Kung.
We slept fitfully that night. Then sometime during the middle watch,
Driscoll informedly that Anne was missing. We searched the ship,
but she had gone. Anne had been taken by a
war party of natives who had climbed aboard and captured her,
and was to be a sacrifice.
Speaker 2: To come.
Speaker 1: From the sounds coming from the island, there was a
little time for action. Mister Driscoll, p sir, If five
men open up number two, Old mister Denham, I will
overlook your bringing arms aboard this ship without permission. You
will come along with the party. I'm the double, mister Driscoll.
See that rifles, ammunition, hand grenades, gas grenase. You should
all the men now you go to call see him.
These villas.
Speaker 6: We'll make song, tell children story. A woman were called head.
H you wait all client, make you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've never seen anything that used. Mister Kennam,
we should have brought cannon. Rifles will be a bit
use against a monster that so we must get on.
We can't leave her. No one is leaving a girl.
What can we fight?
Speaker 4: You can stay here and.
Speaker 1: Discuss what you're going to do. I'm going after calm
Hung like an Every tank broke through the rainfall. Trees
had fallen before him, and he left footprints twelve feet long.
From time to time we could see Kung's great head
over the treetops. This was a nightmare world we had
come to. We were now in what seemed to be
a slice of prehistoric times which somehow found a way
to survive until now. All around us were gigantic furls,
strange trees and animals great ulicus that should have been
long since then. Had it not been for the thought
of the girl, I would have turned back many times.
I am brave enough in the world, I know, But
here the trail of Khan led us through what looked
like a prehistoric wing of a museum come to life. Denham,
in spite of the dangers, took time to identify the
beasts as we saw them. Staggosaurus, serrah, taps, Megatherium, magasyrups,
hynadem nine things, crawling things. It would have interested me
more if they didn't look at us like we were
a good meal on the move. He's up ahead, Captain,
What about hand alive?
Speaker 6: So far?
Speaker 1: How far ahead? Krawng is across a deep ravine about
a thousand feet dropped to the back, maybe a hundred
feet across. There might be a way to go around
if the girl is alive. We cannot take the chance
of going around. I had the men cut down a
large street and wrap it across the chasm to use
it as a bitch. On the other side, I could
see Kanan. I was certain we were near his lair.
First I sent four of my men across. The beast
saw them. He gently placed the hand down on the ground,
and then he started for the log. Those four men
held down for dear life as that giant monster shook
and rolled the log. Finally, Hong lifted a hundred good
tree and slammed it back on the road. The log
was cracked, but in place across the chasm. The poor
men were dead, and kan guarded the far edge of
the chasm. We had no choice but to go back
and was lost over there. What kind of beast is that?
It's going for an hired a scat off com seed it?
Speaker 2: What is that thing?
Speaker 3: Cats come exactly something like tranasaur?
Speaker 1: Hell? Are you sinkers?
Speaker 6: A man.
Speaker 1: Listened that the brigs nor a constance come to runs
while we modern men armed with modern weapons, who power
us to be anything? While they took giants foot Bristol
picked up and who had fainted from shop and raced
across the crack tree which lay across the chasm. Long
had defeated a dirty foot lizard that stood eighteen feet tall.
Long would catch us. There was no escape nor place
of safety, except maybe one that was down the side
of the chasm, to the rushing river. We started down.
Klan stood above us, glaring down at us, the guilty
as what time not to kill us. I couldn't understand
why he let us live. And then I realized that monstrosity,
that relic from a million years.
Speaker 2: Ago had a heart.
Speaker 1: It didn't want to her, the girl, Kong seemed almost human.
Then I almost knew what he would do next. He
would meet us down stream, some place where he could
get Ann without harming her and kill the rest of us.
It led deep the middle of the river while Kan
followed us along the banks, roaring and beating his chest.
And then we saw the rock Carol that led the
river underneath the huge wall out to safety. Kong left
us little choice. He dried, smiling at each other, then
took deep breath and let the current carry us through
to the other side of the wall and safety. And
and you are right thing, that horrible thing I thought
I was losing my mind. I'll never be able to
forget it never never, as long as I live.
Speaker 2: Think about it. That's the end of Kong. Captain. We'd
make a fortune if we could bring Khan alive to
the States.
Speaker 1: I'd rather be alive, see captain, mister Denham, just think
about it.
Speaker 2: GenAm Enterprises presents King Khan Ravo.
Speaker 1: I don't think that big Ape would sign a contract.
Speaker 3: Dini.
Speaker 1: Go ahead and ask him. Run for the shore. Go on, run,
I'm gonna try and get him.
Speaker 2: He'll rip you to bits.
Speaker 6: Dan him.
Speaker 1: Come, I'm like a couple of gast knights.
Speaker 2: Want to stop him. Dead time longer under one in front.
Speaker 1: Money. Three of those were put a regiment asleep. It's
impossible complain to the company who made them get to
the boat. Come on, Tonim.
Speaker 2: Oh wait, the gasconades they're working.
Speaker 1: Mister Denham. I think you're a very brave but foolish man.
He's all yours.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's all ah.
Speaker 1: And Denim his old mine. I'll take him to the boat,
poor cong. He looks so harmless now. It took most
of the day to get Kung out to the ship
and placed in the hole. I had anchorchained well over
the hatch. We had a pretty good prison for the
giant dape Kong was beaten and knew it. He did
nothing except now and then trying to knock out the
size of the ship. Only and could calm him down.
She would stand by the hatchway and speak to the beasts,
poor thing, poor calm.
Speaker 2: No one will hurt you, and it's here.
Speaker 3: Couldn't hurt him if we tried a little sad to
see anything, and kept Oh.
Speaker 1: He's done enough damage in his day, and he was
only protecting himself, and we were only trying to protect you.
Speaker 7: Rare you, Let's get away from your friend.
Speaker 1: There is an old sailor's lish, calm sea and prosperous
voyage which we had going back. Mister Driskell and Anne
asked me to be best man, but I was captain
and couldn't marry them. If I accepted that honor, mister
Denham was best man. Anne and Driscoll became man and wife.
When we sailed into New York Harbor, we were a
happy ship, carrying the strangest cargo ever to come into
that port. Denham had theare rented in the middle of
New York City in Times Square. There were plenty who'd
pay to see this prehistoric killer, and just as many
who thought Kong was a fake but would pay just
to ooh and ah, Kang was no longer the beast
from that prehistoric junger. He was frightened and beaten, and
he went wherever Denim took them. Kong seemed like some
monstrous organ grinder's monkeys. It was the first night that
one was to be shown. The theater was plastered with
signs King Kong, the name Denham had given the Great Ape.
Denham asked me to be in the audience to introduce
me as the captain who shared all the dangers. Briscol
and Anne were also there. Denham said love interest was
very important in spite of himself, he was a brave man,
and that he had to respect the Griptain went up, perdies.
Speaker 8: And gentlemen, a peace out of history, out of place,
out of time, a sight once seen by cavemen, but
never before viewed by modern man.
Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen. King hang Long, rightful by the sounds
of a strange world, began pulling at his huge change.
He looked out into the audience, and he saw her,
and we rushed her out of the theater. As the
crowds panicked, Kung trampled them as he went after and
Kong loose in the city. Police and fire departsmans useless.
As Kung began his search for the girl, the city
came to a stop. No place was saying, there was
no place to find as Kong raged up and down
the streets, crushing everything in his way. Bristol and I
hurried and back to the ship with the idea of
getting underway and out to sea. But we never would
have made Kong with that logic. Peculia to the great
hats made his way to the river and to the ship.
He saw us, he saw an, and then the great
monster reached out. He took can.
Speaker 3: On the Air Force Roosevelt Field norms of the basebeam. Yes, sir,
there's a fighter squandering. Well, I suggest you call the zoo.
We don't handle monkey's here.
Speaker 2: What you're kidding.
Speaker 3: Right away, all balts man, your planes condition red, rub
peat condition red.
Speaker 2: This is not an exercise. Repeat, this is not an exercise.
Speaker 1: Undestroyed all in his way. All we can two was
to forrow. It was impossible to shoot at him for
fear of hitting Anne Hung in a panic, looking for
safety found the only place he thought he would be safe.
Slowly carrying and gently in one floor, he began to
climb the Empire State Building, one hundred and two stories
into the air, over one thousand feet from the ground.
The crowds below were silent for fear. The only sound
was Anne suddenly from a long way away, the sound
of Pope for the city and maybe the end for Anne.
The fighter planes were coming in biplanes, each with two
machine guns and a few bombs. Driscal heard them and
started into the building, pushing through the line of police.
John was just raking and there they was nine fighter place.
He's flying straight, thoughts com He held the girl, eye
up in the air. The planes soomed away. Red Leader, that.
Speaker 7: Thing's holding her girl in his poem, check come around
for another pass, Go on fire unto last signal, Red Leader,
to all elements, forget.
Speaker 1: The girl, shoot the care can't do.
Speaker 7: Perhaps eight million people in that city down there only
one girl up here.
Speaker 2: Follow me in fein Off. He's putting her down.
Speaker 1: My god, what kind of a thing is that?
Speaker 2: Your name it? I'll feed it here I go.
Speaker 1: I could only see come put the girl down, and
hoped that Driscoll had pulled her to safety. The fighters,
with one plane missing, now continued making their runs on Khan,
and he stood there pawing at them, trying to swipe
them out of the air, modern bees against a giant.
How much could come take? How many bullets? I don't
know how long a though, all I could see was
cong weaving back and forth, always trying to fight off
the planes, a monster fighting for us life. And then
Khan began to top up to stagger. The police pushed
the crowds back back. The planes made one more run.
And that is all the story of King King cong
A yesterday that lived to day, A story to frightened children. Unbelievable, impossible, incredible,
whatever you choose to call it, but I know it
to be the truth.