30 quotes
Ambition and Exploitation in King Kong's World
Carl Denham
We'll give him more than chains. He's always been king of his world!! But we'll teach him fear. We're millionaires, boys! I'll share it with all of you. In a few months, his name will be up in lights on Broadway! Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Role of Laughter in Performance
Ann Darrow
I make people laugh, that's what I do. So... good luck with your picture.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Facing the Truth in Deception
Carl Denham
Dammit, Preston, all you had to do was look her in the eye and lie!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Transience of Defeat
Carl Denham
Defeat is always momentary.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Expertise in Investor Management
Carl Denham
Don't worry, Preston, I've had a lot of practice at this. I'm real good at scaring away the investors.
[after escaping angry studio executives]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Impermanence of Good Things
Ann Darrow
Good things never last, Mr. Denham.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Celebrating the Hero of the Story
Carl Denham
And now, we have in the auditorium tonight... a surprise guest. The real-life hero of this story. The man who hunted down the mighty Kong! The man who risked all to win the freedom of a helpless female. A big hand for Mr. Bruce Baxter!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Reflections on Actors and Their Journeys
Jack Driscoll
Actors. They travel the world, but all they ever see is a mirror.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Courage in the Face of Fear
Jimmy
I'm not a coward. I ain't gonna run.
[to Hayes, after being told to run if they encounter any danger]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Shocking Discovery of Violence and Chaos
Lumpy
Good Lord, it's a bleeding ]! They've been ripped limb from limb!
[at the killing ground, where the hundreds of Kong's victims have been left to rot; [w:boneyard|boneyard]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Uncharted Island Discovery Changes Film Direction
Zelman
What location, Carl?! You're supposed to be shooting on the back lot!
[learning that Carl has hired a ship to get to a location for his picture]
Carl Denham
Yes, I understand that, but fellas, we're not making that film anymore. And I'll tell you why. The story has changed. The script has been rewritten. Life... intervened. I've come into possession of a map. The sole surviving record of an uncharted island. A place that was thought to exist only in myth. Until now...
Zelman
Whoa, Carl, slow down.
Sleazy Studio Guy
Is he asking for more money?
Thuggish Studio Guy
He's asking us to fund a wild goose chase.
Carl Denham
Where we're going is the only place on Earth where the geese chase us! I'm talking about a primitive world, never before seen by man. The ruins of an entire civilization. The most spectacular thing you've ever seen. That's where I'll shoot my picture. So... any questions?
[After a moment's silence]
Sleazy Studio Guy
Will there be action?
Carl Denham
Yes.
Thuggish Studio Guy
Will there be mystery and drama?
Carl Denham
Yes.
Sleazy Studio Guy
Will there be... romance?
Carl Denham
Yes.
Thuggish Studio Guy
Will there be danger, terror and suspense?
Carl Denham
Yes!
Sleazy Studio Guy
Will the island natives be friendly or hostile?
Carl Denham
Well, that depends.
Thuggish Studio Guy
Depends on what?
Carl Denham
On which side they're on, and whether or not they might turn out to be... bloodthirsty savages. Any other questions?
[after a long pause]
Zelman
Are you sure this new picture will make a lot of money at the box office?
Carl Denham
Yes! Now, if there's nothing else...
Sleazy Studio Guy
Just one more question... if you don't mind my asking?
[raises his hand]
Carl Denham
Go ahead.
[After a moment's silence]
Sleazy Studio Guy
Will there be breasts?
Carl Denham
Breasts?!
[incredulous]
Sleazy Studio Guy
You know what I mean! Jigglies. Jiblonkas. Bazooms. You see, in my experience, people only go to these films to observe the undressed form of the native girls.
Carl Denham
What are you, an idiot? You think they asked ] if he would waste his time on nude shots? No! They respected the filmmaker! They showed some class! Not that you'd know what that means, you cheap lowlife! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you guys?
[[w:Cecil B. DeMille|DeMille; Zelman gives the thuggish studio guy an angry look]
Zelman
Actually, there is. Would you step outside for a moment, Carl?
Carl Denham
Gimme that!
[leaves the room and points to a glass of water]
Preston
You won't like it. It's non-alcoholic.
Carl Denham
Preston, you have a lot to learn about the motion picture business.
[emptying the water into a plant pot; he presses the glass against the door and listens intently]
Zelman
Don't write him off, fellas. He's hot-headed, sure. But up to now, Carl Denham's made some interesting pictures; he's had a lot of... near success.
Thuggish Studio Guy
He's a preening self-promoter... an ambitious no-talent! The guy has "loser" written all over him.
Zelman
Look, I understand your disappointment –
Thuggish Studio Guy
He's washed up. It's all over town!
Sleazy Studio Guy
He can't direct. He doesn't have the smarts.
Thuggish Studio Guy
This jumped-up little jerk's gonna bankrupt us!
Zelman
The animal footage has value?
Sleazy Studio Guy
Sure! Universal is desperate for stock footage!
Thuggish Studio Guy
Then sell it! Scrap the picture! We gotta retrieve something from this debacle.
Zelman
Get him back in.
[sighs]
Zelman's Assistant
Mister... Denham?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Defending Creative Freedom Against Legal Threats
Carl Denham
What are they going to do, sue me? They can get in line! I'm not gonna let em kill my film!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Beast and Beauty's Profound Encounter
Carl Denham
And lo, the Beast looked upon the face of Beauty, and Beauty stayed his hand. And from that day forward, he was as one dead.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The World's Demand for Spectacle
Carl Denham
The whole world will pay to see this.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Reflections on Life Before Drowning
Carl Denham
Just as you go down for the third and final time, as your head disappears beneath the waves, and your lungs fill with water, do you know what happens in those last precious seconds before you drown? Your whole life passes before your eyes... and if you've lived as a true American, you get to watch it all in color.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Allure of Mystery and Adventure
Carl Denham
There's still some mystery left in this world, and we can all have a piece of it. For the price of an admission ticket.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Appreciating Beauty in the Moment
Ann Darrow
It's beautiful. Beautiful. Beau-ti-ful.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Shared Adventures on a Tramp Steamer
Jimmy
Adventures on a tramp steamer, just like us!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Monsters and Their Place in Film
Carl Denham
Sorry, fellas, but you're gonna have to do better than that. Monsters belong in B-movies.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Character Conversation on Size and Expectations
Carl Denham
]'s a size four.
[[w:Fay Wray|Fay]
Preston
Yes, she is, but she's doing a ] with ].
[[w:King Kong (1933 film)|picture; [w:RKO Pictures|RKO]
Carl Denham
], huh? I might've known.
[bitter and defeated; [w:Merian C. Cooper|Cooper]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Resilience of Cockroaches in Adversity
Captain Englehorn
That's the thing about cockroaches. No matter how many times you flush them down the toilet, they always crawl back up the bowl.
[to Carl, whom he has just saved from a slimy demise in the insect pit]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Questioning the Nature of Adventure
Jimmy
It's not an adventure story. Is it, Mr. Hayes?
[referring to ''[[w:Heart of Darkness|Heart of Darkness]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Moment of Peace in Nature
Ann Darrow
Ahh... everything is so peaceful here.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Desperate Plea for Retreat and Rescue
Jack Driscoll
Stop, please! Stop! We have to turn back! They've taken Ann!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Eighth Wonder of the World Revealed
Carl Denham
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to tell you a very strange story. A story so strange that no one will believe it. But, ladies and gentlemen, seeing is believing. And we, my friends and I, have brought back the living proof of our story. The story of our adventure, in which 17 of our party suffered horrible deaths. But their sacrifices were not in vain. Their lives were lost in pursuit of a savage beast. A monstrous aberration of nature. But unlike other wild animals, even the meanest brute can be tamed. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, as you will see, the beast was no match for the charms of a young girl. A girl from New York who melted his heart, bringing to mind that old Arabian proverb: "And lo, the Beast looked upon the face of Beauty, and Beauty stayed his hand. And from that day forward, he was as one dead". And now ladies and gentlemen, before I tell you the story of our voyage, I'm going to show you the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld. He was more than just a god. He was a king in the world he knew, but he comes to you now a captive... a show to gratify your curiosity. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World! Don't be alarmed! It's perfectly safe! These chains are made of chrome steel. They are strong enough to hold a battleship!
[The curtain rises to reveal Kong, sitting on the stage, miserable, his limbs cuffed with gigantic chains. The audience gasps]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Destructive Nature of Love
Jack Driscoll
That's the thing you come to learn about Carl. His unfailing ability to destroy the things he loves.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Moment of Confusion in King Kong
Jack Driscoll
What is that?
[noticing the disturbing effigy of Kong on Carl's map]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Significance of a Giant Footprint
Lumpy
There's only one creature capable of leaving a footprint that size.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Limitations of Controlling Nature
Captain Englehorn
Forget it, Denham. No chains will ever hold a creature like that.
[to Carl, after being uncertain about him bringing Kong back to New York]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Touching the Beast: A Moment of Awe
Carl Denham
Observe if you will... ...I am touching the beast! I am actually laying my hands on the 25-foot gorilla!
[carefully puts his hand on Kong's arm. The audience gasps; Kong's hand twitches slightly, spooking Carl, causing him to jump. The audience laughs.]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.