Released in 1933, the original King Kong is an epic and magical examination of the unknown mysteries of nature and what happens when these forces are unleashed in our closed, manmade environment. For those living under a rock somewhere, the story involves director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) looking to shoot a picture on Skull Island with his handpicked heroine Ann Darrow (Fay Wray). Along for muscle is Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). After the production crew land on the island, the natives capture Darrow as an offering to the giant ape King Kong. Instead of devouring her, Kong takes her to his lair; however, the crew rescue her after fighting dinosaurs and other hazards on the island. They also capture Kong, and Denham decides to scrap the picture in favor of showing the giant ape as a freak show in New York City. Of course Kong escapes to find Darrow until things are decided on top of the Empire State Building. Though this film was directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, the movie is so effective due to the truly artistic work of animator Willis H. O'Brien and his stop-motion effects that remain effective even today. The bottom line is that King Kong is one of those films that are part of the common American experience (and beyond) as evidenced by how often the scenes have been alluded to in other media (eg the Cars' video for You Might Think).