any science-fiction fans probably don't realize that King Kong was actually the middle segment in a loose trilogy of classic jungle movies. Due to budgetary considerations, the picture's producers were forced to use the same sets--and much of the same cast and crew--for two other films: The Most Dangerous Game (1932) and The Son of Kong (1933). Composer Max Steiner's music from King Kong also enriched these features. A new CD offers reconstructed and re-recorded renditions of his spirited accompaniment for this pair of relatively uncelebrated motion pictures.
Traces of various themes used in King Kong occur throughout the 17 cues devoted to The Son of Kong. Cuts like "Main Title," "Quicksand--Little Kong" and "Finale" all carry hints of the famous three-note sequence used to signify the mammoth ape in the original movie, while "Forgotten Island" and "Campfire at Night" contain some of the same elements utilized in the earlier adventure to indicate the mysterious Skull Island. Yet the score also includes a number of altogether fresh works, including a spunky, recurring theme for Little Kong and a melancholy motif that appears throughout the film in different incarnations on such tracks as "An Offer of Help," "Memories" and the aptly titled "Runaway Blues."
The Most Dangerous Game is represented on the album by 15 compositions, and although the picture isn't directly part of the Kong saga, Steiner's music does reflect a similar degree of liveliness and artistry. Themes for the various characters, including Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks) and Eve Trowbridge (King Kong's Fay Wray), are clearly evident on tunes like "Agitato," "The Count Approaches" and "The Fight," with particularly energetic melodies--especially "The Chase" and "The Waterfall"--devoted to the film's life-or-death contest.
Max Steiner sure got Game
Few true-blue Kong aficionados would argue that either The Son of Kong or The Most Dangerous Game are as monumental or memorable as King Kong. Nonetheless, these two films are exceptionally likeable and zestful. A significant element in their success is Steiner's music,
which admirably augments both productions and--more than 65 years later--remains refreshing and robust.
The lighthearted air of The Son of Kong is wonderfully captured in "Finger Fixings," an expressive tune heard during a scene in which the youthful ape's injured finger is bandaged. A soft violin plays the youngster's mischievous leitmotif, followed by a subtle iteration of King Kong's distinguished theme and, toward the end of the cue, an outburst of frisky trumpets and woodwinds. At the same time, works like the brief "The Styracosaur," with its tumultuous brass hubbub, and "Fire!", which uses skittering piccolos and clarinets to simulate the effects of a raging conflagration, showcase Steiner's ability to score intense, action-oriented situations.
The Most Dangerous Game spotlights a substantially more somber tone. Trembling strings dominate "The Iron Door," a creepy cut that signals the start of the Count's hunt, just as "Misterioso Dramatico" employs subdued horns and restrained percussion to emphasize the fear, confusion and utter exhaustion of his human prey. Movie-music historian John Morgan's reconstruction of the melodies is uniformly excellent, as is the performance of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, conducted by William T. Stromberg. As full-blown feature films, The Son of Kong and The Most Dangerous Game certainly don't warrant the same time-honored adoration as the venerable King Kong. However, this impressive collection reveals that their often-overlooked scores doubtless deserve to be remembered and revered.
