Rare A and B sheets from the 1933 RKO Production of The Son of Kong
are going up for auction in the July 14, 2006 Heritage Movie Poster Auction.
The history of the film itself is, well, pure Hollywood.

In 1932, RKO
Radio Pictures, the studio that had released such notable pictures as
Cimarron (1931), Bird of Paradise (1932) and The Most Dangerous
Game (1932), was in trouble. Several years of executive mismanagement,
coupled with the effects of a Depression that was crippling the nation, had
plunged the company into bankruptcy. It was a dark time for the studio, and they
needed a miracle to survive.

What they got, courtesy of directors Merian
C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and producer David O. Selznik, not to
mention the groundbreaking and visually stunning stop-motion animations of
Willis O’Brien, was the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

King
Kong premiered on March 2, 1933 and was an instant box office smash. Costing a
reported $670,000 to make, the film grossed better than $10 million in its
initial domestic release and became an overnight classic (remember that in the
early 1930s, movie tickets cost, on average, between 25 and 35 cents, and that
figure becomes even more impressive).

Not one to ignore a moneymaker,
Schoedsack was quick to exploit the franchise (Cooper gave up directing after
Kong, in order to assume the duties of Producer on a full-time basis. He’s
credited as Executive Producer in Son). Virtually as soon as King Kong
hit the theaters, Schoedsack was beginning the process of creating a sequel. The
only problem: the titular star lay dead at the base of the Empire State
Building.

No problem. If Schoedsack couldn’t have Kong Sr., he’d take
Kong Jr. instead. And thus Son of Kong was born. Rushed onto the RKO schedule,
with Robert Armstrong reprising his role as Carl Denham and Willis O’Brien
supplying the special effects, production began on March 31, 1933, and the film
debuted on December 22 of that same year. It has since won a special place in
the hearts of Kong fans worldwide for its outstanding effects and gentle good
humor.

“As the film was created and distributed so quickly, RKO
barely had the time to put together a proper promotional campaign for Son of
Kong,” said Grey Smith, Director of Movie Poster Auctions for
Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. “There were two styles of one
sheet released for this film, and two styles of three sheet, all of which are
exceptionally rare today. Of the four poster styles, the Style A one sheet and
three sheet don’t show Kiko – the name given to the Son of Kong, although it is
never used in the film – while the Style B three sheet shows only his face and
arm as he sinks beneath the waves while throwing co-star Helen Mack to safety.
The Style B one sheet, with Kiko holding Mack in a protective grip, is by far
the most desirable piece from this classic film.”

“I’m very
proud to be able to offer beautiful examples of both the Style A and Style B one
sheets in our upcoming auction,” said Smith. “Both feature lovely
stone litho artwork, and both are in exceptional condition, featuring super rich
color and clean, off-white paper. To find one of these posters in an auction is
an exciting event, but to have the opportunity to bid on both is unheard
of.”

Both posters will be offered in Heritage Auction Galleries’
upcoming Vintage Movie Poster Signature Auction, to be held July 14, 2006 in
Dallas, Texas. For more information, or to bid online, please visit www.HeritageAuctions.com/MoviePosters.