Happy Birthday, You Big Ape

Who would have thought it? The great big ape who climbed the Empire State Building to court a scantily clad Fay Wray and fight off cute little biplanes is turning 75. Joining the Geritol generation.

King Kong, the original depression-era blockbuster with its quaint stop-motion techniques, swept the nation in 1933 and still has more than a little charm. I especially love the Skull Island scenes where Kong battles a pterodactyl and all sorts of out-sized foes to win his lady love, yet somehow gets subdued by a boatload of tiny little mammals with big brains who haul him off to New York to be exhibited. Great stuff.

Turner Classic Movies will air the original on April 7th, and four days later, the whole Turner family -TCM, TNT and TBS - will simulcast the 2005 Peter Jackson version. Much as I love Peter, I say stick with the original.

Publicity shot of Fay Wray/Getty Images