I recently watched CFTL with the commentary. The producer William Allandwas asked about similarities to King Kong and he acknowledged all three of the films
were based on KK.
Alland, for the record, was the reporter in Citizen Kane trying to discover the meaning of "Rosebud"
I had no idea he was the producer for that film. The story is fairly similar, but each film does something different. Both are enjoyable, of course.
shareAlso, I have to mention that the US version of King Kong versus Godzilla recycles the theme from Creature from the Black Lagoon as Kong's theme.
shareThere was an interview in Classic Images recently with Ginger Stanley who was Julie Adams double in CFTL and, I think, Lori(?) in the sequel. She was a long distance swimmer and performer in water shows in Florida and might have doubled Esther Williams.
She has fond memories of working with Ricou Browning and Tom Hennessy, but doesn't say much about Don Megowan in the third film. Megowan played the creature on land in the final film, Travis in Davy Crockett at The Alamo and a rowdy onlooker in Blazing Saddles.
I remember Alland, of course, in CK where he always seemed to have his back to the camera. According to the commentary, Alland told the press they could now see his face.
It took me a long time to find Edmund Cobb in CK. Cobb, a onetime silent cowboy star, had a long career in serials and westerns and serials at Republic where he played the Lone Ranger's brother in the first serial. In Kane he's featured prominently in the foreground wearing a bowler hat in an office scene. Tom Steele, head of the Republic stunt team, is also in the credits bit I have never been able to find him. Steele's career runs from Captain Blood to Blazing Saddles.
I still can't find Nat King Cole. Have you ever noticed the pterodactyl that makes a brief appearance?
Now thats ridiculous. The Creature in the Black Lagoon is somewhere in the Amazon while Kong lives on the other side of the world.
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