Missing Links: The Jungle Origins of King Kong
Excellent essay by Gerald Peary:
"In April, 1930, representatives of "Congo Pictures, Ltd." walked along Market Street in San Francisco offering the theatres purchase rights to a picture, INGAGI, said to show footage of Sir Hubert Winstead of London's sensationalist travels into the Belgian Congo. Every theatre but one turned down the film as a fake. The Orpheum decided not only to exhibit INGAGI but to promote it vigorously. A tabloid newspaper filled with stills from INGAGI was distributed door to door in the area of the theatre. A jungle exhibition was set up in the lobby. The Orpheum brought in $4,000 worth of business the opening day, an unprecedented $23,000 for the first week. RKO Studio, owner of the Orpheum, picked up national rights, and soon INGAGI was playing everywhere. It doubled house records in Seattle, was termed "the talk of the town" in Chicago, and soon was among the highest grossing films in the USA."
More...
"In April, 1930, representatives of "Congo Pictures, Ltd." walked along Market Street in San Francisco offering the theatres purchase rights to a picture, INGAGI, said to show footage of Sir Hubert Winstead of London's sensationalist travels into the Belgian Congo. Every theatre but one turned down the film as a fake. The Orpheum decided not only to exhibit INGAGI but to promote it vigorously. A tabloid newspaper filled with stills from INGAGI was distributed door to door in the area of the theatre. A jungle exhibition was set up in the lobby. The Orpheum brought in $4,000 worth of business the opening day, an unprecedented $23,000 for the first week. RKO Studio, owner of the Orpheum, picked up national rights, and soon INGAGI was playing everywhere. It doubled house records in Seattle, was termed "the talk of the town" in Chicago, and soon was among the highest grossing films in the USA."
More...
posted by John Michlig at 6:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home