Carl Denham

Carl Denham is a fictional film director in the films "King Kong" and "Son of Kong" (both released in 1933), as well as in the 2005 remake of "King Kong", and a 2004 illustrated-novel titled "Kong: King of Skull Island". The role was played by Robert Armstrong in the 1933 films and by Jack Black in the 2005 remake. Denham's function in the story is to initiate the action by bringing the characters to Skull Island, where they encounter the giant beast Kong. Denham then brings Kong to New York City to put him on display as entertainment, but he escapes and rampages through the city.

Characterization

The original Denham was based on Merian C. Cooper, creator of "King Kong" [Goldner, Orville and George E. Turner, "The Making of King Kong", Ballantine Books, 1975] both were brave men of action who made names for themselves filming nature footage in the most dangerous of territories. In some ways, Denham's travels in "King Kong" match the move that Cooper made when he shifted from documentary filming to narrative storytelling. While bold and willing to take risks, the original Denham is honest, putting his people in danger but never asking more of them than he does of himself. In "Son of Kong", he shows great remorse for what he has done and sorrow at the loss of Kong.

2005 Remake

In the 2005 remake, Denham is much less sympathetic: unscrupulous, morally bankrupt, monomaniacal, willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get his picture made. For example, he essentially steals his company's resources to move his filming location to the mysterious Skull Island. Also, after making an inspirational eulogy to a colleague killed by Skull Island natives, Denham repeats the same eulogy for his assistant killed later on by a "Venatosaurus". He is also devious and cunning, capable of altering his plans in an instant in order to provide circumstances of best advantage to him. Denham still has moments of courage and loyalty, however, and is hinted to feel sympathy for Kong at the end.

Comment

Also worthy of comment is Denham's commercializing Kong. Preston views Denham with more contempt after the capture of Kong, as he realizes that Denham is exploiting Kong as mysterious and (essentially) beautiful. Driscoll comments that Denham has the unfailing ability to destroy everything he loves.

Jack Black, who played Denham's 2005 incarnation, found the character to be comparable to Orson Welles in that he will not compromise on how he sees the end result and that it is upon Welles which Black bases his portrayal. His haircut is based on that of the young Welles.

Incarnations

Both incarnations of Denham are prepared to face all odds to make their films, going as far as to travel to the undiscovered Skull Island just to film on location, and showing absurd bravery in getting the footage they need in the face of extreme danger. In the 1933 version, Denham usually handles the camera himself, explaining that other cameramen cannot film large animals as they are too frightened of being attacked. Similarly, in the 2005 version, he confidently films a herd of "Brontosaurus" while his lead actor panics.

Biography

1933 films

As a film director, Denham had had some success, but he had always been told his films would be even more profitable if he had a love interest present in the film. For that reason, he tries to get an actress to accompany him on his next documentary, but no agent will send him anyone due to the risks involved. Eventually, he discovers Ann Darrow on the streets. She is at first concerned about Denham's advances, but Denham reassures her that the job will involve no "funny business."

Denham had obtained a map of Skull Island and opted to produce his next film there. He had heard of the legend of the Kong god or spirit, and set out to make a film about it, believing the legend must have some basis in fact. He is, however, very secretive of the nature of the film and their destination, keeping it from his crew until the ship is well on its way to Skull Island.

Upon reaching the island, Denham attempted to establish peaceful relations with the natives, learning the native word for "friend". He was not particularly successful in this attempt. After the natives captured Ann and delivered her to Kong, Denham accompanied Jack Driscoll and other crew members in a rescue mission. While searching, Denham and his team encountered various dinosaurs, with Denham being the first man to recognize the beasts for what they were. After surviving various attacks, Denham decided to switch his plan from producing a film to capturing Kong and sailing him to New York City. Denham expected this to be a very profitable idea.

After Kong escaped and rampaged through New York City, the creature kidnapped Ann once again but was killed by airplanes. Upon observing the creature's corpse, Denham famously rejected the assertion that the planes had killed him. "'It was beauty killed the Beast." ["sic"] , he said.

As portrayed in "Son of Kong", the aftermath of the Kong debacle was not good for Denham. He was bombarded with lawsuits to such a degree that within a month he was almost bankrupt. Eventually, he is approached by Captain Englehorn, his old friend who had captained the ship that originally went to Skull Island. He, too, is having financial difficulties and they decide to skip town together and start fresh somewhere else.

After travelling around a while, they come to an island where Denham discovers a beautiful young woman, named Hilda, singing for the locals. While he is instantly attracted to Hilda, he soon has a new purpose, as he gets word from a man named Hellstrom (the same man who provided him with the map of Skull Island) that there was treasure on the island. Hellstrom is lying in an attempt to get away after having caused the death of Hilda's father, but Denham and Englehorn believe him and set out to return to Skull Island.

Following a mutiny, Denham, Hilda, Englehorn, Hellstrom and Charlie the cook find themselves on the island, where the natives are none too happy to see them and drive them away. Landing on a different part of the island, Denham discovers another giant ape (much smaller this time), who appears to be Kong's son. Denham and Hilda befriend the ape, who helps them through several difficulties.

Eventually, Denham does find treasure on the island, but also realizes that it is sinking. A desperate escape is made, but "Little Kong" is drowned while rescuing Denham. It is Denham's intention to split the fortune four ways (Denham, Hilda, Englehorn and Charlie), but Hilda convinces him that three ways is just fine, indicating that she is throwing her fortunes in with Denham for the long haul.

2005 remake

Carl Denham had never had a truly successful film, despite turning in nature documentaries with often stunning footage. Although he made interesting pictures over the years, his work was dismissed as 'near success,' and he has little to no respect in the film industry. He decided that the answer was to make a film with a narrative, including a beautiful actress who could act as a love interest. He and his devoted, young assistant, Preston, obsessively searched for an actress to cast in this project, eventually discovering Ann Darrow. Just as in the original, she first believes Denham is searching for a prostitute, but Denham convinces her the job will involve no "funny business."

Denham had obtained a map of Skull Island and opted to produce his next film there. This meant abandoning plans to film on set, which had lost him his studio's favor. They decide to take what footage he has and sell it as stock footage to other studios. This drives Denham to steal the equipment necessary to make it to the island. However, he had misinformed his crew that they were heading to Singapore. He only admitted the truth to screenwriter Jack Driscoll, who was still working on the screenplay as they set off. This was then overheard by Jimmy, causing dissension among the men.

Upon reaching the island, Denham unsuccessfully attempted to establish peaceful relations with the natives by giving a native child a candy bar. The natives attack, two crew members are killed, and this ends up driving Denham and crew back to their ship. That night, Ann is captured by the natives and delivered to Kong. Denham, Driscoll, Hayes, Jimmy, Lumpy, Choy, Bruce Baxter, Preston, Herb, and other crew members set off in a rescue mission. He filmed the first dinosaur attack on camera and filmed the death of a crew member in the swamp in the extended cut. He survived the attack by a Ferrucutus in the extended cut (which no one died at, but injured), the manic "Brontosaurus" stampede, the swamp journey of the extended cut, and the log chasm and insect pit. Upon returning to the island, Denham was the first of the crew, besides Ann, to see Kong. After surviving many attacks and eventually rescuing Ann, Denham decided to switch his plan from producing a film to capturing Kong and sailing him to New York City after his camera was destroyed in the incident with Kong and the log, where he expected to make a fortune showing off Kong.

Kong eventually escaped and rampaged through New York City, captured Ann and was eventually killed by airplanes. Upon reaching Kong's body, Denham was heard to say that "It wasn't the airplanes, it was Beauty killed the Beast."

"The World of Kong", published the same year, elaborates Denham escapes lawsuits by blaming Kong's rampage on the company that made the chrome steel chains which failed to contain him. Denham returns to Skull Island to lead a scientific expedition in 1936, managing to escape before the island is finally swallowed by the sea.

"Kong: King of Skull Island"

Authorized by the Merian C. Cooper estate, "Kong: King of Skull Island" is a sequel-novel to D.W. Lovelace's novelization of 1933 movie, thus requiring it to completely ignore the existence of the "Son of Kong" movie (the novel slipped into the public domain decades earlier, but the films had not). The story features Skull Island still in existence in 1957, and also adds Denham having a wife and a son, whom he was forced to abandon in order to escape the Kong-related lawsuits and criminal charges. The novel's central character is Denham's son, Vincent, and Carl himself is in the story only at the beginning and near the end. The novel adds some detail to Denham's life, such as his year of birth (1896).

Real-world history

Casting

In his review of the 2005 remake, film critic Roger Ebert remarked that Armstrong's performance was reminiscent of filmmaker Cecil B. de Mille, while Jack Black was reminiscent of Orson Welles. Ebert also noted that Black was criticized by other critics for being "not precisely hero material", but Ebert defended that casting decision, saying Denham was just a director who did not need "big muscles." [Roger Ebert, "King Kong", "Chicago Sun-Times," December 13, 2005.]

References