Those of us who are 82 years old or older might remember the premier of a novel motion picture. While many movies during the Great Depression aimed to provide good feelings and a ray of hopeful sunshine into devastated lives, this particular movie had a somewhat different effect on the audiences. When people got their first glimpse of the giant ape called Kong, pandemonium broke out in the theater. People unintentionally mimicked sacrifice Ann Darrow (played by almost constantly screaming Fay Wray) and panicked. Like Darrow, they screamed, some fainted; others ran to the aisles and out of the theater.

Times certainly were different back then. The War to End All Wars was in the past, alcohol was banned in the United States, people had faith in the government, radio was the electronic medium of entertainment, and you could buy a cup of coffee for a nickel. Producers could also present entertainment that would engender total belief, and get reactions to match. By the same token, even as people learned that King Kong was a small model animated by pioneer Willis O