History Trivia / KingKong1976

** For that matter, Creator/RickBaker didn't get a proper credit for his onscreen performance as Kong for most of the film because the producers were trying to push the high-tech animatronic as the film's "star".

* FollowTheLeader: As wit ''Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale'', Dino De Laurentiis was determined to out-do ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', boasting that nobody cried when the shark died, but they will when the monkey dies.

* FollowTheLeader: As wit ''Film/{{Orca}}'', Dino De Laurentiis was determined to out-do ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', boasting that nobody cried when the shark died, but they will when the monkey dies.

** The then-unknown Creator/MerylStreep auditioned for the role of Dwan, but producer Dino De Laurentiis turned her down because he thought she wasn't beautiful enough. Creator/BoDerek was also offered the role (and ultimately got a part in De Laurentiis' [[Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale next beast flick]]). Creator/KimBasinger, Music/{{Cher}}, Creator/BrittEkland, Creator/FarrahFawcett, Creator/MelanieGriffith, Creator/SylviaKristel, Creator/BetteMidler and Music/BarbraStreisand was considered.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Thanks to the '70s disaster movie-style large cast, the hairdos, the version of Carl Denham's character (renamed to Fred Wilson and changed from a movie director, to an CorruptCorporateExecutive) being far more of a villain rather than a well-intentioned AntiHero, and the updates to the original story, such as the reason for searching for Skull Island being about finding petroleum (this film was made right after the 1970s [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis Oil Crisis]]), and changing the building Kong climbs up at the end to the former twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

** The then-unknown Creator/MerylStreep auditioned for the role of Dwan, but producer Dino De Laurentiis turned her down because he thought she wasn't beautiful enough. Creator/BoDerek was also offered the role (and ultimately got a part in De Laurentiis' [[Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale next beast flick]]). Creator/KimBasinger, Creator/BrittEkland, Creator/FarrahFawcett, Creator/MelanieGriffith and Creator/SylviaKristel auditioned and Music/BarbraStreisand was considered.

* FocusGroupEnding: Creator/CharlesGrodin has said in at least one interview that originally his character [[KarmaHoudini survived]], but following negative test-audience viewings, the producers went back and added in the scene of him getting stepped on. The extended cut that aired on TV in the '80s implied that the Grodin character survives, as it turned out that Kong only squashed his hat.

** The then-unknown Creator/MerylStreep auditioned for the role of Dwan, but producer Dino De Laurentiis turned her down because he thought she wasn't beautiful enough. Creator/BoDerek was also offered the role (and ultimately got a part in De Laurentiis's [[Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale next beast flick]]). Creator/KimBasinger, Creator/BrittEkland, Creator/FarrahFawcett and Creator/MelanieGriffith auditioned and Music/BarbraStreisand was considered.

** There were a number of sequels planned such as ''King Kong in Africa'', ''The Bionic Kong'' (to cash in on ''Series/TheBionicWoman''), ''King Kong vs. Orca'' (a cross over with Jaws knock-off ''Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale'') and ''King Kong in Moscow.'' The only sequel the film got was ''Film/KingKongLives.''

* FocusGroupEnding: Creator/CharlesGrodin has said in at least one interview that originally his character [[KarmaHoudini survived]], but following negative test-audience viewings, the producers went back and added in the scene of him getting stepped on.

* FocusGroupEnding: Grodin has said in at least one interview that originally his character [[KarmaHoudini survived]], but following negative test-audience viewings, the producers went back and added in the scene of him getting stepped on.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Thanks to the '70s disaster movie-style large cast, the hairdos, the version of Carl Denham's character (renamed to Fred Wilson and changed from a movie director, to an CorruptCorporateExecutive) being far more of a villian rather than a well-intentioned AntiHero, and the updates to the original story, such as the reason for searching for Skull Island being about finding Oil (this film was made right after the 1970s [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis Oil Crisis]]), and changing the building Kong climbs up at the end to the former twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

* DarkhorseCasting: Creator/JessicaLange was a model with no previous acting experience. She would later recount that this role nearly derailed her acting career.

* DarkhorseCasting: Creator/JessicaLange was a model with no previous acting experience.

* ShootTheMoney: {{Averted}}. A giant animatronic version of Kong was built and cost 1.7 million dollars to make, but because it didn't look convincing enough, it was only seen in a couple of seconds-long shots. The producers were deeply embarrassed by this, and dishonestly insisted in the credits and ad campaign that the animatronic was used for the bulk of the film rather than giving proper credit to Creator/RickBaker's PeopleInRubberSuits performance.

* UncreditedRole: Kong's vocal sounds were recorded by an uncredited Creator/PeterCullen, straining his throat so badly that he coughed up blood in the recording studio.

** There were a number of sequels planned such as ''King Kong in Africa'', ''The Bionic Kong'' (to cash in on ''Series/TheBionicWoman'', ''King Kong vs. Orca'' (a cross over with Jaws knock-off ''Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale'') and ''King Kong in Moscow.'' The only sequel the film got was ''Film/KingKongLives.''

** The then-unknown Creator/MerylStreep auditioned for the role of Dwan, but producer Dino De Laurentiis turned her down because he thought she wasn't beautiful enough. Creator/BoDerek was also offered the role (and ultimately got a part in De Laurentiis's [[Film/OrcaTheKillerWhale next beast flick]]). Creator/KimBasinger, Creator/FarrahFawcett and Creator/MelanieGriffith auditioned and Music/BarbraStreisand was considered.

* ShootTheMoney: {{Averted}}. A giant animatronic version of Kong was built and cost 1.7 million dollars to make, but because it didn't look convincing enough, it was only seen in a couple of seconds-long shots. The producers were deeply embarrassed by this, and dishonestly insisted in the credits and ad campaign that the animatronic was used for the bulk of the film rather than giving proper credit to Rick Baker's PeopleInRubberSuits performance.

** For that matter, Rick Baker didn't get a proper credit for his onscreen performance as Kong for most of the film because the producers were trying to push the high-tech animatronic as the film's "star".

* ShootTheMoney: {{Averted}}. A giant animatronic version of Kong was built and cost 1.7 million dollars to make, but because it didn't look convincing enough, it was only seen in a couple of seconds-long shots.

* UncreditedRole: Kong's vocal sounds were recorded by an uncredited Creator/PeterCullen, straining his throat so badly, that he coughed up blood in the recording studio.

* RomanceOnTheSet: The tabloids speculated at the time, that Creator/JeffBridges and Creator/JessicaLange had an on-set affair. It was later revealed to be false, she was in a relationship with Russian Ballet dancer Michael Baryshnikov, and he was engaged, and married in 1977. They have remained friends since making this film.

* HarsherInHindsight: The climax taking place atop the World Trade Center.