Ann Darrow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ann Darrow is a fictional character from the 1933 movie King Kong and its 2005 remake. She is a beautiful actress with whom the giant ape King Kong falls in love. In the original film, Ann is played by Fay Wray; in the 2005 remake, she is played by Naomi Watts. The 1976 remake features a very analogous character named "Dwan" (played by Jessica Lange). The character of Ann Darrow never appears in any other films or television productions of Kong.
[edit] 1933 movie
In the 1933 film, Ann Darrow is an unemployed actress reduced to homelessness by the Great Depression. Rescued from the streets by filmmaker Carl Denham, she travels with him to Skull Island aboard the tramp steamer S.S. Venture and meets a love interest in the ship's first mate, Jack Driscoll. Once on the island, she is captured by natives who subsequently offer her as a sacrifice to Kong, whom they worship as a god. Despite Ann's sheer terror, Kong falls in love with her and takes her to his home inside a massive cavern atop Skull Mountain. She is rescued from the cavern by Driscoll and his comrades, only to be ruthlessly pursued back to the native village by an enraged Kong, who will stop at nothing to get her back. An intense battle ensues, culminating in the destruction of much of the village and ultimately, the gigantic ape's live capture. Smelling an incredibly profitable opportunity, Denham transports Kong to New York City, with the intent of putting him on display for paying crowds as "King Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World". Unfortunately on opening night, Kong escapes and after going on a rampage through downtown Manhattan, Ann is once again captured. In the film's finale, King Kong carries the terrified Ann to the very top of the Empire State Building, where he is engaged by a squadron of military fighter planes. Kong is finally killed, falling to the streets below and Ann is reunited with Jack Driscoll.
In this original version, the filmmakers included a brief near-nude scene in which Kong removes Fay Wray's outer clothing and tickles her almost totally bare legs; this scene was famously censored and went unrestored, along with many other censorship cuts, until the film's theatrical re-release in the early 1970s.[edit] 2005 movie
In the 2005 remake, her character is given more detail: she is a struggling vaudeville performer and bonds with Kong by entertaining him with her comic acting skills; in addition, she eventually comes to sympathize with Kong, gaining the great ape's trust and understanding. Her love for him is like a brotherly love, unlike the character in the original, who never loses her fear of Kong and spends the entire time screaming and fainting while in Kong's clutches. When the two are trapped atop the skyscraper at the climax, she tries desperately to prevent him from being killed, much like Dwan in the 1976 version, but to no avail. Much is revealed about her character in the remake, such as how much of the things she loves are "snatched away". In the end however, after Kong's death, she embraces Jack Driscoll who was trying to get to her the entire time. Her attire for the film is a dirty nightgown barefoot.
