The premiere of King Kong was such a big event it was staged at the 6,200-seat Radio City Music Hall. Even that wasn’t big enough for the anticipated crowds, so the film was also shown at Radio City’s second theatre, the 3,500-seat New Roxy.“Seasoned picture fans sat fascinated, watching the most thrilling climax they had ever seen!” the ad bragged.
“The folks took King Kong good-naturedly and without fright,” she wrote. “They were obviously awfully interested, and often guffawed with sheer delight at the exciting, preposterous situations. By the time the movie reached the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver on May 5, it was billed as “The 8th Wonder of the World,” “a Revolution in Talking Pictures.”
But then it as probably done by a straight news reporter, rather than a feature writer. The Daily News’ Thirer had much more fun recounting the ludicrous plot, which saw the 50-foot gorilla captured from far off Skull Island and brought to the stage in New York City.