SON OF KONG (1933) ****
This sequel was made in a rush to capitalize on the success of King Kong, and while it’s not in the same league as the original, it’s still a lot of fun. Robert Armstrong returns as Carl Denham, now broke and avoiding process servers in New York. He finally hitches a ride back to Skull Island where he befriends the albino Son of Kong. Though short in stature, Kong, Jr. can scrap with dinosaurs just like his old man. In the touching ending, Kong, Jr. sacrifices himself to save Denham from drowning. It takes a bit to get going, but once Kong, Jr. shows up, it’s highly entertaining. The highlight of the film is when Junior fights an oversized grizzly bear. Willis O’Brien again provided the excellent stop motion effects.