91 years ago on March 2, 1933, King Kong clambered atop the Empire State Building, with Fay Wray in tow and made cinematic history.

THE LOUDSPEAKER
Kong is going West. He is making for the Empire State Building.

DRISCOLL
(to Sergeant)
If he goes up there, what can we do?

SERGEANT
We won’t be able to get near him.

THE LOUDSPEAKER
Kong is climbing the Empire State.He is still carrying Ann Darrow.
From original King Kong Script 
Kong (1933) – Screenplay (dailyscript.com)

King Kong and Fay Ray entered cinematic history on March 2, 1933, when King Kong premiered in New York City. It was released for general distribution April 13, 1933. It was an immediately success, terrifying and entertaining audiences over the decades. The film, made for $672,000, ended up making over $11,777,000 world-wide that year, selling 7,800,000 tickets in the US and Canada alone. 

The Library of Congress picked King Kong for preservation with the National Film Registry on the basis of its cultural, historic and aesthetic significance. The Library’s entry boils down the movie into an astoundingly succinct, and amusing paragraph. And yes, it has spoilers:

Kong, a giant gorilla, falls in love with Ann Darrow, the leading lady in a film being made on the remote island where he is worshipped as a god. He carries her into the jungle, but she is rescued by the director, Carl Denham and their ship’s captain, Jack Driscoll. Enraged, Kong goes on a rampage, killing islanders and destroying the village. He is subdued with a gas bomb. Denham decides to take him back to New York and put him on display. Kong breaks free, and pursues Ann through New York, killing more people. He catches her, climbs to the top of the Empire State Building and is shot down by airplanes.
King Kong | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Canadian born Fay Wray played Ann Darrow and became a film legend with the release of King Kong. Michael Price, author of Forgotten Horrors encyclopedia, in the article that accompanies the Library of Congress entry, offered some insight into the origins of King Kong:

[Director & producer] Cooper’s friend, zoologist W. Douglas Burden, had found on Komodo Island (Dutch East Indies) a gigantic species of lizard, once believed extinct. Cooper also had a fascination with gorillas. Considering Burden’s interest in the Komodo Dragons, Cooper imagined the capture of a massive ape. Burden also had included his wife in the expedition—an inspiration to Cooper.

Cooper imagined a gigantic gorilla in conflict with prehistoric reptiles. He envisioned the ape brought to America, escaping, and making a stand atop the Empire State Building.

Cooper enlisted Willis H. O’Brien, developer of dimensional animation, who had made dinosaurs appear to move. O’Brien photographed figures in subtle changes of position, one frame at a time. His short-film novelties had led to the production of “The Lost World” (1925) from Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel about dinosaurs. O’Brien’s protégé, sculptor Marcel Delgado, constructed 49 dinosaurs with rubber flesh over metallic skeletons.
Michael Price – film essay for “King Kong” (loc.gov) 

Read the entire article, it’s only 2 pages, but serves up details on how the film special effects were done, including the spectacular aerial battle at the end.

A number of remakes and sequels were made, but none come close to the groundbreaking effects and storytelling of the original. 

• King Kong 1933 
• Son of Kong 1933 
• King Kong vs. Godzilla  
• King Kong Escapes  
• King Kong 1976  
• King Kong Lives 1986  
• King Kong 2005  
• Kong: Skull Island 2017  
• Godzilla vs. Kong 2021

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is set to premier sometime this month.  So … V & C … want to join me?  

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – FULL SHOT – DAWN

Another airplane zooms by firing into Kong.

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – MED. SHOT – DAWN

Again Kong is hit. He coughs. He looks down at the girl. He
looks at his wounds, realizes he is weakening. He moves to —

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – FULL SHOT – DAWN

— pick her up.

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – MED. SHOT

As he stares at her with a puzzled, hurt look. The he puts her —

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – FULL SHOT – DAWN

— down, straightens up, roars defiance up at the planes. He
coughs as he drums his chest, daring them to come on.

EXT. CITY AND SKY – FULL SHOT – DAWN

The remainder of the squadron dive together towards the
Empire State Building.

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – FULL SHOT – DAWN

They sweep past Kong with a roar of machine guns. He
staggers, turns and slowly topples off the roof.

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – GENERAL VIEW – DAWN

Kong as he falls to —

EXT. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – FULL SHOT – DAWN

— the street below. He lands beside the burning airplane.
Kong (1933) – Screenplay (dailyscript.com)