King Kung Fu
Encyclopedia
King Kung Fu is a 1976 comedy
film
directed by Lance D. Hayes that is a low budget spoof
of both King Kong
and Kung Fu
done in the slapstick
style of Benny Hill
which predates the similarly silly Airplane!
by several years.
talking gorilla
originally named Jungle Jumper who has been taught karate
. After beating up his Kung Fu Master owner Alfunku when the latter dared him to snatch a banana
from his hand, he is shipped off to the U.S. as a "goodwill gift" by his battered and embarrassed teacher where he is renamed King Kung Fu for publicity purposes. On the way to the New York Zoo
, the "Monster Master of the Martial Arts" is put on display in Wichita, Kansas
where two out-of-work reporters set him free with plans to "capture" him and get jobs.
Police Captain J.W. Duke (who resembles a certain Western Movie star
) and his patriotic-helmeted
little assistant Officer Pilgrim get involved in the city-wide chase along with the phony-looking ape's love interest Rae Fey
(a beautiful blond Pizza Hut
waitress/model), Rae Fey is the only one who understands that Fu just wants to see the sights like any other tourist. Her conniving TV journalist boyfriend Bo Burgess (not Beau Bridges
as has been listed in some sources, a reference no doubt to the actor's brother Jeff
who starred in the first remake
of King Kong
) and his hapless sidekick
Herman, a pair of prudish
protesters from "OLD HAGS" ("Outraged Ladies Dedicated to Hiding Animals Great Shame"), and a host of others including cops, cowboys
and baseball players
partake in a wild chase in order to catch the ape.
The gorilla and the girl end up on top of the tallest building in Wichita, a Holiday Inn
and homage to the original King Kong film, where the hairy hero makes a final stand involving instances of stop motion animation.
The film was shot entirely in Wichita, Kansas
.
Theme song and ending "Gorilla Rag" written and performed by local Wichita band, LEGION.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Lance D. Hayes that is a low budget spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of both King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
and Kung Fu
Kung Fu (TV series)
Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
done in the slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
style of Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
which predates the similarly silly Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
by several years.
Plot
King Kung Fu tells the story of a good-humored, hat-loving ChineseChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
talking gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
originally named Jungle Jumper who has been taught karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
. After beating up his Kung Fu Master owner Alfunku when the latter dared him to snatch a banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
from his hand, he is shipped off to the U.S. as a "goodwill gift" by his battered and embarrassed teacher where he is renamed King Kung Fu for publicity purposes. On the way to the New York Zoo
New York Zoo
There are several New York Zoos* The Bronx Zoo, New York City's main zoo* The Buffalo Zoo is a zoo in Buffalo, New York* Central Park Zoo, in New York City* Queens Zoo, located in New York City...
, the "Monster Master of the Martial Arts" is put on display in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
where two out-of-work reporters set him free with plans to "capture" him and get jobs.
Police Captain J.W. Duke (who resembles a certain Western Movie star
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
) and his patriotic-helmeted
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
little assistant Officer Pilgrim get involved in the city-wide chase along with the phony-looking ape's love interest Rae Fey
Fay Wray
Fay Wray was a Canadian-American actress most noted for playing the female lead in King Kong...
(a beautiful blond Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
waitress/model), Rae Fey is the only one who understands that Fu just wants to see the sights like any other tourist. Her conniving TV journalist boyfriend Bo Burgess (not Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
as has been listed in some sources, a reference no doubt to the actor's brother Jeff
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
who starred in the first remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of King Kong
King Kong (1976 film)
King Kong is a 1976 American monster movie produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Guillermin. It is a remake of the 1933 classic film of the same name, about a giant ape that is captured and imported to New York City for exhibition....
) and his hapless sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
Herman, a pair of prudish
Prude
A prude is a person who is described as being concerned with decorum or propriety, significantly in excess of normal prevailing community standards...
protesters from "OLD HAGS" ("Outraged Ladies Dedicated to Hiding Animals Great Shame"), and a host of others including cops, cowboys
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
and baseball players
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
partake in a wild chase in order to catch the ape.
The gorilla and the girl end up on top of the tallest building in Wichita, a Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
and homage to the original King Kong film, where the hairy hero makes a final stand involving instances of stop motion animation.
Production
Production began on King Kung Fu in 1974. Due to financial constraints, it was not finished until 1987. The film's production cost around $300,000.The film was shot entirely in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
.
Theme song and ending "Gorilla Rag" written and performed by local Wichita band, LEGION.