Creation
Scen.: Beulah Marie Dix, Da Un Soggetto Di Harry O. Hoyt; F.: Eddie Linden, Karl Brown; Scgf.: Les Millbrook; Staff Tecnico: Marcel Delgado, E. “Buzz” Gibson, Orville Goldner, Carroll L. Shephird, Fred Reese, Charles Christadoro, John Cerisoli; Supervisione Animali: Olga Celeste; Mu.: Eddison Von Ottenfeld; Prod. Artist.: Mario Larrinaga, Byron L. Crabbe, Ernest Smythe, Juan Larrinaga; Ass.R.: Walter Daniels; Int.: Ralf Harolde (Hallet); Prod.: Bertram Millhauser, Willis H. O’brien, Harry O. Hoyt Per Rko Radio Pictures; 35mm. L.: 125 M. D.: 5’ A 24 F/S. Bn.
Film Notes
This reel was found among the effects of Willis H. O’Brien. The prehistoric monster is a Triceratops. The end of the sequence, in which the dinosaur pushes a tree on Hallett and gores him to death is missing – it was borrowed for the roughcut of King Kong. O’Brien planned Creation with director Harry Hoyt as a follow-up to their successful The Lost World of 1925. O’Brien brought in a number of technicians and artists, such as Mario Larrinaga and Marcel Delgado, who would contribute so much to King Kong. Creation was one of the most intricately planned film projects ever launched. RKO, hard-hit by the Depression, was on the verge of bankruptcy and the costs of Creation by the summer of 1931 had reached $100,000 – five programme pictures could be made for that. David O. Selznick was hired to rescue the company and he brought in Merian C. Cooper as his assistant. Cooper looked at the material and was very impressed but felt that after a year, the project was getting nowhere. Creation was cancelled. But it gave him ideas and he saw in O’Brien the man to bring his gorilla epic to life without leaving the lot.
Kevin Brownlow