In 1933, off the coast of New York, the ambitious film director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), known for his wild animal documentaries, struggles to secure an actress for his latest project due to the perilous nature of the expedition he has in mind. After his agent, Charles Weston (Sam Hardy), declines to help, Denham ventures into the bustling streets of New York in search of a suitable lead for his film. There, he stumbles upon the destitute Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), who is attempting to steal an apple out of desperation. Struck by her plight, Denham pays off the grocer, treats her to a meal, and persuades her to join him on what promises to be the adventure of a lifetime.
They set sail aboard the Venture, a tramp steamer heading toward the mysterious lands of Indonesia where Denham alleges they will be filming. Onboard, despite his insistence that women have no place on a ship, the ship’s first mate Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot) finds himself drawn to Ann. Denham warns Driscoll against complicating matters with romance, which prompts a revelation of the thematic essence of the film they are creating: “The Beast was a tough guy too. He could lick the world, but when he saw Beauty, she got him. He went soft. He forgot his wisdom and the little fellas licked him.”
When Denham is finally ready to practice filming, he instructs Ann on how to express a range of emotions, culminating in a terrified scream at the sight of something monstrous. After weeks of secrecy, Denham reveals to Driscoll and Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher) that they are seeking an uncharted island marked on a map in his possession, rumored to be home to a legendary beast known as Kong.
As the Venture approaches the island, the atmosphere is thick with tension as drums echo ominously in the jungle. Upon landing, they discover a native village surrounded by a towering wall. A landing party, including Denham, Englehorn, Jack, and Ann, encounters the natives who are offering a girl to Kong as a sacrificial tribute. In the midst of a tense negotiation, the chief (Noble Johnson) notices Ann and expresses a palpable interest, suggesting a trade for six native women, which Denham tactfully declines.
Unbeknownst to them, while Jack and Ann's love blossoms, she is abducted by natives and presented to Kong in an elaborate ceremony. The revelation of Kong as a colossal gorilla marks the beginning of a harrowing battle for survival. When Jack and the crew try to rescue her, they encounter a series of prehistoric creatures, including a furious stegosaurus trying to defend its territory.
A battle ensues as Kong, intrigued by Ann, fends off a tyrannosaurus rex to protect her. The primate dwindles his adversaries, bringing Ann to a high lair where a fierce struggle unfolds against a vicious plesiosaurus. Kong, smitten with Ann, begins to inspect her while under the threat of disruption—first by Jack knocking over a boulder that captures Kong's attention, and then later as a pteranodon attempts to snatch her away.
In a desperate escape, Jack rescues Ann just before Kong tumbles into chaos, breaking through the gate of the village in pursuit of them. Denham, seizing the moment, concocts a scheme to capture Kong using gas bombs, planning to exploit the creature's fame: “He’s always been King of his world. But we’ll teach him fear! We’re millionaires, boys! I’ll share it with all of you! Why, in a few months, his name will be up in lights on Broadway! Kong! The Eighth Wonder of the World!”
As the scene shifts, the wild gorilla is displayed in a theater, captivating a captivated audience. However, the spectacle turns disastrous when Kong escapes upon glimpsing Ann in distress due to the flashbulbs from photographers. Rampaging through the streets of New York, he captures Ann from a hotel window and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building.
In a heart-wrenching finale, military biplanes confront Kong, who valiantly defends Ann but is ultimately mortally wounded. As he falls, Denham faces the somber reality of their catastrophic adventure, remarking, “It wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.”
