The 2005 documentary biography film I’m King Kong!: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper was a Turner Classic Movies original production narrated by Alec Baldwin.

Merian C. Cooper was a filmmaker and incredible adventurer. The film covers highlights of his life and career. He fought in World War I, the Polish-Soviet War, and World War II. In between he was an aviator and world traveler who narrowly escaped death on numerous occasions.

Although best remembered as the creator of King Kong, Cooper made documentaries and was involved in a number of well-known films through his connection with director John Ford. The documentaries took Cooper and crew on long and dangerous expeditions into exotic locales and feature incredible footage of native peoples and wild animals.

Cooper himself and his longtime partner in adventure, Ernest B. Schoedsack, are heard by way of audio recordings. Among other contributors are special effects artist Ray Harryhausen, whose life’s work was set on course by King Kong, and actress Fay Wray who starred in the movie. Author Ray Bradbury praises Cooper’s unique vision and tells how King Kong scared him.

I learned a lot from this movie, for instance, that Cooper was influential in the early use of Technicolor and was involved in famous films which I was unaware he worked on. Besides King Kong from 1933, he did the third film version of The Four Feathers in 1929. He was behind Mighty Joe Young from 1949. He was also involved in Little Women from 1933, Flying Down to Rio, one of Fred Astaire’s earliest films, and many of John Ford’s films, including the classic The Searchers and my mother’s favorite film, The Quiet Man from 1952.

For those who have never heard of this man, they certainly should, and they should watch this film.