Willis H. O'Brien

Directing

Willis H. O'Brien

Born March 2, 1886 · Oakland, California

Died November 8, 1962 · aged 76

Willis O'Brien was an American special effects pioneer in the field of stop-motion animation.

Known For

King KongKing Kong · 1933
King Kong
7.61933
MovieAdventureFantasy
Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.
King Kong vs. GodzillaKing Kong vs. Godzilla · 1962
King Kong vs. Godzilla
6.91962
MovieScience FictionFantasy
The advertising director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, frustrated with the low ratings of their sponsored TV program, seeks a more sensationalist approach. He orders his staff to Faro Island to capture King Kong for exploitation. As Godzilla re-emerges, a media frenzy generates with Pacific looking to capitalize off of the ultimate battle.
Mighty Joe YoungMighty Joe Young · 1949
Mighty Joe Young
6.41949
MovieAdventureFantasy
A young woman, Jill Young, grew up on her father's ranch in Africa, raising a large gorilla named Joe from an infant. Years later, she brings him to Hollywood to become a star.
King Kong vs. GodzillaKing Kong vs. Godzilla · 1963
King Kong vs. Godzilla
6.51963
MovieActionScience Fiction
When an underhanded pharmaceutical company goes to a remote tropical island to steal King Kong for advertising purposes, they get more than they bargained for when the gigantic ape attacks an unsuspecting village and an enormous octopus.
The Son of KongThe Son of Kong · 1933
The Son of Kong
5.41933
MovieAdventureAction
Beleaguered adventurer Carl Denham returns to the island where he found King Kong.
The Black ScorpionThe Black Scorpion · 1957
The Black Scorpion
5.21957
MovieScience FictionHorror
Volcanic activity frees giant scorpions from the earth who wreak havoc in the rural countryside and eventually threaten Mexico City.
The Lost WorldThe Lost World · 1960
The Lost World
5.81960
MovieAdventureFantasy
Professor Challenger leads an expedition of scientists and adventurers to a remote plateau deep in the Amazonian jungle to verify his claim that dinosaurs still live there.
The Lost WorldThe Lost World · 1925
The Lost World
6.71925
MovieAdventureFantasy
The first film adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic novel about a land where prehistoric creatures still roam.

Filmography

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The Dinosaur and the Missing Link: A Prehistoric TragedyThe Dinosaur and the Missing Link: A Prehistoric Tragedy · 1915
The Dinosaur and the Missing Link: A Prehistoric Tragedy
6.11915
MovieAnimationComedy
Two cavemen, The Duke and Stonejaw Steve, call on Miss Araminta Rockface. The hated rivals fight, and Steve wins when he throws The Duke into a pot of boiling water. A title card introduces a third rival, "our unassuming hero, Theophilus Ivoryhead." Miss Rockface invites the three men into her father's drawing room/cave, apologizing for not offering tea, since it has not been discovered yet. The Duke and Steve fight again, and everyone rushes out of the cave. Mr. Rockface notices his pot of food is empty; earlier, Wild Willie the Missing Link had eaten it. Mr. Rockface tells the three suitors they will have to procure their own dinner. Steve locates a desert quail and shoots an arrow at it, but the arrow misses the quail and happily (for Steve) hits The Duke's behind. Meanwhile, Wild Willie is still hungry and goes hunting for snakes. He finds a dinosaur's tail instead...

Director