View source for Fay Wray

===Horror films and ''King Kong''===
[[File:King Kong Fay Wray 1933.jpg|thumb|right|Fay Wray (right) is in the 1933 feature film ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]''.]]
[[File:King Kong Re-release Trailer.webm|thumb|Trailer for the 1938 re-release of ''King Kong'' (1:31)]]
After leaving Paramount, Wray signed with other film studios. Under these deals, Wray was cast in several horror films, including ''[[Doctor X (film)|Doctor X]]'' (1932) and ''[[Mystery of the Wax Museum]]'' (1933). Her best known films were produced under her deal with [[RKO Pictures|RKO Radio Pictures]]. Her first film with RKO was ''[[The Most Dangerous Game (1932 film)|The Most Dangerous Game]]'' (1932), co-starring [[Joel McCrea]]. The production was filmed at night on the same jungle sets used for ''King Kong'' during the day, and with Wray and [[Robert Armstrong (actor)|Robert Armstrong]] starring in both movies.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eagan |first=Daniel |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/America_s_Film_Legacy/deq3xI8OmCkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=the+most+dangerous+game+1932+king+kong&pg=PA206&printsec=frontcover |title=America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry |date=2010-01-01 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-0-8264-2977-3 |pages=206 |language=en}}</ref>

''The Most Dangerous Game'' was followed by the release of Wray's best-remembered film, ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]''. According to Wray, [[Jean Harlow]] had been RKO's original choice, but because [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] put Harlow under exclusive contract during the pre-production phase of the film, she became unavailable.<ref name=Parish203>{{cite book |last1=Parish |first1=James Robert |last2=Mank |first2=Gregory W. |last3=Stanke |first3=Don E. |title=The Hollywood Beauties |year=1978 |publisher=Arlington House Publishers |location=New Rochelle, New York |isbn=0-87000-412-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/hollywoodbeautie00pari/page/203 203] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/hollywoodbeautie00pari/page/203 }}</ref> Wray was approached by director [[Merian C. Cooper]] to play King Kong's blonde captive, Ann Darrow, for which she was paid {{US$|10000|1933|about=yes|round=-5}}.<ref name="wrayreference">{{cite web |url=http://emol.org/film/archives/wray/ |title=Fay Wray |publisher=Emol.org |access-date=March 9, 2011 |archive-date=February 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224002132/http://emol.org/film/archives/wray/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The film was a commercial success and Wray was reportedly proud that it saved RKO from bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/movies/profiles/fay-wray-2.html |title=Fay Wray by Kendahl Cruver |publisher=Things-and-other-stuff.com |date=September 15, 1907 |access-date=March 9, 2011}}</ref>