It was night time at the Hoboken docks in New York City. A large, old looking ship lay in the harbor next to the docks. An old man with a beard was walking back and forth carrying a lantern, when another man, wearing a coat, scarf, and hat walked up to him. "Hey, is this the moving picture ship?" he asked.

"The Venture? Yep," answered the old man. "You going on this crazy voyage?"

the young man started to walk up the gangway, but hesitated at the man's words. "What's crazy about it?"

"Something about the guy running it, Carl Denham. A nut. Ain't afraid of nothing. Rumor has it he'll do anything to get a shot, even walk up to a lion and tell it to look pleasant!"

"He's a tough egg all right, but what's this talk about the voyage being crazy?"

"Well, there is talk about the cargo-and the size of the crew."

"Not enough?"

"Too much! I don't know where they find room they sleep."

Just then, a tall sailor came down from the gangway. "You there!" he said. "What do you want?"

"Denham aboard?" asked the man in the coat and hat.

"Yeah. What do you want with him?"

"I'm Weston, his agent. He's been expecting me."

"Come aboard." Then the sailor rolled his eyes. "Hope you have good news-he's getting wild."

Weston continued up the gangway and boarded the Venture.

Meanwhile in the ship's cabin, two men, ne wearing a skipper's hat and moustache and the other dressed in a suit and smiking a pipe were talking.

"Well Denham," said the skipper. "You know the reasons we have for needing to sail at six.
The marshal has found out were carrying explosives, and are coming tomorrow."

"I suppose if we make a legal case of it, we'll be tied up for months," said Denham looking worried.

"With enough explosives to blow up the harbor? You got it." He took a bomb from a case on the floor. "What do you think the marshal will have to say about these new gas bombs? According to you, one of these is powerful enough to knock out an elephant."

"We have to get to our destination before monsoon season starts."

"You can trust me to get you through a blow, I hope."

"Don't get sore skipper. But you know what it means to hit the rainy season when we're making an outdoor picture. All that money and time wasted, but nothing to show for it."

"But you always bring back a picture and they say" there is only one Carl Denham."

Just then, Weston enterd the room and closed the door behind him.

"Right on time." said Denham, walking up to Weston. "I was going ashore to ring you.""

"If I knew that, I would have waited," said Weston with a chuckle.

"Meet the skipper, Englehorn." Denham watched as Englehorn and Weston shook hands. "Well where's the girl, Weston?"

"It can't be done Denham," said Weston with a frown.

Denham's eyes lit up. "What! It has to be done." Weston shook his head. "Look Weston. The actor's equity and the Hays out fit have interfered with every girl I've tried to hire, all the agencies have turned their backs on me. You know I'm square-"

Weston interrupted, "Everyone knows your square Denham, but for gods sake you've got a reputation for recklessness that can't be glossed over. And then you're so secretive."

"I keep telling you, you'll know when we reach the position I marked."

The skipper shrugged and said, "Yes but when even the skipper and mate don't even know our destination."

"They're you have it," said Weston "I've got a conscience Denham. I can't send a pretty young girl on a voyage like this without telling her what to expect."

Denham raised his eyebrow. "What is to expect?"

"You tell us Denham," said captain Englehorn.

"To go off for god knows how long," continued Weston. "To a place we don't have a hint of it's location and status, the only woman aboard a ship with a group of the toughest mugs I ever met,

The crew laughed at this.

"You sound like I don't bring anyone back alive," said Denham. The skipper has stuck with me on two trips. He seems healthy."

"But it's different taking a girl into danger."

"Oh, I suppose they're no danger in New York? Why, half those girls are in more danger in the streets then they are with me."

"You've never had an actress in one of your other pictures before, not even an actor. Why now?"

"Holy mackerel-d'ye think I want to haul a woman along?"

Weston looked puzzled. "Then why?"

"Because the public-God bless em-must have a pretty face to look at these days."

Weston smiled. "Everybody likes romance."

"Isn't they're any romance or adventure in the world without a God-damned flapper in it?" Denham put down his pipe and straightened his tie. "It makes me sick. I go out and sweat blood to make a swell picture, and the exhibitors and critics say, "if this picture had a love interest in it, it would gross twice as much." Well, if they want a girl, they'll be disappointed!"

"Then what are you going to do for the picture?"

"I don't know, we need to sail by the morning tide."

"Why is that?"

"There's always a good reason for something." Then Denham grabbed his overcoat and hat and headed for the door. "I'm going to look for a way to save this picture. Failure is not an option!" Then he slammed the door behind him.

Half an hour had passed, and Denham was wondering around the docks trying to figure out a way to save his picture. Just then, he spotted a large ship with wooden crates being lifted off it. Curious, he decided to take a look at what was going on. He walked up to a man in a coat and captain's hat and asked, "What's in those crates?"

"About a few African lions," answered the man.

"Lions?"

"Plus a meerkat and warthog. They're being delivered to the Bronx."

Just then, Denham got an idea. "I'll buy them."

The man looked confused. "What?"

"I'll but the entire pride from you."

"You're crazy!"

Denham then took out his check book. "How does two hundred thousand dollars sound?"

The man's eyes lit up. "Make it four hundred thousand."

"Three hundred thousand."

"Deal!" Then the two shook hands as Denham gave him the check. "Thank you, where do we deliver them?"

Denham pointed to the Venture about two blocks away. "That ship, the Venture. Load them on before six o'clock. We leave in the morning."

"Aye, sir!"

Denham then started back for the Venture with a smile on his face. He had saved his film, but didn't know who he had just cast into it.