Movie audiences have never had to go too long without Kong.

Since the big ape with a thing for blondes and skyscrapers crashed onto screens in the early 1930s, filmmakers have been fascinated with Skull Island's leading citizen.

Of course, not all of Kong's adventures have been cinema gold. Like all great performers, he's taken some parts that perhaps he shouldn't have monkeyed with. Still, whether in a classic or inadvertent comedy, every Kong appearance is commanding. He is, after all, a gigantic ape. Here's a history of King Kong in the movies:

KING KONG (1933): The original King Kong features effects that seem stilted, acting that errs on the side of hammy and the improbable concept of a big gorilla getting rowdy in New York City. Despite, or perhaps because of, these "flaws," King Kong is an endearing, engaging and classic monster movie.

SON OF KONG (1933): Shot quickly and released a mere eight months after the original, this sequel, which features Kong's inexplicably blond baby boy, who, unlike Daddy, treats humans with a little kindness. Not the classic the original was, but still worth spending a rainy afternoon with.

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962): Released at the height of the Godzilla craze, this grudge match finally answered the question: "Which monster is mas macho?" Of course, Kong, once the stop-motion master of his domain, is now a guy in an ape suit. But that doesn't make his thrashing of Tokyo any less satisfying.

KING KONG (1966): This animated incarnation featured King Kong and his boy sidekick, Billy Bond, fighting crime on Saturday mornings. Unlike the gorilla's cinematic exploits, very few townships were destroyed in the making of this short-lived series. Instead of taking out Toledo, Ohio, Kong and Billy focused their efforts on more mundane foes, such as poachers, smugglers and thieves.

KING KONG ESCAPES (1967): The sequel, sort of, to King Kong vs. Godzilla, this Japanese movie features a guy in a gorilla suit facing off against, get ready for this, a guy in a robot gorilla suit. The mighty Kong is called on to defend humanity against an ill-advised Mechanical Kong, which has gone a little haywire. Cheesy fun.

KING KONG (1976): A big-budget update of the classic King Kong, this version has the monster captured by an oil company and scaling the World Trade Center. No love, it seems, for the classic Empire State Building. Although maligned by critics and audiences, it does feature Jessica Lange in her first screen role. She screams real good.

KING KONG LIVES (1985): The concept so crazy you can't make it up. The sequel to the 1976 Kong, this movie postulates that Kong is not dead, but in a coma. One artificial heart and a hot She Kong later, and the King is swinging and stomping his way through Manhattan once again. It's just as silly as it sounds.

KONG: KING OF ATLANTIS AND KONG: THE ANIMATED SERIES (2005): This series and spinoff animated film feature a Kong cloned from the deceased original and his boy sidekick. Every animated Kong, it seems, needs a boy wonder. There's also nonsense about traveling the world in search of magic stones. How exactly does a 50-foot gorilla go globe-trotting?

KING KONG (2005): Director Peter Jackson sends a three-hour love letter to the great ape who made him want to become a movie man. Set, like the original, in 1933, it's the film that allows King Kong to take his rightful place, once again, atop the Empire State Building. Welcome home, Kong. You've been missed.