MONSTER MASTER

In his “A Look Back at L.A.’s Greatest Hits” (Feb. 4), Steven Smith calls the gorilla in the 1949 RKO film “Mighty Joe Young” a “junior King Kong (created by stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen).”

Ray Harryhausen, who indeed worked on the film, may well be the most gifted stop-action photography artist the film industry has ever seen, but I’m sure he wouldn’t want to take credit more properly due Willis O’Brien, whose pioneering work in this field serves as an inspiration for many special effects artists--and who also created the original “full-size” King Kong.

PHIL AYLING

Hacienda Heights

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Though the dialogue and publicity for “Mighty Joe Young” referred to Max O’Hara’s African Safari nightclub as being on the Sunset Strip, a billboard in a miniature shot in the film gives the club’s address as 9336 W. Washington Blvd., which was the actual address of the RKO-Pathe (now Culver City) Studios, where the film was shot.

Also, I question the inclusion of the film in a list citing L.A.’s cinematic disasters, as Mighty Joe Young only trashed the interior of the club, not any of the city.

RICK MITCHELL

Los Angeles

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In “Earthquake,” Smith writes, “. . . the Big One levels Los Angeles--unleashing sex-crazed cops (Marjoe Gortner). . . .” This error is very revealing of a contemporary bias in our society, and L.A. in particular.

Gortner played the part of a National Guard sergeant who goes crazy, commits murder, attempts rape and is shot to death by L.A. police officer George Kennedy. If “Earthquake” were filmed now, the bad guy certainly would be a uniformed police officer. He might be brought down by a National Guard sergeant (who can be the good guy, now that the Guard helped save us from $50-a-gallon gasoline by going off to the Gulf in 1990, ensuring that people who write movie reviews can continue to live their pampered, babied way of life). BYRON E. YOUNG

Lieutenant, LAPD

Major, U.S. Army Reserve

Los Angeles