Bruce Baxter
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Species
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Human
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Gender
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Male
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Occupation
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Actor
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Affiliation
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Fate
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Flees Kong's rampage moments before it starts
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Appearance(s)
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Actor
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Kyle Chandler
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Bruce Baxter is a famous and successful actor who was to star Carl Denham's film. He appears only in the 2005 version of King Kong.
Biography[]
Bruce Baxter was previously a famous and successful action/romance actor who was hired to star in Denham's newest project. The studio had thought Denham hired Baxter as promised to appear in a previous series involving romantic scenes with Moraine Mackenzie but were disappointed to see that it was another one of Denham's "safari pictures".
Preston welcomed Baxter onboard the Venture and assisted him into his cabin. Baxter was disappointed and disgusted at the standards of the cabin and decorated it with posters of his films which were later vandalised by Jimmy of the venture crew. Baxter however contemplated the idea of growing a moustache thinking the look might start to grow on him.
He originally took part in the rescue group for Ann Darrow and, during the running of the Brontosaurus, brings the great reversal of these dinosaurs, as he had shot one of the Brontosaurus in the legs, causing it to trip, obstructing the others' paths and causing them to fall over one another. After abandoning the search for Ann (justifying it by declaring "I'm just an actor with a gun, who's lost his motivation"), he made his way back to the Venture followed by two other sailors. Later he had a change of heart and returned to save Jimmy and Jack Driscoll from the insects after they had fallen off the log. Captain Englehorn gives him credit for this, as he "insisted on a rescue mission" - in contrast with his previously survival-of-the-fittest nature. Later, during the capture of Kong, he was seen standing and holding his Thompson. When Kong broke and everyone headed to the Lifeboats, he got into one with Englehorn, Ann, Preston, and 4 sailors, he was holding onto Ann in order to protect her from Kong, despite protest that she can calm Kong down. After Kong was hit and knocked out by Choloform thrown by Denham, he stood and watched as Kong falls asleep. Carl Denham also gives him credit for rescuing Ann after they return to New York; a blatant lie as it was Jack who had done so, however Bruce goes along with it (and Jack probably refused to be in the show).
However, while posing for photographers backstage, Bruce realizes that Kong is about break free from his chains. Wisely, despite being slowed down by photographers, he leaves the theater, just moments before Kong breaks free and goes on a rampage. Off-screen, as chaos ensues inside the theater, he escapes the area before Kong breaks out into the city, avoiding and surviving the whole ordeal.
In the Game[]
In Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, Baxter is part of the two teams of men who go onto the island to shoot Denham's picture. He was in the second group (also consisting of Lumpy, Choy, Preston and Jimmy) of men who got separated from the first (consisting of Briggs (killed whilst landing), Denham, Jack, Hayes and Ann).
The two groups only briefly met again before being attacked by a Vastatosaurus Rex (which killed Lumpy in the resulting clash). Baxter and Jimmy fell into a chasm when the bridge over it was destroyed by the V-Rex grabbing Lumpy, and Preston retreated to an unknown location (presumably to his death). Carl's group managed to successfully evade the V-Rex and escape with no casualties.
Later, in the level entitled 'The Canyon', Baxter's body seems to be lying in the canyon, covered in deep wounds. Many young Terapusmordax hang on the bridge nearby, making it obvious that he has been killed by the creatures (assuming the body is his, as it seems to be due to an entry on the official Wikipedia article of the game, and the resemblance). A sniper rifle in a broken open box lies next to him, which he seems to have tried to retrieve to defend himself. The body is identical to Briggs', the sailor previously killed whilst landing on the island. A similar body also appears later on in the level 'To Save Ann', with several spears protruding - the individual in question having clearly been killed by the natives. His model is similar to Briggs', but the exact identity is unknown.
Game Levels Appearances[]
The Venture
V-Rex
The Canyon
Trivia[]
- A scene in Carl's movie was filmed between Ann Darrow and Baxter. The dialogue is almost taken word for word in reference to a scene from the 1933 King Kong movie involving the dialogue: "I think this is awfully exciting, I've never been on a ship before! / I've never been on one with a woman before."