Denham's function in the story is to initiate the action by bringing the characters to Skull Island, where they encounter the giant beast Kong.

The original Denham was based on Merian C. Cooper, creator of King Kong;[2] both were brave men of action who made names for themselves filming nature footage in the most dangerous of territories.

In some ways, Denham's travels in King Kong match the move that Cooper made when he shifted from documentary filming to narrative storytelling.

In the 2005 remake, Denham is much less sympathetic and more devious; characterized as a con artist willing to lie, steal, and cheat to get his film made, whatever the harm this causes anyone else.

During the voyage, Denham sees Jack Driscoll become tender towards Ann and suggests a love interest for the film's theme, remarking, "Some big hard-boiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang - he cracks up and goes sappy".

After the natives captured Ann and delivered her to Kong, Denham accompanied Driscoll and other crew members in a rescue mission.

After surviving various attacks, Denham decided to switch his plan from producing a film to capturing Kong and sailing him to New York City.

Hellstrom is lying in an attempt to get away after having caused the death of Hilda's father, but Denham and Englehorn believe him and set out to return to Skull Island.

Following a mutiny, Denham, Hilda, Englehorn, Hellstrom and Charlie the Chinese cook find themselves on the island, where the natives are (obviously) none too happy to see them and drive them away.

Landing on a different part of the island, Denham discovers another giant ape (much smaller this time), who appears to be Kong's son.

He and his devoted assistant, Preston, frantically searched for an actress to cast in his new project, eventually discovering Ann Darrow.

This drives Denham to steal the equipment necessary to make it to the island, but he has misinformed his crew that they were heading to Singapore, and only admits the truth to screenwriter Jack Driscoll, who is still working on the screenplay as they set off.

He survives the attack by a Ferrucutus in the extended cut (in which no one dies, but during which some are injured), the manic Brontosaurus stampede, the swamp journey of the extended cut, and the log chasm and insect pit, during which time he loses all of the footage he had been making, causing a brief period of berserker-like fury as he lashes out at the attacking bugs, this being what keeps him alive.

The story features Skull Island still in existence in 1957 and adds Denham having a wife and a son, whom he was forced to abandon to escape the Kong-related lawsuits and criminal charges.

As a young man, among his adventures are travelling the Amazon with Professor Challenger, and Theodore Roosevelt, and working as a newspaper reporter covering the Scopes Monkey Trial.

After Kong, he was forced into hiding to evade US jurisdiction but did travel with Carl Maia and his team to the Amazon's Black Lagoon, and to the Himalayas with Tom Friend and John Rollason in search of the Yeti.