Main Cast: Terry Moore, Ben Johnson, Robert Armstrong, Frank McHugh, Mr. Joseph Young, Douglas Fowley
Release Year: 1949
Country: US
Run Time: 94 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Hoping to make the magic of King Kong happen again, the production team of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack came up with the 1949 special-effects smorgasbord Mighty Joe Young. Robert Armstrong reprises his Kong portrayal of Carl Denham as hot-shot showbiz entrepreneur Max O'Hara. While in Africa looking for authentic decorations for his new night club, O'Hara makes the acquaintance of Mr. Joseph Young, a ten-foot-tall ape. Unlike King Kong, Joe Young has a heart of gold, thanks in great part to his owner, a lovely lass named Jill Young (Terry Moore). Against her better judgment, Jill allows O'Hara to bring Joe back to the States as a nightclub attraction. Joe proves to be a smash as he participates in Jill's musical act (he lifts her grand piano while she plays "Beautiful Dreamer") and performs a tug-of-war routine with an imposing lineup of professional wrestlers (including Tor Johnson, Man Mountain Dean and Primo Carnera). But when the patrons go home each night, Joe is unhappily relegated to his cage. When a group of obnoxious drunks begin teasing Joe, the disgruntled ape breaks loose and goes on a rampage. Slated to be put to death, Joe redeems himself by rescuing a group of screaming children from an orphanage fire. Featured in the cast are Ben Johnson as the nominal romantic lead, Frank McHugh as Robert Armstrong's assistant, and an uncredited Irene Ryan as a cocktail-lounge patron. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Clearly inspired by King Kong -- and in fact featuring not only a leading player (Robert Armstrong) but the same producer, director, writer and special effects director -- Mighty Joe Young does not live up to its predecessor, but it has a certain charm of its own. And while Young is clearly indebted to Kong in a big way, it at least has the sense to approach similar material with a different angle. Whereas Kong was a highly affecting and effective monster flick that also managed to engage viewers on a deep emotional level, Young is really more of a comedy, and one that, despite some violence, is aimed more at a younger audience than at adults. There are some pluses and minuses to this approach. On the plus side, Much of Young is a lot of fun, and there's a lightness to a good portion of it that is appealing. On the minus side, without a tragic sense, it comes across as rather unimportant and inconsequential. And while we do get to know our title character and develop a fondness for him, we don't have the depth of feeling for him that we do for Kong. Still, there's a lot to like, including a campy stage show sequence that provides both intentional and unintentional amusement. Terry Moore is perfectly adequate as the young girl, Robert Armstrong (repeating from Kong is fine, and Ben Johnson is a bit of a bore. But the title character himself has both charm and menace, and he's extremely well animated by reigning effects giant Willis O'Brien and future effects star Ray Harryhausen. Young is the perfect film for a rainy Saturday afternoon when one feels like watching a non-challenging, slightly giddy little monster show. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Written by Merian C. Cooper (who provided the story) and Ruth Rose (screenplay), and directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, it tells the story of a young woman, 'Jill Young', played by Terry Moore, living on her father's farm in Africa, who ends up bringing the title character — a giant ape — to Hollywood. The movie co-stars Ben Johnson, as 'Gregg', in his first major role.
Willis O'Brien, who created the animation for King Kong, was the supervisor of special effects on this film, although by some accounts the majority of the animation was performed by Ray Harryhausen. The models (constructed by Kong's builder Marcel Delgado) and animation are more sophisticated than Kong's, containing more subtle gestures and even some comedic elements, such as one chase scene where Joe is riding in the back of a speeding truck and he spits at his pursuers. Despite this increased technical sophistication, this film, like Kong, features some serious scale issues, with Joe noticeably changing size between many shots. (The title character is not supposed to be as large as Kong - perhaps 10-12 feet tall.) Harryhausen has attributed these lapses to producer Cooper, who insisted Joe appear larger in some scenes for dramatic effect.
The film has become a minor classic, and has an affectionate following. Special effects artists consider it highly influential, with the elaborate orphanage rescue sequence lauded as one of the great stop-motion sequences in film history. It was remade in 1998 with Charlize Theron playing 'Jill Young'. Another remake that takes place around 1949 is in talks.
After being taken from his home in Africa, Joe is an instant hit in the Hollywood nightclub "The Golden Safari" (on opening night he wins a tug-of-war with ten real-life strong men, including ex-boxer Primo Carnera, whom he throws into the audience), but the novelty wears off and he is tired and homesick after seventeen weeks of performing. An ill-conceived skit with Jill as an organ-grinder leaves Joe (and Jill) storming off-stage, and, to make matters worse, three drunks sneak backstage and ply Joe with liquor. Intoxicated, he breaks out of his cage and into the club, his rampage turning lions loose and inflicting massive damage. A court orders him shot.
Jill, Gregg, and O'Hara cook up a plan to get Joe out of the country--but on the way to a ship, they stop to rescue children from a burning orphanage, and Joe redeems himself.
