Mighty Joe Young (1949) User Reviews

Great story, great effects.

[Chessack · 8/10 · 3 October 2000]

Thanksgiving just can't be Thanksgiving without Mighty Joe Young. From as far back as I can remember, until about 10 years ago, WOR, channel 9 in New York City, played a King Kong festival on Thanksgiving day, and then a Godzilla festival on Friday, dubbing it "Monster Weekend." Of the 3 "ape movies" played back-to-back (King Kong, Son of Kong, and Mighty Joe Young), this was far and away the best. There were several reasons for it. (1) Mighty Joe Young has the best special effects of all the ape movies (and, truth be known, far better than those of most of the Godzillas -- which were filmed 10-20 years later!). (2) Mighty Joe Young has the best story. It's about a little girl who adopts a young gorilla in Africa on her family's plantation, and she grows up with it. The gorilla turns out to be the largest in the world (but nowhere near the size of Kong). Joe is affectionate with his "sister", and very protective of her, and the animators gave him a wonderful range of facial expressions and emotions. (3) Mighty Joe Young has the best climax, and the best ending.

All told, Mighty Joe Young is a terriffic movie. It was light years ahead of its time in so many ways, including special effects. It is well worth the time to see it.

My score: 8/10

Surprisingly Excellent Movie and with Awesome Special Effects

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 3 May 2013]

In Africa, the girl Jill Young trades a baby gorilla with two natives and raises the animal. Twelve years later, the talkative and persuasive promoter Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong) organizes a safari to Africa with the Oklahoma cowboy Gregg (Ben Johnson) to bring attractions to his new night-club in Hollywood. They capture several lions and out of blue, they see a huge gorilla nearby their camping and they try to capture the animal. However, the teenager Jill Young (Terry Moore) stops the men that intended to kill her gorilla. Max seduces Jill with a fancy life in Hollywood and she signs a contract with him where the gorilla Joseph "Joe" Young would be the lead attraction. Soon she realizes that her dream is a nightmare to Joe and she asks Max to return to Africa. However he persuades her to stay a little longer in the show business. But when three alcoholic costumers give booze to Joe, the gorilla destroys the spot and is sentenced by the justice to be sacrificed. Will Jill, Gregg and Max succeed in saving Joe?

"Mighty Joe Young" is a surprisingly excellent movie, with a story that entwines drama, romance and adventure and with awesome special effects for a 1949 movie. I bought this DVD a couple of years ago, but I was expecting a lame rip-off of King Kong based on the awful Brazilian title. However, the plot is engaging, with lots of emotions and many plot points and Joe's runaway is spectacular. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Monstro de um Mundo Perdido" ("Monster of a Lost World")

Fun, fast-moving with fantastic special effects

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 21 November 2000]

Great film about an oversize gorilla (about 10-11 feet), its owner (Terry Moore) and what happens when an unscrupulous promoter Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong) lures them from Africa to America to become a hit. Let's get the bad stuff out of the way--the story is nothing new; Terry Moore and Ben Johnson are among the worst actors I've ever seen and there's zero lack of characterization among the humans. But when Joe Young appears all is forgiven. He looks great, moves realistically and has incredible facial motions. You can tell exactly what he's thinking by his expressions! Also, the scenes where he's grappling with humans, horses, lions look extremely realistic--that's saying a lot for a film that's over 50 years old! A fun family film. Try to see restored prints--there's a final sequence involving a burning building in which the whole reel is tinted red--very nicely done.

Absolutely Charming!

[BaronBl00d · 15 July 2000]

Of all the great ape films, this one made by the same folks that brought us King Kong and Son of Kong has to be the most charming. The story is simple enough about a young girl that raises a gorilla from infancy in the wilds of Africa to be wooed and wowed by an American showman looking for acts in Africa. The showman sees her gorilla and the way she can make it listen and do tricks...and soon both beast and beauty are off to the US to star in a night club act of all things. Terry Moore is a real cutie portraying the girl. The showman is played by...well who else but the same man responsible for bringing King Kong to New York City 16 years earlier...Robert Armstrong. The rest of the cast is adequate with Nestor Paiva in a small but crucial role standing out. The real star, however, is the ape itself and the special effects centered around it. This gorilla is brutish yet humane. He is playful and yet serious and somber at times. Willis O'Brien has done it again with the effects and his stop motion animation, with a great deal of improvement since Kong. The best thing about this movie is its heart, and the heart shown between the young girl and her pet/child. Some scenes are very striking in the film. One that stands out the most is the introduction of Mighty Joe Young in the night club with Terry Moore playing the piano. It looks like Busby Berkley choreographed it. Another very powerful scene involves Joe with an orphanage on fire. The scene is tremendous and even tinted red. Very impressive for its release. A True Classic!

Nice Film For Everyone

[skallisjr · 7/10 · 1 May 2005]

When this first came out, I saw it on the Silver Screen. It's been described before, and the closest thing to a really nasty person are the cops who want to dispose of Joe.

This is an MGM film: Misunderstood Gorilla Movie. As presented to the audience, he's neither a menace nor a bad sort.

Possible minor spoiler: The introduction of Joe in the nightclub was a memorable scene. The girl plays Joe's favorite song at the piano on a stage, and as the song continues, the piano and stage rise smoothly until they reach a significant height, and then the lights come up: Joe is holding up girl, piano, and stage. This is one of my favorite scenes in the film.

A Fun Piece Of Stop Motion From The Great Ray Harryhausen!

[bigjackfilms · 7/10 · 5 April 2014]

THE PLOT - Jill Young (Terry Moore) has brought up her pet gorilla since she was a child. Twelve years later, when the gorilla is fully grown, Hollywood promoter Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong) travels to Tanzania, Africa, and convinces Jill to bring her extraordinarily large gorilla, Joe, back to America. While in Hollywood, Joe is used in a stage production and is exploited to no end. It doesn't take long until Joe is sick of being mistreated and he escapes to run loose in civilization.

REVIEW - This is an instant where I've seen the remake first, then the original. So I'm holding my feelings about this one. For what it is, it's good. I think Cooper and Obrien wanted to make this film for a kind of nostalgia trip.

CHARACTERS - The characters are great. Terry Moore, while not a beauty that tames the beast, is more of a sister to Joe. She's very likable and you can see and feel her confusion when entering America for the first time. That's another thing about Kong films is that they're kind of painting an evil image of America as they only care about greed. But I digress. Robert Armstrong is once again fantastic, playing that lovable Denham like showman, also adding a bit more of a comic relief in him and this time, instead of being a bit of a mad man, becomes a hero in the end. Ben Johnson's character, I'm sorry, but these young male leads in these first movies are so bland and boring to me, so I got nothing to say about them that are interesting.

EFFECTS - This is also the first film to introduce publicly the legendary stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen, who would eventually be the next in line on the stop motion animation throne. His animation on Joe is great for his first feature. It's said that he ate carrots and bananas and act like a real gorilla in order to get the character moving. Now that is what you call dedication.

FINAL VERDICT - Overall, the movie it is a good watch with good VFX and Animation.

Decent stop-motion adventure

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 2 September 2013]

MIGHTY JOE YOUNG is essentially a smaller, pared-down re-run of KING KONG, with everything taking place on a smaller scale and perhaps a slightly younger audience in mind. It's nevertheless an extremely watchable and at times powerful piece, one that's at its best when depicting the worst of human nature; namely Joe's transformation from king of the jungle to a side-show freak.

Such films are inevitably dated now, presenting a view of a world long forgotten. Despite this, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG is gripping and exhilarating in equal measure. The opening sequences are slightly twee, but once the action shifts to Hollywood it gets better and better, especially the extended "will they make it?" climax. The scene with the burning building is an incredibly complex set-piece and one which is executed beautifully.

KING KONG guru Willis O'Brien was the guy headlining this production, but by all accounts stop-motion king Ray Harryhausen did most of the work, and Joe is one of his best creations; not only is he a realistic monster, but like the best of the stop-motion beasties, he's a recognisable character too, and one you empathise with. The rest of the production is well-paced and well-made, with a level of finesse raising it above the level of the competition.

If you Enjoyed King Kong (1933), You'll Like This

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 23 December 2006]

"Mighty Joe Young" was a very entertaining film with a surprising amount of action. In fact, the last third to last half of this film is just about non-stop. it reminded me of King Kong, of course with a big age being brought to New York City for display and then things going haywire. This movie, however, has a happier ending than "Kong," although it doesn't look like that will be the case near the end. It turns to be a very suspenseful movie in that last 30 minutes, especially.

Even though this was an early Ray Harryhausen special-effects effort (and he's interviewed in two features on the DVD), it still looks pretty hokey in spots. But in 1949, this must have been pretty cool. Hey, to be fair, some parts are decently realistic if you aren't too critical. One thing: they are fun to watch!

The only weak point was the acting. A very young-looking Ben Johnson sounded wooden and Robert Armstrong overacted. Terry Moore, as Mighty Joe's guardian, so to speak, was so-so.

What made this movie better-than-average was the injection of some humor into this adventure story. Humor, and a bit of sentimentality as Mighty Joe is humanized to a degree. The big ape was funny while sitting in the back of a speeding truck eluding the police, and at the very of the movie he made most viewers laugh.

This movie is much better now that it's on DVD. The transfer is excellent; a nice picture. Near the end, with the big orphanage fire, the black-and-white scenes are tinted. Overall, if you liked the 1933 version of King Kong, you'll like this. A lot of the same people were responsible for both films. This is pure entertainment, which is why I gave it '9' stars.

Delightful monster film, the special effects blockbuster of it's day.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 15 May 2008]

Mighty Joe Young starts as Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong) needs some publicity for the opening of his new Golden Safari nightclub in Los Angeles, he organises an expedition to Africa. There he captures some Lions & runs into a huge Gorilla named Joe by local farmer Jill Young (Terry Moore) who has known him since he was a little baby Gorilla. Amazed by Joe & sensing a publicity stunt Max convinces Jill to sign a contract to go back to the US with him & perform on stage with Joe in his nightclub. Starstruck Jill agrees but soon regrets her decision when Joe is treated badly & kept in a cage all day only to come out & perform at night...

Directed by Ernest C. Schoedsack one has to say that Might Joe Young is King Kong (1933) in all but name although it's still a great film in it's own right. The similarities are there for all to see, director Schoedsack directed King Kong, actor Robert Armstrong plays virtually the same character who tries to exploit Kong/Joe for his own gain, Ruth Ross provided the scripts for both films while both were produced by Merian C. Cooper & of course not to mention both King Kong & Mighty Joe Young revolve around huge Gorillas who both have special feelings for a blonde, both are transported to the US & exploited, both escape & go on a rampage & both end with their hairy over-sized stars climbing up large structures. However Mighty Joe Young is so much more than just a rehash, while it doesn't feature any other monsters or the terrific Skull Island expedition & certainly is softer in tone it's a a very enjoyable fast paced monster film with some truly mesmerising scenes & special effects. Forget about films like Independence Day (1996) & The Matrix (1999) this was the special effects Hollywood blockbuster of it's day just as those other two films are now. The story is good, it's maybe a bit predictable & there's a slightly sweet sugary happy ending but I must admit I was captivated by every minute of it.

The sheer magic of Mighty Joe Young has to go down to stop motion animators Willis O'Brien & Ray Harryhausen who work miracles here. Some of the effects work is truly amazing, from spectacularly animated scenes of Joe running in Africa with a heard of Elephants to the scene when Max & his men try to lasso him to the nightclub scene where he runs amok climbing support pillars, swinging on ropes & fighting Lions to a scene where he leans out of the back of a moving truck or the amusing tug O'war scene to the magical image of Joe holding a huge platform above his head with Jill on it playing the piano & singing Beautiful Dreamer or the sequence when Joe gets angry & smashes the door to his cell open. Each effects sequence seems to have had so much care & attention lavished on it, stop motion animation is a laborious task & it's clear the effects guy's who worked on Mighty Joe Young loved the process. Deservedly Mighty Joe Young won an Oscar for best special effects in 1950. But that's not all since they saved the best for last as Joe rescues several children from a burning building as it crashes down around him, another truly spectacular scene which is just one of many. The animators give Joe real personality & sympathy, you really feel for the big guy. Unlike King Kong which was fairly horrific at times Mighty Joe Young has more of a heart & tones the horror elements down. Filmed in black and white it's also available in a computer colourised version.

Technically the film is impressive with some truly dazzling special effects scenes although the films depiction of Africa & it's natives is poor with very flat fake looking painted backdrops. Certain shots in the cowboys in Africa sequence were apparently taken from footage originally shot for a King Kong sequel which was never completed. A sequel called Joe Meets Tarzan was planned to be made in 1950 but the box-office failure of Mighty Joe Young meant the project was canned & never made. The acting is fine, it's a little wooden at times like a lot of these early films are but it's alright.

Mighty Joe Young is for all intents & purposes a King Kong rip-off but it's a bloody damned good King Kong rip-off, while not quite as wonderful as King Kong it's not too far behind. Remade to less than stunning effect as Mighty Joe Young (1998), definitely watch this one instead.

Worthy Follow-Up to King Kong!

[Whizzer-2 · 9/10 · 29 September 1999]

A wonderfully entertaining slant on "King Kong" by Kong's creators, Cooper and Schoedsack (along with John Ford). Much better than Kong's 1934 sequel, "Son of Kong", which was hurriedly made. The creators put a lot of thought and effort into this worthy follow-up and it shows. More superb special effects from Willis O'Brien as technical director, featuring the budding talents of protege, Ray Harryhausen.

A Great Film to show your School Agers on one of those half-fast School Holidays(like Ground Hog Day), Especially Good for Girls! Why? Just Read Ahead!

[redryan64 · 7/10 · 8 September 2007]

Some have called MIGHTY JOE YOUNG(Argosy Pictures/RKO Radio Pictures, 1949), "...the 3rd installment of KING KONG(RKO,1933)!" That would be following the quickie, make-a-buncha-dough Kong sequel, SON OF KONG(RKO,1934). This may be an example of wishful thinking or over obvious pigeon-holing. I mean, just because the central theme involves the exploitation of an innocent,wild animal, who just happens to be an Ape, it should be classified the same? We think not.

First of all, KING KONG is really a monster movie. Not like the 'Mad Doctor's'"tampering with that which only God should dabble!" We do have perhaps THE Classic example of the "Nature's Gone Berserk" mixing incompatible life forms.

In a (once again, proverbial)nutshell, a widower, John Young(Regis Toomey)an African Planter, has been having trouble. What with working as hard as a man can to operate his huge farm/plantation and at the same time doing his best to provide his little girl,Jill(Laura Lee Michel)with a suitable and loving home life. Lacking any real playmates, the little child negotiates a trade with two natives. Showing a good knowledge of native dialect, she manages a few words and haggles with the 2 men in order to obtain the mysterious contents of a wicker basket that they were carrying. Some beads aren't enough, but when she throws in the fine item of a super neat,large, chromium metal giant of a Flashlight, the scales of a barter are tipped her way! So what if the flashlight belonged to Daddy?She obviously thought about behaving properly, as she pondered the questionably proper transaction. Her decision came out on the side of her doing it! She has a little fun with Father when he comes home, and in spite of his warnings and better judgment, the girl keeps and raises the little baby gorilla(the contents of the Natives' Basket).

Meanwhile, several years ahead Show Business Impresario, Max O'Hara(Robert Armstrong)is busy in his New York Broadway Offices, planning and announcing to the world through Press Agent, "Windy"(Frank McHugh)a new type of Night Club Entertainment, with a "Darkest Africa" motif and theme!(Shades of Disneyland, Disneyworld, Busch Gardens, etc.!) O'Hara's expedition calls for taking real American Western Rodeo Cowboys, headed up by Head Cowboy "Greg"(Ben Johnson), to capture by roping the Lions needed for the show.

Of course we have a collision course between Show Business and the greatest example of African Wildlife, Jill's now full grown and obviously over-sized, Gorilla, who she has raised, naming him "Joe".

Being the Landlady of the Property now, since the death of her Father, it is up to her to decide what to do when the $how Bu$ine$$ Mega-Buck$ are dangled out as an offer for her (and Joe's)services. The Act and Night Club are highly successful, as the box office is kept raking in the Ca$h, as long as there is the Jovial Giant Gorilla as the main attraction.

Soon there is the unavoidable collision between Nature and Civilization, between the wholesome, pure and innocent wild creature and the insatiable, gluttonous appetite of Show Business and the Public for getting their kicks and entertainment. Following a riot and stampede of Wild African Animals, a warrant to have Joe destroyed is signed by a local State Court Judge. An escape plan by O'Hara and Company ends with Joe's being a hero in saving the victim's of a fire in an Orphanage and sustaining seemingly incredibly serious bodily injuries.

It may have taken some 50 years to realize the obvious, but what we have here is a sort of modern, latter day Fairy Tale. True, we don't have the Dungeons, Dragons, the Princess or the Brave Prince or the Knights in Shining Armor to act out our story. But, we do have the Modern Day, 20th Century's equivalent of those people, in the poor little (Rich)Farm Girl, the greedy Entertainment Industry and the Brave, Modern Day Mounted "Knights", the Cowboys. And without getting into it all too deeply and spilling the beans, it does have a sort of Fairy Tale Ending, sort of! The film was a co-production of John Ford & Merrion C. Cooper's Argosy Pictures and RKO Radio Pictures, which also did the Release & Distribution. Like its cinematic cousin, it comes by this association with RKO honestly. Merrion C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack were the Director?Producer team on both films. It is officially listed as "an ARKO Production",combining the two company names.

For a film that was considered to be strictly Saturday Afternoon Matinée fodder, it must have had a considerably larger budget than most. The special effects department included the modern effects whiz, Ray Harryhausen as 1st Technician and included Project Chief Willis O'Brien and Marcel Delgado(both gaining fame and reputation on KING KONG, 16 years earlier! It won the Oscar for "Best Special Effects" at the 1950 Oscars! Like all successful films, the cast (all of the cast)is largely responsible. There is no exception here. A few more familiar names do stand out, though, like:James Flavin(the 2nd Mate in KING KONG),Douglas Fowley, Dennis Green, Paul Guilfoyle, Nestor Paiva,Mary Gordon,Iris Adrian, Ellen Corby, etc., etc., et al! There was a most interesting scene in having Show Biz Magnate O'Hara stage a "Tug of War" between "Mr.Joseph Young of Africa"(as He was being billed) and Ten(10)Strongmen.

It was here that the FX boys really earned their Oscar. The whole sequence appears to be just a filmed stage show, even today, after nearly 60 years! And this band of Strongmen assembled were mostly Professional Wrestlers, they were: Sammy Menacher, Henry Culky, 'Killer' Karl Davis, Wee Willie Davis, Sammy Stein, 'Man Mountain' Dean, Ivan Rasputin, the Swedish Angel(Phil Olaffson),and Former World's Heavyweight Boxing Champion/now Pro Grappler, team anchorman,Primo Carnera. The tenth strongman was well-known Hollywood Bar owner and Super-Grip Strongman, Ian 'Mac' Batchelor. This segment is a real high-spot of the film.

It proved to be a nearly perfect film to show our girls on a stormy day or half-fast School Holidays!

Kong with a heart!

[hondo551 · 10/10 · 2 January 2006]

I remember seeing Mighty Joe Young before I ever saw King Kong, and for the longest time I preferred it to Kong because it seemed newer, with better effects, and more familiar actors, while Kong seemed older and a little creakier with a less familiar cast of characters. Over the years I've come to appreciate both as great movies, the same basic story or premise, but with a slightly different spin, one as a grand thrilling epic, and one as a heartwarming story with laughs and thrills. Where Kong is the tragic violent figure meeting his fate for the love of a woman, Joe Young is a warm cuddly teddy bear of a creature trying to stave off that wild beast that lives inside of him for the affection of a woman. Where Kong wouldn't expend a drop of sweat helping a human, except for Ann Darrow, Joe Young appears more than human in that he would sacrifice himself to save the children and adults in an orphanage engulfed in flames. And although Robert Armstrong doesn't play the same character in both movies, just the same type of character, it's kind of nice to see him learn from his mistakes in the previous film and early on in this one so that he can make a determined effort to have this story end differently. While King Kong may have been a grand slam out of the park, Mighty Joe Young still comes out as a solid home run.

"Am I dreamin' or did I just see a gorilla?"

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 31 March 2014]

An African girl (Terry Moore) is best friends with a twelve-foot tall ape named Joe she grew up with. American promoter Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong) persuades the girl to bring her ape to America to take part in his show. You can pretty much guess how this will go wrong even if you haven't seen King Kong.

First big role for Ben Johnson as a cowboy who falls for Moore. He's pretty wooden here but then again he was a fairly wooden actor throughout his career. He does his usual John Wayne, Jr. routine. Lots of "Yassir" and "Ah reckon" type stuff. Robert Armstrong plays a role very much like Carl Denham from King Kong, although a little more comedic. Terry Moore is more Helen Mack than Fay Wray. That is to say she's cute but not much screen presence.

Re-teaming of many of the King Kong team for a story that is very similar to that film, although different enough to keep this from being considered a remake. The story is mostly kid stuff and fluff but cute nonetheless. The Willis O'Brien/Ray Harryhausen special effects alone are worth checking this movie out.

As a movie it's pretty awful, but Harryhausen fans take note

[secondtake · 3/10 · 8 September 2009]

Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Wow, there sure are some silly moments and bad acting in this movie--and yet I watched it to the end! Why? For the story itself (I love the King Kong idea) and for the campy fun of it. It's actually pretty horrible, and the special effects are interesting but not exactly convincing, so I would recommend not seeing this movie unless you are especially into the genre. The director, Ernest B. Schoedsack, is the very same Schoedsack who directed the original King Kong way back in 1933, but after a series of similar adventure films in the 1930s, he had been inactive for nearly a decade before getting involved here.

The story we've seen before--big ape taken from the jungles of Africa to become a stage act for a impresario of dubious character. The acting is terrible terrible. Say no more there (okay, Robert Armstrong isn't quite terrible). The effects, for all their Harryhausen fame, are pretty basic, though there are a lot of them (the ape, but also lions behind glass, and some mutilation to the lions, PETA folk and other decent people beware). Remember this isn't the early 1930s, when the effects for King Kong were pretty amazing in that context. This is post-war America. The fact that everything has to be created by hand and matte shot (double exposed in a selective way) does make it impressive, but even if you like Harryhausen's efforts, the rest of the movie will likely let you down.

Charming fantasy

[BLG-2 · 10 April 2001]

RKO managed to put out a sweet movie, even with the cheesy backdrops (the African scenes) and special effects (they obviously used toy vehicles in one scene). You'll root for the good guys and laugh at the rougish character played by Robert Armstrong as he schemes to get Joe back home. Look for Irene Ryan (who later played "Granny" on the Beverly Hillbillies) in a quick scene in the nightclub.

The Torch Is Passed!

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 7 January 2006]

"Mighty Joe Young" was the third of Producer Merian C. Cooper's giant ape trilogy following "King Kong" and "Son of Kong" both released in 1933. It was directed by Cooper's old pal Ernest B. Schoedsack, who also had directed the first two. At this time Cooper was producing pictures in partnership with John Ford. Ford's influence can be seen in this film. Ford's protégé of the time, Ben Johnson is cast in the lead, Ford regular Jack Pennick appears in a bit as a truck driver and the "Fordian" humor is evident, particularly in the nightclub sequence.

Robert Armstrong, who had played a similar role in the Kongs, returns as Max O'Hara a fast talking promoter who was reportedly based on producer Cooper. This film also marked the passing of the torch from legendary stop motion animator Willis O'Brien to the then young Ray Harryhausen.

The film opens in Africa where the young Jill Young "buys" a baby gorilla and names him Joe. Fast forward 12 years where Max O'Hara is planning to go to Africa to capture wild animals for his African themed restaurant. A young wrangler, Glenn Johnson (Ben Johnson) applies for a job and accompanies the group to the Dark Continent. Suddenly their camp is turned upside down by the now 12 foot tall "Mighty Joe Young". Amid the confusion, the now grown Jill (Terry Moore) emerges and calms the ape.

O'Hara seeing an opportunity, convinces the girl to bring the ape to America to perform in his nightclub. Along the way Jill and Glenn become an item. Following a successful introduction in "civilization", Joe is taunted by three drunks (Douglas Fowley, Nestor Paiva, Paul Guilfoyle). They then sneak down to where the gorilla is caged and feed him liquor. Well..you know what happens next. Joe escapes and runs amok in the nightclub, releasing the lions and wrecking the joint.

Jill, Glenn and O'Hara seeing the plight of Joe decide to take him back to his home. The police having been ordered to destroy the beast in pursue them. Along the way, they come upon a fire (filmed in a red sepia tone) in a children's orphanage. Joe becomes a hero and everyone lives happily ever after.

One cannot comment upon "Mighty Joe Young" without praising the special effects. Under the supervision of O'Brien, Harryhausen creates some amazing effects. Gone are the jerky movements of the Kongs. The facial expressions of the ape are simply amazing. Its movements are very realistic and convincing. The wrecking of the nightclub and the orphanage sequence are unbelievable. In spite of the sanitized script (no one is actually killed), the effects carry the day.

For both Johnson and Moore, this was their first leading roles. Johnson who at this time as an actor made a great cowboy, went on to a distinguished career lasting almost 50 years (including an Oscar in 1971). Moore, who provides an informed commentary (along with Harryhausen)on the DVD, became more famous for her alleged marriage to the then middle aged playboy, Howard Hughes.

Also on board are Frank McHugh as O'Hara's assistant, Regis Toomey as Jill's father and a number of then famous wrestlers playing the strongmen in the night club sequence: Primo Carnera, Carl "Killer" Davis, William "Wee Willie" Davis, Man Mountain Dean and Henry Kulky who went on to a acting career of his own. Also watch for Ellen Corby and Charles Lane in bits.

Not in the same class as "King Kong" but an entertaining film nonetheless.

It was Hollywood overkill that (almost) killed the beast!

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 23 May 2008]

For Ernest Shoedsack's final feature as director (he directed a prologue uncredited for a film later on), he takes the King Kong concept, but makes it sweeter, more amiable for a family or small kids, and has the wisdom to put on Ray Harryhausen for Mighty Joe Young's special effects and stop motion. While Harryhausen will always be synonymous with Jason and the Argonauts, among other monster movies, this one shows so much care and energy on a first official go-around. It might not be as wild as the original Kong from 1933, but it's a little more polished, with lots of cool fights with lions, and freak-out in an auditorium, and a climax that involves (don't laugh) a burning orphanage. If for no other reason the movie has instant appeal for fans of the great Harryhausen as one of his quintessential efforts.

The film itself is a fun, heartwarming concoction where we see an ape that's smaller than Kong, and less obsessed with diddling the woman of the picture. In fact, the gorilla this time is in the form of a pet, and as such it's friendlier, funnier, but easy to provoke unless its girl is with him (the lovely Terry Moore as Jill). He's surrounded by some 'stock' characters, like the greedy show-biz-man Max O'Hara, and the kind-hearted 'cowboy' Gregg played by Ben Johnson. And the story has a somewhat predictable end. But what makes it enjoyable is that the attitude stays strong enough for its target audience to stay in tune, and there's even a rather amazing climax with the burning orphanage; Shoedsack puts a red tint on the entire sequence, and without much dialog (save for the obvious "JOE!" and screaming children) and thrilling music it's like a near perfect silent movie sequence done with some extra flair. It gives it just that little boost that makes it comparable (if not as iconic) as the building climax of Kong. 7.5/10

Mighty silly, but the effects rival "Kong"...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 9 May 2007]

A return to "King Kong" territory, with Oscar-winning special effects by "Kong"'s main wizard Willis O'Brien, is bubblegum, bubble-headed nonsense, though viewed strictly as matinée fodder does entertain in its gaudy fashion. Campy plot has Terry Moore and her humongous pet gorilla lured out of their African seclusion for stardom in the big city, but things predictably go awry. Silly, occasionally slow-moving picture with a decent cast. Moore is a good sport (if not a first-rate actress) and the effects (with help from Ray Harryhausen) are fantastic. Impressionable viewers should be awed. Remade in 1998. **1/2 from ****

"Joe can't live in a cage, and neither can I".

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 14 February 2010]

I've read most of the reviews on this board about "Mighty Joe Young", and no one mentions 'Beautiful Dreamer', how come? I know it's not the kind of song you associate with a big ape, but the first thing I think of whenever I hear the melody today is this picture. It's also cool to read all the reviews from folks who were around during the glory days of WOR TV in New York back in the 1950's. It's where I got my start watching a lot of these classics as a kid, and whenever you came upon one you really liked, you got to watch it every day for a week! Boy, those were the good old days!

What you have here, mostly from the same folks who brought you "King Kong", is an entirely derivative story fashioned after the 1933 original, but as others have pointed out, a story with more heart. I can remember as a kid how bad I felt when the drunks at the Golden Safari got Joe tipsy to start the rampage, hoping against hope that Joe wouldn't be a goner when the cops arrived with their guns. Funny how you can recall those feelings from so long ago, and have the same reaction while watching some fifty plus years later.

My favorite scene still has to be the strong man lineup from Joe's first act at the Club. I recognized Henry Kulky as Otto Schmidlapp from "The Life of Riley", and my Dad would tell me about some of the other men on stage, pro wrestlers like The Swedish Angel and Man Mountain Dean. This was my first introduction as well to Primo Carnera, boxing champeen who also went on to a pro grappling career. I still get a kick out their introduction in the picture and the feats of strength done to the shout outs from the crowd.

The one actor I forgot about who made a mark in the picture was Ben Johnson, very cool to see him once again as the Oklahoma cowboy who has to get in on Max O'Hara's (Robert Armstrong) action in Africa. Watching the picture earlier today though, I couldn't figure out why he and his men thought it would be a good idea to try and lasso a wild gorilla. That didn't seem to make much sense, but then again, sense is not what the film makers were going after in the final product.

What they were going for were action, thrills, and adventure, mixed with some humor that would appeal to all members of the family. I think they did a pretty good job of it, considering I can remember most everything about the picture, even if I first saw it over fifty years ago.

Giving A Monkey An Even Break

[slokes · 7/10 · 7 March 2017]

"Mighty Joe Young" became known over time as the kid-friendly version of "King Kong." Ever wonder about that?

In "Mighty Joe Young," we watch a young girl steal jewels, money, even a big flashlight, all to swap for a gorilla she knows full well she shouldn't own: "He's better than a doll. I can play with him." Daddy not only countenances this misbehavior; he lets her keep the gorilla.

What kind of lesson is that for impressionable youngsters? At least in "King Kong," bad actions have consequences. Take a trip to Skull Island, you risk getting crushed in a giant maw. In "Mighty Joe Young," everything's fun until someone gets hurt, which never happens anyway.

Reuniting several "Kong" talents, including director Ernest B. Schoedsack, screenwriter Ruth Rose, effects artist Willis O'Brien, and producer Merian C. Cooper, "Mighty Joe Young" seems a conscious attempt at giving a gorilla an even break. The title character, while ferocious, is a gentle giant with a soft spot for bananas and a deep affection for little girl Jill Young, now grown into teenager Terry Moore, who stole Joe's heart as well as that flashlight.

"Joe wouldn't hurt anybody," she tells cowboy Gregg (Ben Johnson). "He wouldn't if you treat him right."

The problem of the film is hardly anyone ever does, including Jill. She allows smooth operator Max O'Hara (Robert Armstrong, another "Kong" carryover) to use the towering beast to achieve Hollywood fame, as feature attraction at a tacky nightclub.

This is all mostly played for laughs, though these don't get in the way of the impressive special effects, designed by O'Brien and achieved by someone who, like Johnson, had an Oscar in his future, Ray Harryhausen.

The effects stick out most, in ways that impress even CGI-jaded eyes. The miniature work and stop-motion animation come together most impressively. Attention is paid to Joe's face and eyes, to the point where he becomes a dynamic character and a font for some engaging humor.

The story is pretty minimal, as is the acting. Johnson in particular seems pretty wooden in his first role. There are scenes that make little sense, beginning with an opening that shows a river crossing for no reason. There are long stretches of listless story action waiting for Joe's next appearance, and some odd set pieces like O'Hara's big stage show, which is a "Trader Horn" meets Busby Berkeley bit that runs too long.

What "Joe" has, in abundance, is charm. O'Hara is a con man, but also shows himself a "square guy" in the end. Even the cop who wants to hurry up and shoot Joe because he's got a date is played for laughs rather than anything darker.

Moore notes in a DVD commentary how much comment she gets about one scene of Joe lifting her character while she plays their song ("Beautiful Dreamer"). It is not only striking for the way Joe seems to soak up the attention from the audience as he shares the spotlight with his beloved, his eyes taking everything in, but of course the way it subconsciously hearkens back to another scene we all remember, of a giant ape lifting a woman up high enough for all Manhattan to see.

The trick this time is the ending, though not without punch, aims for happier results. Except at the box office, "Joe" certainly got those. He even won an Oscar, something big brother Kong didn't manage until 1977! So here's to keeping it short and sweet, relatively speaking.

You Can Take The Ape Out Of Africa........................................

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 5 September 2009]

When WOR TV in New York got the RKO film library for its disposal and use, of course the most popular films easily were the ape trilogy of King Kong, Son Of Kong, and Mighty Joe Young. Forget Astaire&Rogers, Cary Grant, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, if you were below the age of 12 these were the films you wanted to see. Every Labor Day the Ape trilogy was run and when WOR had Million Dollar Movie all day, it's highest ratings went to the simians.

When you realize that unlike the other two, Mighty Joe Young was specifically geared to that audience you can relax and return to your childhood to enjoy this film about two young lovers and their pet 15 foot gorilla.

The same folks, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack who did the Kong films have brought you this one and Willis O'Brien had a resident special effects genius as an assistant in Ray Harryhausen. Watching the film now I see clear traces of Harryhausen that become apparent in his later work.

Young Terry Moore who is played in a prologue by Shirley Temple wannabe Lora Lee Michel is seen acquiring the baby gorilla to the chagrin of her father Regis Toomey. She must have cared for him good because he grew to some immense size.

Enter Robert Armstrong whose character is clearly influenced by producer Billy Rose as it was in King Kong and Son Of Kong has come to Africa for publicity and animal acts in that order. He's brought some rodeo cowboys led by Ben Johnson and Terry Moore who's not seen any of the outside world is influenced by Armstrong's fast talk and Johnson's boyish charm to come to America with the gorilla named Mighty Joe Young.

Of course if you remember the havoc that King Kong wrought upon New York when Armstrong brought him back, then you have some idea where the story is going. But only some idea believe me.

Mighty Joe Young does have some stupidity in it. For instance I don't think any rodeo cowboy is good enough to capture a lion by roping him. But that's what the film has you believe about Ben Johnson. And Ben Johnson ought to know better because that's what he was before going into acting.

Still the film has an innocent charm about it and you can't help, but like it and the characters in the film. I daresay if WOR ran it again it would get the same high ratings. It's a children's classic for kids of all ages.

Another Neutered Kong, But This One Has Some Bite

[Cineanalyst · 6/10 · 25 April 2021]

Maybe "King Kong" (1933) has garnered such a reputation for boyish appeal, especially after its post-Code censorship, that it might sometimes be forgotten how sexual was the titular giant ape's relationship with Fay Wray, as well as how it was complicated by the era's colonialist and racial attitudes. It also doesn't help that ever since these monster movies have been largely kiddie junk. It happened almost immediately with the cash-grab sequel "Son of Kong" (1933), whereby the King was replaced by an infantilized, diminutive and more friendly Kong. Here, in "Mighty Joe Young," we get merely a large gorilla, who despite his apparent adulthood lacks any demonstrative sex drive. Ditto his human female pal. Even here supposedly romantic relationship with a cowboy is extraordinarily plutonic. This is a matinee flick for children. It was even remade in 1998 by Disney. That's going to be a hard pass from me there. Peter Jackson's sexless version and the MonsterVerse are bad enough. Maybe only the 1976 remake comes close to the original, but even there the sex is handled ham-fistedly.

On the other hand, we do get more stop-motion animation and visual effects overseen by Willis O'Brien, with Ray Harryhausen, who would go on to make "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953), among other films, joining the crew this time. The effects were awarded an Oscar. Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack and Ruth Rose, all from the 1933 production, are back here, along with, apparently, John Ford as a producer. Consequently, perhaps, "Mighty Joe Young" does do fairly well, at least, in reflexively exposing the hypocrisy of Western attitudes towards exotic lands, including Africa. The African-themed nightclub, including with its moving camera work, is outrageously on the nose, chalk-full of offensive stereotypes of Africans and stupid comments by New Yorkers. This meta construction is extended to Robert Armstrong once again playing a showman bringing a giant gorilla to the "civilized" city, his writing bogus press reports, the play-within-plays on the stage and the final film-within-the-film.

The most daring part of this is the inference that the film itself is a fantasy of Africa, which indeed it is, with its jungle film tropes of the white woman mediating between the dark continent and white civilization--as in "King Kong," Tarzan burgers and many other expedition pictures of the day. Like our surrogate audience within the film at the nightclub, then, "Mighty Joe Young" is something of an indictment against its own audience.

Good flick, better than the newer version!

[Michael1958 · 8/10 · 28 June 2003]

If Hollywood must makes remakes due to the mostly lack of creativity that we see these days coming out of Tinsel Town, then at least make the remake better. This original story of a Girl and Her Ape is so much better, so much better paced and without the hideous mean spirited additions the new one had added. The very fact that this first version was done with stop motion photography gives it an edge over the computer generated swill we saw in color just a few years back. Sure there are some 1940ish hokey "B" movie formula stuff, but in the end-the 1949 film is just so much better paced and more palatable for the younger set. If you have not seen this one, give it a shot. If you prefer the newer version then you obviously have a thing against the black and white films of yore.

MM

An under rated gorilla movie.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 7 July 2000]

Story line similar to KING KONG, but much better than SON OF KONG. Special effects were top notch for the late 40s. A young girl, Jill Young, makes friends with a small gorilla and names him Joe. After Joe is grown, he is taken from Africa to America by a Hollywood promoter. Mighty Joe Young is a featured attraction until he is ordered to be shot because of some bad conduct.

A scheme is devised to get Joe out of the country and back to his homeland. Enroute to escaping, Joe becomes a hero by saving children in a fire.

Joe's antics during the escape are quite humorous. This is really a neat film to watch again. Young and old can't help but enjoy this.

Jill is played by the beautiful Terry Moore. The rest of the cast is solid and well acted; Robert Armstrong, Ben Johnson, Frank McHugh and Regis Toomey.

Mighty Joe Young (1949)

[fntstcplnt · 5/10 · 7 May 2020]

Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack. Starring Robert Armstrong, Terry Moore, Ben Johnson, Frank McHugh, Lora Lee Michel, Regis Toomey.

Armstrong and Johnson take a trip to Africa to find wild animals for entertainment, and they stumble upon quite the find: a massive gorilla named Joe (credited as "Mr. Joseph Young") owned by Moore. Predictably, the big ape is transported back to the States to be shown off, and even more predictably, the big fella breaks loose and wreaks havoc. Something of a "'Kiddie' Kong," with a repetitive bag of tricks, reduced sense of style, imagination and adventure, and much milder thrills, but the Oscar-winning stop-motion effects work is first-rate (handled by, among others, Ray Harryhausen in his first Hollywood production). As far as acting acumen goes, Moore makes Fay Wray look like Fay Bainter and rigid Johnson is a drippy brand of hero, but Joe is a dashing diva. Although abrupt and tacked-on, the color-tinted climax involving a rescue operation at a burning orphanage is a marvelous set-piece. Watch the beautiful beast in action, skip the human drama. Produced by Merian C. Cooper and John Ford.

54/100