Mighty Joe Young (1949) Online

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!

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.

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.

"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.

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

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.

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")

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

When many people bring this film up, many of them want to compare it to its predecessor King Kong. However, if they would let this film stand on its own they would see that this is a good film about a young girl and her pet gorilla. Joe is almost childlike and is even lovable. Also, the human cast is fine especially Terry Moore and Robert Armstrong in what pretty much is a repeat of his role of impresario Carl Denham in the original Kong.

But, lets not forget the special effects. Willis O'Brien and his protégé, a young Ray Harryhausen do a remarkable job with Joe. The pretty much show him as being a more rounded character than Kong and you can see the aforementioned childlike qualities they bring to him. This is definitely a great film.

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.

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

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!

This is one of the most entertaining and family-friendly films of its era. Made by the same crew that did the immortal King Kong, this movie wisely doesn't even attempt to match the thunderous, epic quality of that movie. Instead, it's a sentimental look at how "savage" civilization is and how "pure" the so-called jungle "beasts" are.

Mighty Joe is a gorilla left as a baby on the doorstep of an African plantation owner. The boss' young daughter finds the infant ape adorable and begs Daddy to keep him as a pet, which he grudgingly does. As the girl grows up, so does Joe...into a towering 15 foot giant. But the bonds of love and friendship between the two remain strong as they live in their idyllic African paradise.

Enter the scheming Max O'Hara, played with the usual abrasive aplomb by Robert Armstrong. Though the name is different, Max is pretty much the same as Carl Denham, the showman who brought King Kong to New York. Max's latest idea is to start a New York night club based on a Safari theme, featuring real African animals. He assembles a crew of Western cowboys to help him capture the animals and heads off to Africa.

Well, O'Hara and his cowboys manage to encounter the towering Joe and narrowly avert being crushed by the giant gorilla. Learning of the girl Terry's control of Joe, O'Hara sweet-talks her into traveling with Joe to New York, to become the star attractions of his new Safari club.

Terry and Joe are a smashing success as far as attracting attention go, but the truth is, neither one likes the soulless hustle of the Big City that much. Joe is made a fool of, forced to wear a bellboy outfit and play at being an organ grinder's monkey. When a bunch of abusive drunks harass him, the mighty ape loses control and goes on a violent rampage, completely trashing the Safari Club and almost killing his tormentors. Joe is now on the loose in civilization and the worried police have put a death warrant on him, feeling they have a giant killer gorilla stalking the countryside.

Can Mighty Joe escape the terrors of New York? Will his human friends be able to help him? And does the big gorilla have what it takes to be a real hero? Well, the movie is sentimental and even corny, but the ending gives the answer to all of these questions and more. The pace of the film is excellent and there are several scenes that stand out. In the Safari Club, Joe does an exhibition tug of war with a bunch of wrestlers and strongmen, including such well-known names as Primo Carnera, The Swedish Angel, Bomber Kulky and Rasputin. Carnera in particular is a hoot as he tries to bluster his way past the big ape. Joe's violent rampage after he escapes is breath-taking, as the Safari Club is destroyed in an orgy of violence. Other wild animals like lions are released during the rampage and they cause their own danger. Finally, Joe tries to rescue toddlers from a burning building in a scene tinted red.

The acting is so-so, but Armstrong is always great as a fast-talking con man. Ben Johnson plays the leader of the cowboys who falls in love with Terry, who is played by Terry Moore. Other familiar faces like Nestor Paiva and Frank McHugh pop up.

The real star, of course, is Joe himself. Both King Kong creator Willis O'Brien and his young protégé Ray Harryhausen worked on the film and brought their typical attention to detail and character to their efforts. Joe's height seems to change a bit during the picture, but he exudes so much personality that he outshines his human co-stars.

A charming film with a good message about who is really savage.

Mighty Joe Young was the first movie to feature the work of Ray Harryhausen, where he worked with Willis O'Brien to animate Joe.

A young girl obtains a baby gorilla as a pet, little does she know he will grow up to be a giant. Moving on to the present day, movie producer Max O'Hara manages to talk the now grown up girl, Jill to bring Joe to America and attend some shows over there. While in America, several shows are attended, but it eventually gets too much for Joe and during one show, he goes on the rampage killing several lions and destroying the theatre in the process. An order is then given for Joe to be put down, but they manage to escape with O'Hara's help and succeed. During the escape, Joe rescues some children from a fire at their orphanage, which gets destroyed. He becomes a hero after this. In the end, Jill, her new lover and Joe end up back in Africa happy ever after.

The stop-motion work by Harryhausen and O'Brien is excellent, as is the score.

The cast includes Terry Moore as Jill, Ben Johnson and Robert Armstrong as O'Hara, almost repeating his role in King Kong.

In 1998, Disney remade Mighty Joe Young which had Terry Moore and Ray Harryhausen in a cameo role.

This movie is excellent and I have seen it several times, the first when I was rather young.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5.

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.

This is the conclusion of what I like to call, "The Great Apes" Trilogy, which consists of King Kong, Son of Kong, and Mighty Joe Young. The three films involve Merian C Cooper, Ernest B Shoedsack, Ruth Rose, Willis O'brien, and Robert Armstrong. For most people, including myself, King Kong is the best of these three films, while Son of Kong is the weakest. Mighty Joe Young is in between. The gorilla effects are well-done, and even eliminated the ruffling of the rabbit fur King Kong had in 1933. Joe is an amalgamation of the King himself, and his son; containing childlike qualities, as well as the fact that Joe could potentially do some damage. There is one sequence which is simply marvelous involving the nightclub that steals the show. The performances are good for a movie of this type, and ends up being a happier film than the previous installments. Also, Willis O'brien's unmatched talents were finally recognized, with an Oscar for his work on this very film. Highly recommended.

Same people as my favorite movie, "King Kong" which I've probably seen about 25 times, both the edited and, later, the unedited version. Same people and a lot of the same situations, but with different - er - feelings.

Kong was bigger and meaner. MJY is smaller and, for the most part, much friendlier. Both had their crushes, Kong carting a screaming Fay Wray about, and Joe carting a happy Terry Moore.

Quick note - let's dismiss "Son of Kong" which was a Kong bomb.

Both apes were better off where they were before folks carted them to what we laughingly refer to as civilization. Joe's encounter with a red-tinged burning orphanage was excellent, and I like the fact that Joe had a sense of humor. Dig those expressions from the back of the truck when the meanie cops were chasing him.

Speaking of mean, the three drunks who got Joe drunk were well-known, and very convincing character actors from that era. And, that entire nightclub scene was well done.

All in all, "Mighty Joe Young" is exciting and fun family entertainment. By the way, he was nowhere near as mean-looking as the picture on the box but, then again, such things are always exaggerated.

Kong will remain my fave, though. Technically, it was excellent when you consider the year it was made and the painstaking one-step-at-a time method.

And, trivia buffs, "King Kong" opened at New York City's two biggest theaters at the same time, Radio City Music Hall and the Roxy. I forgot which theater I saw it at, but I will never forget the thrills it bought.

As for Joe, see and really enjoy. And, checking out Terry Moore is rather painless.

Willis O'Brien animated the King Kong and Son of Kong as well as several other effects movies. Ray Harryhausen was hired to assist, but 3 weeks into production Obie's son committed suicide, which devastated him, and he spent most of his time in his office, not doing the stop motion work. This became Harryhausens first 'heavy lifting' assignment. Ray did about 75% of the stop motion work. Joe's trait of pounding the ground with is fist when he was mad or trying to threaten was created by Ray. Even in 1948-9 Ray Harryhausen's talents as animator was evident. He created the personality of Joe in the way he animated. Joe is much more of a 'real' character than Kong ever was. This is why, as you watch the end of the movie you may have a tear in your eye as Joe rescues the orphans from the burning orphanage.

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.

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 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.