Underplayed Gems

Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Mighty Joe Young poster
Directed by
Ernest B. Schoedsack
Genre
drama film, fantasy film, adventure film, science fiction film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 34m
Rated
NR
Rating
6.4 of 10 from 123 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A young woman brings her giant gorilla from an African ranch to Hollywood where the animal becomes a nightclub attraction. The story follows their adventures as they navigate fame and capture public attention.

whimsicalsentimentalfamily-friendlyadventurousold-fashionedlightheartedtenderexuberant

What happens

Mighty Joe Young (also known as Mr. Joseph Young of Africa and The Great Joe Young) is a 1949 American black-and-white fantasy film distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and produced by the same creative team responsible for King Kong (1933). The film was produced and directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose. It stars Robert Armstrong, Terry Moore, and Ben Johnson in his first credited screen role. Animation effects were handled by Willis O'Brien, Ray Harryhausen, Pete Peterson, and Marcel Delgado. It was released on July 13, 1949, and underperformed at the box office, though reviews were generally positive. In 1950, the film won an Academy Award for special effects. Mighty Joe Young tells the story of a young woman, Jill Young, living on her father's ranch in Africa. Jill has raised the title character, a large gorilla, from an infant, and years later brings him to Hollywood. The film explores the themes of domesticity, humanization, and primitivism. It was later remade in 1998 with Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton. From 2017 to 2018, Aberystwyth University hosted an exhibition about its production. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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