Mighty Joe Young (1949)

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

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)

Trailer

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