Merian Cooper's amazing adventure in the unusual!
Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Producer: Merian C. Cooper
A young woman, Jill Young, grew up on her father's ranch in Africa, raising a large gorilla named Joe from an infant. Years later, she brings him to Hollywood to become a star.
94 min
Rating: 6.3/10
Released
Watch Trailer
Top Cast
Terry Moore
Jill Young
Ben Johnson
Gregg Johnson
Robert Armstrong
Max O'Hara
Frank McHugh
Windy
Douglas Fowley
Jones
Denis Greene
Crawford
Movie Info
Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Producer: Merian C. Cooper
Production Companies: Argosy Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures
Countries: United States of America
Similar Movies
The Monster and the Ape
1945-04-20
The Devil's Man
1967-06-30
Names Live Nowhere
1994-09-10
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
2005-06-07
Planet of the Apes
2001-07-25
Planet of the Apes
1968-02-07
The Color Purple
1985-12-18
The Professional
1981-10-21
Flight of the Lost Balloon
1961-12-28
Danger Zone
1996-08-02
The Safari
2003-10-09
Sleepwalking in the Rift
2012-12-06
Out of Africa
1985-12-20
FLES
2023-05-21
The African Queen
1952-01-07
Shaft in Africa
1973-06-14
King Kong
1933-03-15
King Kong
2005-12-12
King Kong vs. Godzilla
1962-08-11
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
1970-04-23User Reviews
What Others Said
John Chard:
Listen you guys, cut out the rough stuff or I'll feed you to the lions.
Unfairly chastised in some quarters for being a kiddie friendly King Kong, Mighty Joe Young is as charming as an Autumnal day. Many of the team from King Kong reteam to make this film, and undoubtedly it's pretty much the same plotting only with a different resolution.
However, the effects work is still magical, harking back to a time when geniuses like Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen sweated buckets to make the magic move on the screen. Mighty Joe, the huge Gorilla of the title, is beautifully realised, full of expressions and emotions, he even has time for some sense of humour traits.
Action is never far away, with models and sets destroyed with brute force, while plenty of beings get flung about to emphasise the madness of it all. Narratively like Kong there's still themes of greed and ignorance, the tampering with Mother Nature a big mistake, which all leads to a thrilling finale that in turn leads to something to savour.
Kiddie Kong? Who cares! A wonderful film of skill and guile, of charm and brains. Go Joe Go! 8/10