"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.
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.