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!
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!