Mighty Joe Young
Merian Cooper's amazing adventure in the unusual!
1949 | 94m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Ernest B. Schoedsack |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Ruth Rose, Merian C. Cooper |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Jul 27, 1949 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Ernest B. Schoedsack |
| Writer: | Ruth Rose, Merian C. Cooper |
| Genres: | Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Drama |
| Keywords | gorilla, exotic pet, wrestler, team roping, africa, ape, king kong, decoy, giant ape |
| Production Companies | RKO Radio Pictures, Argosy Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $1,950,000
Budget: $1,800,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 09, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Terry Moore | Jill Young |
| Ben Johnson | Gregg Johnson |
| Robert Armstrong | Max O'Hara |
| Frank McHugh | Windy |
| Douglas Fowley | Jones |
| Denis Greene | Crawford |
| Paul Guilfoyle | Smith |
| Nestor Paiva | Brown |
| Regis Toomey | John Young |
| Lora Lee Michel | Jill (as a child) |
| James Flavin | Schultz |
| Mary Field | Secretary (uncredited) |
| Ellen Corby | Orphanage matron (uncredited) |
| Bess Flowers | Nightclub patron (uncredited) |
| Iris Adrian | Gloria (uncredited) |
| Jack Pennick | Sam (uncredited) |
| Joyce Compton | Alice (uncredited) |
| Byron Foulger | Jones (uncredited) |
| Addison Richards | Attorney (uncredited) |
| Henry Kulky | Strong Man (uncredited) |
| Dwayne Hickman | Boy (uncredited) |
| Richard Farnsworth | Cowboy (uncredited) |
| Charles Lane | Producer (uncredited) |
| Kermit Maynard | Red (uncredited) |
| Irene Ryan | Southern Belle at the Bar (uncredited) |
| William Schallert | Gas Station Attendant (uncredited) |
| Fay Wray | Woman's Scream (uncredited) |
| Ivan Rasputin | Strongman (uncredited) |
| Harry Strang | Policeman with Tramp (uncredited) |
| William 'Wee Willie' Davis | Strongman (uncredited) |
| Robert Tafur | Headwaiter (uncredited) |
| Archie Twitchell | Reporter |
| Jacqueline Dalya | Nightclub Dancer (uncredited) |
| Sammy Menacker | Strong Man |
| Herschel Graham | Nightclub Patron (uncredited) |
| Madame Sul-Te-Wan | Young Family Servant (Uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Ernest B. Schoedsack | Director |
| James Basevi | Art Direction |
| Clem Portman | Sound |
| Linwood G. Dunn | Visual Effects |
| Ruth Rose | Screenplay |
| Howard Richmond | Assistant Art Director |
| Adele Balkan | Costume Design |
| Harold E. Stine | Visual Effects |
| J. Roy Hunt | Director of Photography |
| Ted Cheesman | Editor |
| Mel Berns | Makeup Artist |
| Walter Elliott | Sound Editor |
| John L. Cass | Sound |
| Bert Willis | Visual Effects |
| Roy Webb | Original Music Composer |
| Ray Harryhausen | Visual Effects |
| C. Bakaleinikoff | Music Director |
| Merian C. Cooper | Story |
| Willis H. O'Brien | Visual Effects |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| John Ford | Executive Producer |
| Merian C. Cooper | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 21 | 38 | 12 |
| 2024 | 5 | 48 | 60 | 34 |
| 2024 | 6 | 28 | 58 | 11 |
| 2024 | 7 | 18 | 34 | 9 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 9 |
| 2024 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 6 |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | 21 | 7 |
| 2024 | 11 | 12 | 28 | 7 |
| 2024 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 11 | 17 | 7 |
| 2025 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Trending Position
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 sam ... e 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