The 1949 film "Mighty Joe Young" is about a giant gorilla who is found in Africa and brought to Hollywood to appear in a nightclub act. The film was produced by the men who created the 1933 film "King Kong", this time with a smaller and less violent gorilla and a happier ending. The film is also known as "Mister Joseph Young of Africa." Max O'Hara, a long-time show promoter, is running an African safari to capture animals for his latest show. He finds a giant male gorilla which is the "pet" of Jill Young, a local girl who has raised the animal. Max brings Jill and the gorilla, now named "Mighty Joe Young", to California to appear as the star attraction in a new nightclub show. One evening the show audience is encouraged to throw large imitation cardboard "coins" at Joe. The coins have a picture of Joe on them along with the name of the show. Later some men give Joe alcohol causing Joe to go on a rampage. One of the film crewmen saved the mold used to make the prop coins and copies of the coin are sometimes listed for sale.

The film begins somewhere in Africa.

This scene is much more idyllic than most scenes of Africa. Jill Young lives with her father on small a ranch. Two men stop by with a baby gorilla for sale.

Jill buys the gorilla with some toys and her father's flashlight. Jill's father warns her that the gorilla will become big but allows her to keep her "pet." Twelve years later in New York City.

Max O'Hara is a long-time nightclub show promoter whose last show featuring cowboys has closed. Oklahoman Gregg Johnson, one of the cowboys, visits Max's office to look for another job.

Above Max is a poster for one of his previous shows, "Earthquake Ballet." Max's next show will have an African theme, and he brings Gregg and some other cowboys with him to Africa to help capture wild animals. Crawford, a local safari guide, runs the operation Max and Crawford are about to leave when they see something which even the experienced hunter Crawford has never seen before, a giant gorilla.

He opens a cage with a lion in it, freeing the lion which he then attacks and kills. Some expedition cowboys try to rope the gorilla but fail.

The gorilla is not captured and manages to fight off the cowboys without serious injury to them. A young woman, Jill Young, shows up and orders the gorilla to stop fighting. She tells the men to leave the animal alone and to get off her land. Later the Max's group visits Jill at her ranch.

Gregg apologizes to Jill and Max offers her a contract to appear with her "pet" at a nightclub show in Hollywood. Jill signs the contract as she has been alone since her father died and is also a little excited about going to California. Gregg mentions that he would like to live in Africa.

The show location is modeled on the famous Cocoanut Grove nightclub which was part of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Max's show has lions kept behind plastic screens, and many African themed dancers and musicians. Max feels a little silly wearing an exaggerated "safari" outfit.

After some preliminary acts appear, the audience is ready for the star attraction, "Mighty Joe Young."

Mighty Joe Young holds a rotating stand on which Jill plays the tune "Beautiful Dreamer" on the piano. The tune has been Joe's favorite since he was an infant. One night ten strongmen are to engage Joe in a tug-of-war rope contest over a pond. They include Primo Carnera, the 1933-34 World Heavyweight Boxing champion, and Tor Johnson, a wrestler and actor known as the "Swedish Angel."

Joe is able to pull all ten men into the pond. The show is a big hit and is still running ten weeks later.

This address "9336 West Washington, Hollywood" is actually the RKO motion picture studios address. Jill and Joe are getting homesick for Africa, especially Joe as he is kept in a large cage between shows.

Max talks Jill into continuing with the show. The seventeenth week show features Jill as an organ-grinder and Joe as the monkey. Waiters hand out nine inch wide imitation coins which are to be thrown at Joe.

"Big money for big monkey" The three men in the scene have been drinking and will later provoke Joe to anger.

Mighty Joe Young prop coin reproduction:

The coins are around nine inches in diameter and have the legends: "MAX O'HARA'S GOLDEN SAFARI" and "ONE CENT" along with a space for a written in seat number.

An announcer states that the coins are numbered if Joe catches a coin the thrower will get free champagne. People begin throwing their coins.

The large coins fly at Joe causing him to panic and Max closes the show. Back in his cage, three obnoxious drunk men give Joe some liquor.

One of the men touches a cigarette lighter to Joe's finger with the expected results. Joe breaks out of his cage and heads for the stage.

Jill is able to move Joe back to his cage but the city gets a court order to shoot Joe. Max decides to joins Gregg and Jill in saving Joe by getting him out of the country. Max deceives the police while the others load Joe into a moving van.

They switch Joe to another truck and on the way to the docks and a ship, pass a burning building. The burning building scenes in the film were originally tinted red.

The building is a children's home and most of the children and staff are outside. Jill, Gregg, and Joe rescue the remaining children from the fire.

"No one is going to shoot Joe now." Max's assistant brings a film projector into Max's New York office and runs a short film.

The film end title is shown.

Terry Moore as Jill Young
Ben Johnson as Gregg Johnson
Robert Armstrong as Max O'Hara
Denis Green as Crawford (Safari guide)
Mr. Joseph Young as Himself
Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Writers: Ruth Rose, Merian C. Cooper