Mighty Joe Young (1949)

In Africa a young girl trades for a small baby gorilla that grows to an impressive height. Over a decade later she falls foul to an exploitative NY nightclub owner who wants the protective beast as his star attraction.
Hoping to capture the imagination (and the wallets) of movie-goers who were wowed by King Kong (1933), Mighty Joe is another giant ape story with FX overseen by Willis O'Brien (Kong's animator); but it was reportedly Ray Harryhausen who did most of the hands-on work. The result is stop-motion set-pieces that are nothing short of spectacular. But more than that, Joe's mannerisms and doleful eyes really make us care about him.

3 van removals out of 5