Pencil and charcoal on paper, mounted on illustration board

Label text
Mighty Joe Young was a re-working of the King Kong story. The film tells the story of Jill Young raising her pet gorilla, Joe, in Tanganyika territory, Africa, which is now part of Tanzania. She is later persuaded to bring him to Hollywood to headline a nightclub show.

One night, Joe is given alcohol by drunken audience members and he creates chaos when he escapes his cage. A court orders Joe to be shot, but Jill flees with him. They encounter a burning orphanage where Joe saves the remaining children from the building. It is because of this that Joe’s life is spared, and they are allowed to return home, suggesting that he is required to earn his release despite the ill-treatment that he has suffered.

Photography by Andy Johnson.