Hairy Ape (1944)
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80% want to see it
(5 ratings)
Despite a few Hollywood compromises, The Hairy Ape remains one of the more artistically successful filmizations of Eugene O'Neill. William Bendix is nothing less than brilliant as ship's stoker Hank Smith, a brutish but sensitive lug who is convinced that his strength is derived from the… More Despite a few Hollywood compromises, The Hairy Ape remains one of the more artistically successful filmizations of Eugene O'Neill. William Bendix is nothing less than brilliant as ship's stoker Hank Smith, a brutish but sensitive lug who is convinced that his strength is derived from the hair that covers his body. While Hank's ship is docked in Lisbon, the boiler room is visited by the wealthy-but-bitchy Mildred Douglas (Susan Hayward), the mercenary sweetheart of second engineer Lazar (John Loder). Disgusted by Hank's hirsuteness, she calls him a "hairy ape." At first enraged, Hank becomes fascinated by the beautiful Mildred, and before long is openly lusting after her. For her own selfish purposes, Mildred leads him on, laying the groundwork for the disastrous events that follow. In the original O'Neill play, a maddened Hank enters the cage of a circus gorilla, believing himself to be "one" with the huge beast, only to be crushed to death. For reasons that defy explanation, this ending is eliminated from the film, which concludes a discordant note of banality. If for no other reason, The Hairy Ape is memorable for one of the few post-Citizen Kane appearances of actress Dorothy Comingore, here cast as Susan Hayward's rival for John Loder's affections. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Alfred Santell
- Written By
- Robert D. Andrews, Decla Dunning
- Genres
- Drama
Unrated,
Critic Reviews
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Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
One of those films that profits in some tiny but intriguing way from being such a bastardization of the source material.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The dialogue couldn't be cornier.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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William Bendix
as Hank Smith
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Susan Hayward
as Mildred Douglas
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John Loder
as Second Engineer Tony Lazar
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Dorothy Comingore
as Helen Parker
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Alan Napier
as MacDougald
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Roman Bohnen
as Paddy
- Eddie Kane
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Tom Fadden
as Long
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Charles Cane
as Gantry
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Rafael Storm
as Aldo
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Charles La Torre
as Portuguese Proprietor
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Don Zolaya
as Concertina Player
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Mary Zavian
as Waitress
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Paul Weigel
as Doctor
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Egon Brecher
as Musician
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Dick Baldwin
as 3rd Engineer
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Ralph Dunn
as Head Guard
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William Halligan
as Lieutenant
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Tommy Hughes
as Doorman
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Bob Perry
as Bartender
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George Sorel
as Police Captain
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Gisela Werbiseck
as Refugee Wife
