The Hairy Ape
US (1944): Romance/Drama
William Bendix plays a hulking, beastial ship stoker who falls for Susan Hayward, a haughty socialite, during an ocean voyage. Based on the Eugene O'Neill play, this film production lost something on-screen, though the casting of Hayward as a siren and brutal Bendix holds fascinating possibilities. In the play, Yank (the Bendix character in the film) is killed by a circus gorilla. A hint of this scene remains in the film, but to appeal to a larger audience, studio heads opted for a less tragic ending. Cast also includes John Loder, Dorothy Comingore, Roman Bohnen, Tom Fadden and Alan Napier. Alfred Santell directs this Jules Levy/UA release. (amctv.com)
1 nomination
· Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1944: Michel Michelet, Edward Paul