The Hairy Ape

A few comments concerning Roman Bohnen. He was indeed a solid character actor. He did considerable stage work with the Group Theatre and worked with The Adlers, Lee J. Cobb, Francis Farmer, and John garfield to name just a few. One would think with his early professional associations he probably was a little left of center. BUT, he made over twenty films after The Hairy Ape, including The Best Years of Our Lives and Brute Force, both major films with substantial roles for him. He died 24 February 1949, well before Senator McCarthy hit the political scene. McCharthy had nothing to do with HUAC (the House UnAmerican Activities Committee -- note House not Senate). The Black LIst was essentially to work of The John Birch Society with the willing complicity of Studio Heads on the movie front and Advertisers and sponsors on the TV front.

I dare anyone who watches this film to take his or her eyes off William Bendix even for a moment. For anyone who remembers him as the bumbling sidekick in those old war movies and the miscast role as Babe Ruth and humorous radio's Life of Riley - will be amazed at this multifaceted role as the stevedore shoveling coal who ends up showing more character in his little finger than all the rest. Why he was not even nominated for Best Actor category must have been a disappointment. I read somewhere Eugene O'Neill disliked the movie (maybe because it had a happy ending!) I caught this film on channel 13 wee hours on a Sunday morning.

Always liked Susan Hayward,(Mildred Douglas) who played the role of a gold digger, who would use men to her own advantage, get what she wanted and dump all the guys with a swift kick you know where. Mildred Douglas has to sail on a ship and meets up with Hank Smith,(William Bendix) a steam room coal shoveler who is hairy and she gets one look at him aboard ship and calls him a Hairy Ape. This comment brings a great deal of rage to Hank and Mildred becomes very fearful of this person and can hardly sleep at night. Hank even goes to a traveling Circus and views a large Ape in his cage and watches the Ape crush a rubber tire like it was a pretzel stick and gets the idea that he is going to smash Mildred's body just like the Ape was doing to the tire. There is a surprise ending to a rather entertaining 1944 film.