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The Hairy Ape

Play trailer Poster for The Hairy Ape Released Jul 2, 1944 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
40% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 17% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Ship stoker Hank Smith (William Bendix) is a mountain of a man, but he is still very sensitive. So when the beautiful socialite Mildred Douglas (Susan Hayward) insults him with the slur "hairy ape," her words cut deep. At first the brutish Smith wants revenge for the insult, but after he thinks about it, he's more confused than anything else. After his ship docks, he departs into the city to track down the rich woman and find out the meaning behind her harsh words.

Critics Reviews

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SMH Staff Sydney Morning Herald As a whole, the film is most certainly better than average and its ironical ending not without its own value. Nov 19, 2020 Full Review Variety Staff Variety The basic character... is particularly well portrayed, both so far as the part itself is concerned and in the interpretation by William Bendix. He imparts to it all the ape-like qualities that could exist in a man in line with the O'Neill play. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Josephine O'Neill Daily Telegraph (Australia) Between the lovers of Eugene O'Neill and the lovers of a sexy melodrama, the film just falls with a thud. Nov 24, 2020 Full Review 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. Rated: C+ Jan 3, 2010 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The dialogue couldn't be cornier. Rated: C May 16, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member based on a eugene o'neill play One of those films that profits in some tiny but intriguing way from being such a bastardization of the source material Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member ODDLY APPEALING, RATHER CAMPY AT TIMES. HAYWARD IS GORGEOUS. GOOD COSTUME DESIGN, WELL CAST. DIFFERENT. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Hairy Ape

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Cast & Crew

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Alfred Santell

Director

William Bendix

Hank Smith

Susan Hayward

Mildred Douglas

John Loder

Tony Lazar

Dorothy Comingore

Helen Parker

Roman Bohnen

Paddy

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The Hairy Ape

The Hairy Ape (1944) The Hairy Ape (1944) The Hairy Ape (1944) The Hairy Ape (1944) The Hairy Ape (1944) The Hairy Ape (1944) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Ship stoker Hank Smith (William Bendix) is a mountain of a man, but he is still very sensitive. So when the beautiful socialite Mildred Douglas (Susan Hayward) insults him with the slur "hairy ape," her words cut deep. At first the brutish Smith wants revenge for the insult, but after he thinks about it, he's more confused than anything else. After his ship docks, he departs into the city to track down the rich woman and find out the meaning behind her harsh words.
Director
Alfred Santell
Producer
Jules Levy
Screenwriter
Robert Hardy Andrews, Decla Dunning
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Mayfair Productions Inc.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 2, 1944, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 27, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m