The Hairy Ape (film)

The Hairy Ape is a 1944 American expressionist drama film directed by Alfred Santell and starring William Bendix, Susan Hayward, and John Loder. It is based on the 1922 play of the same name by Eugene O'Neill.

The film adaptation significantly alters the plot and themes of O'Neill's original play. While the play is a stark commentary on class conflict and the dehumanizing effects of industrial labor, the film softens these themes and introduces a romantic subplot.

William Bendix plays Yank, a stoker on an ocean liner. Unlike the play, where Yank is a brutish but somewhat philosophical figure, the film presents him as a more simple and sympathetic character. Susan Hayward portrays Mildred Douglas, a wealthy socialite whose callousness and perceived disgust at Yank trigger his existential crisis. John Loder plays her suitor, and the film adds a romantic triangle not present in the original play.

The film follows Yank as he leaves his job and searches for meaning and belonging in a society he feels alienated from. He encounters various groups, including IWW members and zoo inhabitants, ultimately seeking to find his place. The film's ending differs significantly from the play, offering a more conventionally "Hollywood" resolution.

Critical reception of the film was mixed, with some critics praising Bendix's performance but others criticizing the film's departure from the source material and its perceived simplification of O'Neill's complex themes.