Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Jill Young (Terry Moore) has raised Joe, her gentle pet gorilla, since he was a baby. When a Hollywood, Calif., nightclub owner (Robert Armstrong) travels to Africa and notices the amazing animal, he pursuades Jill to send Joe to Hollywood. But Joe grows restless performing for crowds and finally breaks free from captivity, wreaking havoc on the city. To save Joe from the authorities, who want him dead, Jill must create an elaborate plan to send him back to Africa.