The Jungle Book 1967
The most beloved of all Disney animated films is probably Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, which tells the story of a boy raised by wolves in the wild. Unlike the live-action versions by Zoltan Korda (1942) and Stephen Sommers (1994), this animated film focuses on Mowgli’s final day in the wild, as the ruthless Tiger Shere Khan returns to the forest. Mowgli is initially torn, then goes astray like Pinocchio, only to escape from Kaa (the snake) and King Louie (the monkey) with the help of his friends Bagheera (the panther) and Baloo (the bear). Despite the simple story and unremarkable animation, there are differences in characterizations and outcomes. Another unique feature of Walt Disney’s latest animated offering Jungle Book was the inclusion of famous voice actors: George Sanders flawlessly voiced the cunning Shere Khan; Louis Prima sang “I’m the king of the swingers”; Phil Harris voiced Baloo, a hippie on the run from school, and sang “The Bare Necessities.” A sequel, Jungle Book 2, was released in 2003, albeit belatedly.
