The Jungle Book (1967 film)
The Jungle Book is a 1967 American animated musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Based very loosely on the "Mowgli" stories from Rudyard Kipling's 1894 book of the same title, it is the final animated feature film to be produced by Walt Disney, who died during its production. It was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and written by Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson, and Vance Gerry. Featuring the voices of Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima, George Sanders, Sterling Holloway, J. Pat O'Malley, and Bruce Reitherman, the film's plot follows Mowgli, a feral child raised in the Indian jungle by wolves, as his friends, Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear, try to convince him to leave the jungle before the ruthless tiger Shere Khan arrives.
The early versions of both the screenplay and the soundtrack followed Kipling's work more closely, with a dramatic, dark, and sinister tone, which Disney did not want in his family film, leading to writer Bill Peet and songwriter Terry Gilkyson being replaced.
The Jungle Book was released on October 18, 1967, to positive reception, with acclaim for its soundtrack, featuring five songs by the Sherman Brothers and one by Gilkyson, "The Bare Necessities". With a gross of $23.8 million worldwide, the film initially became Disney's second-highest-grossing animated film in the United States and Canada,[3] the ninth-highest-grossing film of 1967, and was also successful during its re-releases. The film was also successful throughout the world, becoming Germany's highest-grossing film by number of admissions.[4] Disney released a live-action adaptation in 1994 and an animated sequel, The Jungle Book 2, in 2003; a live-action/CGI hybrid remake directed by Jon Favreau was released in 2016, with a sequel to that film in development.
Plot[edit]
An orphaned boy named Mowgli is found in a basket in the deep jungles of India by Bagheera, a black panther who promptly takes him to Raksha, a mother wolf who has just had cubs. She and her mate, Rama, raise him along with their own cubs, and after ten years, Mowgli becomes well acquainted with jungle life and plays with his wolf siblings. Bagheera is pleased with how happy Mowgli is now but also worries that Mowgli must eventually return to his own kind.
One night, the pack elders meet at Council Rock, having learned that the murderous Bengal tiger Shere Khan has returned to their part of the jungle. Pack leader Akela decides that Mowgli must leave the jungle for his own safety and the safety of those around him, as Shere Khan possesses a drastic hatred of humans due to his fear of guns and fire. Bagheera volunteers to escort him to a nearby "Man Village". They leave that very night, but Mowgli is determined to stay in the jungle. He and Bagheera rest in a tree for the night, where Kaa, a hungry Indian python, hypnotizes Mowgli into a deep sleep and tries to devour him, but Bagheera intervenes. The next morning, Mowgli tries to join the elephant patrol led by Colonel Hathi and his wife Winifred. Bagheera finds Mowgli but after a fight, decides to leave Mowgli on his own. Mowgli soon meets up with the laid-back, fun-loving sloth bear Baloo, who promises to raise Mowgli himself and never take him to the Man Village.
Shortly afterward, a band of monkeys kidnap Mowgli and take him to their leader, King Louie the orangutan, who offers to help Mowgli stay in the jungle in exchange for teaching him how to make fire. However, since he wasn't raised by humans, Mowgli does not know how. Bagheera and Baloo arrive to rescue Mowgli, and in the ensuing chaos, Louie's palace is demolished to rubble. Bagheera speaks to Baloo that night and convinces him that the jungle will never be safe for Mowgli with Shere Khan around. In the morning, Baloo reluctantly explains to Mowgli that the Man-Village is best for him, but Mowgli accuses him of breaking his promise and runs away. As Baloo sets off in search of Mowgli, Bagheera rallies the help of Hathi and his patrol. However, Shere Khan, who was eavesdropping on Bagheera and Hathi's conversation, is now determined to hunt and kill Mowgli.
Meanwhile, Mowgli has another encounter with Kaa, who once again, attempts to eat him after hypnotizing him into a deep sleep but he eventually wakes up and escapes thanks to the unwitting intervention of a suspicious Shere Khan. As a storm gathers in a desolate area of the jungle, a depressed Mowgli encounters a group of friendly vultures who accept Mowgli as a fellow outcast. Shere Khan appears shortly after, scaring off the vultures and confronting Mowgli. Baloo arrives and haplessly tries to keep him from hurting Mowgli, getting knocked unconscious in the process. When lightning strikes a nearby tree and sets it ablaze, the vultures swoop in to distract Shere Khan, while Mowgli grabs a large flaming branch and ties it to his tail. Shere Khan, seeing this, panics and runs away.
Afterward, Bagheera and Baloo take Mowgli to the edge of the Man-Village, but Mowgli is still hesitant to go there. However, his mind abruptly changes when he is smitten by a beautiful young girl from the village who is coming down by the riverside to fetch water. After noticing Mowgli, she "accidentally" drops her water pot. Mowgli retrieves it for her and follows her into the Man-Village. After Mowgli shrugs to Baloo and Bagheera, to show that he has made up his mind and chosen to go to the Man-Village, Baloo and Bagheera decide to head home, content that Mowgli is safe and happy with his own kind.
Digby Wolfe voiced Ziggy,[18] the fourth member of the vulture quartet.[31] Leo De Lyon, Bill Skiles, Pete Henderson, and Hal Smith voiced King Louie's monkeys.[32]
Release[edit]
Original theatrical run[edit]
The Jungle Book premiered at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on October 18, 1967,[71] ten months after Walt Disney's death.[72] The premiere served as a fundraiser for the Los Angeles Zoo, which had been founded the year before.[71] By December 1967, The Jungle Book was released in theaters;[73] some bookings were in a double feature format with a live-action film Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar (1967).[74]
Produced on a budget of $4 million,[1] The Jungle Book was a massive box-office success, grossing domestic rentals of $11.5 million by 1968.[75] By 1970, the film had grossed $13 million in domestic rentals, becoming the second highest-grossing animated film in the United States and Canada.[3] The Jungle Book also earned over $23.8 million worldwide, becoming the most successful animated film released during its initial run.[76]
Re-releases[edit]
The Jungle Book was re-released theatrically in North America in 1978, 1984, and 1990, and also in Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s.[77] As part of Disney's 100th anniversary the film was re-released in cinemas across the UK on September 15, 2023 for one week.[78] A re-issue in the United Kingdom in 1976 generated rentals of $1.8 million.[79] The 1978 re-release increased its North American rentals to $27.3 million, which surpassed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs making it the highest grossing animated film in the United States and Canada[80] until Snow White was re-released in 1983. The film's total lifetime gross in the U.S. and Canada is $141 million.1[81] When adjusted for inflation, it is estimated to be equivalent to $671,224,000 in 2018,[82] which would make it the 32nd highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada.[83]
The Jungle Book is Germany's biggest film in terms of admissions with 27.3 million tickets sold, nearly 10 million more than Titanic's 18.8 million tickets sold.[4] It has grossed an estimated $108 million in Germany, making it the third highest-grossing film in that country behind only Avatar ($137 million) and Titanic ($125 million).[84] The film was the seventh most popular sound film of the twentieth century in the UK with admissions of 19.8 million.[85] The film is France's ninth biggest film in terms of admissions with 14.8 million tickets sold.[86] The film's 1993 re-release set an overseas record for a re-issue, grossing $67.5 million overseas during that year.[87] It opened at number one in Germany with a gross of more than $4 million in its first six days and opened in second place at the UK box office before moving to number one for two weeks.[88][89]
Home media[edit]
The Jungle Book was released in the United States on VHS in 1991 as part of the Walt Disney Classics video line and in the United Kingdom in 1993. In the United States, the VHS release sold 7.4 million units and grossed $184,926,000 in 1990, making it the year's third best-selling home video release, behind only Fantasia and Home Alone.[90] By 1994, The Jungle Book sold 9.5 million units in the United States.[91] Home video sales outside North America reached a record 14 million units and grossed $350 million by December 1993.[92] Overseas sales reached 14.8 million units by January 1994, becoming the bestselling international VHS release in overseas markets, including sales of 4.9 million units in the United Kingdom, 4.3 million in Germany, and 1.2 million in France.[93] By August 1994, it had sold 15 million units in international overseas markets,[94] bringing worldwide sales to 24.5 million units by 1994. As of 2002, The Jungle Book held the record for the bestselling home video release in the United Kingdom, ahead of Titanic which sold 4.8 million units.[95]
It was reissued on video in 1997 as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection for the film's 30th anniversary.[77] A Limited Issue DVD was released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment in 1999.[96] The film was released once again as a 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD on October 2, 2007, to commemorate its 40th anniversary.[97] Its release was accompanied by a limited 18-day run at Disney's own El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, with the opening night featuring a panel with composer Richard Sherman and voice actors Bruce Reitherman, Darlene Carr, and Chad Stuart.[98] The Platinum DVD was put on moratorium in 2010.[99] The film was released in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo pack on February 11, 2014, as part of Disney's Diamond Edition line.[100] The Diamond Edition release went back into the Disney Vault on January 31, 2017. In the United States, the DVD and Blu-ray releases sold 12 million units between 2007 and 2016, and have grossed $304 million as of August 2018.[101] A Limited Edition from Disney Movie Club was released on Blu-ray and DVD combo on March 26, 2019. The film was re-released on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital on February 22, 2022, in honor of the film's 55th anniversary.[102]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
The Jungle Book received positive reviews upon release, undoubtedly influenced by a nostalgic reaction to the death of Walt Disney.[57] Time magazine noted the film strayed far from the Kipling stories, but "[n]evertheless, the result is thoroughly delightful...it is the happiest possible way to remember Walt Disney".[103] Howard Thompson of The New York Times praised the film as "simple, uncluttered, straight-forward fun, as put together by the director, Wolfgang Reitherman, four screen writers and the usual small army of technicians. Using some lovely exotic pastel backgrounds and a nice clutch of tunes, the picture unfolds like an intelligent comic-strip fairy tale".[74] Richard Schickel, reviewing for Life magazine, referred to it as "the best thing of its kind since Dumbo, another short, bright, unscary and blessedly uncultivated cartoon".[104] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote the film was "really, really good Disney indeed, and nobody needs to say a great deal more".[105] Arthur D. Murphy of Variety gave the film a favorable review while noting that "the story development is restrained" and that younger audiences "may squirm at times".[106] The song "The Bare Necessities" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 40th Academy Awards, losing to "Talk to the Animals" from Doctor Dolittle.[107] Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Gregory Peck lobbied extensively for the film to be nominated for Best Picture, but was unsuccessful.[108]
Retrospective reviews were also positive, with the film's animation, characters and music receiving much praise throughout the years. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 88% based on 42 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "With expressive animation, fun characters, and catchy songs, The Jungle Book endures as a crowd-pleasing Disney classic".[109] In 1990, when the film had its last theatrical re-release, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly considered that The Jungle Book "isn't a classic Walt Disney film on the order of, say, Cinderella or Pinocchio, but it's one of Disney's liveliest and funniest".[110] Charles Solomon, reviewing for the Los Angeles Times, thought the film's animators was "near the height of their talents" and the resulting film "remains a high-spirited romp that will delight children—and parents weary of action films with body counts that exceed their box-office grosses".[111] In 2010, Empire described the film as one that "gets pretty much everything right", noting that the vibrant animation and catchy songs overcame the plot deficiencies.[108]
Colin Greenland reviewed The Jungle Book for Imagine magazine, and stated that "the last film the old boy worked on himself and I reckon the last good animated feature in his traditional mode - not least because of some rather jolly jazz which, legend has it, Walt himself resisted, and was added after his death".[112]
Controversy[edit]
There has been criticism of the portrayal of King Louie, who some have viewed as a racist caricature of African Americans.[113] However, this was not the filmmakers' intention as the character and mannerisms of King Louie were largely based on his voice actor, Louis Prima, a well-known Italian American jazz musician and performer, who would have been instantly recognizable to audiences during the late 1960s.[45][61] While Louis Armstrong was briefly considered for the part, the filmmakers quickly steered away from that direction upon realizing the racist implications.[60]
In 2019, Disney added disclaimers warning of "outdated cultural depictions" at the start of the film on Disney+.[113] In January 2021, Disney removed access to the film for child profiles in Disney+, and strengthened the warning message to read: "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together".[114]