 |
| _ The last animated feature Walt Disney personally oversaw, The Jungle Book marked a transition in the studio's approach to filmmaking, as the artists shifted from polished storytelling to an emphasis on character moments. A perennial fan favorite, the film is celebrated for the extraordinary animation by four of the studio's "Nine Old Men": Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, John Lounsbery, and Frank Thomas. Younger generations of animators continue to study the subtle acting and deeply felt relationship between Mowgli and Baloo, and the freewheeling fun of the duet between Baloo and King Louie. The film was criticized when it was released for taking liberties with the original Kipling stories. Audiences proved untroubled by those liberties: the film scored a huge hit, especially in Europe, and its popularity has never waned. _ U.S. Release: October 18, 1967 Technical Specifications: Technicolor, 1.33:1, 78 minutes _ Cast Baloo: Phil Harris Bagheera: Sebastian Cabot King Louie: Louis Prima Shere Khan: George Sanders Kaa: Sterling Holloway Colonel Hathi: J. Pat O'Malley Mowgli: Bruce Reitherman Winifred: Verna Felton Vultures: Chad Stuart, Lord Tim Hudson, J. Pat O'Malley, Digby Wolfe Akela: John Abbott Rama: Ben Wright Girl: Darleen Carr _ Crew Director: Wolfgang Reitherman Directing Animators: Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery Story: Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson, Vance Gerry, inspired by Rudyard Kupling's Mowgli stories Character Animation: Hal King, Eric Larson, Walt Stanchfield, Eric Cleworth, Fred Hellmich, John Ewing, Dick Lucas Background Styling: Al Dempster Backgrounds: Bill Layne, Art Riley, Ralph Hulett, Thelma Witmer, Frank Armitage Layout: Don Griffith, Basil Davidovich, Dale Barnhart, Tom Codrick, Sylvia Roemer Effects Animation: Dan MacManus Music: George Bruns Songs: Robert B. Sherman and Robert M. Sherman, "The Bare Necessities," Terry Gilkyson, sung by Phil Harris Orchestrations: Walter Sheets Production Manager: Don Duckwall Film Editors: Tom Acosta, Norman Carlisle Sound: Robert O. Cook Music Editor: Evelyn Kennedy |
Written by Disney Legend Andreas Deja (1957–) and lavishly illustrated, Walt Disney's The Jungle Book gathers original animation celluloids, animation drawings, and concept art—many of which have never been shown to the public—from the popular exhibition at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.
- Foreword
- Curator's Note
- Introduction
- Story Origins
- Early Film Development
- A New Direction
- Chapter 1: A Strange Legend
- Chapter 2: A Spellbinding Squeeze
- Chapter 3: Marching Elephants
- Chapter 4: Papa Bear
- Chapter 5: Jazz in the Jungle
- Chapter 6: Tiger Trouble
- Chapter 7: Liverpudlian Buzzards
- Chapter 8: My Own Home
- Behind the Scenes
- Walt Disney's Passing
- The Sherman Brothers
- Film Release and Success
- Merchandise
- View-Master
- Legacy
Foreword
Andreas's first curatorial project for the museum Leading Ladies and Femmes Fatales: The Art of Marc Davis (2014), was stunning and insightful. Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World (2019), his second curatorial project, attracted a record number of visitors to the museum. To be able to continue this dynamic partnership and friendship in mounting Walt Disney's The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece–to which Andreas has generously loaned never-before-seen works from his personal collection–is a true honor.
It has also been an honor to get to know, and count as friends, two additional Disney Legends, acclaimed songwriter Richard M. Sherman (1928–) and trailblazing animator Floyd Norman (1935–), whose important contributions are featured in this exhibition. Richard and his late brother, Robert B. Sherman (1925–2012), are responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history, contributing to countless Disney soundtracks, including many memorable songs in The Jungle Book. Richard was one of the first visitors to the museum, has been incredibly generous to us with his time and talents, and indeed was the first recipient of the Diane Disney Miller Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 for his outstanding impact in arts, education, community involvement, and technological advancements. Floyd has also been wonderfully generous to the museum and has visited multiple times-for special events, public programs, and the filming of his 2016 documentary, Floyd Norman: An Animated Life. In the early 1960s, as a young animator, and one of the first Black artists to work at the Disney Studios, Floyd found himself unexpectedly elevated to a story role during production of The Jungle Book. It marked an important milestone in his dynamic career at Disney, and Andreas has masterfully incorporated Floyd's early character work into the exhibition.
A precept of this exhibition is that The Jungle Book's success ultimately reinvigorated the confidence and determination of The Walt Disney Studios. It inspired the Studios' leaders, staff, and artists to continue entertaining audiences through feature animation after Walt's death in late 1966. As the museum's Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall celebrates its 10th year of hosting original special exhibitions, we continue to celebrate Walt's story and the impact of his creativity and innovative drive on animation, the entertainment industry, and the world.
I hope that you enjoy this inspiring exhibition, which beautifully depicts the great strides achieved with The Jungle Book and demonstrates its prominent place in animation history.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped make this exhibition possible, including our donors, sponsors, lenders, members, and staff. You have my sincere thanks.
With warm regards,
Curator's Note
I vividly remember my excitement as I watched the film's opening. Haunting jungle drums set a special mood before a mesmerizing panther, Bagheera, began to tell an intriguing tale set in India. The film's characters, like the cuddly bear Baloo, Mowgli the Man-cub, the scatting orangutan King Louie, and the ferocious tiger Shere Khan quickly came to life in my mind. I loved seeing their antics and interactions as they showed real human emotions, yet I was still aware that I was watching drawings.
This was for me! I had just discovered a new world–the world of Disney animation–and I wanted to be a part of it. At that moment, my quest to become an animator began.
I contacted The Walt Disney Studios in search of advice on how I might prepare for my future employment. I received a response in the mail, which informed me that good draftsmanship was essential for any applicant. My main focus then became learning how to draw animals and humans. A few years later, I sent samples of my artwork to Disney veteran animator Eric Larson (1905–1988) for his evaluation. He wrote back–on Jungle Book stationery–that he thought I had what it took to join the Walt Disney Animation Studios training program.
After I joined the company in August 1980, I discovered that several of Walt's core animators, though retired from animation, were still around. Eventually, I was fortunate to get to know some of them–these were the artists who had drawn The Jungle Book. Frank Thomas (1912–2004) and Ollie Johnston (1912–2008) told me how proud they were of the relationship they had developed between Mowgli and Baloo. Milt Kahl (1909–1987) praised Walt's early input, even though his boss made him change the appearance of King Louie slightly. "His eyes are too small," Walt criticized. "Draw them larger!"
Sketch artist Vance Gerry (1929–2005) talked about story problems that needed to get solved. "During production, we never knew how Mowgli's story would end," Gerry said, "until Walt suggested the young girl from the Man-village."
I was utterly fascinated to find out how The Jungle Book was made from the very artists who conceived the movie.
The exhibition Walt Disney's The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece showcases the film's unique production process through original animation drawings, design sketches, cels, and background art. Behind-the-scenes photos introduce the artistic staff, and documents on music and songs reveal the important contributions of the Sherman brothers.
Guest curating this exhibition has been a labor of love, and I want to thank the museum's Executive Director Kirsten Komoroske for her support and encouragement. Marina Villar Delgado and Kaitlin Buickel: Thank you for your valuable input and patience during our weekly meetings.
Introduction
Since 1962, Walt and the Animation Department had been working on their 19th animated feature film, The Jungle Book, a musical comedy loosely based on the 1894 Rudyard Kipling book of the same name about a young boy and his cohabitants in the jungles of India. Despite some hardships that were faced during the making of the film, it was completed and released in 1967, nearly a year after Walt Disney's passing, and is the last animated feature that Walt oversaw. The enormous worldwide success of The Jungle Book reinvigorated the confidence and pride of the Disney Studios, inspiring it to continue to entertain audiences through the art of animation without the guidance of Walt while paying tribute to his life and legacy.
Story Origins
Kipling's stories were originally published in magazines and then compiled in the first edition of The Jungle Book. For many readers, these tales were an introduction to the culture and history of India. Rudyard Kipling lived in India for several years, but he never actually visited the jungles of Seeonee–now known as Seoni–where the stories were based; he wrote all of them while living in the United States. John Lockwood Kipling, Rudyard's father, was the first artist to bring Mowgli to life with his vivid illustrations for the first edition of The Jungle Book. The elder Kipling drew upon his experiences of having lived in India for almost 30 years. Rudyard Kipling continued to write until his death in 1936, and to this day, his stories continue to inspire adaptations in other media, including literature and music.
Early Film Development
The initial direction of the film that Peet presented was ominous and mysterious, with a storyline very similar to Kipling's collection of stories. Walt's feedback was positive on the script and storyboards, but he was dissatisfied with the dark tone. Walt insisted on moving further away from the original source material in order to make the film lighter and aimed at the family demographic. Though Peet had made a sincere effort to replicate the drama and mystery of Kipling's stories, that was simply not the story Walt Disney wanted to tell. Peet left The Walt Disney Studios in late 1964.
A New Direction
At one point Walt called a meeting with the story team, the Sherman brothers, and other regulars at the studio. According to Richard Sherman, Walt asked if the team had read Kipling's The Jungle Book. When no one raised their hands, he exclaimed, "Good! I don't want you to read it. There are some great characters in it, but it's too dark and heavy..." Walt felt that the story should remain simple and the characters should drive the story. While much of Bill Peet's story work was discarded, the personalities of the characters and the relationships between them remained in the final film.
Beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, animators studied live-action reference films to help develop and refine the movement of human and animal characters while retaining aspects of each artist's unique style. Milt Kahl noted that animating animals tended to be easier than animating humans, as viewers were generally not as critical of unnatural actions from animal characters as they are from human characters. This gave the artists more freedom of expression and experimentation in their animal drawings. Kahl noted that the goal was to learn so much about the live-action references that they no longer needed them as references, which, in turn, would make the animated actions seem more natural.
Chapter 1: A Strange Legend
The story begins with the narration of one of the film's most prominent characters, Bagheera, whose name in Hindi translates roughly to "panther." Bagheera discovers the orphaned baby Mowgli in a basket after hearing his cries. After a moment of hesitation, he decides to bring Mowgli to the wolf pack, where he knows the baby will be protected–at least for the time being. In the original Kipling stories, Mowgli has a wolf mother named Raksha, which means "defense" or "protection" in Hindi. Ultimately, it is Bagheera who serves as Mowgli's main protector throughout the animated film.
Animator Hal King (1913–1986), best known for his work on Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and The Sword in the Stone (1963), animated the wolves, basing the wolf cubs on the puppies from One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). English actor John Abbott (1905–1996) voiced Akela, leader of the Seeonee wolf pack, who makes the final decision to send Mowgli on a journey back to the Man-village under the guidance of Bagheera. Akela, meaning "single" or "solitary" in Hindi, is often referred to as the "lone wolf" in Kipling's stories. Abbott, known for his Shakespearean stage roles throughout the 1930s and 1940s, was featured in pioneering BBC television broadcasts prior to World War I and moved into American television in the 1950s.
In the film, Bagheera is a wise, intelligent figure in the jungle. Throughout Kipling's stories, the panther carries scars of his past captivity and gets into many confrontations, but Walt chose to omit these elements from the film to keep the tone light. Bagheera is, however, stricter with Mowgli in the film than in Kipling's version.
Milt Kahl was responsible for much of the animation of Bagheera; in order to portray his movements, Kahl studied large cats featured in Disney's earlier live-action films. From 1948 to 1960, The Walt Disney Studios produced 14 nature and animal documentary films known as the True-Life Adventures series. The last film of the series, Jungle Cat (1960), offers a glimpse into the life of a jaguar family from the jungles of Brazil. When asked how long it took Kahl to perfect Bagheera, Kahl replied, "Oh, about two to three weeks. I looked at all kinds of big cat footage. We had done a picture called Jungle Cat; I studied that film and the outtakes as well."
Chapter 2: A Spellbinding Squeeze
Animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston brought Mowgli to life, and they studied live-action human reference footage for several scenes. Since Mowgli is one of the few human characters in the film, the animators had to be very careful in the way in they drew his actions. While they could take more liberties when animating animals, they knew that audiences would be critical if they did not capture Mowgli's movement and anatomy realistically.
Director Woolie Reitherman wanted the voice of Mowgli to sound like a typical adolescent child, but he struggled to cast the role until he found the right voice in his own home–his twelve-year-old son, Bruce (1955–). In addition to the role of Mowgli, Bruce Reitherman also voiced Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966).
While Kaa in the animated film is a sly and sinister snake, Kipling's original tales included a powerful python who was one of Mowglis mentors and friends. This version of the snake character was included in Bill Peet's original story treatment of the film, but Walt changed the character concept. As a result, Kaa became a secondary antagonist. Designing Kaa was difficult due to his lack of limbs. The animators paired real-life characteristics of snakes with cartoonish elements to exaggerate his movement and personality. Thomas used Kaa's body to help convey emotions in a way that mimicked human physicality. In one scene, for instance, Kaa says something he should not have. While a limbed character in the same situation might put their hand over their mouth in embarrassment, Kaa instead puts his body in front of his mouth. In an interview discussing character animation, Thomas and Johnston recounted that Walt often told the animators that the audience watches the eyes, as they reveal what the character is thinking and feeling. Kaa's extra-large eyes, which he uses to hypnotize characters, allowed Thomas to express a wide range of emotions.
Story artists knew they could have fun with Kaa's dialogue, but as Thomas and Johnston remembered, "Our first attempts at casting for a voice unearthed much sibilance, but not enough personality." Walt found the solution by approaching one of his favorite voice actors, veteran stage and screen performer Sterling Holloway (1905–1992). Holloway had an illustrious voice-acting career at The Walt Disney Studios, beginning with Mr. Stork in Dumbo (1941), and at the time was already at the studio recording the lead role for an upcoming animated featurette. "Walt came to me," Holloway recalled, "and he's such a stickler for voices, and said, When you're finished with what you're doing today on Winnie the Pooh, see what you can do with a snake. I thought, wouldn't it be funny to have a snake with an aching back? Because it would be such a long ache."
Chapter 3: Marching Elephants
Hathi, named after "hathi"–the Hindi word for "elephant"–was an original character in Kipling's The Jungle Book who stood for the law of the jungle. John Lounsbery was appointed directing animator for the elephant characters in the film, and was assisted by artist Eric Cleworth (1920–1999). Prior to The Jungle Book, Lounsbery animated characters with lively personalities and dramatic physical movements, such as chefs Tony and Joe in Lady and the Tramp (1955), Maleficent's piglike henchmen in Sleeping Beauty (1959), and the clumsy dognappers Jasper and Horace in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). Regarding the characters he preferred to animate, Lounsbery said, "What I enjoy the most is broader action. I like the heavies. I don't like the subtle things–the princes and the queens."
Lounsbery was known for bringing oversized personalities to life, and Colonel Hathi was no exception. When Hathi, acting as drill sergeant, inspects the elephant troops, Lounsbery manipulates the loose skin around his face, squashing and stretching the character. Though the tusks on a real-life elephant are firmly connected to its skull, Hathi's tusks move alongside his mouth in a dramatic fashion as he speaks. Animation historian John Canemaker (1943–) noted that despite the larger-than-life aspects of the characters he created, Lounsbery was still able to imbue them with sensitivity and heart through the subtleties of his artistic style.
Chapter 4: Papa Bear
Baloo, which comes from "bhalu," or "bear" in Hindi, appears as a sloth bear that appears in both of Kipling's Jungle Book story collections, in which he is portrayed as a strict teacher of the law of the jungle for Mowgli and the wolf pack cubs. While he remains one of Mowgli's mentors in the Disney film, he is presented as a gentle, lazy, and carefree "jungle bum," according to Bagheera. Ollie Johnston was tasked with animating Baloo in his first encounter with the Man-cub. Walt acted out how he felt Baloo should move throughout the film, and Johnston included these subtleties in his animation. Johnston also studied footage of bears to accurately mimic their movements and habits. Baloo exhibits exaggerated humanlike showmanship, as in when he stacks a tower of fruit and devours it in a single bite–all while dancing–but Johnston's fluid and clear representation of his actions make his movements feel believable.
Animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston were paired to develop the relationship between Mowgli and Baloo. From their first meeting, it was clear that the characters' friendship would grow throughout the film. "You never knew where it came from, but you had a feeling of a strong friendship here, which we wanted and needed so badly for the picture," remarked Milt Kahl. The dynamic between the boy and the bear provided the much-needed emotional depth that carries the story. Mowgli affectionately refers to Baloo as "Papa Bear" as the pair grows closer. Thomas and Johnston based Baloo and Mowgli's friendship on their own close friendship and feelings of loyalty and trust toward one another. The two met at Stanford in 1931 and began decades-long careers at Disney a few years later. They worked closely together on many films and developed a friendship that would last throughout their lives. Johnston remarked that the relationship between Baloo and Mowgli was "one of the best things we've ever done."
The Studios held many auditions for Baloo's voice before deciding on comedian, actor, singer, and jazz musician Phil Harris (1904–1995), who Walt met at a party in Palm Springs. After coming to the studio to record test dialogue, Harris nearly dropped out of the role, claiming he was unable to perform the dialogue "like a bear." He was called back to the studio, and writer Larry Clemmons met with Harris about his concerns. Clemmons recounts "[Harris] said, I can't do the zoobies, zoobies, zabies. What is this? Zoobie-zoobie-doobie-doo, like a bear. I said 'Phil, we don't want a bear. We want Phil Harris like on The Jack Benny Show.' He said, "That I can do!"
As director Woolie Reitherman recalled: "So, we had Phil over to the studio, and once we told him not to be a bear, but to be Phil Harris, he got in front of the microphone and tore that thing apart. Harris turned out to be just perfect for the character of Baloo." The Studios gave Harris the freedom to perform Baloo the way that felt most comfortable to him, allowing him to improvise many of his lines in the film. Both Reitherman and Walt knew that Harris would be able to convey Baloo's lively personality through his own naturally warm and entertaining demeanor.
Chapter 5: Jazz in the Jungle
Unlike most characters in The Jungle Book, King Louie was created expressly for the film. Orangutans are not native to the jungles of India, and there is no ape king in Rudyard Kipling's original stories, either. Both versions do include the "Bandar-log, a group of monkeys who live in Kipling's Seeonee jungle and end up kidnapping Mowgli, but the scene plays out quite differently in the film.
King Louie and the monkeys were brought to life by Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, and John Lounsbery. Even during the wild, frantic action sequences, the animators maintained movements consistent with the characters' anatomy. When Baloo, disguised as an ape, grabs King Louie and throws him over his head, the bear's spine turns in a naturalistic manner. While at times exaggerated, there are no impossible distortions in either of the animals' movements throughout the sequence.
"I Wanna Be Like You" was one of the more challenging songs to write, but it also ranks among the more memorable songs from the film. In order to make the kidnapping of Mowgli into a playful–rather than somber–event, the Sherman brothers came up with a jazz melody to fit King Louie's personality as the "king of the swingers." Walt and the team first considered casting Louis Armstrong (1901–1971), a jazz legend who had performed at Disneyland, as the voice of King Louie. Armstrong and Walt had become friends, and Walt knew that his style and rich, gravelly voice would fit the melody of King Louie's iconic song. The team ultimately reconsidered, believing that casting an African-American actor for the voice of an ape would be inappropriate, according to Richard Sherman in a 2013 interview in the New York Times. Still, the character has long been criticized and considered an offensive caricature that utilizes racist stereotypes of the Black population.
The then-president of Walt Disney Records Jimmy Johnson suggested famed Italian American jazz trumpeter and vocalist Louis Prima (1910–1978) because he "was this wild, swinging cat." Prima and his band, Sam Butera (1927–2009) & The Witnesses, flew to Burbank to audition at the studio, where they performed almost everything that went into their Las Vegas act at the Hotel Sahara. During a typical performance, Prima would walk through the audience, blowing a horn as his bandmates followed in a line. "It was always the grand finale to his act." explained director Woolie Reitherman. Inspired, the animators incorporated that element of their performance into the film: King Louie mimes a trumpet with his hand and marches around while Mowgli and the other monkeys follow. The scene also includes a monkey using bananas as drumsticks mimicking the way that Prima's drummer would beat his drumsticks enthusiastically on furniture, other instruments, and the ground. "It's a hilarious bit, and it broke up the animators," remarked Johnson.
Chapter 6: Tiger Trouble
Shere Khan is Mowgli's main antagonist in the film, as he is in Kipling's original stories. According to Kipling, "shere" translated to "tiger," while "Khan" referred to a level of distinction; the two words together can be interpreted as "chief among tigers." In both the Kipling stories and the Disney film, Shere Khan is deeply feared by most of the animals in the jungle.
Shere Khan is briefly mentioned by several characters before he appears for the first time, about two-thirds of the way through the film. The animators were curious about Shere Khan's role in the film, as the character was not talked about much in storyboard meetings up until this point. Eventually, Walt requested that Ken Anderson draw up some sketches of how he envisioned Shere Khan. Walt did not want a tiger that growled the entire time; he wanted a new type of villain. Anderson drew an overly confident, suave, and menacing character–and Walt was sold.
Shere Khan was animated primarily by Milt Kahl. As he did with Bagheera, Kahl studied earlier live-action Disney documentary films in order to incorporate the qualities of a real tiger into the animated character. He often referred to A Tiger Walks (1964), a film about a Bengal tiger that escapes from a traveling circus. Kahl paid close attention when designing the stripes on Shere Khan, using them to add volume and perspective to his motions. A powerful draftsman, Kahl played down the tiger's actions, evoking a sense of power and ferocity through poses and subtle movements. As Deja wrote in his animation biography The Nine Old Men, "The less Shere Khan moves, the more intimidating he becomes."
When considering the voice of Shere Khan, Kahl said, "They were thinking of kind of a Jack Palance type, you know. A straight evil character who was going to kill this kid, you know. And maybe enjoy him for dinner. ... Ken Anderson made one drawing; he was thinking of a supercilious, above-it-all tiger..." for which George Sanders (1906–1972) fit the bill perfectly. Sanders, a British actor, had an upper-class English accent that was ideal for sophisticated, villainous characters. Prior to The Jungle Book, Sanders was cast in roles such as Addison DeWitt in All About Eve (1950), Richard the Lionheart in King Richard and the Crusaders (1954), and Mr. Freeze in an episode of the Batman television series (1966).
Chapter 7: Liverpudlian Buzzards
The vultures were almost entirely new characters created for the Disney film. While vultures do make a brief appearance in Kipling's stories, they mostly feed on animal carcasses. Consistent with the lighter tone of his version of the story, Walt Disney wanted the vultures to be silly and fun. During the production of the film, Beatlemania was in full swing. Walt originally considered having the Beatles–or a Beatles-like group–voice the vultures and perform songs for The Jungle Book, but the idea was ultimately abandoned. Milt Kahl, Eric Larson, and John Lounsbery worked on the animation of the vultures, who retained their original Beatles-inspired mop-top design and vocal accents.
The group of vultures were originally intended to sing a rock-and-roll rendition of "That's What Friends Are For"–initially called "We're Your Friends"–but Walt concluded that a contemporary rock song would give the film a short shelf life. The Sherman brothers instead turned the vultures into a barbershop quartet while still paying homage to the British Invasion, later noting that "Walt thought that was a very funny idea and went for it in a big way." Buzzie, the leader of the vultures, was voiced by J. Pat O'Malley, who also voiced Colonel Hathi. True to their personalities, Flaps was voiced by English musician Chad Stuart (1941–2020) of the folk-rock duo Chad & Jeremy, Ziggy was voiced by English actor Digby Wolfe (1929–2012), and Dizzy was voiced by Lord Tim Hudson (1940–2019), an Englishman who made a name for himself as a DJ in Canada and the United States.
Chapter 8: My Own Home
Through most of production, the animators had no idea how the film was going to end, as they had each been focusing on developing specific sequences and gags. They knew that Mowgli would make it back to the Man-village one way or another but could not fathom why he would give up on his dreams of staying in the jungle with his friends. Walt brought the team together and suggested that Mowgli would be enticed to join the Man-village by a young girl around his age. Walt's suggestion was initially not well received by the animators, as they believed Mowgli was too young to show any interest in a girl, so the ending would not be believable or true to his character. Despite their doubts, Walt knew this was how he needed the film to end. According to Woolie Reitherman, "Walt liked people around him that were willing to try and dare, even though they didn't know quite where they were going or why."
Kipling's stories do not feature a young girl, but rather an adult woman named Messua, who is Mowgli's adoptive mother. Ollie Johnston, who was tasked with animating the girl in the sequence, felt that the ending was a clumsy afterthought at first. However, the more he worked on it, the more he saw the scene come to life, thanks to the endearing and natural innocence of the characters. Animator Floyd Norman (1935–), who worked with Larry Clemmons on the story for the film, reflected on the ending and the interaction between Mowgli and the girl: "You never think of Mowgli being a kid. He sees the girl. The girl is enticing. And he follows her. Maybe it's just curiosity. He had never seen a girl before. It's charming. It's cute, and it's our ending. Your solutions to problems in films sometimes are very simple. It was a simple solution that we thought was to a complex problem."
Once Walt decided on a rough conclusion to the film, the Sherman brothers wrote the haunting ballad for the girl, titled "My Own Home." Child actor and singer Darleen Carr (1950–); who had already starred in a number of television shows, was at the studio filming Monkeys, Go Home! (1967) while The Jungle Book (1967) was in production. Carr was asked to record a demo of "My Own Home," and Walt, impressed, cast her in the role. The Sherman brothers incorporated the melody of the song into the film in such a way that it became the main theme throughout, beginning with the wolves finding baby Mowgli in a basket.
Once Johnston had finished a few scenes for the final sequence of the film, he brought them to Walt's office for review and inadvertently walked into a disagreement between Walt and Milt Kahl about whether or not tigers could climb trees: Kahl thought they could not, and Walt thought they could. Johnston initially feared that Walt would be too worked up to be receptive to the tender mood of his scene, but he was relieved when Walt ultimately gave it his stamp of approval. Johnston later told Deja, "Incidentally, Milt happened to be right: Tigers do not climb trees." (In fact, tigers can climb trees, but they seldom do so after they have reached adulthood.)
Behind the Scenes
Walt's Passing
At the time of Walt's passing, The Jungle Book was only half finished. Everything Walt had learned from the past 30 years of filmmaking was poured into the project: Unique character personalities, sight gags, catchy music, rich background art, and more. His passing led to mass uncertainty at The Walt Disney Studios, even halting production. Animators and key personnel became concerned about the future of animated filmmaking, while management briefly considered shutting down the Animation Department to rely on income generated solely through rereleases of older films. Before his death, Walt personally asked Woolie Reitherman to help lead the feature film animation program, so Reitherman pushed back against the shutdown. He and the other artists wanted the film to be completed the way Walt wanted, and they were ultimately able to continue production.
Before its official release, the film was screened at the studio. 'The audience included Hazel George (1904–1996), Walt's personal nurse and one of his closest confidantes. Ollie Johnston recalled talking to her after the screening: "She said, 'Walt wasn't a man, he was a force of nature. And that last scene where Baloo and Bagheera dance off into the sunset, she says, 'You know, that's just the way Walt went off. He went off into the sunset. Just like that, here he's gone."
The tremendous success of The Jungle Book reestablished animation as a valuable form of storytelling while also reassuring The Walt Disney Studios that they would be able to move forward without their ambitious leader. Walt was never as concerned with profits as he was with entertaining audiences with the art of great storytelling. Reflecting on this time, Reitherman said '"... [Walt] left so many roots in all of us. All of the pictures I did since then, I went for personality, strong characterization, strong voices that fit the character. And it did make the pictures ever so much simpler to construct," This simplicity also helped save the company money on production costs for the next decade.
The Sherman Brothers
After storyboard artist Bill Peet left the studio, Walt asked the Sherman brothers to compose all new songs for The Jungle Book, with the exception of "The Bare Necessities, as many of the songs composed by American folk artist Terry Gilkyson were more suited for Peet's original, darker tone. The Sherman brothers composed seven original songs that fit the lighthearted tone Walt envisioned. George Bruns (1914–1983), who had written music for several other Disney films, composed the instrumental score. Though The Jungle Book was a feature in which the personalities of the voice actors influenced the design of the characters, the songs for the film were written before the voice actors had been chosen. Through their music, the Sherman brothers brought each character to life while making them more compelling and interesting.
Film Release and Success
When the film opened to wide release, it received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. A December 23 article in the New York Times promoted the film: MERRY CHRISTMAS right back to the Walt Disney studio!
A perfectly dandy cartoon feature, The Jungle Book, scooted into local theaters yesterday just ahead of the big day, and it's ideal for the children. Based loosely on Rudyard Kipling's "Mowgli" stories, this glowing little picture should be grand fun for all ages, for in spirit, flavor and superb personification of animals, the old Disney specialty, the new film suggests that bygone [1941] Disney masterpiece, Dumbo.
By this time, The Walt Disney Studios had come full circle with their animated films. Early Disney productions included short cartoons with gags and simple linear events to drive the storyline, but then transitioned to full character animation with complex storylines based on classic literature and fairy tales. Following World War Il, a time when the Studios experimented with different types of animation, the films became simpler and included more character-driven storylines. After Walt passed, nostalgia built for older Disney films, with Time magazine noting that the film was "...the happiest way to remember Walt Disney." Life magazine echoed the New York Times, claiming that it was the best Disney film since Dumbo (1941). Overall, critics and audiences were drawn to the animation style, rich artwork, simple storyline, and catchy songs from the film.
Merchandise
With the release of The Jungle Book came the sale of a large variety of products featuring the film's most popular characters: board games, mugs, figurines, sticker pages, coloring books, and more. Simon & Schuster and its partner Western Printing and Lithographing developed the wonderfully illustrated Little Golden Books series for children in 1942 that would feature the stories of many Disney productions, including The Jungle Book. In the era of video gaming, The Jungle Book has been the basis for several releases across various platforms. Due to the film's popularity and later adaptations, merchandise based on The Jungle Book is still being produced to this day.
The film's popular and highly acclaimed songs led to the release of different versions of the soundtrack, beginning with the "Storyteller" version Walt Disney Presents the Story and Songs of The Jungle Book in 1967. This version was narrated by actor Dallas McKennon and accompanied by dialogue and sound effects from the film. The soundtrack was eventually certified Gold and nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children in 1968.
Inspired by the success of the original Jungle Book soundtracks, Disneyland Records released an album titled More Jungle Book in 1969, an unofficial sequel written by original Jungle Book screenwriter Larry Clemmons. Louis Prima and Phil Harris reprised their respective roles as King Louie and Baloo on the album. Additional soundtracks include The Jungle Book original cast soundtrack and a jazz version titled Songs from Walt Disney's The Jungle Book and Other Jungle Favorites. The original soundtrack was reissued in 1997 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the film and subsequent reissues have included bonus tracks.
View-Master
Joe Liptak, the creator of the majority of Disney's View-Master 3D story sets for over 45 years, is revered for his exceptional artistry. The Walt Disney Studios provided Liptak with copies of production and story art, allowing him to maintain character integrity. Liptak had the ability to capture the characters' on-model look, and he took great pride in never having any of his sculptures returned for revisions. Due to the meticulous care put into the sculpting of these delightful characters, Walt Disney's story of The Jungle Book became a View-Master favorite.
Legacy
The film's enduring popularity can also be felt at the Disney parks & Resorts, where characters, songs, and scenes from The Jungle Book have been featured in walk-around character meet-and-greets, attractions, parades, stage shows, nighttime spectaculars, and more.
Rudyard Kipling's original stories in The Jungle Book have also frequently been adapted worldwide. Notable examples include the animated Maugli, or Adventures of Mowgli, a series of short films released in Russia from 1967 to 1971, and the animated Japanese/Italian television series Janguru Bukku Shönen Moguri, which originally ran from 1989 to 1990. The film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2018 is the latest live adaptation, which presents a dark, serious tone closer to Kipling's original stories.
The art direction and character design in The Jungle Book continue to inspire artists creating animal characters in Disney films, including Abu, lago, and Rajah in Aladdin (1992), all of the animals in The Lion King (1994), and Stitch in Lilo & Stitch (2002). According to animator Eric Goldberg, "The Jungle Book is really an animator's movie. ... It really boasts possibly the best character animation the studio ever did." Many animators including Andreas Deja, Brad Bird, and Sergio Pablos, have said that the film inspired them to enter the field of animation.
Character animator and Disney Legend Glen Keane, perhaps best known for his work on films such as The Little Mermaid (1989), Tarzan (1999), and Tangled (2010), remembers The Jungle Book being the first Disney animated film he saw with his two younger brothers: "The movie began. Shere Khan and Kaa were magic on the screen. The thought that someone actually drew those characters never crossed my mind. They were simply alive. As Shere Khan wiggled his sharp nail in Kaa's nostril, the images were embedded in my mind. Caricature, expression, comedy, and design. I never imagined that within seven years I would have the privilege of learning under the masters of this film... and what I learned was that animation starts with observation of the world around us."
|
| "Many strange legends are told of these jungles of India, but none so strange as the story of a small boy named Mowgli." |
|
| Bagheera hopes a family of wolves will adopt baby Mowgli. |
|
| "You told me a lie, Kaa. You said I could trust you!" |
|
| "Trust in me…" |
|
| Mowgli is under Kaa's hypnotic spell. |
|
| "Just you wait till I get you in my coils!" |
|
| "Hup, two, three, four. Keep it up, two, three, four!" |
|
| "Just do what I do, but don't talk in ranks. It's against regulations." |
|
| "Gee pop, you forgot to say 'Halt!'" |
|
| Baloo teaches Mowgli about the bare necessities of life. |
|
| "You need help, and ol' Baloo's gonna learn you how to fight like a bear." |
|
| "I'm a bear like you!" |
|
| Baloo tucks Mowgli in for the night. |
|
| Monkeys throw fruit at Baloo and create chaos. |
|
| "Now, I'm the king of the swingers!" |
|
| "What I desire is Man's Red Fire to make my dream come true!" |
|
| Baloo's cover is blown when his disguise comes apart. |
|
| "You don't scare me. I won't run from anyone." |
|
| "Now, I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten. It makes the chase more interesting... for me." |
|
| Mowgli is intrigued by a girl he spots from the man-village. |
No comments:
Post a Comment