The Jungle Book (1967)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Jungle Book (1967)

Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman) is found in a basket as a baby in the deep jungles of Madhya Pradesh, India. Bagheera (Sebastian Cabot), the black panther who discovers the boy, promptly takes him to an Indian Wolf who has just had cubs. She raises him along with her own cubs and Mowgli soon becomes well acquainted with jungle life. Mowgli is shown ten years later, visiting the wolves and getting his face licked eagerly when he arrives. That night, when the wolf tribe learns that Shere Khan (George Sanders), a man-eating bengal tiger, has returned to the jungle, they realize that Mowgli must be taken to the "man village" to protect him and those around him. Bagheera volunteers to escort him back.

They leave that very night, but Mowgli is reluctant to leave and is determined to stay in the jungle and so both he and Bagheera settle down in a tree. Unknwon to Bagheera however, Mowgli is met by Kaa (Sterling Holloway), a hungry Indian Python who hypnotizes Mowgli and prepares to eat him. Bagheera realizes this and stops the snake just in time, but angers Kaa into hypnotizing him as well. Luckily, Mowgli was snapped out of his trance when Bagheera intervened and pushes Kaa out of the tree, causing the hurting snake to retreat vowing vengeance. The next morning, Mowgli tries to join the Indian elephant Dawn Patrol led by Hathi (J. Pat O'Malley) and his wife (Colonel Hathi's March). Bagheera finds Mowgli and they argue; Mowgli runs away from Bagheera. The boy soon meets up with the fun-loving bear Baloo (Phil Harris), who shows Mowgli the fun of having a care-free life and promises to raise Mowgli himself and never take him back to the Man-Village (The Bare Necessities).

Mowgli now wants to stay in the jungle more than ever. Shortly afterwards, Baloo is tricked and outsmarted by a gang of monkeys who kidnap Mowgli and take him to their leader, King Louie (Louis Prima) the orangutan. King Louie makes a deal with Mowgli that if he tells him the secret of making fire like a human, then he will make it so he can stay in the Jungle (I Wan'na Be Like You). However, since he was not raised by humans, Mowgli doesn't know how to make fire. After some issues with Baloo's addiction to music, Mowgli is rescued from King Louie and his monkeys by Bagheera and Baloo just before King Louie's palace's crumbles to the ground.

Later that night, Bagheera and Baloo discuss why Mowgli needs to go back to the Man-Village and the dangers of what could happen if he meets Shere Khan. Reluctantly, Baloo breaks his promise to Mowgli and informs him that he needs to go to the Man-Village, but soon Mowgli runs away from them after Baloo "betrays" him. As Baloo sets off on foot in search of Mowgli, Bagheera rallies the help of Hathi and his patrol to make a search party (Colonel Hathi's March (reprise)). Meanwhile, Mowgli has encountered Kaa once again in a different tree and the hungry Python exacts his revenge by hypnotizes Mowgli again, and tries to eat him (Trust in Me), but thanks to the intervention of a suspicious Shere Khan, Mowgli awakens again, tricks the snake again, and escapes.

As a storm gathers, a depressed Mowgli encounters a group of solemn but friendly vultures (J. Pat O'Malley, Digby Wolfe, Lord Tim Hudson and Chad Stuart), who closely resemble The Beatles, and they say they'll be his friend as they too feel are outcasts, and feel that everybody has to have friends (That's What Friends Are For). Mowgli warms up to their idea of friendship, but suddenly Shere Khan appears shortly after, scaring off the Vultures and challenging Mowgli to a fight to the death. Baloo rushes to the rescue, but is viciously mauled by Shere Khan. After witnessing lightning strikes a tree lighting it on fire, The Vultures fight back against Shere Khan while Mowgli uses the fire to drive away the ruthless tiger. Bagheera arrives to find Mowgli weeping over Baloo's sacrifice, but after a dramatic speech given by Bagheera, Baloo awakens merely knocked unconscious but still sore from the fight. Mowgli is overjoyed but Bagheera is angered by this "trick."

Bagheera and Baloo take Mowgli to the edge of the Man-Village, but Mowgli is still hesitant to go in. His mind soon changes when he is smitten by a young girl from the village who is coming down by the riverside to fetch water (My Own Home.) After noticing Mowgli, she "accidentally" drops her water pot, and Mowgli retrieves it for her and follows her into the man village, in love. Baloo is initially heartbroken but Bagheera reassures him that he did the right thing and that Mowgli is now safe in the Man-Village, where he belongs. Baloo still laments but agrees for Mowgli's safety. The two animals decide to head home both singing a reprise of The Bare Necessities.