The Disney Year: “Jungle Book” thrives on stellar cast and songbook

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Bagheera the panther (voiced by Sebastian Cabot) discovers that Mowgli has been diverted by the irresponsible sloth bear Baloo (voiced by Phil Harris) and his paean to “The Bear Necessities” (Disney).

Nathan Tucker, A&E Editor

The output of Walt Disney Animation Studios–currently totaling 54 full-length films–has been cherished by audiences young and old for almost 80 years. In this weekly online feature, arts and entertainment editor Nathan Tucker will review and rank each of them.

Disney’s Jungle Book is (in the fine tradition of the studio’s British adaptations) completely different from Kippling’s novel. That is, believe it or not, a net positive. While the original Mowgli stories are as fine a piece of literature as colonialism ever produced, any adherence to their darker tone would have negated the Disney version’s two great triumphs.

The first of those successes is the fantastic voice cast brought onboard for this film. Disney had gotten perfectly fine work out of its voice actors before, but Jungle Book is the first film where the voice acting is absolutely essential to the finished product. Try imagining an alternate world where Bagheera did not have Sebastian Cabot’s gentle-hearted condescension, in which the menacing Shere Khan lacked George Sanders’ booming bass, where Baloo the Bear was not brought to life by the gentle drawl of Phil Harris–it is impossible. Even the minor characters who appear in only one or two sequences have distinct and engaging voice work, with the most delightful being Louis Prima’s rambunctious take on ape monarch King Louie.     

The second factor is the songs. Jungle Book blows every Disney soundtrack before out of the watering hole; it is not even a competition. Compared to the features surrounding it, Jungle Book is astonishingly rooted in its time: its attempts at groovy slang and laid-back cool are the sort of things that could only come out of 1967. That same timeliness is captured in the songs, which are all generally nostalgic big-band jazz throwbacks . Written by the ever-reliable Sherman Brothers, tracks like the military satire of “Colonel Hathi’s March” and the Scat 101 lesson “I Want to Be Like You” pair clever lyrics with infectious melodies. The prize jewel of the film’s book, however, has to be the bouncing beat and rapid rhymes of Terry Gilykson’s “The Bear Necessities,” which deserves its Oscar nod simply for rhyming “necessities” with “rest at ease.”  

Outside of those two triumphs, Jungle Book can be a little shaky. Director Wolfgang Reitherman was known for recycling animation to cut costs: the “Kaa turns into an accordion” gag is exactly the same both times it plays and Shere Khan is introduced stalking Bambi’s mother. The episodic plot, while dishing up some sturdy character development all around, is more than a little meandering. Those are not overwhelming issues when placed in context, and the animation is really a par above the other Xerox-era films.

Walt Disney died during production on The Jungle Book, making it the last film from the studio that he had input in. It makes for a worthy end to an era, offering audiences something richer and more joyous than just the bare necessities.

The List:

  1. Bambi
  2. Sleeping Beauty
  3. Lady and the Tramp
  4. The Jungle Book
  5. Alice in Wonderland
  6. Fantasia
  7. Pinocchio
  8. One Hundred and One Dalmatians
  9. Peter Pan
  10. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
  11. Cinderella
  12. Dumbo
  13. The Sword in the Stone
  14. Melody Time
  15. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  16. Fun and Fancy Free
  17. Saludos Amigos
  18. Make Mine Music
  19. The Three Caballeros