10 Fun Facts About the Jungle Book

1. Origins

The 1967 animated classic, The Jungle Book, was Disney’s 19th animated feature. Loosely based on the Mowgli stories of “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling, the film follows the adventures of Mowgli as he befriends a black panther named Bagheera, who vows to take Mowgli back to the humans, and a playful bear named Baloo, who tries to teach Mowgli the virtues of his carefree lifestyle.

 

 

2. A Lighter Touch

The Jungle Book underwent many changes throughout its production, not the least of which was a departure in style from the original stories written by Kipling. Where Kipling’s tales were dark and brooding, the Disney version is lighter and more family-friendly. Writer Bill Peet crafted the original storyline for the film, and while his tone was certainly more upbeat, Walt deemed that certain sequences were overly complicated and dramatic. By that time, Walt had gotten involved in pulling the story together as only he could. Walt simplified many of the scenes and refocused the film on the characters and their relationships rather than on a series of elaborate action sequences.

 

 

3. The End of an Era

Sadly, The Jungle Book was the last animated feature produced by Walt Disney himself, who passed away during the making of the film.

 

 

4. Sir Hiss…

The design of Kaa, the snake, was later used for Sir Hiss in Disney’s adaptation of Robin Hood.

 

 

5. …and Little John

Robin Hood also features another Jungle Book connection. The character of Little John was based on Baloo, and both characters were voice by Phil Harris.

 

 

6. Forget About Your Worries and Your Strife!

The movie features a variety of unforgettable songs, including “The Bare Necessities” by Terry Gilkyson and “I Wan’na Be Like You,” and “That’s What Friends Are For” by the Sherman Brothers.

 

 

7. Trust In Me

The song “Trust in Me” was based upon a song entitled “Land of Sand,” which the Sherman Brothers had written for, but not used in, Mary Poppins.

 

 

8. Star Power

The Jungle Book is notable in other aspects. It was one of the first Disney animated films to cast highly recognized vocal talent in primary roles. Sebastian Cabot (as Bagheera), Sterling Holloway (as Kaa), Louis Prima (as King Louie), and George Sanders (as Shere Khan) were all well-known talents at the time. In fact, the animators drew Shere Khan to resemble Sanders. Sanders was no stranger to playing the part of the villain. He also portrayed Mr. Freeze in two episodes of the 1960s live-action “Batman” TV series.

 

 

9. The Lovable Baloo

But the show is positively stolen by Phil Harris as Baloo. Walt personally cast Harris in the role. While nobody else could see the reasoning behind it, Walt was proved correct as Harris brought new life to the happy-go-lucky bear and created one of the most beloved characters in Disney history. Harris improvised much of his dialog, imploring the animators to let him talk to Mowgli as he would in real life. Harris also improvised the scatting duet with Prima, recording his segment alone after the main tracks had already been laid down.

 

 

10. A Loving Tribute

Brad Bird, the Academy Award-winning director of the Pixar/Disney films The Incredibles and Ratatouille, was inspired at age 11 to pursue a career in animated films after seeing The Jungle Book. “I realized that this was somebody’s job,” Bird said. “Their job was to not only do the drawings but to give the characters individuality.” Bird would later pay tribute to two of the key animators of The Jungle Book, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, in one of his own films. Look for their cameo in The Incredibles.

 

 

BONUS FACT:

Did you know that you can find the Jungle Book on the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom? No, not Baloo or Bagheera, the actual Jungle Book! Huh? Well, as you set out on your journey (hopefully you waved goodbye to those folks on the deck, after all that may be the last time you see them), your Skipper will ask everyone if they’ve seen the Jungle Book. If you hadn’t don’t worry, your Skipper will point it out to you…an actual book sitting on a rock. Yep, that’s a Jungle Book alright! (Don’t worry folks, the jokes are just getting started!)