Das Dschungelbuch

This is probably the first movie I have seen. That is the reason why I want to write about it. Every time I watch this movie I remember when I was just a child. I loved this movie and I still do.

The Jungle Book is one of the first color movies ever made and you can see that... but that doesn`t matter because the level of entertainment is so high. Actors in this movie are great but so is the staging.. and matter a fact so is everything else. It is not hard to believe that this picture got a few oscar nomination.

After all, excellent movie and lot of nostalgia... at least for me.

*****

The first time I saw this movie I walked each step with Sabu playing the part of Mowgli, what an adventure it was. The animals of the jungle know and respect him, they willingly do as he wishes because, they know that he is good and one of them. I first saw this in a theater, and don't remember the year, I was very young. I am sorry to say that it has gained some darkness and lost a little of the very nice color, but to anyone who didn't first see it way back when, it should seem very nice. Watch for the one who whispers, so old and yet so special. Well worth the rental/buy price in my opinion. Mowgli of the wolfs wants to get a tooth, and he does. A very nice movie, I have watched it many times, and will watch it many more. Join me.

A young child wanders off into the woods and is lost. With the dangerous, bloodthirsty tiger Shere Khan lurking about, the little boy is adopted by wolves and raised in the jungle. Later embroiled in a jungle feud with Shere Khan, the partly grown boy is driven out of the jungle back into the world of man where he seeks a tooth (a knife) with which he can once and for all strike down his arch nemesis. However the world of man offers many unseen dangers and man isn't inclined to follow those laws of the jungle to which the animals abide.

Personally I feel this is the best adaptation of the "Jungle Book" Rudyard Kipling story put to film. I prefer this over the Disney versions because it never fully loses sight of its overall message, doesn't fail to show the key differences between man and beast, and isn't bogged down by comedy or musical distraction. It's also fun and adventurous, boasts real animals in the familiar roles who give surprisingly believable performances. Lead Sabu as Mowgli is a natural to the role while character actor Joseph Calleia does quite well as lead villain Buldeo. Calleia made quite a career out of playing such roles. By far the silliest moments here have got to be the result of the talking snakes with the human voices. They are the only critters in the film to talk in such a fashion. While the information they relay is vital to the plot of the movie, I'm not sure we really needed to actually hear it spoken aloud. Also the romantic subplot doesn't quite fit in the story either and that it's introduced and never resolved is somewhat disappointing. Still at the end of the day, you want jungle adventure excitement done right, you won't go wrong with 1942's Jungle Book.

Although THE JUNGLE BOOK seems to limp along at a slow pace, it catches the eye with its splendid Technicolor photography of lush forests, a brilliantly staged forest fire and the "Lost City" where hidden treasure drives men to greed and destruction. Close-ups of the jungle animals are beautifully shot and all of their scenes are well staged.

As Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves, SABU has the fierce looks of a wolf-child, although he does learn to converse in English awfully soon, thanks to some choppy editing continuity. ROSEMARY DeCAMP is his mother, beaming at him with adoration and accepting the fact at the end that he must return to the forest kingdom where he rules rather than stay with man.

Joseph CALLEIA is terrific as one of the greedy pursuers of gold, marking Sabu's trail so he can find "The Lost City." JOHN QUALEN too is excellent in another supporting role.

Miklos Rozsa's music is not given sufficient strength on the soundtrack, muffled behind all of the dialog and jungle sounds, so it doesn't get its due despite some good orchestrations. It sounds better on recorded excerpts from the film.

A fantasy from my childhood that doesn't register as strongly as it did back then but still manages to hold the interest with its visually arresting sets created by Vincent Korda. TCM is showing a better Technicolor print of the film than was released in the Public Domain version years ago, which was nominated for four Oscars including one for its color cinematography.

Based on Rudyard Kipling's known classic novel , it concerns a little boy named Mowgli (Sabu) . He's living at an Indian village with his warmhearted mum (Rosemary DeCamp) . But he's lost and raised by a wolf pack . Along the way , he encounters a variety of jungle animals , including a complete menagerie , such as : the ferocious black panther named Bagheera , the evil tiger named Shere Khan , the Croc , the bear, elephant , monkeys... Mowgli stays among his animals friends . He takes on a jungle journey and knows the location of a hidden treasure ; then three of the village men (Joseph Calleia, John Qualen, Puglia) follow him and many adventures ensue .

This lavish version of the great classic displays adventures , fantasy , exotic atmosphere , and breathtaking scenarios . This is the first acting to the young Indian boy named Sabu , an American actor , even though he was born in India . In fact he never actually performed in Indian pictures , and was only in British , European, and Hollywood films . He was lined up to star in Indian flicks , and even regarded as an Indian actor , but could not get a valid work permit , because he was a naturalized US Citizen . As he followed a Hollywood 's successful career : ¨The thief of Bagdad¨, ¨Elephant boy¨ and ¨Arabian nights¨ . Rudyard Kipling's two Jungle Book anthologies comprise fifteen stories , four of which were used is this film : "Mowgli's Brothers," "How Fear Came ," "Tiger! Tiger!," and "The King's Ankus¨. Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Howard Greene and Lee Garmes in glamorous Technicolor with shimmering matte shots that make some landscapes look like they were added with magic markers . Exotical and oriental musical score by the great master composer Miklos Rozsa . It was the first film for which original soundtrack recordings were issued . This big budgeted movie is well made by Korda family . Vincent Korda created the impressive sets , Zoltan Korda directed brilliantly this familiar story and magnificent production by Alexander Korda . A must see for children of all ages. Adults will find the picture a little boring , but the younger to be amused.

Other adaptations about the vintage tale are the following ones : the Walt Disney animated classic version ¨Jungle Book¨ by Wolfgang Reithman (1969) and its sequel (2005) , and in the 90s , a beautifully and enchanting filmed version , live-action by Stephen Sommers with Jason Scott Lee, Lena Headley and Sam Neill .