Il libro della giungla

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 .

This is a rather amazing production for 1942. The lavish sets, costumes and full-color are quite amazing for the time--especially considering it was made during one of the darkest years of WWII. So, instead of the typical black & white propaganda film, here we have pure escapism.

Now if you are looking for the Disney version of the Kipling story, you'll no doubt be disappointed. Aside from names and a few plot elements, the story really bears little in common with the 1967 film. Unlike the cartoon, this film does address how Mowgli becomes stranded in the jungle as an infant plus about 80% of the film consists of Mowgli's life AFTER returning to the village where he was born. And, also unlike the Disney film, humans are pretty greedy and awful in this film. In fact, instead of the tiger, Shere Khan, trying to kill Mowgli, the plot mostly has to do with a jungle treasure and the terrible lengths greed drives men to have it. By the end of the film, Mowgli is sick of the humans and their wicked ways--and leaves to live in his beloved jungle once again--quite the opposite of the Disney story.

Aside from very nice production values, there is a lot to admire about the film. The story is rather timeless and has some depth to it due to its examination of human nature. The only serious negative is the same negative you'd have with all adventure films of this era--no one in the film is actually Indian other than Sabu! Remember, this was the time of Charlie Chan (played originally by a Swede) and actors such as Errol Flynn and Katherine Hepburn playing Asians!! Here, such reliable Hollywood actors as John Qualen and Joseph Calleia play Indians! It's all rather laughable, though perhaps it was tough finding Indian actors at the time (especially with India in the thick of things in the war). Still, it's all very forgivable considering that it's otherwise a quality production from start to finish.

When the Blitz began taking its toll on London, producer Alexander Korda picked up stakes and headed for Hollywood, with his two brothers, Zoltan and Vincent, in tow. There, they finished "Thief of Bagdad" (1940) and produced "That Hamilton Woman" (1941) before beginning this elaborate Technicolor version of Kipling's Mowgli stories, originally titled "The Jungle Books," (published in 1894 and 1895). The film focuses on three of the volume's stories - "Mowgli's Brothers," "Tiger, Tiger" and "The King's Ankus." It's a fairly interesting screen translation of Kipling's attempt to provide young readers with the stories he was told by his Indian ayah when he was a child growing up in the Far East.

When a big-spending movie producer like Korda acquires the rights to a classic, there are inevitable changes. Someone hit upon the cute idea of giving Mowgli (played by Sabu) a "love interest." She appears here in the person of Mahala (Patricia O'Rourke), but after she passively lends impetus to an ill-fated search for lost treasure, her character becomes inconsequential to the rest of the picture.

The film begins as Mowgli's mother, Messua (Rosemary de Camp) is widowed one morning when her husband becomes breakfast for a hungry tiger. We later learn that the tiger is the vicious Shere Khan, who during Mowgli's childhood has become his arch-enemy. Unfortunately, when Mowgli and Shere Khan square off for a climactic battle to the end, the dated special-effects are a disappointment. Perhaps Kipling's original version of Khan's death (in the book, he is trampled lifeless by Mowgli's animal/allies) would have better suited the film.

Three of the village's leading citizens have been thrown together as a sort of Hindu vaudeville act: Buldeo, the blowhard hunter (the good, underrated Joseph Calleia); the greedy barber (John Qualen); and the "pundit" (Frank Puglia). Their lust for a dead king's treasure is given appropriate levity. The predatory Buldeo, Shere Khan's human counterpart, represents the single most dangerous threat to the jungle and the sense of community held sacred by the animals who live there. Ideologically, therefore, the fire that purges the jungle of all human sins seems an appropriate climax.

In the end, we see Buldeo, now aged and wiser, confessing his past sins to all who will pay a rupee to listen to his story of Mowgli and the jungle. As we see, he ultimately earns his money and reputation honestly as not only a story-teller, but as the narrator of this charming spectacle.

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.

*****

When the Second World War began three brilliant Hungarians Jews who had made a name for themselves in London –-the impresario/director Alexander and his two brothers Zoltan, also a director, and Vincent, artist and art director-- escaped to Hollywood and started making movies. After the international success of their superb London Film Productions, among them "The Thief of Bagdad" (1940), "Rembrandt" (1936) and "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (1933), the three began all over again in distant Hollywood. With its Indian themes and actors, few viewers today have recognized that most of this production was shot in 1941-1942 on Hollywood sound stages, primarily the low-budget Hollywood Center Studios on No. Las Palmas, not far from the more luxurious Paramount Studios. Producer Korda with his brother Zoltan as director were brave enough to mix a native-born Indian actor, Sabu ("Elephant Boy") with two Hollywood star character actors, Spanish-born Joseph Calleia ("Touch of Evil") and Sicilian-born Franco Puglia, both heavily made up. Eternally loyal as the Kordas were to their native countrymen, they never forgot to hire their fellow expatriates: the astonishing music is by Budapest-born Milklos Rozsa ("Spellbound") and orchestrated by Eugene Zador; the second-unit work, the animal sequences and those probably shot on location in India, were directed by Andre de Toth, born in Mako in old Austria-Hungary. American born Bill Hornbeck who edited the Korda's "Scarlet Pimpernel" in London did the cutting and Lee Garmes ("Night of the Hunter') and the Technicolor pioneer, W. Howard Greene, did the cinematography. The excellent sound effects are not credited.