Buttmunker

I heard this movie on a record before I ever got to see it, and I thank my Grandmother for introducing it to me. Disney's The Jungle Book is something I've enjoyed my whole life, even to this day. Back then, in the mid- to late-70's, there were Movies on Record (78" longplay) - the equalvalent of Books on Tape. I would play the record over and over, and I'd eventually memorize all the spoken lines and all the songs. I don't remember when I actually saw the movie, but it was much later, and it was in the theater as a re-release.

The Bare Necessities by Terry Gilkyson was nominated for an Academy Award in 1967 for Best Original Song - to this day I wonder how they could have possibly picked just one song for a nomination off that great soundtrack. The Bare Necessities was/is a great jazzy tune (sung by Phil Harris, the voice of Baloo the Bear), but you also have I Wan'na Be Like You by Robert and Richard Sherman, a dixieland song with scat mixed in (sung by Louis Prima, the voice of King Louie the Ape, and Phil Harris). In fact, the Sherman brothers wrote all the songs for the soundtrack, with the exception of Gilkyson's The Bare Necessities, so the nomination for Gilkyson's song had odds against it since it was nestled between all of the Sherman brothers songs.

The only complaint (as an adult) I have against The Jungle Book is what I call Repetitive Animation. In other words, you see the same scenes in other parts of the movie - either to save time, or due to extreme laziness. For example, you see Kaa the snake fall out of the tree in the same fashion in two different scenes in the movie. There are others as well.

That aside, it is a great film that tell much truth about the way of life. When the Man-Cub eventually returns to the man village, it is because of a woman. We see that in life all the time - guy hangs out with his guy friends, goes to the bar to play pool every Thursday and Friday night, until a girl steps into the picture. Then its bye-bye friends. Same thing.

I have the video tape and held off on buying the Limited Edition DVD because I figured I'd wait for the SE. Didn't know I'd have to wait for years and years. I'll be 37 by the time the DVD is re-released. I'm only 33 now. *Sigh*

PixyJunket

Why on earth would you hold off on buying the current DVD? You love the movie isn't that what matters? Is the movie on the current DVD, or did they omit it?

Buttmunker

The DVD has been discontinued for quite some time.

PixyJunket

Oh well.. I know that..
Did you not have a chance to pick it up when it was available?

Luckily the Platinum line is being moved ahead.. but there's no doubt it will still be at least 2006 before you see it.. 2004 and 2005 sets are all but confirmed..

Seeker

for a movie you like so much, seems like you could easily get it for $30 (buy it now) or even less on EBay.

sure, you have the VHS, and you'll buy it again someday, but it's a movie you love...

Wannabe

I swear I saw The Jungle Book at the drive-in back in the early seventies - perhaps 1972 or 73. According to Wikipedia, it was released on these dates:

October 18, 1967 (original release)
June 9, 1978
July 27, 1984
July 13, 1990
July 11, 1992
July 23, 1994
November 10, 1997
August 16, 1999
January 23, 2002

Is it possible my local drive-in was able to play a Disney movie outside of it's general release period?

Giles

it's funny, I've seen numerous Disney films in rerelease to theatres, but Jungle Book in '78 wasn't one of them ...hmmm

??

outside of LA's El Capitan - its really a shame that Disney redo this type of theatrical rereleasing - but of course, that would hurt their DVD sales, lord forbid.