Hugó, a víziló (1975)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Bill Feigenbaum

Writers:

Bill Feigenbaum (story)
Thomas Baum (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

January 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Drama

Tagline:

Color, creatures, music, sound like you've never seen or heard before. It's the wildest trip ever animated. It's a treat for the whole family. It's... PHANTASMAGORICAL!

Plot:

The Sultan of Zanzibar has a problem--his harbor is infested with sharks. To solve the problem, he brings in twelve hippos to keep the sharks away...

Plot Keywords:

Hippo | Shark | Zanzibar | Human Animal Relationship | Hippopotamus

Cast

Burl Ives	...	Narrator (voice)
Robert Morley	...	Sultan (voice)
Paul Lynde	...	Aban-Khan (voice)
Jesse Emmett	...	Royal Magician (voice)
Ronnie Cox	...	Jorma (voice)
Percy Rodrigues	...	Jorma's Father (voice)
Len Maxwell	...	Judge (voice)
Marie Osmond	...	Vocalist
Jimmy Osmond	...	Vocalist
Don Marshall	...	Additional characters (voice)
Frank Welker	...	Special Vocal Effects (voice)
Nancy Wible	...	Special Vocal Effects (voice)
Jerry Hausner	...	Special Vocal Effects (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gábor Berkes	...	Jorma (Hungarian version) (voice) (as Gabi Berkes)
Ferenc Bessenyei	...	Narrator (Hungarian version) (voice)
István Bujtor	...	Jorma's Father (Hungarian version) (voice)
Kati Kovács	...	(Hungarian version) (singing voice)
Erzsébet Kútvölgyi	...	(Hungarian version) (singing voice)
Tamás Major	...	Aban-Khan (Hungarian version) (voice)
László Márkus	...	Sultan (Hungarian version) (voice)
Péter Máté	...	(Hungarian version) (singing voice)
Éva Szabó

Also Known As:

Hugo the Hippo (USA)

Runtime:

86 min | USA:78 min

Country:

Hungary | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | USA:G

Company:

Brut Productions

Soundtrack:

Zing Zong

You'll be singing the songs all week!

I first saw this film when I was about 4 (a whole 24 years ago!), and have been enchanted by it ever since. A wonderful tale of morality - about how money corrupts and the importance of not forgetting those who help you. But the message diffuses into you, as you become lost in the fantastic animation (think Disney Fantasia levels of imagination) and songs that Lloyd Webber and Rice would be proud to call their own (I remember all of the words to all of the songs even now, and I haven't seen the film for at least 20 years!). I don't have any other sentimental attachment to any other programmes of my youth, but this fantastic film touched me in a way that no other has. If you do get a chance to see it, you really must. An enchanting, engaging film, with beautiful animation, charming songs and a lovely story which takes you through an emotional sine wave as you follow the adventures of Hugo and his friends (and those who are certainly not his friends). Once viewed, never forgotten. You will be singing the songs all week, at least. Fantastic for young children and adults alike. I can't recommend it enough.