The Jungle Book (1942)

A boy raised by wolves tries to adapt to human village life.

Director:

Zoltan Korda

Writer:

Laurence Stallings (adaptation)

Stars:

Sabu, Joseph Calleia, John Qualen

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sabu	...	Mowgli
Joseph Calleia	...	Buldeo
John Qualen	...	The Barber
Frank Puglia	...	The Pundit
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Messua (as Rosemary De Camp)
Patricia O'Rourke	...	Mahala
Ralph Byrd	...	Durga
John Mather	...	Rao
Faith Brook	...	English Girl
Noble Johnson	...	Sikh
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bagheera	...	The Panther

Storyline

Teenaged Mowgli, who was raised by wolves, appears in a village in India and is adopted by Messua. Mowgli learns human language and some human ways quickly, though keeping jungle ideas. Influential Merchant Buldeo is bigoted against 'beasts' including Mowgli; not so Buldeo's pretty daughter, whom Mowgli takes on a jungle tour where they find a treasure, setting the evil of human greed in motion.

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Plot Keywords:

india | jungle | tiger | animal human communication | surrogate family | 

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Taglines:

MOWGLI, HALF-BOY, HALF WOLF . . . armed only with a knife and the love of a girl, meets the challenge of Shere Khan, the Killer Tiger!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Family

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book

Filming Locations:

Sherwood Forest, Lake Sherwood, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,834,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,905,444

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alexander Korda Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 102 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first film for which original soundtrack recordings were issued. Previously, when record companies released music from a film, they had insisted on re-recording the music in their own studios with their own equipment. The "Jungle Book" records were taken from the same recordings used for the film's soundtrack, and their commercial success paved the way for more original-soundtrack albums.

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Goofs

When the thieves are entering the treasure chamber, the first thief sits beside a large granite rock and begins running his hands through the gold coins. As he does so, his knee bumps the rock and it moves, showing that it is clearly just a lightweight prop.

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Quotes

[first lines]
English Girl: [as they ride up on horseback upon a group of villagers gathered in a circle around an old wise man] What a beautiful old man. What a lovely head.
Sikh: India's filled with old men mahila.
English Girl: But not like the one in the yellow turban. He's like a head of John the Baptist.
Sikh: The mahila refers to the storyteller?
Durga: Are these silent monsters at peace with us? It is but a true stray leap with man. But I who have seen the tusks-stained red with blood, I could tell you a tale of the silent ones... gor...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Hitchcock's Psycho Psyche & MK Ultra (2016)

User Reviews

If you are young at heart check this out

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.