Jungle Book (1942)
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58% of users liked it
(837 ratings)
The Jungle Book isn't always faithful to the Rudyard Kipling original (in fact, it seldom is), but 1942 audiences swept up in the grandeur of the production values and the lush Technicolor photography didn't mind at all. Indian juvenile-star Sabu plays Mowgli, who having been lost in the… More The Jungle Book isn't always faithful to the Rudyard Kipling original (in fact, it seldom is), but 1942 audiences swept up in the grandeur of the production values and the lush Technicolor photography didn't mind at all. Indian juvenile-star Sabu plays Mowgli, who having been lost in the jungle as an infant has been raised by wolves. While he has no trouble conversing with his animal neighbors (whose voices aren't as ludicrous as you might think, though we never imagined that a snake could sound like Lionel Barrymore), Mowgli yearns to touch base with his human roots; thus, he returns to the native village whence he came. With the help of his jungle companions, Mowgli rescues his adoptive family, his natural mother (Rosemary DeCamp) and the rest of the humans from the greedy machinations of villains Joseph Calleia, John Qualen and Frank Puglia. Adapted for the screen by Lawrence Stallings and co-directed by Zoltan Korda and Andre De Toth, The Jungle Book scored a significant hit for its distributor United Artists, who really needed a smash at this point in time. The film would be remade (so to speak) as a Disney animated feature in 1967, and again as a live-actioner (with "politically correct" British villains) in 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Zoltan Korda
- Written By
- Laurence Stallings
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
G,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1942 Wide
- Studio
- Gravitas
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Many critics prefer the 1967 Disney version, but Korda's British production, which was nominated for 4 Oscars, is quite enjoyable.
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Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant Magazine
One of the most fascinating and entertaining asides in British cinema, Sabu is just meta-colonial enough to maintain relevance.
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Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Kids will like that Mowgli can talk to animals.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The dialogue is fit for a jungle.
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Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
Click to read the article. (Lists all Jungle Book movies.)
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Sabú
as Mowgli
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Joseph Calleia
as Buldeo
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John Qualen
as The barber
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Frank Puglia
as The pundit
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Rosemary De Camp
as Messua
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Patricia O'Rourke
as Mahala
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Ralph Byrd
as Durga
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John Mather
as Rao
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Faith Brook
as English girl
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Noble Johnson
as Sikh
- Rosemary DeCamp
