George of the Jungle (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George of the Jungle |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Sam Weisman |
| Produced by | David Hoberman Jordan Kerner Jon Avnet |
| Screenplay by | Dana Olsen Audrey Wells |
| Story by | Dana Olsen |
| Narrated by | Keith Scott |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Marc Shaiman |
| Cinematography | Thomas E. Ackerman |
| Editing by | Kent Beyda Roger Bondelli Stuart Pappé |
| Studio | Walt Disney Pictures Mandeville Films Jay Ward Productions The Kerner Entertainment Company |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
| Release date(s) | July 16, 1997 |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $55 million |
| Money made | $174.4 million |
George of the Jungle is a funny American movie from 1997. It was directed by Sam Weisman. The movie is based on a famous Jay Ward cartoon. It's also a playful take on the classic Tarzan story.
Walt Disney Pictures helped make this film. It came out in theaters on July 16, 1997. Brendan Fraser plays George, a wild man raised by animals in an African jungle. Leslie Mann is Ursula, his love interest. Thomas Haden Church plays Lyle, Ursula's tricky fiancé.
A second movie, George of the Jungle 2, came out on DVD in 2003. Some of the original actors returned for the sequel. These included Thomas Haden Church, John Cleese, and Keith Scott.
Contents
Story of the Jungle King
The movie starts with a cartoon scene. A plane crashes in the Bukuvu region of Africa. A baby named George disappears into the jungle. He is raised by a smart, talking gorilla named Ape.
Twenty-five years later, George has grown up. He loves swinging on vines. But he often crashes into trees! He is now known as the King of the Jungle.
Ursula Meets George
Ursula Stanhope, a rich girl from San Francisco, visits Uganda. She has a local guide named Kwame and some porters. Her fiancé, Lyle Van De Groot, finds her. He brings two poachers, Max and Thor, with him.
Kwame tells them about the "White Ape." This is a local legend about a super-strong ape. The next day, Lyle wants to take Ursula home. They go into the jungle to find the White Ape.
A lion attacks them! Lyle gets knocked out trying to run away. George saves Ursula. George takes Ursula to his tree house home. He introduces her to his friends. Shep is an African bush elephant who acts like a dog. Tookie is a toco toucan.
George really likes Ursula. He tries to impress her. Ursula likes him back. She starts to enjoy her time with George. She no longer wants to go home.
Trouble in the Jungle
Lyle, Max, and Thor find George's treehouse. Lyle argues with Ursula and George. Max and Thor try to shoot Shep for his ivory. Ape shouts at Shep to run away. Everyone is shocked to hear an ape talk!
Max and Thor decide to capture Ape. They want to make money from him. George tries to stop them. Lyle accidentally shoots George. Lyle thought his gun was a toy lighter.
Lyle and the poachers are put in jail. The porters say Lyle was the shooter. Max and Thor are let go. They plan to capture Ape and take him to Las Vegas.
George in the City
Ursula takes George to her home in San Francisco. He needs medical help for his wound. She also wants him to see the human world. While Ursula is at work, George explores the city. He uses his vine-swinging skills. He saves a paraglider stuck on the Bay Bridge.
Ursula does not want to marry Lyle. She tells her parents the truth. But her mother, Beatrice, is very bossy. She does not like George. At a party, Beatrice tells George to leave Ursula alone. She says Ursula's engagement must happen.
Back in Africa, Max and Thor capture Ape. Ape tells Tookie to find George. Ape then passes out. Tookie flies to San Francisco. George returns to the jungle that night. Ursula's parents comfort her. She realizes she loves George. She goes to find him. Her mother is upset, but her father approves.
The Final Battle
Ape tricks the poachers. He makes them go in circles in the jungle. They end up back at the treehouse. George fights Max and Thor. Ursula and his animal friends help him. They stop the poachers.
Then Lyle arrives. The narrator explains that Lyle escaped prison. He joined a cult and became a minister. Lyle's helpers hold George down. Lyle takes Ursula to the Ape River. He has a boat ready to escape. He tries to marry Ursula right there.
The river has fast rapids. George escapes his captors. He swings on a vine to reach Ursula and Lyle. He crashes hard into a huge tree. The tree falls over the river. George pulls Ursula to safety. Lyle ends up in a cave. He thinks Ursula is still with him. He says they are married. He lights his lighter and sees he married a gorilla!
George and Ursula tell each other they are in love. They get married. Ursula moves into George's treehouse. Later, they have a son, George Jr. They show him to all the animals. This scene looks like "Pride Rock".
Ape interrupts the credits. He is now a famous entertainer in Las Vegas. Max and Thor are his stuntmen! After his show, the credits finish.
Meet the Cast
- Brendan Fraser as George: A young man raised in the jungle. He swings on vines but often crashes into trees.
- Leslie Mann as Ursula Stanhope: A rich young woman.
- Thomas Haden Church as Lyle van de Groot: Ursula's wealthy fiancé.
- Richard Roundtree as Kwame: Ursula's jungle guide.
- Greg Cruttwell and Abraham Benrubi as Max and Thor: Two poachers who work for Lyle.
- John Bennett Perry as Arthur Stanhope: Ursula's supportive father.
- Holland Taylor as Beatrice Stanhope: Ursula's mother. She cares more about social status than love. She really dislikes George.
- Kelly Miracco as Betsy: Ursula's best friend.
- Abdoulaye N'Gom as Kip: Ursula's friend and an African tour guide.
- Michael Chinyamurindi as N'Dugo: Ursula's friend and another African tour guide.
- Lydell M. Cheshier as Baleto: Ursula's friend and the third African tour guide.
- Crystal the Monkey as Monkey.
Voice Actors
- John Cleese as Ape: A smart, talking eastern gorilla. He is George’s best friend.
- Keith Scott as Narrator: The voice who tells the story.
- Frank Welker as Lion, Little Monkey, Shep, Tooki Tooki Bird, and Gorilla sound effects.
Gorilla Suit Performers
These actors wore gorilla suits to play Ape and other gorillas:
- Nameer Ed-Kadi – Ape (body)
- Tom Fisher
- Jody St. Michael
- Philip Tan
- Lief Tilden
- Robert Tygner – Ape (facial puppetry)
- John Cleese - Ape (full body costume)
How the Movie Was Made
The movie starts with a cartoon part. Young George swings on vines with animals. His "dog" Shep (an elephant) fetches a crocodile. A wildebeest falls in love with a bushman wearing a wildebeest mask.
In the live-action part, many real animals are seen. George fights a lion. He accidentally swings on a snake. He rides an elephant. He talks to a bird. He lives with monkeys and apes.
Special Effects and Animals
Scenes with the lion, elephant, and bird used different methods. They used real animals, puppets (especially for the lion fight), and CGI. CGI helped show Shep the elephant acting like a dog.
Scenes with the orangutan, chimpanzee, and capuchin monkeys used live animals. Some computer work was used when the little monkey copied George.
The large gorillas living with George were actors in costumes. These actors were Henson puppeteers. Their faces were remote-controlled animatronic heads. These heads, along with the yak fur gorilla suits, came from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The actors were carefully trained to act like gorillas.
In the "Pride Rock" scene, George shows his son to the animals. More CGI was used here.
Movie Music
The song "Dela" by Johnny Clegg includes parts of the original George of the Jungle theme song.
Here are some songs from the movie's soundtrack:
- "George of the Jungle" (Sheldon Allman, Stanley Worth) – 2:53 – Presidents of the United States of America
- "Dela (I Know Why the Dog Howls at the Moon)" (Johnny Clegg) – 4:16 – Johnny Clegg & Savuka
- "Wipe Out" (Jim Fuller, Berryhill, Patrick Connolly, Ron Wilson) – 2:39 – The Surfaris
- "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" (Traditional) – 0:57 – Roger Freeland, Jon Joyce, Steve Lively, Gary Stockdale
- "My Way" (Paul Anka, Jacques Revaux, Claude François, Gilles Thibault) – 1:11 – John Cleese
- "Aba Daba Honeymoon" (Walter Donovan, Arthur Fields) – 1:55 – Karen Harper
- "George of the Jungle" (Allman, Worth) – 1:03 – "Weird Al" Yankovic
- "Go Ape [The Dance Mix]" (Michael Becker) – 3:25 – Michael Becker
- "Jungle Band" (Michael Becker) – 3:18 – Carl Graves
- "George to the Rescue" – 1:11
- "Rumble in the Jungle" – 3:15
- "The Little Monkey" – 2:23
- "George of the Jungle [Main Title Movie Mix]" (Marc Shaiman) – 2:20
Box Office Success
The movie opened at number two at the box office. It was right behind Men in Black. George of the Jungle became a big success. It earned $174.4 million around the world.
The Sequel Movie
A second movie, George of the Jungle 2, was released on DVD. It takes place five years after the first film. Most of the main characters were played by new actors. However, Keith Scott, Thomas Haden Church, and John Cleese played their original roles again.
See also
In Spanish: George of the Jungle para niños
