Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jungle Book |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Zoltan Korda |
| Produced by | Alexander Korda |
| Screenplay by | Laurence Stallings |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Miklós Rózsa |
| Cinematography | Lee Garmes W. Howard Greene |
| Editing by | William Hornbeck |
| Studio | Alexander Korda Films, Inc. |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | April 3, 1942 |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £250,000 |
| Money made | est. $2.4 million |
Jungle Book is a 1942 adventure film made by the Korda brothers from Hungary. It is based on the famous book The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. The movie tells the story of a wild boy named Mowgli. He grows up in the jungle with animals. Later, villagers take him. They are not kind to animals. They also try to find a hidden treasure.
Zoltán Korda directed the film. His brother Alexander Korda produced it. Their younger brother Vincent Korda was the art director. The music was created by Miklós Rózsa. The main actor was Sabu, who played Mowgli. During World War II, the Korda brothers moved their filmmaking to Hollywood. Jungle Book was one of the movies they made there.
Contents
The Story of Mowgli
The film begins with an old storyteller named Buldeo in an Indian village. He tells a British visitor a story from his younger days. He talks about the jungle animals. He also speaks of the dangers the jungle holds for people.
Mowgli's Early Life
When Buldeo was younger, he dreamed of his village becoming a big town. He wanted to conquer the jungle. But then, a tiger named Shere Khan attacked. A man died, and his child was lost. Wolves in the jungle found and adopted this child. He grew up to be Mowgli, the wild boy.
Years later, villagers captured Mowgli. His mother, Messua, took him in. She did not know he was her lost child. Mowgli learned to speak and act like humans. He became friends with Buldeo's daughter, Mahala. Buldeo was worried because he thought Mowgli was dangerous.
The Hidden Treasure
Mowgli and Mahala explored the jungle. They found a secret room in an old, ruined palace. Inside, there was amazing treasure. An old cobra warned them that the treasure brought bad luck. They left, but Mahala took one coin. When Buldeo saw the coin, he tried to make Mowgli tell him where the treasure was. Mowgli refused. Buldeo decided to follow Mowgli to the treasure spot.
Fighting the Tiger
Later, Mowgli fought and defeated Shere Khan, the tiger. Kaa, the python, helped him at the end. As Mowgli was skinning the tiger, Buldeo arrived. He threatened Mowgli with a gun. But Mowgli's friend, Bagheera, the black panther, attacked Buldeo. Buldeo then thought Bagheera was Mowgli, who had changed into a panther. He told the villagers that Mowgli and his mother were witches. Mowgli was chained up, but he escaped with his mother's help. However, his mother and another villager were then tied up and accused of witchcraft.
The Greedy Villagers
Buldeo and two friends, a priest and a barber, followed Mowgli to the lost city. They found the treasure. It included a golden elephant stick with a large ruby. They took as much treasure as they could carry. That night, the priest tried to steal the stick from the barber. When the barber woke up, the priest attacked him, and the barber died. The priest tried to trick Buldeo, but Buldeo knew what happened.
The next day, the priest attacked Buldeo. Buldeo pushed him into a swamp. A crocodile then attacked the priest. Mowgli had been watching the men. He told Bagheera to chase Buldeo, the only one left, out of the jungle. Buldeo ran away, dropping the treasure he was carrying.
The Forest Fire
Buldeo was very angry. He tried to harm Mowgli and the jungle by starting a forest fire. The fire grew very big. Then the wind changed direction. The fire threatened the village. The villagers ran away. But Mowgli's mother and her friend were trapped. Mowgli brought elephants to the village. They broke open the building. Mowgli, his mother, Mahala, and other villagers escaped to the river. Mowgli was asked to go with them to a new life. But he chose to stay in the jungle. He went back to help animals caught in the fire.
The Story Ends
The story returns to the present day. The old Buldeo finishes his tale. He admits that the jungle won against his youthful dreams. His actions also ruined his reputation. When asked about Mowgli and Mahala, and how he escaped the fire, Buldeo looks at the camera. He says that is another story.
Main Actors
Here are some of the main actors in the film:
- Sabu played Mowgli.
- Joseph Calleia played Buldeo.
- John Qualen played The barber.
- Frank Puglia played The pundit (priest).
- Rosemary DeCamp played Messua (Mowgli's mother).
- Patricia O'Rourke played Mahala.
- Ralph Byrd played Durgaived.
- Faith Brook played the English girl.
- Noble Johnson played Sikh.
- Mel Blanc voiced Kaa (the python).
- Martha Wentworth voiced the Cobra king.
Awards and Recognition
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards. These are very important awards in the film industry.
- Nominated for
- Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color: This award is for the best design of the sets and scenery. (Vincent Korda, Julia Heron)
- Best Visual Effects: This award is for the best special effects in the movie. (Lawrence W. Butler, William H. Wilmarth)
- Best Original Score: This award is for the best music written for the film.
- Best Cinematography: This award is for the best camera work and lighting.
Soundtrack Album
In 1943, the music from the film was released as a record album. It had narration by Sabu, the star of the movie. This was the first time a non-musical American film's orchestral music was sold to the public. The album was very popular.
The film itself is now in the public domain. This means anyone can use it freely. You can find an official video release of the film from The Criterion Collection.
See also
In Spanish: El libro de la selva (película de 1942) para niños
