The Incredible Journey (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Incredible Journey |
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Original theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Fletcher Markle |
| Produced by | James Algar Walt Disney |
| Written by | James Algar |
| Narrated by | Rex Allen |
| Starring | Syn Émile Genest John Drainie Tommy Tweed Sandra Scott |
| Music by | Oliver Wallace |
| Cinematography | Kenneth Peach |
| Editing by | Norman R. Palmer |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
| Release date(s) | November 20, 1963 |
| Running time | 80 min. |
| Country | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $4.2 million (US/Canada) (rentals) |
The Incredible Journey is an exciting adventure film from 1963. It was made by Walt Disney Productions. The movie is based on a popular book by Sheila Burnford.
The story is about three amazing pets. There's Luath, a young Labrador Retriever. Then there's Bodger, an older Bull Terrier. And finally, Tao, a clever Siamese cat. These three friends go on a huge adventure. They travel 250 miles (400 km) through the wild Canadian forests. Their goal is to find their way back home. The whole story is told by Rex Allen.
People mostly loved the beautiful nature scenes in the film. They also enjoyed Rex Allen's narration. However, some parts with the human characters were not as popular.
Contents
The Amazing Journey Begins
The Hunter family gets some big news. The father, James, will work at Oxford University in England. But the children, Peter and Elizabeth, have a worry. What will happen to their three beloved pets? Luath the Labrador, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat.
Their friend, John Longridge, offers to help. He says the animals can stay with him. His house is in Northwestern Ontario.
Pets Set Off on Their Own
After a few days, John leaves for a duck hunting trip. He asks his housekeeper, Mrs. Oakes, to look after the pets. Soon after John drives away, Luath hears wild geese flying overhead. They are flying home. This makes Luath want to go home too. He starts walking down the road. Tao and Bodger quickly follow him.
Later, Mrs. Oakes arrives at John's house. She can't find the animals anywhere. She finds part of a note John wrote. It seems to say he took the animals with him. But the cat had accidentally knocked the other half into the fireplace! Mrs. Oakes doesn't know this.
=Facing the Wild
The animals are now far from John's house. They stop at a river for a drink. They hide from a passing truck. They don't want anyone to see them. The next morning, old Bodger is very tired. He starts to slow down. The friends stop to rest in a clearing. Tao goes off to hunt a quail.
Suddenly, two bear cubs appear. They come to investigate Bodger. Then their mother arrives. The mother bear thinks Bodger is hurting her cubs. She gets ready to attack him! Tao sees this and bravely attacks the bear. He tries to protect his friend. But Tao soon gets scared and backs away. Finally, Luath sees the bear. He starts barking loudly. The barking and the cat's hissing scare the mother bear. She backs down and runs away.
Meeting New Friends
After a whole week, the animals learn to travel at night. This way, fewer people will see them. They walk through an old sawmill. Bodger tries to steal a bone from a cookhouse's rubbish bin. Someone shoots at them! Luckily, they escape unharmed. Bodger's feelings are a bit hurt though.
After ten days, Bodger is resting. He hears someone singing. It's a hermit named Jeremy. The kind old man takes the animals to his hut. He makes them a delicious stew. The dogs are polite house pets. They don't quite understand eating at a table. Tao is more interested in Jeremy's pet crow. After a while, they decide to leave. They need to continue their journey.
A Difficult River Crossing
Many miles later, the animals reach a wide river. They know they must cross it. Luath and Bodger swim across easily. But Tao doesn't like getting wet. He finds a dam to cross. When he reaches a big gap, he tries to jump. But he falls into the water! Luath tries to save him. But he is too slow. He loses Tao in the rushing water.
Bodger and Luath are very sad. They try to comfort each other. They decide to keep going without their friend.
Tao's Own Adventure
Many miles downriver, a young girl named Helvi finds Tao. He is soaking wet, very hungry, and barely alive. Helvi and her parents take Tao in. They care for him for several days. They help him get strong again. One night, Tao is fully recovered. He decides it's time to leave. He needs to find his dog friends.
Tao travels slowly now that he is alone. As he goes deeper into the forest, a hungry lynx starts to follow him. The lynx attacks Tao! Tao quickly climbs a tree to escape. The lynx then corners Tao in a log. But a young boy with a rifle arrives. He scares the lynx away. This lets Tao continue his journey.
The Friends Reunite
Not long after, Luath and Bodger hear Tao calling. They immediately know it's their friend! The three are so happy to be together again. They set off to find food. Luath sees a porcupine. He gets too close to it. Sharp quills get stuck in his nose!
Luath goes to a river to soothe his pain. There, he meets a hunter named James MacKenzie. James feels sorry for the young Labrador. He takes Luath back to his house for help. When they arrive, James finds his wife Nell has already found Bodger! Tao hides outside on a woodpile. He watches them, unnoticed. James removes the quills from Luath's nose. Bodger was very protective of Luath at first. That night, James locks the dogs in his barn. He plans to ask around to find their owners. Tao then joins his friends in the barn.
The Journey's End
Meanwhile, John arrives home. He finds the animals are gone! After some confusion, they realize Luath must have led them home. John calls ranger stations. They say they will contact him the next day.
Later, the Hunter family arrives home. John tells them what happened. Peter thinks Bodger is too old to make such a long trip. But Elizabeth strongly believes Tao will come home. The animals, meanwhile, escape from the barn. The humans realize where they are. They only have forty miles (65 km) left to go! The humans start to believe that if the pets made it this far, they might make it all the way home.
A Happy Birthday Surprise
Soon after, it's Peter's birthday. John gets Peter a special paper. It's for a new Bull Terrier puppy from a kennel. Suddenly, Elizabeth hears a dog barking far away. She is sure it's Luath! James whistles to the dog. Moments later, they see Luath running across the field. He is barking, so happy to be home! A few seconds later, Tao follows. He also arrives home safely.
Peter is still worried about Bodger. He thinks the old dog was too old to finish the journey. But he is happy to see Tao and Luath. Just then, Peter sees a white shape in the distance. He soon realizes it's Bodger! The old dog is coming as fast as he can. Peter and Bodger are overjoyed to be together again. The cat and Labrador join Bodger and Peter. Everyone is happy! The three very brave animals have finally completed their incredible journey.
Meet the Cast
- Emile Genest as John Longridge
- John Drainie as Professor James Hunter
- Sandra Scott as Nancy Hunter
- Marion Finlayson as Elizabeth Hunter
- Ronald Cohoon as Peter Hunter
- Tommy Tweed as The Hermit
- Robert Christie as James MacKenzie
- Beth Lockerbie as Nell MacKenzie
- Beth Amos as Mrs. Oakes
- Eric Clavering as Bert Oakes
- Jan Rubeš as Carl Nurmi
- Syme Jago as Helvi Nurmi
- Muffy the Bull Terrier as Bodger
- Rink the Labrador Retriever as Luath
- Syn Cat the Siamese cat as Tao
- Rex Allen as The Narrator
Awards and Recognition
The film was recognized by the American Film Institute.
- 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – It was nominated for this list, meaning it was considered for being one of the most inspiring American films.
The New Version of the Story
In 1993, Disney made a new movie based on this story. It was called Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. This new film had famous voices like Don Ameche, Sally Field, and Michael J. Fox. The main story was the same. But it added a new part about the kids dealing with a new step-family.
In the remake, the pets were given new names. The types of dogs were changed. The cat's gender was changed. Also, the ages of the dogs were swapped. The new movie also let you hear the animals' thoughts. You could hear them talking to each other.
The wilderness in the new movie was different too. The animals traveled through the Sierra Nevada mountains. This was not the same as the forests of Ontario in the first film.
Filming Locations
The movie was filmed in many beautiful places, including:
- Palgrave, Ontario (where the hermit's cabin was)
- Aspdin, Ontario (for the village views at the start)
- Lake Vernon, Ontario (for the lake views at the start)
- Mono Mills, Ontario (where the family's home was)
- Glen Cross, Ontario (for the friendly hunter's farm)
- Sequim, Washington
- Smith Rock, Terrebonne, Oregon
- Devils Lake, Cascade Lakes Highway, Oregon
- South Sister, Oregon
- Wahclella Falls, Oregon
