Wilhelm M. Busch, Letters P, Q, R

 

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The Jungle Book is 55 Today

 

The year 1967 saw movies like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Dirty Dozen and Bonnie and Clyde. And then there was Disney's The Jungle Book. Actor and Academy governor Gregory Peck was so impressed by this animated film that he lobbied for it to be nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards the following year.

Here are a few character cels from this remarkable film.

If there is ONE tiny thing I would have changed in the film, it's the appearance of the deer Shere Khan is stalking. I am not bothered by the fact that this is re-used footage of a scene with Bambi's mother. But since the deer in India (Chital deer) show spots on their back, it would not have broken the bank to add just a few of those markings. The character would have fit much better into an Indian jungle setting 

My Dschungelbuch Scrapbook

I treasured this oversized German edition of The Jungle Book. After having seen the film at age 11 (my first Disney movie), it is no overstatement to say that my life changed forever. 

This was for me, this was what I was going to do, become a Disney animator...and everyone around me called me nuts. I didn't even blame them. The idea of leaving Germany, moving to the US and working for Walt Disney Productions seemed pretty outrageous...and probably unachievable. And yet, I thought it wouldn't hurt giving it my best effort to try and see what might happen. 

The reason I liked this book was because it included actual film stills. There were other Dschungelbuch publication with newly painted illustrations. I did not like any of those, it had to be the real thing. Only original artwork gave me a window into the film, artwork I studied endlessly and enthusiastically. Whenever a magazine published stills from the film, I would cut them out and add them to what became a scrapbook. 

Years later after I had started working at Disney I asked many artists who had worked on the movie to sign my book. Those were surreal moments! Everyone looked for a page to sign that included some of their art. Dave Michener cleaned up the publicity drawing below from a rough by Milt Kahl.

Bruce Reitherman and Richard Sherman. I told Bruce that the German voice of Mowgli was pretty good, he gave me a funny look as if this would take away from his own vocal efforts. And the idea of working sometime with Richard on a project of my own...geeez.

Dale Oliver did a lot of clean up work for Frank and Ollie scenes with Baloo and Mowgli.

Vance Gerry storyboarded this sequence.

I believe Ollie did more animation than anybody else on the film. 

The incredible Don Griffith created the layout for this famous multiplane scene. 

Sylvia Roemer drew layouts for the King Louie sequence.

Frank Thomas of course focused on complex emotional scenes like these.

Eric animated a few scenes with the vultures, but not what is published here.

Al Wilson was an unassuming story artist...with strong convictions. He would return to Disney years later to work on The Black Cauldron.

The wonderful Darleen Carr, who recently attended the opening for The Jungle Book exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum.

From Vienna to LA

I am still recovering from one of the most amazing days during production of MUSHKA. We recorded the film's score last Wednesday over Zoom with the outstanding Synchron Stage Vienna Orchestra. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLAuwkMwRqU

This is what we saw from Vienna on our monitor. The recording mixers, The orchestra (60 musicians) and the conductor.

When Richard Sherman joined us at around 11am the whole orchestra gave him this huge ovation! Did I tear up? Of course I did. Especially when he blew a kiss to the orchestra. 

That's our composer, the magnificent Fabrizio Mancinelli, who is also a good friend of Richard's. 

This pic includes Marco Valerio Antonini, the score's orchestrator. He wrote the sheet music for every single instrument in the orchestra.

And this is conductor Bernhard Melbye Voss. He was  professional, but also enthusiastic. He mentioned on a couple of occasions how much he liked the score. Fabrizio and Marco would give him notes on certain musical passages, and he just answered: "Gut!" And went on to get those adjustments from the orchestra perfectly.

A truly magical day I will remember for the rest of my life.

Imagine the score as a mix of John Williams and the Sherman Brothers...because that's what you are going to get!

The Bare Necessities

 

This is a beautiful scene of Mowgli animated by Ollie Johnston. 

The boy and the bear have bonded by now, and Mowgli is singing along with Baloo about "The Bear Necessities" as the two of them float down a river. 

No live action reference here, this is all Ollie. To me it is one of those scenes that seems detached from the animator. It looks and feels so natural and in character, you might think Mowgli is acting on his own. No animator attached. The ultimate accomplishment, real life on the screen.

Mowgli sings: "With just the bare necessities of life." Ollie chose the word LIFE as the main accent for his animation. So beautiful and personal.

Visit the Jungle Book Exhibition !

 

...you just might run into Milt Kahl's daughter Sybil (center) and her group of friends. I understand a good time was had by all. As King Louie says: "Have a banana!"

"Where is Mowgli ?"

 

This is easily one of Milt Kahl's best scenes in the Jungle Book. Bagheera heard Baloo calling for him, so he runs toward where the bear's voice was coming from. He is less concerned with Baloo and more worried about Mowgli. 

The first part of the scene is missing here, when the panther steps on the bear. I just love the way Bagheera repositions himself to look for Mowgli in a different direction. Then back to Baloo for further questions about the boy's whereabouts. 

Those are complex, analytical drawings during the transitional motion from right to left and back. It would be just about impossible to draw those positions beautifully, but Milt pulls it off, needless to say. And he maintains a super simplicity in defining the panther's body. Always just a few lines, big cat anatomy boiled down to an essence.

The way Bagheera shakes Baloo's head in frustration at the end is such a human gesture. Done by a lesser animator this could look awful. Great squash and stretch on Baloo's neck!

The whole scene is a joy to watch and to analyze.