The first version of Rudyard Kipling’s fantasy about the young boy, Mowgli (Sabu), brought up by wolves in the Indian jungle. The exotic locations were in fact just outside Los Angeles, and the star, a very young-looking 18, appears to be having a great time building on his earlier success in Thief of Bagdad.
Producer Alexander Korda excelled himself, recruiting a great cameraman, Garmes, to deliver stunning Technicolor footage, Miklos Rozsa to provide a wonderful score (including attractive themes for the individual animals) and brother Vincent Rozsa to provide imaginative art direction (he created a Hollywood jungle). Only Zoltan Korda, the slightly pedestrian director, fails to ignite the proceedings, and he is let down by the freely adapted screenplay, which loses itself in the latter part when Mowgli returns to his village. But the impish Sabu makes a delightful hero and is impetuous enough to carry the movie.
cast
Sabu as Mowgli
Joseph Calleia as Buldeo
John Qualen as The Barber
Frank Puglia as The Pundit
Rosemary DeCamp as Messua
Patricia O’Rourke as Mahala
Ralph Byrd as Durga
Faith Brook as English Girl
Noble Johnson as Sikh
John Mather as Rao
crew
Director: Zoltan Korda
Creator: Rudyard Kipling
Script: Laurence Stallings
USA | London Films | 108 minutes | 1942
