Jungle Book (1942)

I didn't find entertainment watching this 'Jungle Book'. I will say, as many others have, colour-wise it looks real neat. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of any adaptation of this classic story yet, though do thoroughly enjoy the 1994 and 2016 versions; as well as liking the 1967 animated attempt, of course. This 1942 film is my least favourite so far. The way it is all told didn't interest me all that much. The stuff with the animals looks - welfare concerns aside - good, but what hampers it most in my opinion is that it puts heavy focus on the humans. I didn't feel satisfied watching any of the onscreen talent. The performances of Sabu (Mowgli), Joseph Calleia (Buldeo) & Co. didn't do anything for me. There's also, as you might expect, inappropriate casting/make-up. It's not a terrible film, just one of those that drags as it never excites or intrigues - for me, at least.

A British lady is shopping in a marketplace when she happens upon a storyteller who is regaling his listeners with a tale of adventure: an infant "Mowgli" (Sabu) wanders off from his crib into the jungle; his parents seek him out but his father falls prey to the deadly tiger "Shere Khan" and in all the confusion the child is lost. He finds himself in a cave with wolves who treat him as one of their own and he is reared to young manhood as a child of the wilderness. His curiosity starts to get the better of him, however, and he is drawn to the village of people. When he dares to go in, he is captured and adopted by a lady who takes care of him much to the chagrin of local hunter "Buldeo" (Joseph Calleia) who bides his time until he can deal with this young man. "Mowgli" seeks to avenge himself on the tiger and so buys a "tooth" (knife) and sets off into the jungle for some hand-to-hand combat; he also discovers an huge treasure in an abandoned temple and the scene is set for his final battle with his greedy nemesis. This is the original live-action film: the use of real animals creates a wonderfully genuine effect; the colours are vivid and the story of compassion, love, avarice, treachery and recklessness is told in a wonderfully simple, yet engaging fashion. Sabu never was the best actor to grace our screens, but in this he is authentic and charming and the outdoor settings create the perfect backdrop for this super story.