Outdoor Movie Idea: The Jungle Book
A great selection for your next outdoor movie screening would be The Jungle Book, the 1967 animation by Disney. Since its release, the film has inspired millions of children worldwide with its classic Disney musical narrative, featuring songs such as “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wan’na Be Like You.” The Jungle Book was the 19th animated feature from Disney Animation Studios and shows a craft in animation that isn’t often matched today. It was the last film produced by Walt Disney himself, who died during its production. One of its best-loved moments is “The Bare Necessities,” in which Mowgli is taught to be a little more laid-back by his good friend Baloo.
The story begins as Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman), still a baby, is found in a basket in a river near Madhya Pradesh, India. A black panther named Bagheera (Sebastian Cabot) takes the young child to an Indian wolf who has just had cubs. She raises Mowgli among her own, and he learns the ways of jungle life as he lives among the animals. But rumor has it that Shere Khan (George Sanders), a man-eating Bengal tiger, has returned to the jungle, and so Mowgli’s caretakers realize that for him to be safe, they must get him back to the “man village.”
Even though his animal friends fear for his life, Mowgli refuses to leave the home where he grew up. The movie continues song after song, as Mowgli meets a number of jungle animals and makes friends along the way: King Louie (Louis Prima) the orangutan, the Indian elephant Colonel Hathi (J. Pat O’Malley), Kaa (Sterling Holloway) the hungry Indian python, and, of course, the fun-loving bear Baloo (Phil Harris).
No matter where you live, The Jungle Book would be a guaranteed hit — a classic loved by many generations! Parents and their children would love this film on the big screen (most have probably never seen it on such a large scale), and there are some great things you could do to enhance the experience. You could serve fresh fruit from the jungle as concessions, with healthy pineapple and bananas, and invite a local BBQ company to set up a booth. Your community would never forget the tasty treats they had while watching The Jungle Book under the stars! You could also have the MC dress up as one of the characters and stay near the front of the inflatable screen, encouraging your audience to sing along while Baloo and Mowgli find adventure in the jungle.
If anyone has screened The Jungle Book as an outdoor movie (even in your own backyard), please share your story with the rest of the Open Air community by posting your comments below!