Mowgli's Brothers (TV special)

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Mowgli's Brothers
Based on The Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
Written byChuck Jones
Directed by Chuck Jones
Starring Roddy McDowall
June Foray
Music by Dean Elliott
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time25 minutes
Original release
ReleaseFebruary 11, 1976 (1976-02-11)

Mowgli's Brothers is a 1976 television animated special directed by American animator Chuck Jones. It is based on the first chapter of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book . The special was narrated by Roddy McDowall, who also performs the voices of all the male characters in the film. June Foray was the voice of Raksha, the Mother Wolf. [1] It originally aired on CBS on February 11, 1976. [2]

Contents

The special was released on VHS, Betamax, and Laserdisc by Family Home Entertainment in 1985, and was released on VHS again in 1999 and on DVD in 2002 and 2007 by Lionsgate. Jones also directed adaptations of two other The Jungle Book stories, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and "The White Seal", in 1975.

Plot

Though largely a faithful adaptation of the story, there are some notable changes in Jones's version. Differences include expanded roles for Baloo and Tabaqui, and that Shere Khan is a white tiger without a lame leg.

Reception

While researching for the special, Jones found out that Elsie Bambridge, Rudyard Kipling's daughter, was still alive. She expressed disdain for the 1967 Disney film, and praised Jones for pronouncing Mowgli's name properly. [3] [4]

References

  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 300. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 278–279. ISBN   0-8108-2198-2 . Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. Furniss, Maureen, ed. (2005). Chuck Jones: Conversations. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 213. ISBN   1-57-806729-4.
  4. "CHUCK JONES, in his own words: the director and the art conservator's cut" . Retrieved June 6, 2025.