Yes, there were 3D versions of Walt Disney's characters from The Jungle Book back when the film debuted in 1967. Before computer animation, two dimensional characters were often brought to life with sculpted figures created for lenticular photographs.Bagheera, Kaa and Shere Khan are featured in an 8 inch by 10 inch picture displayed in a groovy yellow frame measuring roughly 10 inches by 12 inches. There were also 3D lenticular postcards for this series, too.
There was no Internet when I got a few of these lenticular cards as a kid many years ago, so the 3D Jungle Book was a mystery to me for a long time. I got these as a gift in the 1980s, and I know they were purchased at a consignment shop. I was mesmerized by this unique Jungle Book world.It seems the figures were set up in a mix of different ways, and there were more characters, including Baloo the bear, with different backdrops and props.
I have seen a postcard of King Louie and Mowgli with the monkey in the tree cropped out.These images are reminiscent of the 3D ViewMaster Jungle Book reels, which also featured sculpted "puppets" and detailed sets.
I have to admit, after seeing Disney's "Tangled" I'm really curious to see what some hand-drawn Disney animated features would look like rebooted as CGI films. Beauty and the Beast is at the top of my list (I think it could be amazing) and The Jungle Book seems like it would work well, too.I always thought The Jungle Book would make a great musical Disney theme park attraction. It could be cool to see an Adventureland version of Splash Mountain for Disneyland Paris in France themed to the Jungle Book (I know The Jungle Book has always been really popular in Europe).
I'd love to see an interactive safari Jeep dark ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, featuring animated Disney animals from films like The Jungle Book and The Lion King. The vehicles could feature "cameras" (like the laser guns at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin attraction) and the rider with the most animals "photographed" would get the highest score. The attraction could end with the vehicles passing by the Dragon, Griffin and Unicorn characters from Disney's Fantasia 2000 animated feature.
Mickey Mouse was also given the 3D lenticular card treatment. This is one of the most bizarre Disney items I've ever seen.
It's Mickey Mouse standing on his birthday cake, with a psychedelic 1960s Christmas tree in the background.I can easily imagine seeing this picture hanging up in someone's wood-paneled basement playroom. You know, the one with the funky-smelling orange shag carpet.
It looks like Mickey is dressed up to play golf at a retirement center after the birthday party is over.
I LOVE these! Even before reading your comment, I immediately thought these looked like the scenes from The Jungle Book ViewMaster reels that I had as a child (and that I still have today!)
ReplyDeleteI always like your ride ideas, Dan. If they built an attraction based on Song of the South, then why not build one based on The Jungle Book? It was a very successful movie for the studio.
Audio-animatronic figures of Baloo, King Louie and Kaa were used in the Mickey Mouse Revue at WDW and Tokyo DL. I wonder where those figures are today?
Oh yeah, and that last pic of Mickey is definitely bizarre!
ReplyDeleteThanks, TokyoMagic!
ReplyDeleteI was always fascinated with the 3D ViewMaster puppets as a kid, and The Jungle Book set was my favorite. The reels for Bambi were also pretty cool because the figures had a flocked "fur" coating. I also got a kick out of seeing the 3D versions of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang and The Flintstones. At some point, ViewMaster stopped using the sculpted figures and detailed backdrops for new cartoon titles, and instead featured a process that used hand-drawn images (which was less interesting to me).
Hopefully the animatronics of Baloo, Kaa and King Louie from The Mickey Mouse Revue show have a good home these days. Maybe a Disney executive has them set up in their living room.