Year Released :1963
Michael's Movie Grade: A+
History
For the making of The Incredible Journey, Walt hired Calgary Ltd, a Candian film company to help him film this movie. This wasn't the first time the studio worked with Calgary, as they also worked with them on Nikki Wild Dog of the North, Big Red, and The Legend of Lobo. The Incredible Journey marked the last time Walt would hire Calgary.
The movie's director would be Fletcher Markle. This was the only Disney film he directed. Markle made most of his career by directing episodes of TV shows. Some of these TV shows include Life With Father, Front Row Center, The George Sanders Mystery Theater and Thriller. This is one of only four theatrical feature films he directed were Jigsaw (1949 starring Franchot Tone), Night Into Morning (1951 with Ray Milland) and The Man With the Cloak (1951 starring Joseph Cotton and Barbara Stanwyck). He also worked as an uncredited writer on Orson Welles' The Lady From Shanghai. The Incredible Journey was his last film for theaters and his last feature film.
Critics were extremely positive with this film calling it one of Disney's best live action animal films. The film was also a modest success at the box office. In 1993 the studio remade the film as Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey, and in 1996 that movie got a sequel entitled Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco.
Review
What makes this film work so well is just how engaging the main characters are. Even though they never speak a word, these three characters all have extremely well defined personalities. By the end of this movie we feel like we know these characters inside and out. However even some of the minor characters are very memorable. The hermit provides us with a scene that is great fun and surprisingly moving. Similarly moving is a scene with a little girl who finds Tao.
Like all Disney films of this time the film is visually top notch. However it goes beyond even the usual Disney lovey to look at feeling, and shows just how beautiful Canada really is. This captures all the beauty that can be seen in Disney's best nature documentaries, and sometimes even is on par with the look of the studio's animated output. Adding to the beauty of this film is Oliver Wallace's great music score, and Rex Allen's comforting narration.
This movie is Disney magic at its best.
Film Credits
Director: Fletcher Markle
Writer: James Algar
Based off a book by Sheila Burnford
Narrator: Rex Allan
Cast: Muffy (Bodger), Syn Cat (Tao), Rink (Luath), Émile Genest (John Longridge), John Drainie (Professor Jim Hunter), Tommy Tweed (The Hermit), Sandra Scott (Mrs. Hunter), Syme Jago (Helvi Numi), Marion Finlayson (Elizabeth Hunter), Ronald Coohon (Peter Hunter), Robert Christie (James MacKenzie), Beth Lockerbie (Nell MacKenzie), Jan Rubes (Carl Nurmi), Iréna Mayeska (Mrs. Nurmi), Beth Amos (Mrs. Oakes), Eric Clavering (Bert Oakes)
Producers: Walt Disney, James Algar, Jack Couffer
Music: Oliver Wallace
Cinematographer: Kenneth Peach
Editor: Norman Palmer
Art Directors: Carroll Clarke, John S. Mansbridge
Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Charles S. Thomason
Costume Designer: Chuck Keehne
Makeup Artist: Pat McNally
Assistant Director: Mickey McCardle
Sound Artist: Robert O.Cook
Production Manager: Erwin L. Veity
Unit Manager: William J. O'Sullivan
Photographers: Lloyd Bebe, Jack Couffer
Animal Trainers: Halleck H. Driscoll, William R. Koehler, Al Neimela
Resources Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Incredible%20Journey%20%28The%29
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057180/
-Michael J. Ruhland
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