10 Movies That Will Have You Singing And Dancing

The Jungle Book (1967)

A film that needs little introduction, The Jungle Book and its bouncy musical numbers have long since entered entertainment legend. Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale, this children’s story deviates boldly from its source, but in a way that creates an opportunity for some truly brilliant musical interludes.

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, The Jungle Book was the last film to be produced by Walt Disney, who died before its release. Focusing on a child, raised by wolves in the jungle, the story follows him as he is convinced by his friends (a bear and a panther) to return to humankind before the evil tiger Shere Khan arrives to kill him.

Though there is the constant threat of peril, many of the most memorable songs of the film create the sense of fun and innocence that explains the character of the child, named Mowgli. The voice work of the cast – in particular Phil Harris as Baloo, and Louis Prima as King Louie – comes into its own during these sequences, with specific highlights being “The Bare Necessities” and “King Of The Swingers.”