This is a typical Famous Studios Screen Song short with no plot but various sight gags that lead to a popular song. Jackson Beck, who is best known as Bluto in the Popeye cartoons, narrates about African life while we see the River of Hope (with caricature of Bob Hope depicted as a country), various kinds of birds (with lovebirds pictured as the husband having a black eye), and the natives (depicted as dark with white lips). As you probably guessed by my last description, the natives are stereotypical in such a way that this cartoon would rarely be seen publicly except by downloading. Anyway, before the song, "Bongo, Bongo, Bongo", a lion is offered a contract for Famous Circus. He refuses by explaining in the song. After song is over, a female lion entices him to go to America to the circus where she reveals herself to be the ringmaster who offered contract! Lion gets mad and....well see for yourself. Despite the stereotypes, an often amusing animated short.
4 Reviews
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle is an amusing Famous Studios Screen Song short
tavm14 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Decent Screen Song about a lion who doesn't want to leave the jungle
llltdesq7 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This is a Screen Song short produced by Famous Studios. There will be spoilers ahead:
This is a fairly typical Screen Song short, with roughly half the short animation and the other half a singalong for the audience in the theater. The cartoon portion is an average "Darkest Africa" travelogue type of short with very predictable gags, stereotypical "African native" gags and the obligatory joke about cannibals. The funniest gag in the early portion of the short is about a diamond collector for a mine.
The lead in for the singalong is a lion with a crown ("king of the beasts", naturally) being offered the chance to join a circus, which he declines, with a cue to the song "Bongo, Bongo, Bongo". The "bouncing ball" this time is one of the lion's pupils, which begins bouncing as the lion leads into the singalong.
The backgrounds behind the lyrics are occasionally rather interesting and the song is okay, having been a novelty song when it was first done and surprisingly, it's worn well over the years. There's a bit of animation at the end of the short which is a little longer and a bit better than the usual endings to these. It has the best gags in the short and is worth watching, so I won't spoil it here.
This can be found here and there and is worth watching.
This is a fairly typical Screen Song short, with roughly half the short animation and the other half a singalong for the audience in the theater. The cartoon portion is an average "Darkest Africa" travelogue type of short with very predictable gags, stereotypical "African native" gags and the obligatory joke about cannibals. The funniest gag in the early portion of the short is about a diamond collector for a mine.
The lead in for the singalong is a lion with a crown ("king of the beasts", naturally) being offered the chance to join a circus, which he declines, with a cue to the song "Bongo, Bongo, Bongo". The "bouncing ball" this time is one of the lion's pupils, which begins bouncing as the lion leads into the singalong.
The backgrounds behind the lyrics are occasionally rather interesting and the song is okay, having been a novelty song when it was first done and surprisingly, it's worn well over the years. There's a bit of animation at the end of the short which is a little longer and a bit better than the usual endings to these. It has the best gags in the short and is worth watching, so I won't spoil it here.
This can be found here and there and is worth watching.
In the African jungle
TheLittleSongbird9 April 2021
Have found a lot to admire about much of Famous Studios' earlier work and while the Noveltoons series is an uneven one it is worthwhile with some very good and even great cartoons when the studio was at its peak. Their best decade being easily the 40s, then by the mid-late-50s it started to feel like a different studio and not for the better. That is not to say that every 40s Noveltoons cartoon was good, there were lacklustre ones. The studio did a number of Screen Song cartoons.
1950's 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' is not one of the best of them. It is also not one of the worst. To me, it is a worthwhile enough and amusing enough cartoon, but it is also very uneven. The second half, which is made up of the singalong, is a good deal better than the first half, which made me unsure on first watch as to whether to continue. To this day that part of 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' is difficult to sit through, but the second half actually to me is a lot of fun.
'Jingle Jangle Jungle's' animation is lovely. The setting is vivid, the colours are bright and colourful and the drawing has some nice expression of a wide variety throughout, but particularly later on. Even better is the music, which makes the cartoon and makes it come alive. It is full of energy and attractive orchestration, and "Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)" stays in the head for a good while. The singalong portion is cute and fun without being over the top.
As said, the second half is nicely done. The sight gags are far from in short supply and they are amusing and well timed. There is a lot more energy too and the characters have colourful personalities.
Unfortunately, one has to get through the first half with gritted teeth to see that improvement. To me the first half was very dull and not very eventful, gags are too few and there is one in particular that is pretty tasteless by today's standards (even for those that are not easily offended). The caricaturish stereotypes also don't bode well and if anybody finds them offensive that is understandable, even when judging the cartoon as a product of its time the stereotypes have dated badly.
Story-wise, 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' is practically non-existent, with the first half being little more than a travelogue that is not particularly interesting or affectionate.
Concluding, uneven but still not bad at all. 6/10.
1950's 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' is not one of the best of them. It is also not one of the worst. To me, it is a worthwhile enough and amusing enough cartoon, but it is also very uneven. The second half, which is made up of the singalong, is a good deal better than the first half, which made me unsure on first watch as to whether to continue. To this day that part of 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' is difficult to sit through, but the second half actually to me is a lot of fun.
'Jingle Jangle Jungle's' animation is lovely. The setting is vivid, the colours are bright and colourful and the drawing has some nice expression of a wide variety throughout, but particularly later on. Even better is the music, which makes the cartoon and makes it come alive. It is full of energy and attractive orchestration, and "Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)" stays in the head for a good while. The singalong portion is cute and fun without being over the top.
As said, the second half is nicely done. The sight gags are far from in short supply and they are amusing and well timed. There is a lot more energy too and the characters have colourful personalities.
Unfortunately, one has to get through the first half with gritted teeth to see that improvement. To me the first half was very dull and not very eventful, gags are too few and there is one in particular that is pretty tasteless by today's standards (even for those that are not easily offended). The caricaturish stereotypes also don't bode well and if anybody finds them offensive that is understandable, even when judging the cartoon as a product of its time the stereotypes have dated badly.
Story-wise, 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' is practically non-existent, with the first half being little more than a travelogue that is not particularly interesting or affectionate.
Concluding, uneven but still not bad at all. 6/10.
Some Funny Moments
Michael_Elliott4 May 2014
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle (1950)
*** (out of 4)
Entertaining animated short from the Famous Studios has us taking a trip to Africa where narrator Jackson Beck tells us about the variety of things we might see there. We learn about the hot desert but the majority of the screen time goes to the jungle and the various things you might find there including cannibals, alligators and of course elephants and lions. JINGLE, JANGLE, JUNGLE isn't a masterpiece but it's certainly quite entertaining as long as you don't take it too serious. I'm sure some might be offended of the cannibal joke but it really isn't all that bad. The majority of the film is full of some entertaining characters and especially the entire subplot dealing with the "King of the Jungle" lion who is courted by a man wanting him to join his circus. How this plays out is quite funny and will certainly have a smile on your face. Obviously this thing isn't meant as some sort of history lesson but kids should really enjoy the various animals on display. We also get a "follow the bouncing ball" number with Bongo, Bongo, Bongo.
*** (out of 4)
Entertaining animated short from the Famous Studios has us taking a trip to Africa where narrator Jackson Beck tells us about the variety of things we might see there. We learn about the hot desert but the majority of the screen time goes to the jungle and the various things you might find there including cannibals, alligators and of course elephants and lions. JINGLE, JANGLE, JUNGLE isn't a masterpiece but it's certainly quite entertaining as long as you don't take it too serious. I'm sure some might be offended of the cannibal joke but it really isn't all that bad. The majority of the film is full of some entertaining characters and especially the entire subplot dealing with the "King of the Jungle" lion who is courted by a man wanting him to join his circus. How this plays out is quite funny and will certainly have a smile on your face. Obviously this thing isn't meant as some sort of history lesson but kids should really enjoy the various animals on display. We also get a "follow the bouncing ball" number with Bongo, Bongo, Bongo.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
