''The Incredible Journey'' is a 1963 adventure film directed by

Fletcher Markle Fletcher Markle (March 27, 1921 – May 23, 1991) was a Canadian actor, screenwriter, television producer and director. Markle began a radio career in Canada, then worked in radio, film and television in the United States. Films and television ...

and produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

. Based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Scottish writer

Sheila Burnford Sheila Philip Cochrane Burnford née Every (11 May 1918 – 20 April 1984) was a Scottish writer. She is best known for her novel The Incredible Journey about two dogs and a cat traveling through the Canadian wilderness. Life and work Born in ...

, the film follows the adventure of Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the

Bull Terrier The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier. Appearance The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, descri ...

, and Tao the

Siamese cat The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand ( ...

as they journey 300 miles (480 km) through the Canadian wilderness to return to their home. The film's human cast consists of

Émile Genest Émile Genest (July 27, 1921 – March 19, 2003) was a Canadian actor. Career Born in Quebec City, Quebec, as a young man Genest served with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. At war's end, he worked for a time in radio in his hometown ...

, John Drainie, Tommy Tweed, and Sandra Scott, with

Rex Allen Rex Elvie Allen (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contribut ...

providing narration. Released on November 20, 1963 by Buena Vista Distribution, the film received $4.2 million in overall rentals, and was mostly praised for its nature scenes and for Allen's narration. However, the human scenes, including the climactic ending, were criticized for disrupting the mood of the film. It was the final film to be scored by longtime Disney composer

Oliver Wallace Oliver George Wallace (August 6, 1887 – September 15, 1963) was an English composer and conductor.''Home Front Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary of Americans During Wartime'', Volume 3, ed. Benjamin F. Shearer (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 200 ...

, who died two months prior to its release.

Plot

One night, deep in the forests of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, bachelor John Longridge plans a long hunting trip. His housekeeper Mrs. Oakes is coming the next day, so he leaves her a note, including how he plans to let the three animals staying with him - Tao the

Siamese Cat The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand ( ...

, Luath the Yellow Labrador, and Bodger the elderly English Bull Terrier - out for a morning run. He retires to bed, and reflects on how his friend John Hunter (Luath's owner, who lives nearly 250 miles away) received an offer for a visiting fellowship at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

. Tao and Bodger belong to Hunter's children Elizabeth and Peter, respectively, and Longridge offered to take in all three pets while the family was away. Tao, meanwhile, accidentally knocks the crucial half of the note into the fireplace, destroying it. The next day, Longridge lets the animals into his yard for a run, and departs. Before Mrs. Oakes can arrive, Luath hears wild geese traveling home, and decides he wants to go home, too. He leaves the yard, and the other two follow. They intend to travel due west until they get there, not knowing how far it is. Mrs. Oakes and her husband Bert arrive, and assume that Longridge has taken the animals with him. The animals soon realize Bodger, due to his age, is a liability. Having no means of getting food from humans without getting caught, they continue to forge ahead, but Bodger eventually collapses. Tao goes off to hunt some birds, and Luath goes off in search of water. Two

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

cubs discover Bodger, but he does not respond to their play, so they decide to wrestle each other. The mother bear comes running at the noise, thinks Bodger has hurt her cubs, and tries to attack. Tao and Luath return and drive off the bear, and Bodger eats a

bobwhite ''Colinus'' is a genus of birds in the New World quail The New World quail are small birds only distantly related to the Old World quail, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American species are in their own family, the O ...

that Tao has killed for him, regaining his strength. The animals travel on, hunting as they go. They are forced to pass through the yard of a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

, where Bodger attempts to raid the cookhouse trash can, only to be shot at by the cook. Luath catches a rabbit, but Bodger and Tao discover an old hermit, Jeremy, who has

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

. Jeremy mistakes them for human guests, and tries to serve them food, but then distractedly eats it all himself. Later still, the two dogs swim across a river while Tao walks across on a beaver

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

. It breaks, and Tao is washed miles downstream, where he is rescued by a little

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

girl named Helvi. He hurries to catch up with the dogs, narrowly avoiding being eaten by a lynx on the way. Shortly after being reunited, the animals encounter a porcupine, which spikes Luath in the face. Seeking water to alleviate the pain, Luath is found by hunter James Mackenzie. He takes Luath back to his farm, where Bodger has already arrived and made friends with Mackenzie's wife Nell. The dogs are treated and fed, and locked in the barn for the night. Meanwhile, Longridge returns home, and he and Mrs. Oakes quickly piece together the truth. Longridge starts calling all the ranger stations and outposts for help, and news of sightings comes in from all over. Tao manages to free the dogs, and the trio wanders into the harsh Ironmouth Mountains, where there will be no more help from humans, and a terrible wintery climate. The Hunters return home to the sad news that Mackenzie was the last to see the animals alive. Elizabeth refuses to believe Tao will die, but Peter and Mr. Hunter accept that Bodger and Luath are likely no more. They decide to celebrate Peter's birthday to take their mind off of things. Elizabeth hears a dog barking during the party, believes it's Luath, and convinces her father to whistle for the dog. Hunter whistles, and Luath appears, quickly followed by Tao, joyfully reuniting with the family. Peter mourns for Bodger, who is not there, but then notices the old dog slowly approaching from far behind the others. Peter runs to meet him, and the other two animals return to Bodger's side, so they can all complete their journey together.

Cast

* Emile Genest as John Longridge * John Drainie as Professor James Hunter *Sandra Scott as Nancy Hunter *Marion Finlayson as Elizabeth Hunter *Ronald Cohoon as Peter Hunter *Tommy Tweed as The Hermit * Robert Christie as James MacKenzie *Beth Lockerbie as Nell MacKenzie *Beth Amos as Mrs. Oakes * Eric Clavering as Bert Oakes *

Jan Rubeš Jan Ladislav Rubeš CM (6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czech-Canadian bass opera singer and actor. Life and career Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, to Ružena (née Kellnerová) and Jan Rubeš. Not long after World War II, ...

as Carl Nurmi *Syme Jago as Helvi Nurmi *Muffy the

as Bodger *Rink the Labrador Retriever as Luath *Syn Cat the

as Tao *

as The Narrator

Production

Before filming, producer Jack Couffer visited Burnford in

Port Arthur, Ontario Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario, Canada, located on Lake Superior. In January 1970, it amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay. Port Arthur had been the district seat o ...

to photograph the surrounding countryside which he used to pinpoint a filming location that fitted the area as close as possible. This was necessary as the season in Ontario was too short to schedule the necessary filming. There were three animal handlers; Hal Driscoll looked after the Labrador, Bill Koehler the Bull Terrier, and Al Niemela the cat. Burnford spent seven days with the film crew, including one session where they filmed the Siamese cat "fishing in a creek, and landing its flapping catch with a lightningswift professional paw" as often as the director wished.

Accolades

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: * 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated

Remake

In 1993, Disney made a new version of the film, entitled '' Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey''. Featuring the voices of

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...

, Sally Field, and

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...

, the film keeps the same basic story line, but adds a subplot in which the kids are dealing with a new step-family. All three pets are renamed, the breeds of the dogs are changed, the sex of the cat is changed, and the ages of the original Labrador/Golden Retriever and Bull Terrier/American Bull Dog are switched. It also has vocalizations of the animals' thoughts and communications with each other. Unlike the original story, the wilderness through which the three animals journey across is in the Sierra Nevada mountains, not the forested wilderness of Ontario. The film was also followed by a sequel in 1996, entitled '' Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco''.

Filming locations

Palgrave, Ontario Palgrave is a Compact Rural Community and unincorporated place in the Town of Caledon, Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. It is about north of Bolton and about northwest of Toronto. Palgrave is locate ...

(the hermit's cabin) * Aspdin, Ontario (the village fly-over sequence in the intro) * Lake Vernon, Ontario (the lake fly-over sequence in the intro) *

Mono Mills, Ontario Mono may refer to: Common meanings * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono * Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single Music Performers * Mono (Japanese b ...

(the family's home) * Glen Cross, Ontario (the friendly hunter's farm) *

Sequim, Washington Sequim ( ) is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. It is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains. The 2010 census counted a population of 6,606. Sequim lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic ...

* Smith Rock, Terrebonne, Oregon * Devils Lake, Cascade Lakes Highway, Oregon * South Sister, Oregon * Wahclella Falls, Oregon

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Incredible Journey (Film) 1963 films 1960s English-language films 1963 adventure films Films based on British novels Films about dogs Films about cats Films produced by James Algar Films produced by Walt Disney Walt Disney Pictures films Films set in Ontario Films shot in Ontario Films shot in Bend, Oregon Films shot in Washington (state) Films scored by Oliver Wallace American adventure films Canadian adventure films Films directed by Fletcher Markle 1960s American films 1960s Canadian films