Baloo
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Baloo is the fictional "sleepy old grey bear" featured in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book.
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[edit] In Kipling's work
The name Baloo is derived from the Pashtun word for "bear": bhālū from Sanskr. bhallūka; this is possibly a dialect form for bhalnū-ka < bharṇū-ka, from a word meaning "brown": cf. Sw. björn, OHG. bero, bear.[citation needed]
Baloo teaches the cubs of the Seeonee wolf pack the Law of the Jungle. His most challenging pupil is the "man-cub" Mowgli; despite Bagheera's objections he sometimes finds it necessary to use corporal punishment against Mowgli, although when called upon to defend the man-cub against the Bandar-log he does not hesitate.
Baloo is one of Mowgli's mentors. He, Bagheera and Kaa sing for Mowgli "The Outsong" of the jungle.
[edit] In Disney productions
| Baloo the Bear | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Cast Member as Baloo in Disneyland Paris. | |
| First appearance | Jungle Book (1967) |
| Created by | Rudyard Kipling |
| Voiced by | Phil Harris |
A character named Baloo, based on Kipling's creation, has also appeared in various Disney productions, starting with that company's feature-length version of The Jungle Book. In this version, Baloo is an easygoing and fun-loving character who shirks responsibility -- seemingly far removed from the law teacher in Kipling's book. This version of the character has appeared in three animated series, TaleSpin (as a pilot), Jungle Cubs (as a cub) and Disney's House of Mouse (as a guest), as well as a feature-length sequel to the animated movie, while Disney's Robin Hood, interpreting the traditional characters as anthropomorphic animals, features a version of Little John that strongly resembles Baloo. He also made a cameo appearance in the Disney on Ice play, Disney Presents Pixar's The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure, meeting up with Violet. Disney's Baloo is arguably the most popular character in The Jungle Book. Baloo was made famous by the song The Bare Necessities, sung by Phil Harris, in which he tells Mowgli how a life of leisure can be achieved by living off the land - if you know the tricks.
[edit] Interpreters
Baloo's voice has been acted by
- Phil Harris (The Jungle Book)
- Ed Gilbert (TaleSpin)
- Jim Broadbent (Sir Tod)
- Pamela Adlon (Jungle Cubs)
- John Goodman (The Jungle Book 2)
- Corey Burton (The Jungle Book Groove Party)
In an unproduced show called B-Players about supporting characters from Disney movies, Baloo was intended to appear as one of the better-off veterans of Disney films. Although the series was never made, it helped re-familiarize the Disney TV animation department with Baloo.[1]
