Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar
| Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rex Allen Winston Hibler |
| Written by | Jack Speirs |
| Produced by | Walt Disney Winston Hibler Charles L. Draper |
| Starring | Ron Brown Bryan Russell Linda Wallace Jim Wilson Clifford Peterson |
| Narrated by | Rex Allen |
| Cinematography | William Bacon III Lloyd Beebe |
| Edited by | Gregg McLaughlin |
| Music by | Franklyn Marks Speirs Marks |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar is a 1967 Walt Disney Productions adventure family film released by Buena Vista Distribution Company. It was filmed at the Weyerhauser Mill in Enumclaw, Washington.[1][2] The film was the first Disney production without the participation of Walt Disney, who had died ten months earlier.
Plot
The film takes place in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State (Weyerhauser Mill Enumclaw, Washington).
Charlie's mother lost her life when he was a cub, leaving him alone. Jess Bradley finds Charlie, takes him in and raises him. Charlie experiences some adventures growing up including some play time with a black bear cub and visits to his friend Potlatch for snacks. Potlatch, though has a Smooth Fox Terrier named Chainsaw, Charlie's nemesis, in the logging camp where Charlie grows up. This rivalry leads to problems including a wrecked kitchen and a trip down the river as part of the logging crew, which, of course, leads to more problems including another destroyed kitchen.
Jess, in the meantime, has found himself a girl, who has become his fiancée. Jess is forced to lock Charlie in a cage which doesn't hold him very long. Charlie hears a call from female cougar in the distance one night and he decides to break free to investigate. The two had a good time together, but it quickly turns sour when his new friend wouldn't share a meal she had recently caught. Charlie then moves on and finds himself a free meal from a farmer milking his cows. This does not turn out well for Charlie and havoc ensues on the farm.
Charlie finds himself lost and on his own. He spends the summer hunting and getting by until one day when he, himself, becomes the hunted by a pack of dogs. He manages to escape by going on a log down a flume, until he hits a bunch of bushes, he then finds himself back at the logging camp. However, after spending the summer in the wild, his natural instincts have kicked in and he's more wild than tame now. When Chainsaw discovers Charlie, Charlie runs and gets trapped in a lift on the ground, until Jess rescues Charlie. Ultimately, Jess has no option but to release him back into the wild, but in a preserve, where the cougars and other wild animals are protected from hunters, dogs, and other predators. There he finds the same female cougar, and lives happily ever after.
Cast
- Ron Brown as Jess Bradley
- Bryan Russell as Potlatch
- Linda Wallace as Jess's Fiancee
- Jim Wilson as Farmer
- Clifford Peterson as Mill Manager
- Rex Allen as Narrator (voice)
See also
References
- ^ "Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar". October 18, 1967. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
- ^ "Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar (1967) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved November 3, 2014.