bodger the incredible journey

Cast & crew
User reviews

The Incredible Journey

Two dogs and a cat set off on a treacherous 200-mile journey towards home. Two dogs and a cat set off on a treacherous 200-mile journey towards home. Two dogs and a cat set off on a treacherous 200-mile journey towards home.

Fletcher Markle
James Algar
Sheila Burnford
Émile Genest
John Drainie
Tommy Tweed
40 User reviews
11 Critic reviews
87 Metascore

Top cast 17

John Longridge
(as Emile Genest)
Professor Jim Hunter
Mrs. Hunter
Elizabeth Hunter
Peter Hunter

James MacKenzie
Nell MacKenzie

(as Irena Mayeska)

(uncredited)
Bodger -Dog
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Quebec-born Émile Genest did not dub himself in the French version. It was done by a French actor in SPS studios, Paris, France.
Goofs While Bodger the Bull Terrier is referred to as a male, the dog playing the part is obviously a female.

Narrator : As he went deeper and deeper into the forest, the cat began to get uneasy. He had a strange feeling he was being followed. There was nothing in sight, yet his sense told him there was something back there, something evil.

Connections Featured in L'ami public numéro un: Les ours (1971)
Soundtracks Oh My Darling, Clementine Music by Percy Montrose Lyrics by H.S. Thompson

User reviews 40

Sep 7, 2000
How long is The Incredible Journey? Powered by Alexa
November 20, 1963 (United States)
United States
Die unglaubliche Reise
Mono Mills, Ontario, Canada (Main house)
Walt Disney Productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 20 minutes

More to explore

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

About Rotten Tomatoes®
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening This Week
Top Box Office
Coming Soon to Theaters
Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

Fandango at Home
Prime Video
Most Popular Streaming Movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

73% Blink Twice Link to Blink Twice
96% Strange Darling Link to Strange Darling
85% Between the Temples Link to Between the Temples

New TV Tonight

96% Only Murders in the Building: Season 4
100% Terminator Zero: Season 1
92% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
83% City of God: The Fight Rages On: Season 1
73% Kaos: Season 1
-- Here Come the Irish: Season 1
-- K-Pop Idols: Season 1
-- Horror's Greatest: Season 1
-- After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun: Season 1

The Incredible Journey

Where to watch.

Watch The Incredible Journey with a subscription on Disney+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Fletcher Markle

Emile Genest

John Longridge

John Drainie

Professor Jim Hunter

Tommy Tweed

Sandra Scott

Mrs. Hunter

The Incredible Journey

5 Copyright info
6 References

The Hunter family receive a telegram detailing that the father, James, has been offered a visiting fellowship at Oxford University in England. However, their two children, Peter and Elizabeth worry about what is to be done with their two dogs, Luath the young Labrador Retriever and Bodger the elderly English Bull Terrier, along with their Siamese cat Tao, while they are away. Family friend John Longridge offers to have the animals stay with him, so that is what is arranged.

After a few days of having the animals in his care John leaves for the opening day of duck hunting season; he leaves his housekeeper, Mrs. Oakes and her husband, Bert to look after his house and the animals during his absence. Soon after John drives away, Luath hears the calls of wild geese overhead, returning home. This makes him want to do the same, so he starts off down the road, and Tao and Bodger soon follow after him. Later, Mrs. Oakes arrives at John's house expecting to see the animals, but can't find them. Then she finds half of a note that John had written that appears to imply that he took the animals with him on the trip (however, the other half of it was accidentally knocked into the fireplace by the cat, but Mrs. Oakes doesn't realize this).

Now well on their way home, the animals stop at a river to have a drink, but have to hide from a passing truck in case they are recognized. After that, they continue on. By the next morning, old Bodger is very tired and is beginning to slow down, so the animals stop for a rest in a clearing and wait for Bodger to regain his strength. Tao goes off into the brush to hunt a partridge while the old dog rests. Soon, two bear cubs happen upon Bodger and investigate him, but then their mother arrives on the scene. The mother bear thinks Bodger has been hurting her cubs and attacks him; the cat witnesses this and in turn attacks her in trying to protect his friend. However, Tao eventually backs up, frightened. Finally, Luath sees the bear and starts barking furiously; this, combined with the yowling, spitting cat, is enough to cause the mother bear to back down and run away.

After a whole week of traveling, the animals adapt to traveling after dark so that there is less chance of someone seeing them. They cut through an old saw mill, but are shot at after Bodger, rather foolishly, steals an old bone from a cookhouse's rubbish bin. They escape unharmed, although Bodger's dignity is given a serious blow. After ten days, while Bodger is resting, he hears the singing of a hermit, named Jeremy.

The eccentric old man takes the animals to his hut, where he makes a stew for them to eat. The dogs don't really take to the stew and Tao is more interested in stalking Jeremy's pet crow, but they don't show that they aren't interested. After a while they decide to leave and continue their journey. Many miles along, the animals come to a wide river, which they realize they have no choice but to cross. Luath and Bodger make it across easily, but Tao prefers not to get wet so he finds a dam to cross. However, when he reaches a large gap, he tries to jump over it but falls into the water. Luath tries to rescue him, but is too slow to keep up and loses him.

After trying to console one another, Bodger and Luath decide to press on without their friend. However, many miles downriver, a young girl named Helvi discovers Tao, soaking wet, barely alive, and half-starved, by the side of the water. She and her parents proceed to take Tao into their care and nurse him back to health over a number of days. One night, after recovering fully, the cat decides to leave the family and get back to the dogs.

Tao takes his time in traveling, now that he is alone. But, as he journeys deeper into the forest he discovers that he is being quietly stalked by a hungry lynx. The lynx attacks Tao and chases him up a tree, but he escapes. Then, the lynx corners Tao in a log, but is driven off by the arrival of a young boy with a rifle, allowing the cat to press on.

Not long after that, Luath and Bodger hear Tao calling. They immediately recognize their friend and the threesome are joyfully reunited. Together once again, the animals set off in search of food. Luath spies a porcupine, but gets too close to it, leaving him with quills stuck in his muzzle. Soon, while soothing his pain at a river, Luath meets hunter James MacKenzie, who takes pity on the young Labrador and brings him back to his house for treatment. When he arrives, he discovers that his wife Nell has found Bodger. The cat hides on a wood pile outside the house, watching and waiting and unnoticed by James or Nell. James removes the quills from Luath's muzzle (despite initially being on the receiving end of Bodger's protective instincts over the young dog) and that night, he locks the dogs in his barn, planning to ask around and find out who they belong to. Tao then rejoins his friends.

Meanwhile, John arrives home and it is discovered that the animals have disappeared. After some initial confusion as to why, the humans deduce that Luath has taken them home. John telephones the various ranger stations around the Ironmouth Range area, but they all say they will get in touch with him the following day. Later, the Hunters arrive home; John lets them know what's happened and Peter is quick to realize that an older dog such as Bodger most likely wouldn't have the strength to complete a journey so long, but Elizabeth remains firmly convinced that Tao will, sooner or later, return home. The animals, meanwhile, escape from the barn and the humans realize where they are and that they have only 40 miles left to go; this leads the humans to believe that if they've managed to get this far, they just may be able to make it all the way home.

On Peter's birthday soon afterwards, John gets Peter a registration paper from the Kenmore kennel, who are holding another Bull Terrier puppy in his name. All of a sudden, Elizabeth hears a dog barking in the distance and becomes immediately convinced that it must be Luath. Despite initial reservations, James whistles to the dog to see if Elizabeth is right; moments later they see Luath charging across the heathland ahead and barking, overjoyed to have finally returned home. A few seconds afterwards, Tao follows on and also arrives home safely.

Sadly, Peter is convinced that Bodger wasn't able to make the journey because he was too old, but is happy to see Tao and Luath again. Just then, Peter suddenly spots a white shape on the horizon, which he soon realizes is, in fact, Bodger, coming as quickly as he possibly can. The boy and the old dog are ecstatic to be reunited once again. The cat and Labrador join Bodger and Peter in their frolicking and all is well as the three very brave animals finally complete their incredible journey.

Emile Genest as John Longridge
John Drainie as Professor James Hunter, the father and husband of the Hunter family
Sandra Scott as Nancy Hunter, the mother and wife of the Hunter family
Marion Finlayson as Elizabeth Hunter, the daughter and sister of the Hunter family
Ronald Cohoon as Peter Hunter, the son and brother of the Hunter family
Tommy Tweed as Hermit
Robert Christie as James MacKenzie
Beth Lockerbie as Nell MacKenzie
Beth Amos as Mrs. Oakes
Eric Clavering as Bert Oakes
Muffy as Bodger, a Bull terrier
Rink as Luath, a Labrador retriever
Syn Cat as Tao, a Siamese cat

Gallery [ ]

In 1993 , Disney made a new version of the film, entitled Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey . Featuring the voices of Don Ameche, Sally Field , and Michael J. Fox , 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 original breeds are switched, the Bull Terrier is replaced with an American Bulldog, the gender of the cat switched, and the ages of the original Labrador and Bull Terrier are switched. It also has vocalizations of the animals' thoughts and communications with each other.

Copyright info [ ]

The film's copyright was renewed on October 3 , 1991 . [1] The copyright to the story it is based on was also renewed in the U.S. [2]

References [ ]

↑ Online Copyright Catalog search (form autofilled, pressing "begin search" brings up the entry)
↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries (Source material)
2 The Emotions
3 Disney Villains

Not Available

Oh no! Turner Classic Movies isn't available in your region.

Welcome, DISH customer! Please note that we cannot save your viewing history due to an arrangement with DISH.

Watchlist and resume progress features have been disabled.

The Incredible Journey (1963)

Directed by fletcher markle.

AllMovie Rating 3
User Ratings ( 0 )
Your Rating
Overview ↓
User Reviews ↓
Cast & Crew ↓
Streams ↓
Related ↓

Description by Wikipedia

The Incredible Journey is a 1963 live-action Walt Disney film based on the novel The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford. Narrated by Rex Allen, the film follows the adventure of three pets, Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat, as they journey 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to return to their home.

The Syn Cat was also in the title role of the Disney film That Darn Cat! (1965).

The film was mostly well received for the nature scenes as well as for Rex Allen's narration, however, the human scenes, including the climatic ending got mixed to negative reviews, stating that the human scenes had interrupted the mood of the film.

Official Site

Part of collection, alternate titles.

Celebrating Cats in Movies and Television.

The incredible journey (1963).

Walt Disney Productions Starring: Émile Genest, John Drainie, Sandra Scott Also Starring: Syn, Muffey, Rink Directed by: Fletcher Markle

Synopsis: Based on the book by Sheila Burnford. Three animals, a young Labrador Retriever named Luath (played by Rink), a Siamese cat named Tao (played by Syn) and an older Bull Terrier named Bodger (played by Muffey), are being cared for by their owners’ friend, John Longridge (Émile Genest). When Longridge goes duck hunting the animals set off across the rugged Canadian wilderness in an effort to find their way home.

Cinema Cat: Syn the Siamese Cat shines in his role as Tao in this film and many of the scenes are devoted to him solely. There are several times when Tao causes trouble but then there are many times when Tao is a hero, stepping in to protect his canine friends or catching food for them.

Syn is a cat actor with real screen presence. Walt Disney must have noticed this as well, because Syn would later star in the Disney film That Darn Cat! alongside Hayley Mills. William Koehler was the trainer of Syn for both films.

Kitty Carnage Warning! Some people have pointed a harsh finger at this film as being a prime example of animal cruelty in films. Certainly there are notorious examples in these live-action Disney nature films where animals were reportedly injured or killed (the lemmings “suicide” in White Wilderness being a prime example). Some scenes in this film are certainly cringe-worthy for those who cannot stand to see animals in any kind of distress. Tao is shown many times hissing, fighting and screeching, something many a cat actor has been somehow cajoled to do on film. In all honesty, the worst offense in this film is the fact that they put animal actors together who really probably should not have been sharing the screen, seeing as how even in the best of circumstances there are chances for things to go wrong, i.e. the bear and the lynx scenes in particular. But by the same token we don’t see any real evidence onscreen of the animals hurting one another in these scenes. And the scene where Tao is washed downstream is honestly not as traumatic to see as the one in the later remake, but neither is as bad as the scenes in Koneko Monogatari . In any case, we can’t confirm or deny any harm coming to the animals in this film but if you are super sensitive to watching animals in peril you may want to give this one a pass.

Final Mewsings: Planning a long journey through the wilderness? Better bring a cat along!

[nggallery id=66]

Relevant Links:

Incredible Journey, The (film)

Incredible Journey, The (film) Story of the 200-mile trek across the wilds of Canada by three inseparable animal friends in search of their beloved owners, a family who has gone to Europe, leaving the animals with a friend. After hardship, danger, and near fatal accidents, together with some moving encounters with friendly humans, the two dogs, Bodger and Luath, and a cat, Tao, complete their incredible journey, and have a joyful reunion with their owners, who have returned from their own journey and have come to believe their beloved pets to be dead. Released on October 30, 1963. Directed by Fletcher Markle. 80 min. Stars Emile Genest (John Longridge), John Drainie (Prof. Jim Hunter), Tommy Tweed (Hermit), Sandra Scott (Mrs. Hunter), with the film’s narration provided by Rex Allen. Based on the best seller by Sheila Burnford, the film was reissued in 1969, and remade in 1993 as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey . Released on video in 1984 and 1994.

The Incredible Journey

Cast & crew.

Emile Genest

John Longridge

John Drainie

Professor Jim Hunter

Tommy Tweed

Sandra Scott

Madame Hunter

Helvi Nurmi

Average 7.3

Information

Accessibility

Internet Service Terms Apple TV & Privacy Cookie Policy Support

The Incredible Journey Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

By sheila burnford.

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by people who wish to remain anonymous

Timberwolves

The small boat symbolizes Longridge's love for animal expeditions and exploration. Longridge's work involves researching different species of animals. Every time Longridge goes to study animals, he uses his small canoe instead of large ships. The small ship gives Longridge a wider view of the animals he intends to study. In addition, the small boat allows Longridge to choose which sites to visit during his explorations.

Lynx symbolizes the violence of the wild. While traversing the dangerous terrains of the forest, Tao comes across the lynx, which preys on her. Tao is the only tactical member who helps her friends to get food when crossing the forest. Tao does her best to evade the lynx but realizes her life is in danger. Tao only survives after a child hunter shoots the lynx to save his life. Consequently, Burnford uses the lynx to show the violence of the wild. Predator animals prey on other animals, and humans use tools such as guns to defend themselves from aggressive animals such as the lynx.

Bodger (the elderly dog)

Bodger is a symbol of love. Throughout the text, readers realize that Bodger is lovely to every human being who handles him. Despite being 11 years old, Bodger does not create territories. Bodger starts showing his love for Peter, who has taken care of him for the last eleven years. When Hunters relocate to England, Bodger is the first to love Longridge, forming a great friendship. Similarly, Mrs. Oaks misses Bodger after discovering that the pets sneaked at night and ran away. Consequently, Bodger is an emblem of affection because every human character in the novels would like to bond with him.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

GradeSaver will pay $15 for your literature essays

The Incredible Journey Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Incredible Journey is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Study Guide for The Incredible Journey

The Incredible Journey study guide contains a biography of Sheila Burnford, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey Summary
Character List

The Incredible Journey (film)

The Incredible Journey is a 1963 film based on the novel of the same name. The film is narrated by Rex Allen, who tells the story of three pets, Luath, Bodger, and Tao traveling through Canada to get to their home.

Taken from Wikipedia

The Hunter family receive a telegram detailing that the father, James, has been offered a visiting fellowship at Oxford University in England. However, their two children Peter and Elizabeth worry about what is to be done with their two dogs, Luath the young Labrador Retriever and Bodger the elderly English Bull Terrier, along with their Siamese cat Tao, while they are away. Family friend John Longridge offers to have the animals stay with him, so that is what is arranged. After a few days of having the animals in his care John leaves for the opening day of duck hunting season; he leaves his housekeeper Mrs. Oakes and her husband Bert to look after his house and the animals during his absence. Soon after John drives away, Luath hears the calls of wild geese overhead, returning home. This makes him want to do the same, so he starts off down the road and Tao and Bodger soon follow after him. Later, Mrs. Oakes arrives at John's house expecting to see the animals, but can't find them. Then she finds half of a note that John had written that appears to imply that he took the animals with him on the trip (however, the other half of it was accidentally knocked into the fireplace by the cat, but Mrs. Oakes doesn't realize this).

After a whole week of travelling, the animals adapt to travelling after dark so that there is less chance of someone seeing them. They cut through an old saw mill, but are shot at after Bodger, rather foolishly, steals an old bone from a cookhouse's rubbish bin. They escape unharmed, although Bodger's dignity is given a serious blow. After ten days, while Bodger is resting, he hears the singing of a hermit, named Jeremy.

After trying to console one another, Bodger and Luath decide to press on without their friend. However, many miles downriver, a young girl named Helvi discovers Tao, soaking wet, barely alive and half-starved, by the side of the water. She and her parents proceed to take Tao into their care and nurse him back to health over a number of days. One night, after recovering fully, the cat decides to leave the family and get back to the dogs.

Tao takes his time in travelling, now that he is alone. But, as he journeys deeper into the forest he discovers that he is being quietly stalked by a hungry lynx. The lynx attacks Tao and chases him up a tree, but he escapes. Then, the lynx corners Tao in a log, but is driven off by the arrival of a young boy with a rifle, allowing the cat to press on.

John Longridge potrayed by Emile Genest
Professor James Hunter potrayed by John Dranie
Nancy Hunter potrayed by Sandra Scott
Elizabeth Hunter potrayed by Marion Finlayson
Peter Hunter potrayed by Ronald Cohoon
The Hermit potrayed by Tommy Tweed
James MacKenzie potrayed by Robert Christie
Nell MacKenzie Beth Lockerbie
Mrs. Oakes potrayed by Beth Amos
Bert Oakes potrayed by Eric Clavering
Bodger potrayed by Muffy
Luath potrayed by Rink
Tao potrayed by Syn Cat

Walt Disney Animations later remade the film in 1993, as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, The differences from the two movies are that the pets have different names, Tao (Sassy) is now a female, and Luath (Shadow) and Bodger (Chance) occurances change. The remake also has the characters vocalizations as thoughts and commucations with each other.

The Great Disney Movie Ride

One girl's quest to analyze every Disney film ever made. Period.

The Incredible Journey (1963)

Well, I feel like an idiot. A while back I got a comment promising a really good dog movie coming up in the near future. I had no idea what they were talking about and assumed it was Savage Sam because it was the only movie on the list I knew was about dogs. I know now that this was the film in question and I am a dumb. At least this one comes with a ringing endorsement! Maybe this journey really will be incredible!

Disclaimer: This blog is purely recreational and not for profit. Any material, including images and/or video footage, are property of their respective companies, unless stated otherwise. The authors’ claim no ownership of this material. The opinions expressed therein reflect those of the authors and are not to be viewed as factual documentation. All photos are capped from my copy of the movie with InstantShot! unless otherwise specified.

Oh, boy, it’s another True Life Fantasy in all but name. This time the story is The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, as told by real animal actors filmed doing their thing. A couple sequences from the book and my research have me a little worried already, but I wasn’t able to actually find confirmation of any wrong doing. Rex Allen and James Algar are back as the narrator and writer, respectively, and TV director Fletcher Markle joins for one of only four feature films on his filmography.

These True Life Fantasies have the great advantage of being cheap to make, so even when they don’t make a ton of money, it’s easy for them to turn a profit. Such was the case with The Incredible Journey, which pulled in $4.2 million on a pretty shoestring budget. As always, the nature scenes impressed audiences and critics with their beautiful photography and brilliant animal actors. However, they felt the human segments detracted from a great story with their wooden acting and disruptions to the plot. None of this surprised me because not only did they level the same critiques at Nikki and Lobo, but dogs are just better than people. Yeah, I said it. Especially weird looking white dogs.

After a pan over the Canadian forest shaky enough to give me motion sickness, we zoom in on a little village and meet John Longridge. His friends, the Hunter family, left him in charge of their pets while away in England for the father’s work. Bodger the adorable elderly bull terrier, Tao the Siamese cat, and Luath the yellow lab miss their people very much, even though Longridge treats them well. Longridge, too, is preparing to leave to take advantage of the opening of duck season. His neighbor, Mrs. Oakes, calls to make arrangements to look after the house and the animals while he’s away. However, living in the country means pretty terrible reception, so Longridge leaves her a note with all the reminders she needs. After letting the animals run, Longridge retires for the night.

As he falls asleep with Bodger curled up at his side like a precious baby, Longridge remembers the exact circumstances that led to him taking care of these pets. I already touched on this but we see a little flashback with Longridge having dinner with his best friend’s family. They even named him the godfather to their younger child, Elizabeth, and an uncle to their older son, Peter. All three animals, especially Tao, would do terribly in a kennel, so leaving them with a friend is clearly the best option. Back in the present, the quiet house means it’s Real Cat Hours, so Tao does a little exploring. As he prowls along the mantle, he accidentally moves the paperweight holding Longridge’s note and knocks the second page into the fire. The note about Longridge taking the animals for a run before he leaves now ends at “I will be taking the animals”. What could possibly go wrong?

The next morning, while Longridge prepares for his trip, Luath spots a flock of geese heading home for the winter. That gives him an idea: what if they migrated back to their home, too? He presents his paw to their caretaker before he leaves, shaking his hand to thank him for everything he’s done. The second he turns his back, so does Luath. Bodger and Tao follow wherever their best friend leads, even on a 250 mile trek westward over the mountains. That’s right, it’s time to embark on the Title of Movie! Mrs. Oakes and her husband arrive to tidy up. At first, the animals’ absence concerns them, but they find the note and think no more of it. How should they know it’s incomplete?

By now, the animals have already travelled pretty far. Their roles on the team quickly become apparent even without Rex Allen’s rather intrusive narration. Luath, who came up with the whole idea in the first place, is the intrepid leader. Bodger does his very best but worries that he might be too old to make it at all. Tao has useful hunting experience, but he’s fiercely independent and develops a habit of wandering off to chase birds and stuff. After a while, they find a river and pause for a nice, refreshing drink. Luath tries to press on but the other two outvote him. They need a rest, especially Bodger. Luath lays down to let Bodger cool his sore paws and Tao chase a fish, but a car comes too close for comfort. It’s time to move on.

Bodger struggles with Luath’s steady, driving pace. After they make it across the train trestle, he collapses. He can’t go on any longer. He’s done. Tao snuggles up to him and urges Luath to do the same, but he needs some food if he’s ever going to recover. Actually, they could all use some food, so Tao goes hunting for them. The animals of the forest creep out to stare at the strange white animal lying in their clearing, including two curious bear cubs. Sweet Jesus what is with the bear cubs? Why do we keep doing this? What is your fascination with putting dogs up against bear cubs? They climb all over poor old Bodger, then get bored and go play-wrestle elsewhere. All seem well… but the mother bear hears her babies’ playful squalling and thinks they’re in trouble.

Oh, yeah. We’re making dogs fight bears again. I assume this is a circus bear declawed and defanged like the one in Old Yeller, but I can’t find anything to confirm or deny. Either way, there is a very large bear swatting muscular arms at a real bull terrier. Tao and Luath lunge out of the bushes to join the fray, so now a bear is fighting a bull terrier, a lab, and a cat. They set a bear on a cat, guys. They set A Bear. On. A. Cat. But the cat wins with the help of the younger dog and the bear soon gives up and skulks back into the woods. Bodger chows down on the bird Tao brought and he’s ready to go again! They continue like that for about a week, travelling at night and avoiding human civilization. One day, they approach a sawmill, thinking it’s abandoned. As they come closer, they smell meat cooking and realize that there’s someone living there after all. Even better, the humans kindly left their trash cans within canine reach. Bodger reaches in for a nice juicy bone, but knocks over the can in the process. The human hears the noise and brings his shotgun outside to get rid of the thief.

By the tenth day, the trio is so hungry that Luath takes matters into his own paws. He chases a rabbit through a field while Bodger watches. He manages to catch it, but an old hermit named Jeremy emerges from the woods and invites them to come home with him. It seems like a much surer bet for a full belly, so Bodger and Tao eagerly follow. The crazy old man doesn’t earn Luath’s trust that easily, but he follows too to keep his friends out of trouble. Still, he hides the rabbit behind Jeremy’s cabin. Just in case. His suspicions prove correct in the end. Poor Jeremy the hermit does ladle out four bowls of warm, nurturing stew, but he forgets that dogs and cats can’t eat at the table. Even worse, he absentmindedly eats all four portions, then escorts them out like they’re humans leaving a dinner party. At least they have rabbit meat. Sidenote: this was the most unrealistic thing in this movie for me. Luna is about half Luath’s size and I’ve seen her get her whole face onto the table when there’s food to be had.

Another impediment soon makes itself known in the form of a deep, wide river. Luath swims across pretty easily and, after some prompting, Bodger gets there too. However, most people know that cats tend not to like water very much. Tao staunchly refuses to set one toe in the water, even if it means never seeing the Hunter family again. The glory of nature provides a beaver dam that Tao can use as a bridge. Sure, there’s a gap in the middle, but that’s nothing Tao can’t jump across, right? Wrong. Tao misjudges the jump and plummets into the rushing water and makes me feel really, really bad for this poor cat. Luath dives into the torrent to try to save his friend, but he fails. The rapids carry the limp cat downstream. Grief weighs heavily on the two dogs as they drag themselves away from the river. He’s gone.

But wait! A little girl spots Tao floating downstream on a piece of driftwood and calls her parents to fish him out. They nurse him back to health and the little girl quickly falls in love with her new cat. Still, Tao has places to be. He nuzzles the little girl while she sleeps to thank her for drying, feeding, and warming him, then escapes out the window in search of his friends. Along the way, he gets the weird feeling that something’s watching him. He goes on alert, and sure enough, a lynx charges out of the brush, roaring in a very un-lynx-like way. Yup. They put a cat up against a lynx. The “No animals were harmed’ days cannot come soon enough. The poor Siamese tries to hide up a tree but the lynx climbs after him. His next hiding spot proves more effective because the lynx can’t fit into the narrow hollow log.

It looks pretty bad, but luckily a deus ex machina arrives in the form of a young boy hunting in the woods. He shoots the lynx dead then disappears entirely, allowing Tao to continue his journey. Cut back to the dogs. They hear a strange yowling, then freeze. It can’t be… but it is! It’s Tao! A joyful reunion brings plenty of kisses and nuzzles, and the trio continues forward together the way it should have been all along. By now, it’s been about three weeks and everyone is close to starving again. The dogs spot a porcupine and don’t know any better than to try to eat it. Luath takes charge as always, but he fails to catch the prickly rodent. Not only that, he gets a faceful of prickles for his trouble, and while it looks like they might be glued on, I’m still Very Concerned.

Pressing on with spikes stuck in your jaw proves easier said than done. Poor Luath has to stop every few miles to rinse his burning face in the cooling river. Even the pain can’t cancel out his training, though, so when a hunter shoots a duck out of the sky, instinct compels him to fetch it for him. James Mackenzie, the hunter, doesn’t quite know what just happened, but he praises the good boy anyway. He sees that the dog is hurt, so he brings him home to his wife, Nell. By crazy random happenstance, Nell found a starving dog herself. It’s Bodger! The Mackenzies realize that the two dogs know each other and the same show signs of wear and tear, implying they’ve been travelling together.

Time to get rid of these quills. Mackenzie gets to work and Luath’s pained whines make Bodger go completely berserk. How could he know Mackenzie’s really helping? He only knows his friend is in pain. Removing the quills and cleaning the wounds with antiseptic helps and soon both dogs can settle down for a good meal. James Mackenzie decides to make some phone calls to see if these dogs belong to anyone. Wait a second. All three animals have collars (sometimes). We saw a dog with a name and an address on it in Greyfriars’ Bobby, which took place well before this. Why don’t the Hunters have any information on these collars? Honestly, people should need a permit to have pets. The collars aren’t just places to clip a leash, they exist for this exact reason. Geez.

Longridge comes home to some good news from Mrs. Oakes. The Hunter family will return the day after tomorrow! But wait. Where are their pets? Mrs. Oakes thought they were with Longridge this whole time but apparently they weren’t. So what gives? Mrs. Oakes panics and babbles all the terrible things that could have happened to them while Longridge investigates. He spots the out-of-place paperweight and figures out what happened impressively quickly. He even knows they’re on the way back to the Hunter house. How? Man, I don’t know. He recounts everything we just saw and puts out a call to all the local forest rangers to keep an eye out for a bull terrier, a yellow lab, and a Siamese cat.

At least the Mackenzies take good care of the dogs in the meantime. Tao watches to make sure of it, then sneaks in to be with his friends after the humans fall asleep. Cut back to Longridge, who recieves a call that a little girl found a Siamese cat a hundred miles away! He knows the cat survived at least that far, but this won’t be easy to explain to the Hunters. The animals leave the Mackenzies behind. They’re grateful for their help and kindness, but their humans are waiting and the last leg of the journey will be the worst. They have to cross the dreaded Ironmouth mountain range, hostile to nature and barren of human civilization. Even worse, the brutal Canadian winter blankets the world in snow and ice, making the journey even more perilous. Do we see any of this grave danger? Nope. That would be interesting.

The Hunters come home completely offscreen and immediately absorb themselves in trying to find their pets. They plot each call they get on a map and chart a pretty accurate approximation of the animals’ journey. It’s kind of a miracle any of them survived that far, but there’s no way any of them can get through the Ironmouth Range. Bodger especially has no chance, a fact even young Peter knows to face. Elizabeth, however, knows deep in her heart that her beloved Tao cat survived. The adults can’t bear to break her heart, so they drop the subject. Instead, they decide to look to the future instead of dwelling on the past.

Fast forward to Peter’s birthday. The Hunters and Longridge gather around a bright, beautiful cake dressed in their Sunday best. Longridge even brings a special present for him: papers to adopt a brand new bull terrier puppy! It’s a sweet gesture. Peter knows it, but no one will ever replace Bodger in his heart. An awkward beat passes, and Elizabeth goes to get more food just to diffuse the tension. On her way in, she hears a dog barking. None of the adults hear it, so it must be her imagination, right? Nope! It’s Luath! He made it! That’s enough of a miracle on its own, but Tao, Elizabeth’s own beloved cat, follows closely behind him. Peter tries to be happy for her and takes the mature road of saying he knew all along Bodger’s age would hold him back. But wait. Another dog barks across the field. It’s Bodger! He pounces on his human and covers him with puppy kisses. The incredible journey ends happily for all involved, and the three pets romp around their home field.

I definitely agree with the criticism of the human scenes. Even the one actor on the list with experience on film felt wooden and awkward thanks to the clunky script. Rex Allen’s narration, too, feels like a completely unnecessary from what could have been a really interesting experiment. Letting the visuals of the animals and the music speak for themselves may not have been commercially viable or interesting for little ones, but it would have been a cool thing to try from an art perspective. That is, if it weren’t for the things they put these animals through.

There really isn’t any damning evidence against Disney for this movie in the same way there was for something like White Wilderness, but you can tell some of these scenes would never be made today. Honestly, they shouldn’t have been made then. I really wish they would stop pitting domesticated animals against bears and lynxes on film. It’s very upsetting. Even making the scenes safe for the cats and dogs involves inhumane actions on the predator. Putting a cat and a dog in a rushing river too fast for them to swim in isn’t exactly kosher either. It all detracted immensely from an otherwise… well, not good, but middling-to-fair film.

Bodger the bull terrier has lived with Peter Hunter, the older son, since he was a baby. He’s not as young as he once was and struggles a lot on the journey, but he’s brave and determined enough to pull through against all the odds. He also happens to look a lot like my real life dog even though they’re completely different breeds, mostly because they’re both white and weird looking. So I’m kinda partial to old Bodger here. I kept waiting for him to die so I was thrilled when he didn’t. The narration in the book makes several references to Bodger as a fearsome and noble dogfighter as if that’s something to be proud of, so I was rather pleased that the movie cut that out. This movie has enough issues with animal welfare.

Tao , Elizabeth’s Siamese cat, has a fierce independent streak that could very well become an issue, but doesn’t. In fact, it saves his life on multiple occasions. He already has hunting skills, so he could probably have survived well enough on his own without the dogs even if it weren’t for the river. Fun fact: we will see this same cat, Sin Cat, again in just a few movies!

Luath (pronounced Loo-ah. Who named this dog?) the yellow lab leads the way through the whole 300 mile journey home. Why did Longridge not take the dog that was literally bred to retrieve ducks for their owners on hunting trips is beyond me, but it made the movie happen so whatever I guess. He always knows what needs to be done and happily puts his life in danger when it means helping his friends, because he is a very good boy. That said, it’s weird that he pays zero attention to Professor Hunter, considering he’s his dog.

John Longridge completely failed at his task to petsit for his lifelong friends, the Hunters. Seriously, who tells someone they’ll watch their pets, then goes off and leaves them alone for three out of twelve weeks? Come on, man. Still, he’s a nice guy who made an honest mistake (like not bringing the Labrador retriever duck hunting) , and Emile Genest has done a whole lot worse on this journey. This was his final film for Disney, so I guess I’m kind of sorry he made such a terrible first impression in Nikki.

The Hunter family barely appears in the film, which I found odd because they’re the catalyst that drive the whole plot. James Hunter’s professor job takes him to England for twelve weeks, leaving the animals with his best friend Longridge. The son and daughter, Peter and Elizabeth, own Bodger and Tao, respectively, so we’re supposed to feel a strong “kid and their pet” bond like Old Yeller. Nancy, the mother is… there I guess? Moral support? Sure. But because we see so little of them, we never really feel the desperation the animals feel to get back to them, cheapening the whole movie. Also, none of them can really act and it’s quite distracting.

Oliver Wallace’s score adds drama and whimsy to scenes that even the visuals don’t quite manage. The result feels like it comes from a completely different film! Listening to this score invokes one of the older animated films, particularly Bambi. I absolutely felt Frank Churchill’s influence when the lynx stalked Tao, where the deep, dark progression reminded me strongly of Man’s Theme. Likewise, Luath chasing the rabbit reminded me of Bambi and Thumper ice skating. The music could easily have carried the plot along all by itself without any help from the narration. It was much more effective than listening to Rex Allen state the obvious over and over again.

Kenneth Peach knows how to shoot animal movies. The wilds of Ontario, Oregon, and Washington lend themselves really well to Technicolor. In stills like this, this movie looks absolutely gorgeous! There’s color! There’s majesty! It looks like an amazing epic adventure you’d find today, not 1963! There’s no real way for me to show in screenshots the real problem with the cinematography in this movie. It shakes like a jackhammer on a trampoline in an earthquake. It’s bad. It’s worst in long shots over the forest, so I’m assuming those shots were done on a helicopter, but they had editors in the 60s so how did that make it to the screen? It sounds like a small nitpick but it happened so often that it actually distracted me from the movie. I had to look away to avoid motion sickness.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Animal cruelty laws in 1963 really weren’t what they are today. Everyone knows that. However, the fact that this is at least the third time we’ve seen a dog fight a bear boggles the mind. The river and the lynx were pretty bad, too, but the bear thing is a recurring issue. I can’t wrap my head around it. Every article I read to research this says there are no confirmed examples of cruelty to animals but it seems pretty obvious to me.

Even without those unfortunate details to ruin the movie, it was just okay. The music was outstanding, but the terrible script and annoying narration distracted from the story rather than add to it. If they had trusted audiences to connect with these animals from their training and expressions alone, aided by the emotions dredged up by the score, we could have had something excellent. I haven’t actually seen the remake (I know, all this talk about being a 90’s kid and I miss that one. I’m a sham), but I hope they improved on this.

Favorite scene: Bodger snuggling up in Longridge’s bed. Yes, I’m picking the scene that made me think of my dog. Deal with it.

Final rating: 4/10. Could have been worse, but could have been a lot better.

12 thoughts on “ The Incredible Journey (1963) ”

I’ve only seen this once, so I’d forgotten that it featured another bear fight, but I do remember the shaky-cam and the awful acting! Speaking as someone who *adores* the 1993 remake, I can promise you that it is indeed much better (for instance, the bear in that version isn’t actually in the same shot as the dog thanks to better editing techniques, and the cat was apparently put in a harness with nice warm water for the river part to keep it safe and comfortable, etc.). Plus, it has Michael J. Fox. Definitely an improvement, so that’s something to look forward to – even if it is still several decades away!

That’s good to hear! It can’t possibly be as bad as this one, but reassurances are always nice.

Like Liked by 1 person

As you’ve probably guessed, this is another animal-focused movie, so I find it incredibly boring, lol!

I didn’t mind the straight documentaries, but yeah these films where they use nature footage to tell a story aren’t great

I’ve only seen this movie and read the book it’s based on once, but I owned the remake (and its sequel) as a kid (and have them recorded on the VCR and watched ’em yesterday and cried watching the first one) and I love them, honestly.

“Tao has useful hunting experience, but he’s fiercely independent and develops a habit of wandering off to chase birds and stuff.”

Um, that’s quite normal for cats. They just have an innate desire to hunt any rodent or bird they see.

“Poor Jeremy the hermit does ladle out four bowls of warm, nurturing stew, but he forgets that dogs and cats can’t eat at the table. Even worse, he absentmindedly eats all four portions, then escorts them out like they’re humans leaving a dinner party. At least they have rabbit meat. Sidenote: this was the most unrealistic thing in this movie for me. Luna is about half Luath’s size and I’ve seen her get her whole face onto the table when there’s food to be had.”

1.) This scene always felt pointless to me, and it feels like it’s only in there because it’s in the book (but yet no Native American believing Bodger to be a god or spirit) 2.) I believe it’s supposed to show that these are well-trained animals that know they can’t eat off the table. That said, we have two dogs, a toy poodle and a Vizsla, and they will occasionally try to eat off the table (the Vizsla moreso than the poodle).

“Fast forward to Peter’s birthday. The Hunters and Longridge gather around a bright, beautiful cake dressed in their Sunday best. Longridge even brings a special present for him: papers to adopt a brand new bull terrier puppy!”

Yeeeah, this part I hate. Seriously, Replacement Goldfish Method. “Hey, your dog’s mostly like dead, so we’ll buy you an identical new one, and you can name it Bodger II!”

“The narration in the book makes several references to Bodger as a fearsome and noble dogfighter as if that’s something to be proud of, so I was rather pleased that the movie cut that out. This movie has enough issues with animal welfare.”

Weeellll, dogfighting wasn’t considered animal cruelty back in the ’60s. I don’t when it became recognized as animal cruelty (because it totally is. I watch Pitbulls & Parolees, and I just have my heart broke every time I hear about bait dogs, people throwing their dogs in a dumpster, etc.), but back when the book was written, dogfighting was considered a noble sport (they also hadn’t bred animals to be super-aggressive back then).

I still need to watch the remake, I’ve never seen it!

You can tell I’m not much of a cat person, haha!

Given Disney’s track record with Native American characters up to this point, especially since it’s the same year as Savage Sam, it might be for the best that that scene was cut unfortunately. I hate to say it, but representation in some of this film’s contemporaries are horrifying. My Dalmatian mix is NOTORIOUS for trying to eat off the table. I’d love to meet the human that trained these dogs who know better!

Yeah the Replacement Goldfish thing is not helping. He doesn’t want a dog, he wants his dog.

I know dogfighting wasn’t seen as animal cruelty, but it was still a nice surprise to see something like that omitted from the film version.

I grew up with this movie so it was cool seeing a review for it, especially one as well crafted and detailed as this one!

As a side note Luath means swift in my language (Scottish Gaelic) so to answer your question of “who named this dog?” I’m guessing the answer would be a Gael 😂

Thank you! I’ve been getting a lot of reviews on some of the 60s/70s movies, and it’s really cool hearing the perspective of people who remember these movies I’m seeing for the first time from when they were kids. We’re a little ways off from the ones that came out when I was young (born in 92) so I appreciate the different perspective!

Oh that’s good to know! Thank you!

I was born in 87 so not too far off from you, but mostly raised on stuff my mom watched as a kid (so 1950s-70s sci-fi/horror and 60s Disney lol)

The Disney Channel in the early 90s itself was an eclectic mix of old and modern. You’d have something like this movie (or even a 50s Godzilla movie) on in the evening and the latest Ducktales or Darkwing Duck episodes in the morning/afternoon

Oh that’s cool though! I didn’t have Disney Channel until my mid-late teens (long story short, my dad said it was “worldly” and my mom didn’t like me watching “boy things”, yes both of them are ridiculous, thank you for asking.) so I missed the 90s kid Disney Channel experience except for things my cousins taped for me. And that was mostly Little Mermaid with the occasional episode of Aladdin. So I had no idea they played stuff like this!

I thought this movie was the other one

I didn’t know homeward bound was a remake before writing this either!

The Incredible Journey

The Incredible Journey is a 1963 American live-action family adventure/drama film based on Sheila Burnford's novel of the same name, which was released on November 20, 1963 by Walt Disney Pictures.

The film follows the adventure of three pets: Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat as they journey 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to return to their home.

Rex Allen as Narrator
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 as Carl Nurmi
Syme Jago as Helvi Numi
Muffy the Bull Terrier as Bodger
Rink the Labrador Retriever as Luath
Syn Cat the Siamese cat as Tao

The Incredible Journey

44 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-8

Chapters 9-11

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Chapters 3-8 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 3 summary.

The next morning, Bodger rises stiffly from his slumber. He hears Tao crunching upon some freshly-caught prey and hopes that he will share his kill. However, the cat leaves only a pile of inedible feathers in his wake. After taking a drink of water from the creek, Bodger returns in desperation to the pile of feathers, eating it in order to gain some sustenance. The feathers only stick to his throat and he must retch them back out. He settles for some foraged blades of grass and wild raspberries, which do nothing to truly satiate his hunger. Luath soon leads the charge to continue the journey, and all three animals proceed onwards.

Bodger journeys for as long as his body will allow him. He eventually reaches such a point of exhaustion that he collapses on the forest floor. His two companions try to rouse him, but eventually leave his prone body in order to explore the surrounding area on their own. While Luath is hungry too, killing goes against his nature.

While Bodger lays unguarded, a bear cub happens upon him. Bodger only has the strength to curl his lips into a snarl—he cannot do anything else to deter the cub from molesting him. The curious cub soon scratches Bodger across the back, drawing blood, which only excites the cub more. Bodger cannot fight back as the cub treats him like a large chew toy.

At this moment, Tao returns to the area with a freshly-killed partridge in tow. Seeing his friend in danger, his countenance transforms into that of a fierce predator and he agilely springs onto the bear cub’s neck while screaming. Tao then begins to scratch the cub’s eyes with his sharp nails. The cub, becoming blinded by his own blood, begins to thrash and roar. This commands the attention of his mother, who comes charging. The mother bear takes a swipe at Tao, but Tao swiftly dodges the blow. When Luath comes thundering onto the scene, the mother bear and her cub retreat into the forest.

Tao and Luath minister to Bodger, with Luath cleaning the elder dog’s wounds and Tao presenting the partridge to him. Bodger soon eats the partridge, as well as a kangaroo mouse that Tao delivers to him an hour later. The trio spends the night in the same spot, with the younger animals steadfastly guarding Bodger throughout the night.

Chapter 4 Summary

Luath’s hunger has begun to overtake his instinctual opposition to hunting and killing other animals. He even is so desperate for sustenance that he samples some deer droppings—only to spit them out in revulsion. When he drinks from a creek and spots a frog, he seizes the opportunity and successfully catches and eats it. When he returns to the company of Tao and Bodger , he sees that they have enjoyed various prey, as evidenced by a fresh pile of feathers and pelt scraps.

Luath can plainly sense that Bodger is still weak and not able to carry on at a fast pace. Bodger has lost a lot of blood due to his wounds from the run-in with the bear cub. The trio consequently spends the next two days in the same patch of forest. By the third day, Bodger’s wounds have scabbed over and he seems almost recovered. They therefore press on in their journey, traveling several miles and finding themselves next to a small lake.

Suddenly, both Luath and Bodger pick up the scent of humans cooking in the air. They run toward the aroma, with Bodger in hotter pursuit than the more cautious Luath. Tao comes along too, although he feigns disinterest in the venture.

Bodger soon spots the human party. There are white men, women, and children, as well as Ojibway native people. When Bodger presents himself to them, the children cry out in fear. One of them prepares to throw rocks at the perceived invader. He is chastened and soothed by an adult woman. The woman approaches Bodger, and Bodger, eager to be in the company of humans once again, quickly ingratiates himself to her. The sound of her laughter as she begins to pet him signals that he is not a threat to the children, and the children are soon petting him too. Bodger basks in the glow of this human attention and gratefully gobbles down the morsels of meat he is offered. An Ojibway man also gives him some of the stew they are making over the fire. He even shares some with Tao, who comes flouncing onto the scene. Luath, meanwhile, watches from afar.

Luath soon summons his friends with an authoritative bark. Bodger reluctantly parts ways with the humans to return to his friend, with Tao in tow. Unbeknownst to the animals, an Ojibway woman amongst the party has recognized Bodger as “the White Dog of the Ojibways, the virtuous White Dog of Omen, whose appearance heralds either disaster or good fortune” (49). She believes that he has been sent to her, weak and in need of nourishment, by the Spirits. Bodger’s benevolent will toward Tao, evidenced by his sharing of food with him, has proven to the Ojibway woman that Bodger is an extraordinary animal. The party’s loving treatment of him has assured that he is a good omen.

Chapter 5 Summary

The three animals travel steadily for a few days, their path undeterred. They settle into a pattern of finding a hollow created by an uprooted tree for shelter during the night and begin their travels at daybreak. Their pace is set by Bodger , whose wounds are steadily healing and who is taking on a vigor that exceeds his energy levels prior to the outset of the incredible journey.

Luath , in contrast, feels his vigor suffering due to his lackluster hunting skills. He also maintains a stolid dedication to the journey: not partaking in the frolicking games that Tao and Bodger often entertain themselves with. Tao, the wildest of the bunch, is quite suited to the new, nomadic nature of their life. He often makes detours that take him away from the company of the others for a few hours at a time—but he always returns.

The trio uses predominantly abandoned trails for their travel. Although the Indian summer is currently providing ideal weather conditions for their travels, they all seem to be able to sense the rapid onset of a cold winter that will not bode well for Bodger, whose coat is not built for serious insulation. He finds it uncomfortably cold during the nights already.

The flows of nature, and its inexorable transformation into winter, carry on around the animals. Wild animals hardly take note of the traveling trio.

One night, the animals happen upon a campsite. The two dogs try to forage from a trash can but are deterred by a human who shoots them with pellets. They escape largely unscathed, but Luath’s anxious watchfulness increases.

On another day, they encounter an old man, flanked by two chickadees who flit between the trees in pursuit of him, walking through the forest. He acts completely unbothered by the presence of the three animals. He permits them to follow him until he reaches a small cabin.

The three animals cautiously enter the cabin. They are enticed into it by the alluring smell of cooking meat—despite the fact that Luath was just carrying a freshly-killed rabbit in his jowls. He has politely deposited his kill nearby before entering the cabin.

Soon, a chipmunk that clearly lives inside the cabin as a companion to the old man makes himself known. The chipmunk protests to the presence of the other three animals—and Tao, especially, keeps his eye on it.

The man finishes his cooking and draws four seats at the table. He invites the animals to sit down, and the three animals oblige the familiar command. They watch the old man eat at one table setting , and then sit at the other settings in order to enjoy more helpings. He is lost in his own world. After finishing the last helping, the chipmunk lets out a shrill call that rouses the man from his reverie. He starts and looks upon his animal visitors, then tells them, “You must come more often...Remember me most kindly to your dear mother!” (61). He then escorts the animals out of his cabin.

The animals continue on their way. Luath shares his rabbit with Bodger, while Tao makes a detour to catch and eat his own prey. The next day, Luath notices that the river they are traveling alongside is getting wider. In a bid to shorten their journey, he soon makes his way into the water and swims clear to the other side. He has no trouble doing this, as swimming is second nature to him. Upon reaching the other side, he barks resolutely to his companions, bidding them to follow his example.

After a few false starts, Bodger cautiously makes his way into the water, and makes it to the other side through a laborious swim. Tao, loathe to join them, hems and haws at the water’s edge, emitting his signature Siamese scream. But he soon plunges into the water too.

Unfortunately, at that exact moment, a beaver dam breaks loose. It sends a torrent of wood and debris into the water, and Tao gets knocked in the head by a log. He falls unconscious and is swept swiftly upriver. Luath tries in vain to rescue him, but the cat is soon lost. The two dogs, bereft, climb out of the water and spend the night in the forest without their cat companion.

Chapter 6 Summary

A cabin sits several miles downstream from where the two dogs lost Tao . It sits on the same side of the river as them. Inside of it, a Finnish family by the name of Nurmi lives. The father is named Reino, the mother goes by Mrs. Nurmi, and their young daughter is named Helvi. “their lives [are] as frugal and orderly as the fields they had wrested from the wilderness” (69). They live a spartan life in the wilderness, subsisting through their trap lines, and their only connection to the outside world comes in the form of Helvi’s school attendance.

The day that the animals attempted to cross the river fell on a Sunday. As such, Helvi is fortuitously by the water’s edge, where she spots Tao’s limp body. She brings the cat to her parents, who agree to try to revive the animal. They dry the cat and then pour a mixture of warm milk and brandy down his throat. This revives him, and he soon jolts awake and releases a torrent of water from his mouth.

Helvi deposits Tao on a tray and places him into the freshly used, but now extinguished oven, where Tao dries off and revives even further. Helvi is delighted by the cat, and Tao spends three nights in the cabin, sleeping comfortably in her bed. The family is enchanted by the Siamese cat’s gorgeous and sleek appearance. They even marvel at the knot on his tail, which evidences the mythological origins of the Siamese breed. Legend says that this crook in the tail exists so that the Siamese princesses, for whom Siamese cats were bred to be companions and guardians, could deposit their rings upon it. Reino also notices, through observation, that Tao is deaf.

For the three days that Tao spends with the Nurmis, he settles into a lovely routine. After Helvi departs for school, he shadows the husband and wife as they carry out their duties. These duties include foraging for mushrooms, shucking corn, felling trees for timber, and mending harnesses and oil lamps. When Helvi returns, Tao jumps onto her shoulders while she completes her chores.

On the fourth day, the water blocking Tao’s ears is released, and his hearing returns. Helvi can see that the cat has grown restless. She begins to weep, but does not deter him, when he parts ways with her and heads back into the forest.

Chapter 7 Summary

Bodger and Luath are dispirited after losing their feline companion. Bodger aggrievedly feels Tao’s absence more acutely: the two share a special bond. When Tao came to the Hunter family as a kitten, Bodger already had a reputation as the nemesis of the cats on the block. However, Tao won him over through his scrappy, defiant attitude—to which Bodger capitulated for the first time in his life. Tao was not fond of other cats himself, and the pair became a fearsome dyad on the block—which would clear of both cats and dogs upon their approach. Luath, for his part, also has a great affection for Tao, but his relationship with the cat is not nearly as intimate or deep.

The two dogs get by on what they are able to catch, but Luath is still not a great hunter. One day, by pure luck, they come upon a hunter who has just finished killing a porcupine. Spooked by their approach, he abandons his kill, which the two dogs relish.

One day, the dogs’ hunger emboldens them to pick off a chicken from a farm they are passing by. They are soon noticed by the farmer and his black collie. The collie runs to attack the invaders. Luath is not a fighting dog, and his foraged diet is not providing adequate strength and sustenance. He can only truly rely upon the thick skin on his neck to protect him from the oncoming attack. The collie engages him, getting a few good scratches in on Luath’s legs and ear, and latching onto his throat. Then, Bodger comes thundering onto the scene, and his breeding as well as extensive history as a fighting dog kick in. He knocks the collie cleanly off of Luath and clamps down onto his throat. Although his teeth are no longer sharp, he is still able to choke the collie. Bodger finishes off his victory by teasingly circling the collie in order to disorient him and then crashing into him and tossing him about with a series of successive crashes. The battered collie, having never encountered such vicious opposition, flees back to his master with his tail between his legs. Bodger and Luath continue on their way—although Luath is bleeding from his injuries.

That night, the two dogs find a dry, shallow cave to sleep in. At dawn, Luath catches the scent of a porcupine passing by. Remembering the sweet, tender taste of porcupine flesh, he pursues it. He miscalculates this foray, forgetting that the human hunter took care of the most difficult part of killing the previous porcupine: dodging its quills. Luath is soon met with a swipe to the face as the porcupine wields its tail. Although it is not a direct hit, a few three-inch-long, razor sharp quills embed themselves in his face. His efforts to rid himself of them only drives them further into his flesh, compounding his agony. So, the two dogs carry on, with Luath now trying in vain to remove the quills at every opportunity.

Chapter 8 Summary

Tao easily picks up the scent of his canine companions once he has made his way back into the wilderness. Traveling alone, he makes good time in a graceful and confident manner. He follows his ancient instincts and covers all traces of his presence—burying the scraps of his prey and sleeping in high tree branches when he needs to.

On his second day of traveling, two human hunters spot him drinking from a lake. They are intrigued and entertained by his presence in the forest and try to get him to come to them. Tao meets them with aloof coldness as he finishes drinking and disappears into the forest.

As Tao’s journey progresses, he soon begins to sense something watching and following him. Soon enough, a large, fearsome wild lynx reveals itself to be his pursuer: “It [is] a wild, cruel face that the Siamese [sees], and he [recognizes] instinctively a wanton killer—and one that could easily outclass him in strength, ferocity and speed” (95).

Tao tears away from the predator and advances into the branches of a birch tree. The lynx soon follows Tao up into the tree, which bows and thrashes with the weight of the big wild cat. Tao is able to jump from the tree just as the lynx takes a swipe at him with his killer claws.

The lynx determinedly continues its pursuit of Tao, who takes refuge in a narrow burrow in the forest floor. When the lynx peers into it, he receives a faceful of dirt, as Tao begins to kick the forest floor up into the lynx’s face. Soon enough, the lynx begins to dig up the burrow, and Tao realizes that he is trapped inside of it.

Unbeknownst to both of them, a hunting party composed of an adult man and his son are advancing through the forest on a nearby path. It is the first time the son has been entrusted with a gun of his own. He and his father proceed as quietly as possible, so as not to spook the deer who are their quarry. The lynx, too distracted by his pursuit of Tao, does not realize that the boy has walked up behind him. Once the lynx becomes aware of the boy, it sets its sights upon him. The boy fells the lynx with one shot to the chest. His father proudly congratulates him, but they leave the body of the lynx where it lays.

Tao then emerges from the burrow, coldly disregarding the dead lynx before turning in order to “send a last shower of dirt over the animal’s face” and continuing on his way (100).

After two days, Tao catches up to the dogs. He sees their unmistakable silhouettes across a valley, and then opens “his mouth and [utters] a plaintive, compelling howl” (100). The two dogs recognize his voice immediately, although they can scarcely believe that he is still alive. Then, Bodger becomes beside himself with joy, performing a version of the whirling hunting dance he did with the collie. Luath greets the cat in a more dignified manner, although he is also very happy to see Tao alive and well.

That night, all three animals slumber in immeasurable joy—with Tao nestled happily in between Bodger’s front paws and Luath’s heart undeniably lightened.

Chapters 3-8 Analysis

In the rising action of the novel, the animal’s interior thoughts and lives are depicted with greater clarity—from a third-person point of view with limited omniscience. This means that this section of the novel more fully fleshes out each animals’ individual traits with greater detail and depth than the novel’s first section. This character development is also a natural result of the meat of the novel concerning itself with the animals alone—not them in the company of humans. Burnford’s choice to depict the animals from a third-person perspective , rather than a first-person one, foregrounds the animals’ animal-ness. Unlike filmic adaptations of the novel, the animals are never given any first-person lines of internal or spoken dialogue. This maintains the integrity of their depiction as real animals who communicate with each other and understand the world without language.

In this section, Burnford also deepens her thematic engagement with the interior life of the domestic animals. There are several references made to each animal’s deeply embedded genetic instincts—instincts that they inherited from their wild ancestors. In typical cat fashion, Tao is wilder than both of his canine companions—adjusting instantaneously to life in the wild with his adept hunting skills and aloof confidence. Bodger showcases his instincts for fighting during his run-ins with the bear cub and the collie. Luath’s instinctual inner compass that leads the animals inexorably westward exemplifies his wild ancestry, but his poor hunting skills also speak to the domestication and the purposeful breeding out of certain characteristics in his genetic lineage.

Burnford also brings the deep bonds of friendship, mutual dependence, and loyalty that exist between the animals into sharp focus in this section. Luath’s immediate choice to stick by Bodger’s left side in order to compensate for the elder dog’s lack of hearing in his left ear exemplifies Luath’s love for his friend. Both Luath and Tao assume an attitude of protectiveness and patience for the elder Bodger from the outset of the journey. At different turns throughout the dangerous and treacherous journey, the animals demonstrate their loving care for and solidarity with one another. Tao rescues Bodger from the bear cub. The two dogs mourn deeply when they believe Tao to be drowned. But it’s also clear that their human companions for whom the animals are ultimately facing each of these dangers. The animals’ steadfast loyalty and devotion to their human family is both their beacon and purpose.

Featured Collections

Action & Adventure

View Collection

Action & Adventure Reads (Middle Grade)

Canadian Literature

Juvenile Literature

Loyalty & Betrayal

The Journey

IMAGES

THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, Bodger, Tao, Luath, 1963 Stock Photo
Bodger
THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, Bodger the Bull Terrier, Luath the Labrador
THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, Bodger the Bull Terrier, Tao the Siamese Cat
THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY Canada/USA 1963 Fletcher Markle Bull Terrier
Incredible Journey, The (film)

VIDEO

The Longest Journey. Прохождение. #19. Большой добряк
Elgar: The Crown of India, Op. 66
Borderland
ИИГОРЬ
Enjoy the Journey
Bodger And Badger Full Episode 1

COMMENTS

The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey ... Bodger: Bodger (whose full name is Champion Borough Castle Brigadier of Doune) is an old English Bull Terrier. His fur is white with a slight pinkish tint. Bodger's left eye is nearly blind. The dog was born to fight and endure (as he does in the book). Because he is eleven years old, Bodger tires easily, but he is a ...
The Incredible Journey (film)
The Incredible Journey is a 1963 Canadian-American adventure film directed by Fletcher Markle and produced by Walt Disney Productions.Based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Scottish writer Sheila Burnford, [2] the film follows the adventure of Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat as they journey 300 miles (480 km) through the Canadian wilderness ...
The Incredible Journey (1963)
The Incredible Journey: Directed by Fletcher Markle. With Émile Genest, John Drainie, Tommy Tweed, Sandra Scott. Two dogs and a cat set off on a treacherous 200-mile journey towards home.
The Incredible Journey Summary and Study Guide
The Incredible Journey was written by Sheila Burnford and published in 1960. It is a children's title—although Burnford has asserted that it was not meant for children exclusively. The novel began to enjoy cultural prominence when it was adapted into a Disney film in 1963. ... Bodger and Luath are later taken in by a kindly couple named the ...
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford is a timeless classic, ... Luath, Tao, and Bodger's journey shows that even the ostensibly weak are capable of magnificent things. This book is a special favorite of mine. Sheila Burnford's storytelling is vast and glorious, though simple enough to be an excellent read-aloud. The communion with nature is a ...
The Incredible Journey (film series)
The Incredible Journey film series ... Professor James Hunter is the proud owner of an aging English Bull Terrior named Bodger. His children Peter and Elizabeth are the owners of a young and rambunctious Labrador Retriever named Luath and a Siamese Cat named Tao, respectively. While the Hunter family is away, they take their pets across the ...
The Incredible Journey
Release Date (Streaming) Jan 1, 2014. Runtime. 1h 20m. Advertise With Us. An unlikely trio of pets -- aging bull terrier Bodger, spry Labrador retriever Luath, and Siamese cat Tao -- begin missing ...
The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey is a 1963 live-action film produced by Walt Disney. The film is based on Sheila Burnford's book of the same name. The film stars Emile Genest, John Drainie, Tommy Tweed, Sandra Scott, Syme Jago, Marion Finlayson, and Ronald Cohoon. The film was remade in 1993 as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. In the remake, the animals could talk, but only by telepathy, and the ...
The Incredible Journey (1963)
Incredible Journey, The (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Indian Summer Ending a spectacular aerial introduction with the terrain and foliage of Ontario, narration by Disney fixture Rex Allen begins and we meet Emile Genest, as the temporary owner of the three principals, Bodger, Luath and Tao, Fletcher Markle directing, in the Disney feature The ...
The Incredible Journey (1963)
The Incredible Journey is a 1963 live-action Walt Disney film based on the novel The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford. Narrated by Rex Allen, the film follows the adventure of three pets, Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat, as they journey 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to return to their home.
The Incredible Journey (1963)
Directed by: Fletcher Markle. Synopsis: Based on the book by Sheila Burnford. Three animals, a young Labrador Retriever named Luath (played by Rink), a Siamese cat named Tao (played by Syn) and an older Bull Terrier named Bodger (played by Muffey), are being cared for by their owners' friend, John Longridge (Émile Genest).
THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
Filmed in Canada as a joint project involving Walt Disney studios and Calgary Ltd., The Incredible Journey stars a cat named Tao and two dogs named Bodger an...
Incredible Journey, The (film)
Incredible Journey, The (film) Story of the 200-mile trek across the wilds of Canada by three inseparable animal friends in search of their beloved owners, a family who has gone to Europe, leaving the animals with a friend. After hardship, danger, and near fatal accidents, together with some moving encounters with friendly humans, the two dogs, Bodger and Luath, and a cat, Tao, complete their ...
The Incredible Journey Character Analysis
Bodger. Bodger is the animal character who is most at home with and indiscriminately trusting of humans. Out of the three animals, he is the one who is most openly affectionate with Longridge. He also indiscriminately presents himself to the humans that the trio meets during their travels—because he has nothing but unending trust for them.
The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey - Apple TV (UK) While their owners go on vacation, Tao the Siamese cat, Luath the Labrador and Bodger the bull terrier are left with a family friend. Their guest, however, decides to take a trip of his own without informing the animals, and so they embark on a 250-mile-long journey across the perilous Sierra mountain ...
The Incredible Journey Summary
The The Incredible Journey Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. ... Since Bodger is deaf in his left ear, Luath remains a near-constant companion on that side while the curious cat generally trails ...
The Incredible Journey Characters
The The Incredible Journey Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. ... Bodger is the eldest pet in James Hunter's family. Bodger lives with his fellow pets, Tao and Luath. Bodger is well-built and the ...
The Incredible Journey Symbols, Allegory and Motifs
The The Incredible Journey Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. ... Bodger (the elderly dog) Bodger is a symbol of love. Throughout the text, readers realize that Bodger is lovely to every human being ...
The Incredible Journey (film)
The Incredible Journey is a 1963 film based on the novel of the same name. The film is narrated by Rex Allen, who tells the story of three pets, Luath, Bodger, and Tao traveling through Canada to get to their home. Taken from Wikipedia The Hunter family receive a telegram detailing that the father, James, has been offered a visiting fellowship at Oxford University in England. However, their ...
The Incredible Journey (1963)
This time the story is The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, as told by real animal actors filmed doing their thing. A couple sequences from the book and my research have me a little worried already, but I wasn't able to actually find confirmation of any wrong doing. ... Bodger the bull terrier has lived with Peter Hunter, the older son ...
The Incredible Journey Themes
Domestic pets beautifully straddle the line between the human world and their wild ancestry. There are many examples sprinkled throughout the narrative of Burnford delving into the ancestry of Bodger, Tao, and Luath.She details the way that the dogs feel roused and disturbed by the timber wolves that prowl nearby—as something primordial stirs within them in the presence of their ancient ...
The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey is a 1963 American live-action family adventure/drama film based on Sheila Burnford's novel of the same name, which was released on November 20, 1963 by Walt Disney Pictures.. Plot []. The film follows the adventure of three pets: Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat as they journey 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to ...
The Incredible Journey Chapters 3-8 Summary & Analysis
Chapter 3 Summary. The next morning, Bodger rises stiffly from his slumber. He hears Tao crunching upon some freshly-caught prey and hopes that he will share his kill. However, the cat leaves only a pile of inedible feathers in his wake. After taking a drink of water from the creek, Bodger returns in desperation to the pile of feathers, eating ...

The Incredible Journey

Top cast 17

More like this

Did you know

User reviews 40

Technical specs

Related news

More to explore

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

The Incredible Journey

Critics Reviews

More Like This

The Incredible Journey

Gallery [ ]

Copyright info [ ]

References [ ]

Not Available

The Incredible Journey (1963)

Description by Wikipedia

Official Site

Celebrating Cats in Movies and Television.

Recent Posts

Incredible Journey, The (film)

The Incredible Journey

Information

Accessibility

The Incredible Journey Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

Timberwolves

Bodger (the elderly dog)

Update this section!

The Incredible Journey Questions and Answers

Study Guide for The Incredible Journey

The Incredible Journey (film)

The Incredible Journey (1963)

FINAL THOUGHTS

Share this:

12 thoughts on “ The Incredible Journey (1963) ”

Leave a comment Cancel reply

The Incredible Journey

The Incredible Journey

Chapters 3-8 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 4 Summary

Chapter 5 Summary

Chapter 6 Summary

Chapter 7 Summary

Chapter 8 Summary

Chapters 3-8 Analysis

Featured Collections

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS