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1960s Movie Where Boy Frees Tiger or Other Large Cat. SOLVED.

posted 5 months ago by CoriSCapnSkip (2169)
7 replies | jump to latest

If anyone can help with this I really appreciate it.

Date range: I would have seen this film at the drive-in between 1967 and 1969.

It may have been a Disney film.

The scene I remember may come near the end. A young boy dreams of large key rings with keys jingling. He wakes up (in his pajamas), goes and gets keys, and frees a caged animal (I thought it was a tiger, but possibly some other large cat). He is questioned by adults about this--maybe in trouble.

I thought this might be the 1964 Disney film A Tiger Walks, but I watched that and it involves tracking a tiger which is freed at the beginning of the film, and does not contain any scene of a boy freeing an animal. Now it's kind of bothering me what that film might have been. Thanks for your consideration.

[–] wositelec (302) 5 months ago

Do you remember something more?

It's a long shot, but maybe: "Lionheart" (1968) ?

[–] CoriSCapnSkip (2169) 5 months ago

I actually don't remember if I was awake for the whole movie, I just remember this one scene. I would guess contemporary to the time (not historical or anything), definitely color, probably American.

[–] wositelec (302) 5 months ago

Are you sure that it is feature movie?

I found a desciption/summary from plot of an episode "Lassie" TV show. The episode is entitled "The Gentle Tiger" (1960).
"During his work as a water boy for carnival animals about which Ruth is anxious and disapproving, Timmy carelessly allows an untamed tiger to escape his cage.".

[–] CoriSCapnSkip (2169) 5 months ago

I remember it in color and "Lassie" was in black and white.

[–] brimfin (29) 5 months ago

Zebra in the Kitchen (1965) is the movie you are thinking of. Jay North stars as a young boy who tries to bring his pet mountain lion with him when his parents move to the city. He is forced to put him in a zoo, and allowed to visit him. But when conditions deteriorate in the zoo, he sneaks in and lets him out - along with all the other animals. That's how a zebra ends up in someone's kitchen as per the title. It's not a Disney film, but was as clean and wholesome as Disney films used to be. It was also entertaining; I saw it when I was young, and again years later on TCM. I remember the dream with the keys dangling in the air above him quite distinctly. Very well done.

[–] CoriSCapnSkip (2169) 5 months ago

THANKS SO MUCH FOR MAKING MY DAY!!!

[–] brimfin (29) 5 months ago

You're welcome. Glad I could help.