a_chinn Enjoyably silly Disney nature film has a boy forced to put his pet puma in the zoo, who then steals the zoo keeper's key to free all of the animals. So, no, Disney did not exactly make "Day of the Animals" or a nature-gone-wild horror film, but my kids found the silly animal antics pretty hilarious, even if in real-life there would would have been a lot more mauling. My kids also did not notice that a teenage Jay North is still as bad of an actor as he was on TV as Dennis the Menace. In the plus column for the film, the above mentioned zookeeper is played by the great Andy Devine. Nothing classic here, but it mostly held my interest and you could probably do worse.

Amy Adler Chris (Jay North) lives on a California ranch with his parents and two pets, a German Shepherd dog and a tamed mountain lion, Sunshine. However, one morning, his parents tell him that they are moving to the city, they can't turn a profit on the ranch. Talk about disappointment! Mostly, Chris is worried about Sunshine, who, unlike other big cats, doesn't know survival techniques. So, Chris sneaks him onto the trailer and takes him to their new home in Southern California. Almost immediately, Sunshine is discovered and taken to the local zoo, over Chris' zealous objections. When the young boy goes to visit, he sees the zoo is horridly small and the animals' cages are too confining. One of the nice zookeepers (Andy Devine) lets Chris work at the zoo, part time. Another zookeeper (Martin Milner) also has a caring heart and knows the zoo needs improvements but he can't convince the owners to put forth the dollars. Therefore, one day, Chris lets the animals loose, after a feeding, to make a point. Soon, zebras, chimps, a tiger, a lion, an ostrich and other animals are walking around town. Only the head zookeeper keeps the police from terminating the animals, asking for time to tranquilize the creatures and take them back. But, as the hours go by, will the zoo animals be saved and will Chris' misguided effort to improve the zoo bring results? This is a very nice family film, nearly unknown, but with a great cast of character actros and, naturally, a slightly older version of Dennis the Menace. North is enjoyable, as is the entire cast. Also wonderful are the animals, who put on a show to set everyone to knee-slapping fun. Just watch a chimp imitate a man watching Laurel and Hardy on television and you will be laughing, too. But, alas, there are a couple of problems. First, some evil boys throw lit cigars to the hippos, causing one to die. Nasty and unnecessary. Also, no one, no matter what the goal, should release wild and dangerous animals on the public. Its not a prank, so you and yours should discuss this during and after a watch. But, all in all, most folks of all ages will like this one and happily sing the catchy title song, too.

kevinomreb This was my first movie EVER. I was 6 and saw it at the Starlite Drive-In in Bantam, OH. I remember falling asleep halfway through and my parents drove home before the movie ended. I too have absolutely no idea if it was a good movie or what it was about as I was too young and obviously too sleepy! To show you what little I remembered about it, I thought it was another of the 1960's Dean Jones movies (of course I saw all of them as well, especially The Love Bug). I see that it's in DVD form now and I too am a bit scared to buy it, fearing that my first movie experience was watching a dud! But for the right price, I might just take the risk!

SanDiego Ivan Tors (creator of TV's "Seahunt," "Flipper," Gentle Ben," and "Daktari") produced and directed this effective family comedy. With a low budget, creative editing, a cast that included "Dennis the Menace's" Jay North and "Adam 12's" Martin Milner, and a Hollywood Animal Farm assortment of animals, Ivan Tors is able to create slap stick and a message out of a story about a boy (Jay North) and his pet cougar. When the boy's family must move to the city, his pet cougar is placed in the city zoo, a run-down out-dated collection of cages maintained by zookeeper Chill Wills and Zoo Vet Martin Milner. Soon North ends up working for the zoo, but unhappy with the way the animals are caged up, releases the animals onto the city. The animals really aren't very dangerous and cause a lot of mischief in people's backyards, houses, and shops. Watch for Marshall Thompson ("Daktari," "Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion") in a cameo.