Such a fun return to my childhood!
Love this movie! Saw it when it came out (ca. 1963) and then 5 years later when I was in high school on a band trip. I loved reading the book, too! The big differences are that the scary parts in the book take place at night, and the terrifying scene with the lynx chasing the Siamese cat ("Tao") ends with the lynx being shot and killed by the young hunter. In the movie the scary scenes are in daylight (most practical for the photography, I'm sure) and the lynx scene ends with the lynx being scared off by the boy and his .22 rifle, but the boy never hits the lynx when he fires at him. Rex Allen's wonderfully relaxed narration is still a special pleasure. I so enjoyed the musical score, too. My friend's Dad was an oboist and played on a lot of those Disney soundtracks in the 1950s and '60s. I am guessing it was him (Gordon Schoneberg) on this one, and the woodwind backgrounds were beautifully arranged and played. Great film for all ages.