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Underground Rivers - University of New Mexico

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Chapter 25 -- Radio Days and Saturday Matinees<br />

The 1996-97 Jungle Cubs animated series was<br />

based on the Disney feature film The Jungle Book<br />

(1967) but with youthful animal characters.<br />

The Middle Jungle was a hidden area with only one<br />

entrance, the Cub House throne. When the snakelike<br />

leaver is pulled, the throne moves to reveal the<br />

doorway to the underground river.<br />

In Duck Tales, The Movie, Treasure <strong>of</strong> the Lost<br />

Lamp (1990), Scrooge and lads take a wild<br />

underground river ride out <strong>of</strong> a crumbling temple.<br />

Once they're back in sunlight, one <strong>of</strong> the<br />

youngsters remarks,<br />

I don't mind doing that again, now that we know<br />

we can live through it.<br />

To the right, Scrooge and nephews ascending<br />

Niagara Falls via a secret underground river<br />

revealed in Chapter 47, Wrecks <strong>of</strong> Ancient Life.<br />

As to why Scrooge and nephews so <strong>of</strong>ten find themselves in such waterways, perhaps it's<br />

because they're themselves an active Boys Club.<br />

Big Budget Movies<br />

Today's entertainment industry is more opulent. Boys Clubs no longer bike to Saturday afternoon<br />

double features hosted by a local celebrity -- not infrequently titled "Captain" -- who leads them in<br />

rousing cheers. They're driven to a posh cinema complex for PG-13s. The showings may be no<br />

more entertaining than those <strong>of</strong> a simpler era, but they cost more. We'll mention a few that<br />

feature underground rivers.<br />

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the 1971 the<br />

film adaptation <strong>of</strong> Roald Dahl's Charlie and the<br />

Chocolate Factory (1964) is a florid funhouse full <strong>of</strong><br />

trick doors and underground rivers. Whereas Dahl's<br />

book remains a favorite <strong>of</strong> boys and girls alike, the<br />

movie was scripted with unruly boys in mind.<br />

Wonka's chocolate river is a tunnel described by<br />

reviewers as a "psychedelic nightmare filled with<br />

screaming skippers and decapitated chickens."<br />

DRAFT 1122//66//22001122<br />

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