With Yellowstone Cubs, shot on location, Walt Disney combined nature footage with narration to create a compelling story geared toward families and young children-- a formula the studio perfected and continues today with their popular narrated Disney nature documentary series with films such as Born in China (2016), Monkey Kingdom (2015), Chimpanzee (2012) and The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2008).
Upon its initial theatrical release in 1963, Yellowstone Cubs was paired with two feature-length films: Savage Sam (1963), the sequel to Old Yeller (1957), and Summer Magic (1963) starring Hayley Mills, Burl Ives and Dorothy McGuire.
Yellowstone Cubs is narrated by actor and singer Rex Allen, nicknamed "the Arizona Cowboy." During the height of the "singing cowboy" craze in Hollywood, Allen was signed to Republic Pictures, starring in close to two-dozen Westerns. Allen's trademark was his white Stetson hat and his horse Koko. Allen was also paired with Buddy Ebsen and Slim Pickens in several films, with both men serving as his comedic sidekick. After dabbling in television, Allen embarked on a career in voice-over narration, with the vast majority of his work being for Walt Disney Pictures and earning him the nickname the "Voice of the West." His narration can be heard in films such as The Incredible Journey (1963), Run, Appaloosa, Run (1966), Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar (1967) and Charlotte's Web (1973), as well as several episodes of The Magical World of Disney. Rex Allen's successful career spanned nearly four decades.
Director: Charles L. Draper
Producer: Walt Disney
Screenplay: Ralph Wright
Cinematography: Charles L. Draper
Editing: George Gale
Music: Paul J. Smith
Cast: Rex Allen (Narrator)
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By Jill Blake
