Animation
He worked as a vocalist and voice actor for animated films, lending his distinctive voice to the Disney animated features The Jungle Book (1967) as Baloo, The Aristocats (1970) as Thomas O'Malley and Robin Hood (1973) as Little John (another bear). The Jungle Book was his greatest success in the years at the end of his radio career. As Baloo the Sloth Bear, he sings one of the film's showstoppers, "The Bare Necessities," a performance that introduced Harris to a new generation of young fans who had no awareness of his radio fame. He famously appears to sing the word 'founder' instead of 'fonder' (after the line 'wherever I wander') in this song although this is simply the Southern pronunciation of the word 'fonder' whimsically exaggerated and should not be construed as a mistake. The recording still survives in TV adverts today. Harris also joined Louis Prima in "I Wanna Be Like You," delivering a memorable scat singing performance. The Aristocats features Harris as alley cat Abraham de Lacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley, who joins in the film's showstopper, "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat," with Scatman Crothers. In Robin Hood, Harris's Little John sings the popular anti-Prince John tune "The Phony King of England." In 1989, Harris briefly returned to Disney to once again voice Baloo, this time for the cartoon series TaleSpin. But after a few recording sessions he was replaced by Ed Gilbert. His last role was in 1991 film Rock-a-Doodle, directed by Don Bluth, as the friendly, laid-back Basset Hound Patou.
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