Disney attempted to make a movie with the Fab Four in 1965, relaying their message through the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein. Their offer for the band to voice the vultures in their Jungle Book adaptation was met with backlash from John Lennon, whose response insinuated a feud between him and Elvis Presley at the time.
At the start of his career, Lennon showed interest in becoming an actor, which he often expressed to Cilla Black. Cilla noted this about the Beatles’ frontman in Ray Coleman’s Lennon: The Definitive Biography; however, Lennon did not pursue acting after his attempt in 1967’s How I Won The War.
John Lennon’s heated reaction to Disney’s offer
Upon learning that he and his bandmates were to sing “That’s What Friends Are For (The Vulture Song)” in Jungle Book, Lennon immediately snapped, saying there was no way he would sing for Mickey Mouse. He reportedly asked the network to “f**k off” and get Elvis for their crappy movies.
Disney proceeded with Jungle Book without the singers; however, the vultures seemed to subtly represent them with their haircuts and Liverpool accents. The voices ended up being that of J. Pat O’Malley, Digby Wolfe, Lord Tim Hudson, and Chat Stuart.
Did John Lennon really feud with Elvis Presley?
Lennon used to look up to Elvis as an upcoming singer, but his admiration for the Rock ‘n’ Roll king declined as he reached stardom. Lennon thought Elvis’ songs grew worse, especially after he left the army in 1960. Per The Beatles Anthology, Lennon said he sounded like his testicles were removed, adding that he really died after leaving service.
Elvis, on the other hand, also held a grudge against The Beatles, and although they met only once, the rock star would flip at the mention of their name. He even went as far as asking former United States president Richard Nixon to ban the group from performing in America.