A baby circus elephant with enormous ears is shunned by his
own kind and befriends a mouse who helps him become a star. FAMILY/FANTASY/MUSICAL
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Dumbo (1941)Directed by Ben Sharpsteen
Written by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer Starring Edward Brophy, Herman Bing, James Baskett, Billy Bletcher, Mel Blanc, Verna Felton Based on the book by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl Oscar Wins - Best Original Score (Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace) Oscar Nominations - Best Original Song (Baby Mine) |
With Disney's latest live-action remake set to soar this weekend, I felt it was finally time to sit down and watch the original Dumbo, Disney's fourth full-length feature. For such a short film, Dumbo doesn't disappoint. It packs enough story and humor to remain a classic nearly eighty years since its release. With a heartfelt message of self-acceptance and the most adorable character Disney ever brought to the big screen, Dumbo is sure to entertain anyone with a heart.
Meet Dumbo. He's a baby elephant with giant ears that constantly get in his way. He's shunned by every elephant in the circus except his mother, Mrs. Jumbo, who is locked away when she defends Dumbo from some bullies. Dumbo is then befriended by Timothy Q. Mouse, who takes pity on the poor elephant and decides to help him become a star in the circus. The friendship between Dumbo and Timothy is sweet and genuine, though the film is nearly ruined by the one thing that will always keep Dumbo stuck in the past. The racist group of crows who speak and dress in total African-American stereotypes is just plain uncomfortable to watch these days. It serves as a reminder that Disney hasn't always been as PC as they claim to be, so maybe they shouldn't cast the first stone. Dumbo features some iconic moments like "Pink Elephants on Parade," one of the most eerie and strange scenes in Disney history that you really have to see to believe. Dumbo is a (mostly) timeless classic that can be revisited again and again for countless generations, and it has remained a staple of Disney's animated pantheon for nearly a century. |