The animation, too, is far more understated than any of the films that surround it. Its simplicity isn't limited to its story, however. In doing so, it packs an emotional punch like no other. Dumbo shows us the lowest points of life and then reminds us that it is during these very moments that life picks us back up again. Yet despite all that is grim inside it, an uplifting optimism purveys throughout, and it manages to convey a warm feeling and most positive message by its end.
Jumbo's anguish when she is forced outside of the world that has proven itself so callous toward her child. For decades, the film has challenged audiences to not feel Mrs. Jumbo is so well-realized and masterfully conveyed that when juxtaposed with the malignancy of the outside world, Dumbo's mistreatment is heart-wrenching. The dark storm clouds and abundant rain set the mood for the unflinching depiction of loneliness and injustice. The protagonist is downtrodden and destitute for much of the duration. In it, the circus world is a cruel one in which contempt and abuse are the order of the day. The story's timeless potency has enabled its undeniable status as an all-time classic.ĭon't be fooled by the circus setting and cute characters Dumbo is Walt Disney's darkest film. The film's messages - never forced or made too obvious - of overcoming obstacles and shining in the face of adversity are so universal that they remain as accessible to audiences of all ages today as they were in 1941 and have been ever since. On the heels of the Great Depression and the cusp of World War II, the triumphs of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck had already connected with moviegoers around the world and Dumbo was an even more resonant character. The quintessential underdog story, Dumbo was no doubt encouraging to the 1941 audience. Jumbo's ire and she's eventually imprisoned, leaving her son defenseless and without a friend in the world until an encouraging mouse by the name of Timothy comes along. The merciless ridicule inflicted on the young elephant invokes Mrs. It doesn't take long for her to realize, though, that her son stands out from other elephants in one very big way - his gigantic ears. Stork finally brings her one, she couldn't be more content. Jumbo, a circus elephant, longs for a son and when Mr. The most straightforward in narrative of any of Disney's early works, Dumbo is a very simple story. Its brevity becomes it, however, as the story fits almost perfectly inside the 64 minute runtime without failing to satisfy. Lasting only a little over an hour, it is the shortest of Walt's most famous animated classics (the oft-forgotten package film Saludos Amigos is actually quite a bit shorter) and a far cry from the two hours-plus of Fantasia. Though its origins may not have been ideal, the studio found magic yet again and this time, audiences felt it too.
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Given these circumstances, the movie needed to move through production quickly and the animators found that that wasn't a problem. Disney needed cash and Dumbo was their money maker. Unable to rely on cartoon shorts alone, the Disney Brothers turned to another feature film project for support despite their ongoing efforts in the twitterpated deer drama that would premiere the next year.
While the overseas market closed and the threat of US war in Europe loomed, Walt Disney was pressured by a labor union strike inside his own studio and the prolonged production of Bambi.Īs it has so often been throughout its history, the studio's vitality was at stake. Four years earlier, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had been a tremendous success, but the two 1940 features that followed it, Pinocchio and Fantasia, had not been so lucky. Released in 1941, Dumbo saved Walt Disney's studio. Buy 60th Anniversary Edition DVD By Aaron Wallace.Songs: "Look Out For Mister Stork", "Casey Junior", "Song of the Roustabouts", "Baby Mine", "Pink Elephants on Parade", "When I See an Elephant Fly" Mouse), Verna Felton (Matriarch), Cliff Edwards (Jim Crow), Herman Bing (Ringmaster), Margaret Wright (Casey Jr.) Theatrical Release: Octo/ Running Time: 64 Minutes / Rating: G