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Dumbo (1941)

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Dumbo Poster

October 23, 1941

Dumbo is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, and illustrated by Helen Durney for the prototype of a novelty toy ("Roll-a-Book").

The main character is Jumbo Jr., an elephant who is cruelly nicknamed "Dumbo", as in "dumb". He is ridiculed for his big ears, but in fact he is capable of flying by using his ears as wings. Throughout most of the film, his only true friend, aside from his mother, is the mouse, Timothy – a relationship parodying the stereotypical animosity between mice and elephants.

Produced to recoup the financial losses of both Pinocchio and Fantasia, Dumbo was a deliberate pursuit of simplicity and economy for the Disney studios. At 64 minutes, it is one of Disney's shortest animated features. Sound was recorded conventionally using the RCA System. One voice was synthesized using the Sonovox system, but it, too, was recorded using the RCA System.

Dumbo was released on October 23, 1941, where it was met with critical acclaim for its story, humor, visuals, and music. The film was later criticized for racist stereotyping of black people. Its accolades include an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.

In 2017, Dumbo was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant".

n the years following its initial release, Dumbo remains popular ever since. Its derivative works include a popular theme park attraction, merchandise products, a television series, and a live-action adaptation.

Storyline[]

In Florida, while a large circus spends the off-season in its winter grounds, a flock of white storks delivers many babies to the animals. One elephant, Mrs. Jumbo, does not receive her baby, and keeps scanning the sky. The next spring, the circus sets out on a new tour. A belated stork catches up with the moving train and drops off the expected baby elephant, Jumbo Junior. The other elephants are initially delighted, until they see the baby has far-oversized ears, and promptly nickname him "Dumbo". Mrs. Jumbo shows her baby great care and love, defending him from teasing by other elephants.

Being clumsy due to his ears, Dumbo is made into a sideshow attraction. When some rowdy boys started to bully Dumbo and his ears, Mrs. Jumbo spanks their leader and throws hay bales at them. The circus staff remove Dumbo from the pen. Mrs. Jumbo flies into a rage, eventually dousing the ringmaster in a water tub. She is subsequently deemed mad and locked up in a cage. Dumbo is blamed for the incident, and then gets shunned by the other elephants.

After scaring off the other elephants, Timothy, a mouse that travels with the circus, befriends Dumbo and decides to make him a star. He whispers in the ringmaster's ear while the latter sleeps, convincing him to try a new stunt with Dumbo as the top of a pyramid of elephants. Dumbo trips on his ears during the show and knocks over the pyramid, injuring the other elephants and causing the big top to crash down. After this, the other elephants exile Dumbo completely. He is put in with the clowns' firemen act, regularly jumping from a "burning building" prop into a vat of pie filling. Despite his newfound popularity, he hates the job and becomes depressed.

Timothy decides to take Dumbo to see Mrs. Jumbo, but they cannot see each other's faces and can only intertwine trunks. Meanwhile, the clowns decide to increase the popularity of their fireman act by dangerously raising the platform Dumbo jumps from. In celebration of the plan, they drink champagne, and a bottle of it falls into a water vat. Crying after visiting his mother, Dumbo has the hiccups, so Timothy takes him to the vat for some water. Both of them get drunk, and hallucinate pink elephants.

Dumbo and Timothy are later discovered asleep high up in a tree by Dandy Crow and his gang. Initially making fun of Timothy's assertion that Dumbo flew with his ears while drunk, the crows are soon moved by Dumbo's sad story. They decide to help Timothy, giving him a "magic feather" to help Dumbo fly. Holding the feather, Dumbo does indeed take off a second time. He and Timothy return to the circus with plans to surprise the audience.

During the clowns' fire act, Dumbo jumps off the platform and prepares to fly. He drops the feather, but Timothy assures him it was only a psychological aid. Dumbo successfully flies about the big top, much to the delight of the public. He throws a trunkful of peanuts to the other elephants as payback. Dumbo gains fame and fortune, Timothy becomes his new manager and signs him to a Hollywood contract, and Mrs. Jumbo is freed. She and Dumbo are given a private coach on the train. The crows wave goodbye to the elephants as they travel away.

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Dumbo (1941)/Image Gallery

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