Day 4: Dumbo

Dumbo (1941)

Starring: Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Cliff Edwards

Songs: "Look Out for Mr. Stork," "Casey, Jr.," "Roustabouts," "Hit the Big Boss (For a Raise)," "Baby Mine," "Pink Elephants on Parade," "When I See an Elephant Fly"

Dumbo is the story of a circus elephant born with unfortunately large ears and taken from his mother at a young age.  Important to note that the nickname Dumbo is given him to the gossipy elephants to taunt him (and his poor mother).  His real name is Jumbo Junior, and as is unfortunately quite often the case in real life, there is a child here being bullied by adults.

This movie is a stark contrast to Fantasia.  It's the shortest movie so far (at sixty four minutes) but it's also much less of an artistic stretch.  The story here is straightforward.  The animation is simple and the backgrounds are less complex than earlier features.  All of this was done to save money, as the movie was made as cheaply as possible in an attempt to recoup some of Fantasia's losses.  Kudos to the studio though because this did end up being Disney's most profitable film of the 1940s.

Now, I mentioned that the animation and backgrounds were more simple, but this doesn't mean they aren't beautiful.  The models of the circus animals especially are more realistic than those in Snow White.  And Dumbo himself is a very sympathetic character, despite not speaking.  It's easier to connect with him than, say, Pinocchio.  

This was a movie I was fairly neutral about as a child.  I had it on video and I had seen it a couple of times, but it was neither a favorite nor a least favorite.  

What I Liked: The little scene about seventeen minutes in where Dumbo plays with his mom's tail and trips over his ears.  The song "Baby Mine" which made me tear up just a little.  

What I Disliked: Jim Crow and the gang.  I know it was the '40s, and I know racist stereotypes were unfortunately common, but that doesn't mean I will ever excuse them.  The stereotype may not be necessarily malicious, but it's unnecessary.

Should You Watch This Movie: Yes, for families and for Disney fans.  If you watch it with your kids, it can easily be used as a springing board for discussions on bullying, subtle racism (via the Crows), even animal cruelty (because let's be honest, those circus animals were not treated particularly well, from what we saw).