Dumbo 1941 (2)

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Dumbo [1941]

Tagline:

• The One...The Only...The FABULOUS...

• Let your spirit soar

Overview

• Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.

• 23 October 1941

• 64 minutes

• Golden Age of Animation

• Walt Disney Productions

Genres

• Animation

• Family

• Drama

Production Team

• Director

  • Supervising director: Ben Sharpsteen

  • Sequence directors: Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Bill Roberts, Jack Kinney, Samuel Armstrong

• Screenwriter

  • Joe Grant, Dick Huemer

• Production Company

  • Walt Disney Productions

• Distribution Company

  • RKO Radio Pictures

Setting and Inspiration

• Based On

  • Dumbo, the Flying Elephant by Helen Aberson, Harold Pearl

• Place

  • Circus locations in the United States

• Adaptations

  • Dumbo [2019]

    • Live-action reimagining directed by Tim Burton

Music

• Composer

  • Frank Churchill, Oliver Wallace

• Track List

  • Main Title

  • Look Out For Mister Stork - Chorus

  • Loading the Train / Casey Junior / Storm On A Cloud / Straight from Heaven / Mother and Baby / Arrival At Night

  • Song of the Roustabouts - Chorus

  • Circus Parade

  • Bathtime / Hide and Seek

  • Ain't That the Funniest Thing / Beserk / Dumbo Shunned / A Mouse! / Dumbo and Timothy / Dumbo the Great

  • The Pyramid of Pachyderms

  • No Longer An Elephant / Dumbo's Sadness / A Visit In The Night / Baby Mine - Betty Noyes

  • Clown Song - Chorus

  • Hiccups / Firewater / Bubbles / Did You See That? / Pink Elephants On Parade - Chorus

  • Up A Tree / The Fall / Timothy's Theory

  • When I See An Elephant Fly - Jim Carmichael, The Hall Johnson Choir, Cliff Edwards

  • You Oughta Be Ashamed

  • The Flight Test / When I See An Elephant Fly [Reprise] - Jim Carmichael, The Hall Johnson Choir, Cliff Edwards

  • Save My Child / The Threshold of Success - Cliff Edwards, Jim Carmichael, The Hall Johnson Choir

  • Dumbo's Triumph / Making History / Finale (When I See An Elephant Fly)

  • Spread Your Wings [Demo Recording]

Bonus Content

• Creative Intro

  • Opens with a whimsical, storybook sequence that sets the stage for the magical tale of Dumbo.

• Creative Credits

  • The end credits feature a nostalgic reprise of When I See An Elephant Fly with animated sequences highlighting key moments from the film.

• Iconic Quotes

  • You can do it, Dumbo. You can fly.

  • Don't just fly, soar.

  • Dumbo, you're a real life flying elephant!

  • But I be done seen about everything, when I see an elephant fly - Jim Carmichael as Dopey Crow

  • Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes - Betty Noyes as Mrs. Jumbo

  • The very things that hold you down are gonna carry you up and up and up - Timothy Q. Mouse

  • Ain't nobody can bring me down - Cliff Edwards as Dandy Crow

  • Dumbo! The ninth wonder of the universe! The world's only flying elephant! - Ringmaster

• Fun Facts

  • Initially, Walt Disney was uninterested in making this movie. To get him interested, story men Joe Grant and Dick Huemer wrote up the film as installments which they left on Walt's desk every morning. Finally, he ran into the story department saying, This is great! What happens next?

  • Dumbo is the first and only protagonist in a Disney animated feature film to have no spoken dialogue.

  • A very tightly budgeted, scripted, and produced film, because Walt Disney needed it to bring in much-needed revenue after the expensive failures of Pinocchio (1940) and Fantasia (1940). The final negative cost of Dumbo was $813,000 (making it the least expensive of all Disney's animated features), and it grossed over $2.5 million in its original release (more than the original grosses of Pinocchio and Fantasia combined).

  • The first Walt Disney animated feature (and still one of the very few) to be set in America.

  • After his mother is taken away, Dumbo is seen standing on his own, swaying sadly from side to side. This is actually an accurate depiction of what elephants do when they are emotionally distraught.

  • The character of Dumbo was inspired by a story written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, originally published as a children’s book.

  • The film's animators studied real-life elephants to ensure accurate portrayals, contributing to the film's enduring realism.

  • The film is known for its groundbreaking use of watercolor backgrounds, a technique that was seldom used in other Disney films.

  • Dumbo's pink elephant sequence was one of the first instances of surrealism in animation, influencing many future animated films.

  • The film's message about embracing one's uniqueness and overcoming adversity has resonated with audiences for generations.

  • The song Baby Mine was nominated for an Academy Award and remains one of Disney's most beloved lullabies.

  • Timothy Q. Mouse, voiced by Edward Brophy, was created to be Dumbo's mentor and protector, adding heartwarming elements to the story.

  • The film's short runtime of 64 minutes is due to its tight budget and the desire to keep production costs low.

  • The scene where Dumbo flies for the first time remains one of the most iconic moments in animation history.

  • Dumbo was re-released multiple times and has remained a beloved classic in Disney's animated canon.

Reception

• Awards

  • Academy Awards:

    • Best Original Score: Frank Churchill, Oliver Wallace (Won)

    • Best Original Song for Baby Mine: Frank Churchill, Ned Washington (Nominated)

  • National Film Registry:

    • Inducted for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant (2017)

• Achievements

  • Grossed over $2.5 million in its original release, surpassing the original grosses of Pinocchio and Fantasia combined

  • Praised for its simple, heartwarming story and memorable music

• Legacy

  • Considered one of Disney's most enduring classics

  • The character of Dumbo remains a beloved icon in Disney's legacy

  • Inspired various adaptations, including the 2019 live-action reimagining

• Quotes

  • A timeless tale that continues to resonate with audiences of all ages

  • Dumbo's journey of self-acceptance and courage is as touching now as it was in 1941

Cast

• Edward Brophy as Timothy Q. Mouse

• Margaret Wright as Casey Jr.

• Verna Felton as Elephant Matriarch / Mrs. Jumbo

• Sarah Selby as Prissy the Elephant

• Noreen Gammill as Catty the Elephant

• Dorothy Scott as Giddy the Elephant

• Herman Bing as The Ringmaster

• Cliff Edwards as Dandy Crow

• Jim Carmichael as Dopey Crow

• Nick Stewart as Specks Crow

• Hall Johnson as Deacon Crow

• James Baskett as Fats Crow

• Sterling Holloway as Mr. Stork

• John McLeish as Narrator