‘Dumbo’ is among the earliest Disney animated classics that have become household names.The magical tale first came out as an American animated movie in 1941. Produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Jack Kinney, the ‘Dumbo’ movie is based on a children’s book of the same name, written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl.As the story goes, the main movie character is Jumbo Jr., a baby elephant who is born with abnormally big ears. He is mocked for his ears and cruelly nicknamed ‘Dumbo’. But it turns out that Dumbo’s ears serve as wings, making this elephant fly.Throughout the movie, Jumbo Jr. is only supported by two people: his mother and his mouse friend, Timothy. A classic animation, the movie has a very short runtime of just 64 minutes and stars the first Disney protagonist to have no spoken dialogue—Dumbo. Yet, there is enough emotion that makes you fall in love with the iconic Disney character.The film was created by Joe Grant, who is also famous as the creator of the witch in ‘Snow White.’ Most parts of the film were animated by Eric Larson, who is well-known for his character animation in ‘The Jungle Book.’ Howard Swift, Les Clark, and Dick Huemer also created some of the most iconic scenes in the movie.In 1941, after the movie was released, Dumbo was almost on the official cover of Time Magazine. It was all set to be named Time’s’ ‘Mammal of the Year,’ a twist on the typical ‘Person of the Year.’ However, the cover story was not printed until after the attack on Pearl Harbor took place, and the magazine decided to go with a more serious cover.The musical picture also had a song that was nominated for an Academy Award. Their film’s song, ‘Baby Mine’ was chosen in the Best Song category, only to lose to another song from ‘Lady Be Good.‘The famous lullaby of this film, ‘Baby Mine’ was written by Ned Washington. The music was given by Frank Churchill, and the vocals for the original film were recorded by Betty Noyes.The famous line in this movie, ’lots of people with big ears are famous,’ was an ode to Clark Gable. This sweet little movie became such a massive hit that it led to its sequel, ‘Dumbo II’, which narrated the story of Dumbo’s father.In 2019, director Tim Burton did a remake of the Disney animated feature. The recent movie was not an animated version but made around the same elephant, Dumbo. Read on to learn some important ‘Dumbo’ facts that will give you a greater appreciation for this Walt Disney movie.Characters In ‘Dumbo’The 1941 animated Walt Disney ‘Dumbo’ was a heartfelt movie with many adorable characters.Dumbo’s mother, Mrs. Jumbo, was an important character. She played the loving and protective mother of the film’s main character.The character that came second in importance after she was Timothy Q. Mouse. He is a gentle, Brooklyn-accented mouse who acts as the mentor, guardian, and best friend of Dumbo, the flying elephant. Edward Brophy was the voice of Timothy that made a particularly lasting impression on Disney fans.Supporting characters in the animated Disney classic include Jim Crow, Deacon, Dopey, Fats, and Specks. At the start, they are a flock of retorting crows who mock at the prospect of a flying elephant. But later on, they devote themselves to helping Dumbo learn to fly and become his mentors.Other than that, the animated movie includes characters like the Circus Elephants, a group of female elephants led by the Elephant Matriarch. You can also see pink elephants, which are nothing but hallucinations of Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse.A few other animated characters include Smitty, Casey Junior, and Mister Stork.A minor but very impactful character, Mr. Stork, was voiced by Sterling Holloway. He is famous for voicing Winnie the Pooh and Cheshire Cat from ‘Alice in Wonderland.‘The main crow’s voice was provided by Cliff Edwards, an American singer, musician, and actor.The director of the film, Tim Burton, put a twist on the 1941 Walt Disney movie when he re-launched it in 2019. At its core, the movie remains about a lovable elephant that is mocked for its giant-sized ears until he uses them to fly. But, the director put his creative element to work by adding a new group of characters that don’t appear in the original film.For instance, Holt Farrier is the protagonist in the 2019 film. The character is played by Colin Farrell. He is a past circus pedestrian whose life becomes topsy-turvy when he returns from World War II. In the final film, Holt serves as a human stand-in for Timothy Mouse, filling the roles of best friend and fatherly figure to Dumbo. You can also see Holt’s children, Joe Farrier and Milly Farrier, in the 2019 remake.The movie stars DeVito, who portrays Max Medici, the benevolent owner of a rundown circus, and Michael Keaton as the covetous entrepreneur, VA Vandervere, who takes a deep interest in Max’s brilliant elephant.Other noteworthy characters in the remake are Ivan the Wonderful, the circus’s magician, and his wife, Catherine the Greater. Colette Marchant, played by Eva Green, is the circus’s aerialist, and Puck the Organ Grinder is the musician.‘Dumbo’ On OTT PlatformsThe new ‘Dumbo’ was released on March 27, 2019. Directed by Tim Burton, the one-hour and 52 minute Disney feature film is available in multiple languages. It is this new version that is more popularly available on OTT platforms.The movie was first released in the US and UK in 2D and 3D by Walt Disney World Studios. The world premiere was held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in LA on March 11, 2019. This was followed by the European premiere that took place at the Curzon Mayfair Cinema, London, on March 21, 2019.Later that same year, the movie was released on OTT platforms. Disney made the movie available exclusively on their streaming service, Disney+.If you are a subscriber to the movie streaming platform, you can easily watch Dumbo there. It is an excellent movie to watch with the kids and family.The Business Generated By DumboDumbo, the flying elephant, is one of the most beloved Disney characters. Consequently, it has generated massive business for the company. Dumbo’s Circus, a live-action TV series meant for preschoolers, aired on the Disney channel in the ’80s.Dumbo elephant had a global reach, and ever since, it has inspired several amusement park rides across the world. Dumbo the Flying Elephant is a very popular ride that appears in Disneyland, Disneyland Park Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. The riders can even adjust the height of the elephant as they ride.Apart from the Dumbo ride, another popular ride that is exclusively found in Disneyland and Disneyland Paris is the Casey Jr. Circus Train. It is loved by all children.In 2009, Disneyland also introduced a Dumbo-inspired flying elephant nighttime fireworks show. In the show, elephants fly around the Sleeping Beauty Castle while fireworks take place.Social Perspective Of DumboAn individual is perceived based on their biological features, such as skin color and other genetic attributes that cannot be changed. It is one of the most influential concepts in sociology. And this concept of relative social reality can be assessed through the racism that permeates the Walt Disney film.For instance, the crows in the animated version are extremely racist. Although they are voiced by the Hall Johnson Choir, a famous spiritual group that appeared in many Disney movies, they are certainly problematic.Another awkward thing about the ‘Dumbo’ movie is that all the black people we see in the film are always shown without faces. They are shown working hard in the cold rain and shadows. This is again a racist depiction of African Americans, which is disappointing despite considering when the movie was made.Many critics stated that ‘Dumbo’ was barely a happy film as most of the runtime showcased the deep sorrow of a baby animal that also accidentally drinks absinthe. And this causes a nightmarish vision along with a musical montage with pink elephants on parade, which hardly makes much sense.All that said, ‘Dumbo’ is still a widely loved and admired Walt Disney feature. Even though there are some instances of racism in the film, it has garnered appreciation from fans worldwide.
‘Dumbo’ is among the earliest Disney animated classics that have become household names.
