Dumbo (1941)

Ridiculed because of his enormous ears, a young circus elephant is assisted by a mouse to achieve his full potential.

Directors:

Samuel Armstrong (as Sam Armstrong), Norman Ferguson

Writers:

Joe Grant (screen story by), Dick Huemer (screen story by)

Stars:

Sterling Holloway, Edward Brophy, Herman Bing

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Herman Bing	...	The Ringmaster (voice) (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Clown (voice) (uncredited)
Edward Brophy	...	Timothy Q. Mouse (voice) (uncredited)
Hall Johnson Choir	...	Crows (voice) (uncredited)
Cliff Edwards	...	Dandy Crow (uncredited)
Verna Felton	...	The Elephant Matriarch / Mrs. Jumbo (voice) (uncredited)
Noreen Gammill	...	Catty the Elephant (voice) (uncredited)
Eddie Holden	...	Clown (voice) (uncredited)
Sterling Holloway	...	Mr. Stork (voice) (uncredited)
Malcolm Hutton	...	Skinny (voice) (uncredited)
James MacDonald	...	Roaring Lion (voice) (uncredited)
Harold Manley	...	Boy (voice) (uncredited)
John McLeish	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Jack Mercer	...	Clowns (voice) (uncredited)
Tony Neil	...	Boy (voice) (uncredited)

Storyline

The stork delivers a baby elephant to Mrs. Jumbo, veteran of the circus, but the newborn is ridiculed because of his truly enormous ears and dubbed "Dumbo". After being separated from his mother, Dumbo is relegated to the circus' clown acts; it is up to his only friend, a mouse, to assist Dumbo to achieve his full potential.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | elephant | stork | mother son relationship | florida | 

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Taglines:

It's a three-ring circus bursting with fun...

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Genres:

Animation | Drama | Family | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the film won an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, its key song "Baby Mine" failed to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It lost to "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from Lady Be Good (1941). Controversially, the winner was not actually an original song, since it had been previously performed in 1940.

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Goofs

The elephants' hats and costumes change between shots during the pyramid stunt.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Through the snow, and sleet, and hail / Through the blizzard, through the gale / Through the wind and through the rain / Over mountain, over plain / Through the blinding lightning flash / And the mighty thunder crash / Ever faithful, ever true / Nothing stops him, he'll get through.

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Crazy Credits

The RKO logo is in gold on a blue background within a stylish gold border; all of this is on a red background.

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Alternate Versions

The 2011 DVD and Blu-ray releases add the closing variant of the 2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo.

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Connections

Referenced in Falling Skies: Collateral Damage (2013)

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Soundtracks

When I See an Elephant Fly (Reprise)
(1941) (uncredited)
Music by Oliver Wallace
Lyrics by Ned Washington
Sung by a chorus

User Reviews

A wonderful film from Disney's classic era

As a kid, I would watch over and over several Disney features: Pinnochio, Peter Pan, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, and Dumbo. When I come back to those films now, I recognize that they are all marvelous films and gave Walt Disney much deserved success. It's truly sad how far Disney has fallen. All kids' flicks now are awful. I revisited Dumbo, by the way, on the same night that I first watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, destined to be one of the most successful films of all time. It is execrable, and it is simply pathetic how bad films like it are nowadays. I say, bring your kids back to Dumbo, Pinnochio, Bambi, and the like. They may not be as harmless as the kind of movie Disney and others shove out today. You shouldn't be afraid of your children showing emotion. I can remember more than anything being profoundly affected by the "Baby Mine" number from Dumbo, where he visits his imprisoned mother. Films like these will mould your children's emotional stability instead of keeping them at a safe distance and selling them toys.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Feature Animation - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$950,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,731

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1