Review #1768: Dumbo.
Cast:
Edward Brophy (Timothy Q. Mouse), Verna Felton (Elephant Matriarch / Mrs. Jumbo), Cliff Edwards (Dandy Crow), Herman Bing (The Ringmaster), Sterling Holloway (Mr. Stork), Margaret Wright (Casey Junior), and The Hall Johnson Choir [Crow Chorus: Hall Johnson (Deacon), James Baskett (Fats), Nick Stewart (Specks), Jim Carmichael (Dopey)] Directed by Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson (#511 - The Three Caballeros), Wilfred Jackson (#178 - Peter Pan, #373 - Cinderella, and #683 - Alice in Wonderland, #810 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Jack Kinney (#511), Bill Roberts (#511), Ben Sharpsteen (#810), and John Elliotte.
Review:
Dumbo is one of those timeless classic movies, pure and simple. Whether two or twenty-two or even one-hundred two, it manages to captivate its audience with a short run-time (64 minutes) while being a unique feature among the number of features that was created by Walt Disney Productions (with distribution by RKO Radio Pictures, who tried to get Disney to lengthen the film a bit), particularly when you look at the studio for just the 1940s or in the eight decades that followed the release of the film. Of course, Dumbo (1941) was released as the fourth animated feature film released by the studio that followed along the heels of 1940's Pinocchio and Fantasia, which while regarded well by critics were actually not major hits for the studio at the time, owing to a lack of distribution in Europe because of World War II, while Dumbo was made for less than a million dollars and became a modest hit for the studio. It would not be an easy production, however, since an animator strike would occur for a couple of weeks in the Disney studio (which was later immortalized by the clown characters in the film, who are depicted wanting to go to the boss for a raise). The film was the second-to-last feature film to be released by Disney in the decade, with Bambi (1942) was followed by six package features). The movie is based on the story Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which was written by Helen Aberson-Mayer and Harold Pearl (while having illustrations by Helen Durney), a married couple of writers that had sold the book to a company called Roll-a-Book in 1939, who in term sold the story to Walt Disney Productions that same year (no copies of it apparently exist, since the "roll-a-book" was a cardboard contraption with a little wheel on it, although Dumbo was turned into a softcover book later); Joe Grant and Dick Huemer were tasked to write a script outline over the course of a month in 1940, which Disney made into a feature rather than a short film, and Otto Englander would head a story team to turn the outline into sketches (as such, Grant, Huemer, and Englander were credited as story writers).
What can I tell you that you did not already know about it? I hadn't seen the movie for over a decade and yet it still managed to seem quite refreshing and meaningful regardless of that fact. It has a delightful pace and quality to it, one that is quite joyful and curious with its subject matter without becoming mired in too much cotton-candy sentimentality; in other words, it doesn't just go for "cute" with its animation or even its lead character, since there isn't a voice for him (one of the few times you can say that in an animated film). The folks that are present to speak prove right for the task of delivering right to the point when it comes to engaging atmosphere, whether that means smart-mouth do-gooders (Brophy, a character actor making his first and only voice role, which was both un-credited and memorable) or amusing folks that close the film with a song led by Edwards (a face and voice familiar for his roles within film and in music, most notably with Pinocchio) and the choir of Hall Johnson and company (familiar to folks who have heard Lost Horizon (1937), while Baskett would end up starring in Song of the South). Besides, finding a way to overcome an obstacle, such as say, being made fun of because of one's look, is a tradition like no other when it comes to honing a lively fable for everyone to enjoy. Well, that and showing folks up when it comes to provine oneself, although most would only dream to be as humble as a flying elephant. Everyone will have their own little favorite moments or sequences to chuckle or appreciate, whether that involves a little bit with a train engine, or as one might expect, a dazzling sequence involving pink elephants. The animation is exactly what you would expect from Disney's animators, crisp and effective in what needs to be seen on screen that can look as interesting on the first viewing to the next one, and I'm sure most would say this applies to the films as well when it comes to having variety (i.e. one can see where they have done in features since Snow White). By the time the film soars towards its conclusion, it sticks the landing with dazzling its audience with the art of seeing flight take place that doesn't diminish whether one was familiar with the subject matter or not (there will also be that one person who does not latch onto Disney films early). In essence, it is the movie for all kids at heart, ones who appreciate the fine touch of animation done by Disney's animators (most notably with Bill Tytla and Art Babbitt) that makes a sure winner anytime for all time.
Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.
