Review #745: 'Dumbo' (1941)

Made to recoup on the financial losses caused by the commercially unsuccessful Pinocchio and Fantasia (both 1940), Dumbo is one of Disney's shortest and narratively simplistic works to date. Ironically, it's also one of their finest. With Disney's 'nine old men' working on other projects to hopefully re-vamp the studios financial prospects, Dumbo was developed by Dick Huemer and Joe Grant, two of Disney's founding fathers, who took an unconventional approach to adapting the story from Helen Aberson's children's story. Written almost like a book, the film's charm and appeal lies in it's no frills approach.

There's no heavy-handed morality message, just a simple tale about a cute elephant with a physical affliction trying to get by in a world that will not accept him. In fact, away from Jumbo Jr., cruelly dubbed 'Dumbo' by some unsavoury elephants, and his only friend in the world Timothy Q. Mouse (Edward Brophy), Dumbo's world is full of unkindness. The faceless men who run the travelling circus Dumbo is apart of, do little but hammer and build with a depressing resignation. The other elephants, apart from Mrs. Jumbo (Verna Felton), refuse to accept him due to his comically large ears, and do everything to ridicule and exile him. There's no moment of realisation for these characters, just a satisfying pay-back.

It's strange that this is rarely mentioned as one of Disney's finest. Perhaps it's the lack of musical numbers or the use of silent-era slapstick and facial humour as opposed to the usual quipping sidekick. But for me, this enhances the enjoyment, putting more focus on the wonderful animation, and reducing the story down to something we can all relate to. Much has been said about the crows encountered by Dumbo towards the end of the film, and their racial stereotyping. I will not deny that some of Disney's early output do leave a nasty taste in the mouth, but, in fact, the crows are part of a select few who are sympathetic to Dumbo's plight, and Dumbo feels too innocent to be accused of such. And it's in this innocence that lies the magic, something that was lost once Disney came out of it's Golden Era.


Directed by: Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen
Voices: Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Sterling Holloway, Cliff Edwards
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie