Casey Junior
| Dumbo | |
|---|---|
Original theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by |
Supervising director: Ben Sharpsteen Sequence directors: Norman Ferguson Wilfred Jackson Bill Roberts Jack Kinney Samuel Armstrong |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Story by | Otto Englander Joe Grant Dick Huemer |
| Based on |
Dumbo by Helen Aberson Harold Pearl |
| Starring |
Edward Brophy Herman Bing Margaret Wright Sterling Holloway Verna Felton Cliff Edwards |
| Narrated by | John McLeish |
| Music by |
Frank Churchill Oliver Wallace |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
64 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $950,000 |
| Box office | $1.6 million |
Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a novelty toy ("Roll-a-Book"). The main character is Jumbo Jr., a semi-anthropomorphic elephant who is cruelly nicknamed "Dumbo". He is ridiculed for his big ears, but in fact he is capable of flying by using his ears as wings. Throughout most of the film, his only true friend, aside from his mother, is the mouse, Timothy – a relationship parodying the stereotypical animosity between mice and elephants.
Dumbo was released on October 23, 1941. Made to recoup the financial losses of Fantasia, it was a deliberate pursuit of simplicity and economy for the Disney studio. At 64 minutes, it is one of Disney's shortest animated features. Sound was recorded conventionally using the RCA System. One voice was synthesized using the Sonovox system, but it, too, was recorded using the RCA System.
A flock of storks deliver babies while circus animals are being transported by train from their "Winter Quarters". Mrs. Jumbo, one of the elephants, receives her baby who is soon tormented by the other (female) elephants because of his large ears, and they nickname him "Dumbo".
Once the circus is assembled, Mrs. Jumbo loses her temper at a group of boys for tormenting Dumbo, and is locked up and deemed mad. Dumbo is shunned by the other elephants and with no mother to care for him, he is now alone. Timothy Q. Mouse, who feels sympathy for Dumbo and becomes determined to make him happy again, appoints himself as Dumbo's mentor and protector.
The circus director makes Dumbo the top of an elephant pyramid stunt after being secretly encouraged by Timothy, but Dumbo trips over his ears and misses his target, injuring the other elephants and bringing down the big top. Dumbo is made a clown as a result, officially having the other elephants deem him no longer one of them, and plays the main role in an act that involves him falling into a vat of pie filling. Despite his newfound popularity and fame, Dumbo dislikes this job and is now more miserable than ever.
...
Wikipedia