Hello and welcome back to Dumbo Week, it appears we've reached the main event, the review of the film itself. Again, I'll state that this is a re review because I feel that my original review of this film wasn't as good as it could've been, therefore I've decided to review the film once more and go other certain things I left out last time, I talked about the film. With that out of the way, here's the trailer.
The Plot
The plot is rather simple, it's your basic Rudolph story of a child who has a difference that makes them outcast amongst society. In this case, it's Dumbo's ears. It's a simple story of overcoming a difference that life threw at you and finding out how you can adapt to it. This may be a simple story but for me, it works for me and really, it's the characters that help to sell the story.
Plot Device
The Magic Feather
Before we get too far into the review, there is one plot device to bring up. The Magic Feather. The Magic Feather is just a crow's feather that the Crows give to Timothy to help Dumbo fly. It was meant to give him a boost in courage and it worked. One thing, I really appreciate about The Magic Feather is that it isn't magical and that's it is just a real feather that Dumbo used sort of like a good luck charm to fly but even after he dropped in the climax, he could still fly. The reason, I say I'm glad it's not magic is that I kinda feel like if this film were made today, it really would be magic and to me that would take away from the film for me.
Characters
Now I'll be breaking this down into, Important, & Supporting characters. With that out of the way, let's begin.
Important Characters
Dumbo - Not Voiced
Ah, Dumbo. Your so cute and there's a reason your one of my favorite characters. Dumbo may not be the most complicated character but that's okay and I love all his expressions are expressed through body language seeing as he doesn't talk but that comes from the fact that he's just a baby but even still, it works in the film and even without the dialogue, it is easy to pick up on Dumbo's emotions.
Timothy Q. Mouse voiced by Edward Brophy
I'll try to keep it short here with Timothy seeing as I've already talked about him so much. As I've said in the past, you could compare him to Jiminy in that in many ways, he is sort of like a conscience but I would say that through rewatching this film, I noticed that he also takes on the role of being a paternal figure to Dumbo while Mrs. Jumbo is locked up. He's a fun character and as I said at the beginning of this week, every time you see him with Dumbo, it's clear that he cares for Dumbo and would do anything to cheer him up. This is shown in a line I love even if I did it include it on the Top 6.
Supposedly, this line is meant to be a reference to Walt, himself who according to some of his animators, he had big ears.
Mr. Stork voiced by Sterling Holloway
Some of you are probably wondering why, I'm including Mr. Stork when he's barely in the film. A. Sterling Holloway is my favorite Disney voice actor and more importantly without Mr. Stork, we wouldn't get to know Dumbo because he is the one that delivers Dumbo to Mrs. Jumbo and this is of course a play on the old story of storks delivering babies to new mom's and dad's. It's a cute idea and it works well.
The Crows voiced by Cliff Edwards, James Baskett, Jim Carmichael, & Nick Stewart.
First off, I apologize if I forgot any voice actor's name here. Again as with Timothy, I'll try not to spend too much time on these characters seeing as I talked about them in the Can We Talk about. The main reason, I'm listing them as Important Characters is because they are the ones that help Timothy teach Dumbo how to fly using the Magic Feather. As I stated in my Can We Talk about discussing these characters, I like them and even if they aren't in the film for long, they are fun. Plus at the end, they deliver a line I hadn't picked up on before but it got a slight chuckle out of me.
I kinda wish that the Crows were in more of the film as they were fun characters and were actually pretty funny.
Supporting Characters
Mrs. Jumbo voiced by Verna Felton
D'aww, what an adorable picture. Now before anyone asks, why I didn't put Mrs. Jumbo in Important, it's mainly because I view as more of a supporting character. Through and through, it is shown that Mrs. Jumbo loves her son and will do anything to protect him. This is best seen when the boy with big ears makes fun of Dumbo and she starts spanking him and goes on a bit of a rampage. This shows what great lengths she goes to protect Dumbo. Even if it means to being separated from him.
The Elephant Matriarch, Prissy, Giddy, and Catty voiced by Verna Felton, Sarah Shelby, Noreen Gamill, & Dorothy Scott
I bet you didn't know that these elephants had names, neither did I until I did some research on the film. I recall I had a discussion with Positive Troll in my Top 6 Female Disney Villains article where he labelled them as villains. Now while I can see where he was coming from but in my eyes there isn't enough to them to make them villains. Rather, I just see them as elitist snobs who look down upon anyone who is different from them because they think everyone should be the same. By the way, you may have notice The Elephant Matriarch (the head elephant) & Mrs. Jumbo share the same voice actress. Pretty funny, I'd say but I think it works to show the difference between the two of these characters. By the way, Timothy has a great line that sums up my feelings about these characters.
Now besides this quote, there's one from The Elephant Matriarch that struck me as cold and really shows how far they'll go in shunning Dumbo.
The Clowns voiced by Billy Bletcher, Eddie Holden, Billy Sheets
Now I held a poll asking if the Clowns were important enough to talk about and the majority thought so. Let me get this out of the way right now. The irony of me being afraid of clowns and this being my favorite film is not lost on me. The Clowns I guess are somewhat important as they are the ones that have to work with Dumbo but really, they're more important for who they represented in the real world. Some of you may know around the time that this film came out there was a strike at the Disney Studios and the Clowns were meant to be caricatures of the animators that had gone on strike. That is best seen here when they in the scene when they leave their tent and they're singing, "We're gonna hit the big boss for a raise".
So, while the Clowns don't necessarily play a big part in the film, they represent an important part of Disney's history.
Music
Look Out For Mr. Stork
This song is just a bunch of fun and you can understand the anticipation that Mrs. Jumbo is going through in waiting for her bundle of joy to come along. It's just a fun and simple song. There really isn't much to say about this song save for I really enjoy the sound of it.
Casey Jr.
For those of you wondering why, I didn't talk about the character of Casey, it's because I wanted to focus on characters that interacted with Dumbo. This song gives me a feeling of actually seeing the circus train take off and the sounds used for the train effects are just cool. Really with this song, I can just picture being in the circus with a box of Cracker Jacks. Of course, I would leave before the clowns came along. (The irony, my favorite film takes place in a circus yet I'm afraid of clowns).
Song of the Roustabouts
Just as with The Crows, this song has fallen under fire for it's contents. Which I can actually understand much more than the Crows. To be honest, I wasn't even going to go over this song because I felt as though that was a button I didn't want to push but it is part of the movie. I can see where the complaints towards this song come from and I'm not saying it's right but this was supposed to represent the lives of circus workers and they sing of what they know. Really, in the big picture when compared to other songs from this film, it's forgettable.
Baby Mine
Ah, now we come to my favorite Disney song of all time. It's just so sweet and simple in nature. It may be a simple song but it works in getting across the love of a mother and child. I feel that this song in the context of the film is even sweeter because Dumbo doesn't get much time with his mother and that makes all the time that the two of them have together all the much sweeter.
Pink Elephants On Parade
Admittedly, this is my least favorite song from the film. Mainly because it just feels out of place and stops the story just for this song. Visually it's stunning and yeah, I guess it does kinda fit in the context of the film seeing as Dumbo and Timothy unknowingly get drunk and it is mentioned afterwards by Timothy but in the grand scheme of things, it just feels out of place and for me it stops the film.
When I see An Elephant Fly
Again, I'll try to keep it short here as I've already gone over this. As I said before, it's a good song and I do see how people may think what some do about these characters. Even still, this is a good song and it is a lot of fun. It's just funny hearing the Crows sing about all of these things. Which sound absurd but exist but hey. it's a fun song and I know it seems like they're making fun of Dumbo, which to a certain extent they are but I believe they're also pointing how absurd a flying elephant sounds.
My Final Thoughts
Like I even need to give you my final thoughts on this film. If you've been following A Look at Disney for sometime now, then you should know my feelings on this film. At the end of the day, this film still holds up and most everything works in making this film enjoyable. Probably the only thing I'd get rid of is Pink Elephants seeing as it feels unneeded. It's not a bad song but again it feels out of place in the film. Other than that everything from the characters to the music to the story, which may be simple work well. As with many other things that I've reviewed I'd file this under the category of being beautifully simple. At the end of the day, this is and will always be my favorite movie. Join me tomorrow as I conclude Dumbo Week by taking a look at covers of Dumbo songs.
The Plot
The plot is rather simple, it's your basic Rudolph story of a child who has a difference that makes them outcast amongst society. In this case, it's Dumbo's ears. It's a simple story of overcoming a difference that life threw at you and finding out how you can adapt to it. This may be a simple story but for me, it works for me and really, it's the characters that help to sell the story.
Plot Device
The Magic Feather
Before we get too far into the review, there is one plot device to bring up. The Magic Feather. The Magic Feather is just a crow's feather that the Crows give to Timothy to help Dumbo fly. It was meant to give him a boost in courage and it worked. One thing, I really appreciate about The Magic Feather is that it isn't magical and that's it is just a real feather that Dumbo used sort of like a good luck charm to fly but even after he dropped in the climax, he could still fly. The reason, I say I'm glad it's not magic is that I kinda feel like if this film were made today, it really would be magic and to me that would take away from the film for me.
Characters
Now I'll be breaking this down into, Important, & Supporting characters. With that out of the way, let's begin.
Important Characters
Dumbo - Not Voiced
Ah, Dumbo. Your so cute and there's a reason your one of my favorite characters. Dumbo may not be the most complicated character but that's okay and I love all his expressions are expressed through body language seeing as he doesn't talk but that comes from the fact that he's just a baby but even still, it works in the film and even without the dialogue, it is easy to pick up on Dumbo's emotions.
Timothy Q. Mouse voiced by Edward Brophy
I'll try to keep it short here with Timothy seeing as I've already talked about him so much. As I've said in the past, you could compare him to Jiminy in that in many ways, he is sort of like a conscience but I would say that through rewatching this film, I noticed that he also takes on the role of being a paternal figure to Dumbo while Mrs. Jumbo is locked up. He's a fun character and as I said at the beginning of this week, every time you see him with Dumbo, it's clear that he cares for Dumbo and would do anything to cheer him up. This is shown in a line I love even if I did it include it on the Top 6.
You know, lots of people with big ears are famous!
Supposedly, this line is meant to be a reference to Walt, himself who according to some of his animators, he had big ears.
Mr. Stork voiced by Sterling Holloway
Some of you are probably wondering why, I'm including Mr. Stork when he's barely in the film. A. Sterling Holloway is my favorite Disney voice actor and more importantly without Mr. Stork, we wouldn't get to know Dumbo because he is the one that delivers Dumbo to Mrs. Jumbo and this is of course a play on the old story of storks delivering babies to new mom's and dad's. It's a cute idea and it works well.
The Crows voiced by Cliff Edwards, James Baskett, Jim Carmichael, & Nick Stewart.
First off, I apologize if I forgot any voice actor's name here. Again as with Timothy, I'll try not to spend too much time on these characters seeing as I talked about them in the Can We Talk about. The main reason, I'm listing them as Important Characters is because they are the ones that help Timothy teach Dumbo how to fly using the Magic Feather. As I stated in my Can We Talk about discussing these characters, I like them and even if they aren't in the film for long, they are fun. Plus at the end, they deliver a line I hadn't picked up on before but it got a slight chuckle out of me.
Jim Crow: Boy, I wish I'd have got his autograph.
Crow: Here, man, I've got his autograph.
Jim Crow: Well, so long, glamour boy!
I kinda wish that the Crows were in more of the film as they were fun characters and were actually pretty funny.
Supporting Characters
Mrs. Jumbo voiced by Verna Felton
D'aww, what an adorable picture. Now before anyone asks, why I didn't put Mrs. Jumbo in Important, it's mainly because I view as more of a supporting character. Through and through, it is shown that Mrs. Jumbo loves her son and will do anything to protect him. This is best seen when the boy with big ears makes fun of Dumbo and she starts spanking him and goes on a bit of a rampage. This shows what great lengths she goes to protect Dumbo. Even if it means to being separated from him.
The Elephant Matriarch, Prissy, Giddy, and Catty voiced by Verna Felton, Sarah Shelby, Noreen Gamill, & Dorothy Scott
I bet you didn't know that these elephants had names, neither did I until I did some research on the film. I recall I had a discussion with Positive Troll in my Top 6 Female Disney Villains article where he labelled them as villains. Now while I can see where he was coming from but in my eyes there isn't enough to them to make them villains. Rather, I just see them as elitist snobs who look down upon anyone who is different from them because they think everyone should be the same. By the way, you may have notice The Elephant Matriarch (the head elephant) & Mrs. Jumbo share the same voice actress. Pretty funny, I'd say but I think it works to show the difference between the two of these characters. By the way, Timothy has a great line that sums up my feelings about these characters.
Gab, gab, gab. They're always gossipin'.
Now besides this quote, there's one from The Elephant Matriarch that struck me as cold and really shows how far they'll go in shunning Dumbo.
From now on, he is no longer an elephant.
The Clowns voiced by Billy Bletcher, Eddie Holden, Billy Sheets
Now I held a poll asking if the Clowns were important enough to talk about and the majority thought so. Let me get this out of the way right now. The irony of me being afraid of clowns and this being my favorite film is not lost on me. The Clowns I guess are somewhat important as they are the ones that have to work with Dumbo but really, they're more important for who they represented in the real world. Some of you may know around the time that this film came out there was a strike at the Disney Studios and the Clowns were meant to be caricatures of the animators that had gone on strike. That is best seen here when they in the scene when they leave their tent and they're singing, "We're gonna hit the big boss for a raise".
So, while the Clowns don't necessarily play a big part in the film, they represent an important part of Disney's history.
Music
Look Out For Mr. Stork
This song is just a bunch of fun and you can understand the anticipation that Mrs. Jumbo is going through in waiting for her bundle of joy to come along. It's just a fun and simple song. There really isn't much to say about this song save for I really enjoy the sound of it.
Casey Jr.
For those of you wondering why, I didn't talk about the character of Casey, it's because I wanted to focus on characters that interacted with Dumbo. This song gives me a feeling of actually seeing the circus train take off and the sounds used for the train effects are just cool. Really with this song, I can just picture being in the circus with a box of Cracker Jacks. Of course, I would leave before the clowns came along. (The irony, my favorite film takes place in a circus yet I'm afraid of clowns).
Song of the Roustabouts
Just as with The Crows, this song has fallen under fire for it's contents. Which I can actually understand much more than the Crows. To be honest, I wasn't even going to go over this song because I felt as though that was a button I didn't want to push but it is part of the movie. I can see where the complaints towards this song come from and I'm not saying it's right but this was supposed to represent the lives of circus workers and they sing of what they know. Really, in the big picture when compared to other songs from this film, it's forgettable.
Baby Mine
Ah, now we come to my favorite Disney song of all time. It's just so sweet and simple in nature. It may be a simple song but it works in getting across the love of a mother and child. I feel that this song in the context of the film is even sweeter because Dumbo doesn't get much time with his mother and that makes all the time that the two of them have together all the much sweeter.
Pink Elephants On Parade
Admittedly, this is my least favorite song from the film. Mainly because it just feels out of place and stops the story just for this song. Visually it's stunning and yeah, I guess it does kinda fit in the context of the film seeing as Dumbo and Timothy unknowingly get drunk and it is mentioned afterwards by Timothy but in the grand scheme of things, it just feels out of place and for me it stops the film.
When I see An Elephant Fly
Again, I'll try to keep it short here as I've already gone over this. As I said before, it's a good song and I do see how people may think what some do about these characters. Even still, this is a good song and it is a lot of fun. It's just funny hearing the Crows sing about all of these things. Which sound absurd but exist but hey. it's a fun song and I know it seems like they're making fun of Dumbo, which to a certain extent they are but I believe they're also pointing how absurd a flying elephant sounds.
My Final Thoughts
Like I even need to give you my final thoughts on this film. If you've been following A Look at Disney for sometime now, then you should know my feelings on this film. At the end of the day, this film still holds up and most everything works in making this film enjoyable. Probably the only thing I'd get rid of is Pink Elephants seeing as it feels unneeded. It's not a bad song but again it feels out of place in the film. Other than that everything from the characters to the music to the story, which may be simple work well. As with many other things that I've reviewed I'd file this under the category of being beautifully simple. At the end of the day, this is and will always be my favorite movie. Join me tomorrow as I conclude Dumbo Week by taking a look at covers of Dumbo songs.
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