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MEMORIES:
Mikey remembers...I remember how the other elephants teased Dumbo because of his ears. It didn't matter though to the Mom, she ... More »
Posted on 10/19/07
PHOTOS:
Cast:
Clown....Billy Bletcher
Timothy Q. Mouse...Edward Brophy
Crows...Jim Carmichael
Jim Crow...Cliff Edwards
Elephant...Verna Felton
Elephant...Noreen Gammill
Mr. Stork...Sterling Holloway
Skinny...Malcolm Hutton
Narrator...John McLeish
Elephant...Dorothy Scott
Elephant...Sarah Selby
Joe...Billy Sheets
Clown...Billy Sheets
Casey Jr.*...Margaret Wright
Studio:
Release History:
Disney’s classic Dumbo was just the thing for any kid who was different. Made fun of? Funny-looking? Oddball in some way? Big-eared? Dumbo, a sweet little story about acceptance and a mother’s love, could provide some comfort for even the most teased kid.
All the animals in the circus are delighted with the cute new baby the stork has brought to Mrs. Jumbo - until a sneeze unfolds the droopiest, flappingest ears you’ve ever seen. Mocking the poor little tyke, the other elephants call him “Dumbo,” and the goofy name sticks.
Even the clowns laugh at Dumbo. The other elephants yak about him and the circus audiences taunt him incessantly. Eventually things go a little too far for Mrs. Jumbo, who inflicts a paddling on one cruel kid in the circus crowd. The melee that erupts ends with Mrs. Jumbo locked in a cage, and little Dumbo has no one left on his side except his wee friend Timothy Mouse.
When the floppy-eared pachyderm and the tiny rodent accidently get drunk, we’re treated to a psychedelic “Pink Elephants on Parade” sequence, which ends with the pair asleep in a tall tree. On awakening, Dumbo makes a life-changing discovery: his big awkward ears can actually come in handy!
Dumbo was instantly successful, unlike Pinocchio and Fantasia, which grew into hits only after being re-issued over the years. The impact of Dumbo’s message hasn’t faded with time. As long as there are outcasts in the world, there’ll be an honored place for Disney’s big-eared elephant.
