Although Walt Disney Studios had a lot of clout after the release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the company was a lumbering giant plunged into financial hardship with the box office failure of both “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia” during the war. Like in the movie “Dumbo,” the big top needed a sweet, weird and tiny little hero to save the day.
“Dumbo” was little more than Disney’s cash cow (or elephant) when it was released in 1941. The movie was made cheaply, and at only 63 minutes long, was notoriously short to be released as an A-Picture. And although it’s an adorable film, you can see it doesn’t have the same nuanced, dark edges as its earlier, more innovative counterparts.
Rather, “Dumbo” is pure storybook fantasy intended for the littlest of toddlers. The colors are prominently primary and bright, the words “Florida” are written on an overhead view of the state, and a train yelps and jumps along with cartoonish creativity more befitting one of Disney’s original shorts.
Thankfully then the subject is ideal for young children. Without too many words on the whole, “Dumbo” familiarly visualizes for kids and parents the stages of early development as seen from a toddler’s eyes. Little Dumbo has double vision and instant love at the first sight of his mother, Mrs. Jumbo. We see him taking baths, scurrying in fear of the rain, and being laughed at for reasons he can’t comprehend. Even the WASPy elephants who spend their afternoons cattily gossiping may be familiar sights for a child of the ’30s and ’40s. Continue reading “Rapid Response: Dumbo”