Dumbo (Big Top Edition)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Cliff Edwards, Edward Brophy, Herman Bing, Sterling Holloway, Verna FeltonBrand: Buena Vista Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Original Language), Unknown; French (Original Language), Unknown; French (Dubbed), Unknown; Spanish (Dubbed), Unknown
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Special Edition
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 64 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-06-06
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Dumbo (Big Top Edition)
Movie Review: Disney updates its "Dumbo" DVD for a new generation of fans
Summary: 5 Stars
For the first generation of Disney animated films the most emotional moment has been and will always be when Bambi's mother is shot. Chandler Bing is correct, that all they did was "stop drawing the deer," but that is why we talk about the magic of animation and movie making. But the second most emotional film experience is the classic Disney collection has to be "Dumbo," which also deals with the fear of being separated from your mother (albeit with a decidedly happier ending), but which deals as well with the pain of facing discrimination because of the way you look. Consequently, this 1941 film has a couple of compelling universal themes. Then you throw in some solid songs (including Disney does Dali with "Pink Elephants on Parade") and a colorful animated train to along with the cute title character and you have a real winner. I assume I am preaching to the choir here, because it strikes me as silly to tell anybody what the story of "Dumbo" is about. The question is whether you want to pick up this "Big Top Edition" DVD, which despite the price is only a single disc.
"Dumbo" is only 64-minutes long, which RKO Radio Pictures thought was too short to release as an A picture, but then originally it was going to be a 30-minute featurette before it was expanded. Along with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Dumbo" is the only classic Disney film to use water colored backgrounds, which were less expensive than the gouache and oils used for both "Pinocchio" and "Bambi." Since both "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia" were, believe it or not, failures at the box office initially and did not turn a profit until they were re-released. "Dumbo" only cost $812,000 and by grossing over $2.5 million in its original release actually earned more than both "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia" combined in terms of their original grosses. Ultimately the simplicity of both the story and the animation style contributed largely to the success of the film because it proved that a story is more important than creative animation ("Fantasia" did not have an overriding narrative) and that that the characters matter more than the backdrop (the rainstorm in "Bambi" might be the crowning achievement of the studio in terms of drawing, but it is not as meaningful as the looks on the faces of Mrs. Jumbo and her baby in this movie). So this might be the shortest of the Disney animated features, but in its own way it remains one of the most important.
There is almost a sense that the DVD extras threaten to overwhelm the simple little movie (notice you usually have to light up the magic feather to make selections). There are a pair of Silly Symphonies that actually relate to the main feature, with 1936's "Elmer Elephant," where we learn how you kiss if you have a trunk and what else big ears can be used besides flying, and 1934's "The Flying Mouse," in which the original blue fairy grants a young mouse his wish about being able to fly ("I would like to be a bird, and go sailing through the sky"). There are a pair of sing alongs with "Look Out for Mr. Stork" and "Casey Junior" (but not "When I See an Elephant Fly"?). There is a music video of Jim Brickman on piano and Kassie De Palva singing "Baby Mine" (replacing Michael Crawford from the 60th Anniversary Edition DVD of the film). Adults can enjoy the audio commentary with animation historian John Canemaker, who details the history of the film and explains why it works. After countless commentary tracks where actors are trying to remember what happened in the movie they are watching, it is great to hear somebody as well prepared as Canemaker, and if you want to know where you get your money's worth with this DVD, then I would say right here with what Canemaker provides.
But that does not matter, because of the scene where Dumbo goes to visit his mother when she is locked up as a "Mad Elephant," and their trunks touch, and she cradles her baby in her trunk, you simply have to cry. They did not need "Baby Mine" being sung in the background. You can make the argument that Dumbo is the triumph of the underdog, which does for little boys what the story of the Ugly Duckling does for little girls (we are talking culturally, going back centuries and not about contemporary gender issues). Cinderella just has to become a princess to live happily ever after, but Dumbo has to win the respect of the other elephants by doing something and the important lesson is that he does not change his appearance. The fact that Dumbo does not have to change makes it a valuable lesson for all youngsters. The only educational downside here is that the magic flower is revealed to be a placebo, which is not exactly a card in the parental deck that you necessarily want the kiddies to understand at too young of an age.
Summary of Dumbo (Big Top Edition)
With high-flying entertainment and messages about friendship, acceptance, courage, and believing in yourself, Walt Disney's DUMBO is "a timeless classic for children of all ages. Walt Disney at his finest" (Us Weekly). Meet Dumbo, Mrs. Jumbo's sweet little "Baby Mine" who charms all who see him . . . until it's discovered that he has huge floppy ears! With the support of his very best friend, Timothy the mouse, Dumbo soon learns that his spectacular ears make him unique and special, allowing him to soar to fame as the world's only flying elephant. You'll love all the daring adventure, colorful characters, award-winning music, and a circus tent full of fun bonus features! Go behind the scenes with DisneyPedia's "My First Circus," an all-new activity where you can learn about your favorite circus animals. This Big Top Edition also features Sing-Along Songs, a DVD Storybook, a new digital transfer, and much more.A Disney "classic" that actually is a classic, Dumbo should be part of your video collection whether or not you have children. The storytelling was never as lean as in Dumbo, the songs rarely as haunting (or just plain weird), the characters rarely so well defined. The film pits the "cold, cruel, heartless" world that can't accept abnormality against a plucky, and mute, hero. Jumbo Jr. (Dumbo is a mean-spirited nickname) is ostracized from the circus pack shortly after his delivery by the stork because of his big ears. His mother sticks up for him and is shackled. He's jeered by children (an insightful scene has one boy poking fun at Dumbo's ears, even though the youngster's ears are also ungainly), used by the circus folk, and demoted to appearing with the clowns. Only the decent Timothy Q. Mouse looks out for the little guy. Concerns about the un-PC "Jim Crow" crows, who mock Dumbo with the wonderful "When I See an Elephant Fly," should be moderated by remembering that the crows are the only social group in the film who act kindly to the little outcast. If you don't mist up during the "Baby Mine" scene, you may be legally pronounced dead. --Keith Simanton
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