Disney’s superlative animated classic concerns a baby elephant with unusually large ears. Ostracized from the rest of the circus animals, Dumbo is separated from his mother, who is chained up in a cage after trying to defend her child.
Only Timothy Mouse proves to be a friend to Dumbo, encouraging the pouty pachyderm to exploit his “different” qualities for fame and fortune.
After indulging in a vat of booze, Dumbo awakens in a tall tree. Goaded by a group of jive-talking crows, Dumbo discovers that his outsized ears have given him the ability to fly.
Watch for the Pink Elephant fantasy sequence which is psychedelic and thus well ahead of its times.
Oscar Nominations: 2
Scoring of a Musical: Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace
Song: Baby Mine, music by Frank Chutchill and Oliver Wallace
Oscar Awards: 1
Scoring
Oscar Context:
The winner of the Best Song Oscar was The Last Time I Saw Paris, by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, from Lady Be Good
MPAA: G
Running time: 63 minutes.
Directed by Ben Sharpsteen
Written by Joe Grant, Dick Huemer
DVD: October 23, 2001
