Free And For Me

 

Disney Elephant Movie

 

When I received the invitation to see the new Dumbo movie, thoughts of the Dumbo 1941 that I read, listened to on my record player and watched on TV ran through my head.  I was curious to see how Disney would deal with some of the controversial scenes from the Dumbo original movie.

Before I learned there was controversy about this classic, as a child my bookshelf was filled with Disney classics.  One of my favorites was Dumbo the flying elephant.  Although it was one of my favorites I always felt sad and a little afraid.  This book was a thriller for kids.

After learning how the crows were depicted in the movie along with a few other things my feelings for Dumbo changed.

Dumbo Movie Trailer

After watching the 2019 Dumbo trailer I was eager to see what changes Disney would make to this Dumbo remake.  Maybe I would not be offended.

Crows, Roustabouts Were Not In The Film

I was hoping Disney would not be bold enough to keep them. In the original, with lines like “hairy ape” and showing only black men setting up circus tents during a storm in the original, it is up to the viewer to determine if it is racist or intended to shed a light on racism.

If you recall, there were the singing crows that sang “When I See An Elephant Fly” and were crucial in helping Dumbo fly are not in the film. Their infamous line about horseflies and dragonflies are now used by a ringleader in the Dreamland Circus, and the kids encourage Dumbo to fly.

I am happy Burton was smart to divert attention from these controversial moments.

Farrier Daughter Is Black, Rest Of The Family Is Not

The family that comes to Dumbo aide consists of a father, son, and daughter.  The father and son do not appear to be black, but the daughter does.  There is a scene that shows a picture of the deceased mother.  She does not seem to be black either.  The role of Milly Farrier is portrayed by Nico Parker who is of mixed heritage but clearly looks black.

How Dumbo Gets His Name

The mean female elephants from the original gave poor little Dumbo his nickname when they got a glimpse of his oversized ears. In this version when he makes his circus show debut, he’s dressed as a baby with a bonnet covering his ears and a sign above him saying “Dear Baby Jumbo.”  The letter D drops during a circus act removing the J and the word Dumbo appears and the crowd begins to call him Dumbo.

Other differences from the original

In the original Dumbo, there are Easter eggs.  Mr. Stork doesn’t deliver Dumbo. Instead, a stork flies onto Mrs. Jumbo’s cart while she’s helping nature do its thing.

Casey Jr. still appears as the train carrying the circus from one destination to the next with his theme song playing.

There are no drunken visions for Dumbo.

The Elephants Do Not Talk

In the original Dumbo movie, Mrs. Jumbo spoke once to tell Mr. Stork that her baby is named Jumbo Jr. as he sang”Happy Birthday” to the little bundle of joy. Outside of that, she nor Dumbo spoke a word during the entire film. They did not talk in the 2019 version.

Animals Are Not The Main Focus Of The Film

Dumbo has a human family now. Former horse trainer Holt Ferrier (Colin Farrell) and his two children are the main focus of this modern story.

Sadly, Timothy Mouse isn’t his own character.  The Dumbo mouse was missed. There’s a nod to Dumbo’s tiny friend when Milly cares for three rodents and one is wearing red bandleader gear.

 

One thing that did not change for me was, Dumbo still had me on the edge of my seat.  As I sat in the theater I felt anxious.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a good thing.  The film was good!   As the credits rolled, I quickly understood why.  Tim Burton directed the film, putting a dark spin on many parts of the movie.

 

 

I enjoyed the 2019 Dumbo!   I was pleased with the changes that were made!

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DUMBO opens in theatres everywhere on March 29th!

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