Perhaps the most famous of all on-screen stars is Jumbo Jr., the
little elephant cruelly nicknamed Dumbo by his mean peers
because of his huge ears and naïvely friendly disposition. He
has been separated from his mother by the circus keepers, and
his only friend is Timothy, the mouse. Jumbo Jr. learns to use
his “disability” to his advantage, using his ears to fly and
earning respect and fame with his “flying elephant” performance.
This was one of Disney’s shortest films, at just over an hour
long (64 mins). It was released in 1941, and was based on the
children’s book written by Helen Aberson. The book, however,
consisted of only 8 drawings and very little written content, so
how Walt Disney came across the story remains a mystery.
Nevertheless, it became one of the greatest children’s classics,
and remains a popular choice and reference point even today.
Bill Tytla was the animation artist for the film, and his work
continues to be considered some of the most classic American
animation to date. Nelly the El