“Pink Elephants on Parade” might possibly be one of the most psychedelic and mind-twisting pieces of animation that early Disney ever produced. The song comes after Dumbo has been forced to become a circus clown and is still deeply depressed over being separated from his mother. The well-meaning Timothy Q. Mouse takes Dumbo to get […]
The original Dumbo film was released in 1941 and followed the adventures of the titular baby elephant, who for some reason was born with enormous ears. The story begins the night before the circus is due to leave for the next town, but before the train leaves the storks arrive to deliver a plethora of […]
In keeping with the unofficial theme this week of covering Disney’s non-politically correct moments, it wouldn’t do to forget the crows in Dumbo. But first, a quick recap as to how Dumbo meets these characters: Things have been going badly for our baby elephant: first his mother his locked away in chains; then a stunt […]
Forgive the pun but I decided it’s time to clear another elephant out of the room. Unfortunately, for everything good that Disney has contributed to film and animation, there are multiple examples of Disney portraying things they probably want to forget about. One example is the “Song of the Roustabouts” from Dumbo (1941). After baby […]
When I was compiling a list of ‘disturbing’ moments in Disney films, a particular scene in Dumbo (1941) immediately jumped up to almost the top of the list. The film tells the story of a baby elephant named Dumbo who is born with overly large ears, a feature which earns mocking and scorn from the […]
Of all the ways I thought Frozen would begin, I didn’t expect it to be with a group of ice harvesters hauling up huge blocks of ice. However, in retrospect, this opening absolutely works because it lays out the major themes of the film before we’ve even met any of the main characters (sure we […]
It’s a trope that’s almost guaranteed to appear in any Disney film: the young hero/heroine is admonished by an authority figure NOT to do something; they do it anyway and as a result they end up in big trouble. Such is the case in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). The sweet Quasimodo is compelled […]
One of my favorite Disney animated films is the underrated The Great Mouse Detective (1986) which should be held in high esteem because it paved the way for the Disney Renaissance to begin with The Little Mermaid. The story features several memorable songs, my childhood favorite being “Let Me Be Good to You.” The Great […]
There’s no denying that Cinderella goes through some pretty awful things before her happily ever after. Her father dies; she’s treated like a servant in her own home; Lady Tremaine (her stepmother) seems determined to make sure that Cinderella gets nothing while Anastasia and Drizella (her daughters) get everything. Knowing all of this, it’s surprising […]
In the time leading up to its release, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was derided as “Disney’s Folly.” It seemed ludicrous that anyone would be willing to sit through a full-length animated feature film, let alone enjoy it. But upon its release in 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was acclaimed as a […]
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