![]() ![]() And the pathos “makes the ultimate resolution that much sweeter,” as Kaufman puts it. It’s a story that tugs at the heartstrings, often bringing tears to audiences. Every decision of Walt’s serves the story, a classic tale of the underdog, where the innocent Dumbo overcomes adversity in its many forms and learns to fly. “It’s like a perfectly constructed machine where everything dovetails together just right.” Indeed, Dumbo is a masterwork of cinema, with sophisticated cinematography and editing techniques that are still studied today. “From the first time I ever saw this film, one of the things that has always struck me about it is that there’s not a wasted frame anywhere,” says Kaufman. The simplicity of the drawings of Disney's Dumbo characters is a testament to the power of effective visual storytelling. This simplicity also made the film more accessible to a wider audience, as the designs were easy to understand and follow. The characters' simple designs made them easier to animate and allowed for more fluid movement and expressive gestures. The simplicity of the character designs in Dumbo allowed the animators to focus on the emotions and storytelling of the film. Even minor characters, such as the crows who befriend Dumbo, are designed with a simple, cartoonish style that makes them instantly recognizable and memorable. The villainous circus ringmaster is also a simple design, with a tall, thin body and exaggerated facial features that convey his greed and cruelty. His round, plump body and sharp facial features give him a distinct personality that contrasts with Dumbo's meekness. Mouse, Dumbo's companion, is designed with a straightforward, yet expressive style. Despite his simplistic design, Dumbo's expressions and body language are incredibly emotive, making him a relatable and endearing character. ![]() His oversized ears, which are the source of his ridicule and ultimately lead to his redemption, are the most exaggerated aspect of his design. His design is incredibly basic, with a round body and simple features. ![]() Dumboĭumbo, the titular character, is a prime example of this simplicity. This simplicity allowed the animators to focus on the emotional expressiveness of the characters, rather than intricate details of their designs. Unlike other Disney films of the time, such as Snow White or Pinocchio, the characters in Dumbo were designed with a minimalist approach. The simplicity of the drawings of Disney's Dumbo characters is a defining aspect of the film's visual style. A Minimalist Approach to the Dumbo Characters What was a charming little story became a high-flying masterpiece on the screen. When Grant and Huemer came to it, they found its potential for a feature length film quite appealing. It was something uncomplicated, beautifully simple, and ripe with opportunity for expansion. Walt asked two of his key story men, Joe Grant and Dick Huemer to explore the story. Walt’s interest must have been piqued in a special kind of way he acquired the rights to the story, which was subsequently published as a children’s book by the husband and wife team of Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl. Where classic fables or successful stories were gathered and sought out, Dumbo came to Disney at the urging of the manufacturer in the form of a toy “Roll-a-Book” project, in which a child could scroll through the illustrations of the story. A solid and simple story that came to the Studios quite unlike most Disney subjects. Kaufman comments, “Artistic greatness does not depend upon surface extravagance.” But Walt was not going to do anything halfway no matter the restrictions. The film was Dumbo (1941), now celebrating 75 years since its release.Ĭreated at a time when a combination of factors put a severe limit on Walt’s ability to pour resources into new films, Dumbo was the first of a new string of features, a film made efficiently and effectively under the strictest of parameters. It was a feature film not as grandiose as those that preceded it, but was perhaps even more effective in emotional impact. And whilst a number of his artists dedicated themselves to Bambi (1942), another artistic foray, Walt took a swing at a different kind of picture. “Failure to make clear the nature of the thing being produced is one of the surest causes of dullness and failure to learn.” After the glowing success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), and the artistic triumphs of Pinocchio (1940) and Fantasia (1940) that ultimately met with difficult reception, Walt had certainly learned quite a bit. “In the inspiration of mind and spirit that go into the making of Disney picture-making one essential is clarity,” Walt Disney believed. ![]()
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