50 Fun Facts About Dumbo

In what year was Disney's animated Dumbo released?

It came out on October 23, weeks before Pearl Harbor pushed the elephant off the cover of Time.

What is Dumbo's real name?

The other elephants coin "Dumbo" as a mocking nickname after he sneezes and reveals his enormous ears.

Who is Dumbo's only true friend besides his mother?

The pairing parodies the stereotype that elephants are terrified of mice.

How long is Dumbo, making it one of Disney's shortest animated features?

It was deliberately simple and cheap, made to recoup the losses of two expensive predecessors.

Dumbo was based on a story written for the prototype of what novelty toy?

Merchandise chief Kay Kamen showed Walt Disney the prototype in late 1939.

Which two earlier Disney features lost money, prompting Dumbo to be made cheaply?

World War II had closed off European markets, and both films flopped.

Roughly how much did Dumbo cost to make?

That was half the cost of Snow White and less than a third of Pinocchio; it returned a profit of $850,000.

Which Academy Award did Dumbo win?

Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace won for the score; "Baby Mine" was also nominated for Best Original Song.

What is the name of the circus train in Dumbo?

The anthropomorphic 2-4-0 locomotive is now the second float in the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Who delivers the baby elephants and other circus babies at the start of the film?

A tardy stork drops Dumbo onto the moving train.

In which US state does the circus spend its winter off-season in the film?

The 2019 remake likewise opens in a Gulf Coast circus town in the same state.

After she spanks the bullies, Dumbo's mother is locked in a train car under what one-word label?

She speaks only once in the whole film, to name her baby, and sings him the lullaby "Baby Mine".

Dumbo is demoted to the clowns' act, in which he must do what?

The clowns keep raising the platform to make the stunt more dangerous.

What do Dumbo and his mouse friend accidentally drink, triggering the famous hallucination sequence?

They wake up the next morning high in a tree with no idea how they got there.

What do Dumbo and his mouse friend hallucinate after getting drunk?

The sequence was animated with black-painted cels and transparent elephants over colored backgrounds.

Who gives the mouse the "magic feather" to convince Dumbo he can fly?

Dumbo drops it mid-fall and his friend admits it was only a psychological aid.

Which actor, also the voice of Jiminy Cricket, voiced the lead crow?

The character was called Jim Crow on the model sheets and renamed Dandy Crow in the 1950s.

Which Disney regular, later the voice of Winnie the Pooh, voiced Mr. Stork?

The film's voice actors were all uncredited.

Who voiced Dumbo's mouse friend?

The mouse replaced a wise robin named Red from the original story.

Which actress voiced the pompous leader of the elephants, and later the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella?

The other gossiping elephants are named Catty, Giddy and Prissy.

What was the name of Dumbo's mom in the original story before Disney renamed her Mrs. Jumbo?

The 2019 remake restored the original name.

What historic event interrupted Dumbo's production in May 1941?

Ward Kimball, chief animator of the bird characters, kept working despite sympathizing with the strikers.

Why was Time's planned December 1941 'Mammal of the Year' cover on Dumbo delayed?

The story finally ran on December 29.

Who was Dumbo's supervising director, told to keep the film simple and cheap?

The film needed none of the costly effects that ballooned the budgets of the studio's other features of the era.

Which studio distributed Dumbo on its original release?

Disney delivered the finished film to RKO on September 11, 1941.

Which lyricist wrote the words to Dumbo's songs, including "Baby Mine"?

He had also written the lyrics to Pinocchio's "When You Wish Upon a Star".

How does Dumbo become famous at the end of the film?

He and his mother get a private coach on the circus train.

What restriction did Disney+ place on Dumbo in 2021?

The service cited the resemblance of some characters to racist minstrel shows and added an advisory about outdated depictions.

On which TV program did Dumbo have its heavily edited television premiere in 1955?

It was re-released in theaters in 1949, 1959, 1972 and 1976.

What was Dumbo's Circus, which aired on The Disney Channel in the 1980s?

Dumbo's friends included twin bears Claude and Lolly and a hippo named Godfry.

The Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride opened at Anaheim's Disney park in which year?

It opened on August 16, weeks after the park itself; one ride elephant is now in the Smithsonian.

How many Dumbo-shaped vehicles does the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride have?

Each is mounted on an arm around a rotating hub; a mouse figure at most parks holds the magic feather.

Who directed the 2019 live-action Dumbo?

Ehren Kruger wrote the script; the film made $353 million on a $170 million budget to mixed reviews.

Who plays ringmaster Max Medici in the 2019 Dumbo?

Critics praised DeVito and Keaton, who plays the amusement-park tycoon V. A. Vandevere, but panned the script.

In the 2019 film, Colin Farrell's Holt Farrier returns from World War I having lost what?

He is hired to look after the circus's pregnant elephant after the owner sells its horses.

What is the name of the Coney Island-style amusement park run by the 2019 film's villain?

Eva Green plays Colette, the trapeze artist who performs there.

In which city does the 2019 Dumbo open in 1919?

The city was the real winter home of the Ringling circus for decades.

How does the 2019 Dumbo end for the circus?

Dumbo and his mother rejoin a wild herd while the renamed Medici Family Circus uses performers dressed as animals.

Roughly how much did Dumbo gross in its original release?

That was enough for a healthy $850,000 profit on a very small budget.

Who first brought the Dumbo story to Walt Disney's attention in late 1939?

Kay Kamen showed Walt a prototype of the novelty book that included the story.

At a 1940 meeting for which film did Disney call Dumbo "an obvious straight cartoon"?

Art Babbitt and Ward Kimball were among those considered for the simpler, funnier film.

What is the middle initial of Timothy, Dumbo's mouse friend?

He is a playable character alongside Dumbo, the Ringmaster, Mrs. Jumbo and Mr. Stork in the game Disney Magic Kingdoms.

Who plays the ruthless amusement-park owner V. A. Vandevere in the 2019 Dumbo?

Hanks had reportedly been offered the villain first; Keaton, a longtime Tim Burton collaborator, confirmed his casting in June 2017.

Which paint, rarely used for Disney features, was used to render Dumbo's backgrounds?

Snow White used the same technique, and Lilo & Stitch revived it in 2002 as a deliberate nod to Dumbo.

Which star was first in talks to play the father in the 2019 Dumbo before passing on the role?

He chose Bad Boys for Life and the Aladdin remake instead; Hader, Pine and Affleck were also offered the part before Colin Farrell took it.

In the 2019 film, Eva Green plays Colette Marchant, a French performer of what kind?

She is Vandevere's faux girlfriend and performs at his Dreamland park; Danny DeVito's daughter Lucy cameos as a coat-check girl.

Roughly how much did the 2019 Dumbo gross worldwide, well short of its break-even point?

Its $46 million domestic opening was seen as disappointing for a $170 million Disney production, and Deadline reported it lost money.

In the 2002 game Kingdom Hearts, Dumbo appears in what form?

Sora rides the flying elephant while he sprays enemies with water from his trunk, and he returned as a summon in Chain of Memories.

Who cancelled the planned sequel Dumbo II soon after taking charge of Disney Animation in 2006?

The sequel would have followed Dumbo through a big city the day after the first film and explained what became of his father, Mr. Jumbo.

Tim Burton's Dumbo was filmed at which studio in Bedfordshire, England?

Disney announced the full principal cast and the March 29, 2019 release date in July 2017.