Dumbo (1941)

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Dumbo, the main character of Dumbo Disney's animated movie in 1941

Dumbo is an American animated film produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was one of the Disney Classic animated series that was published by the time. The film was released on October 23, 1941 under RKO Radio Pictures. The movie is based on the storyline by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, and illustrated by Helen Durney. Jumbo Jr. is the main character of the movie, a semi-anthropomorphic elephant who is called "Dumbo", resembles "dumb". He is often moved for having big ears, however, he has the ability to fly using them as wings. Throughout the film, Dumbo has only one true friend named Timothy. ThHe mouse who is being his only true friend, aside from his mother.

Plot

Dumbo, a youthful carnival elephant, was brought into the world with cleverly enormous ears has been given the nickname "Dumbo". One day, he was getting insulted by a group of children. In an attempt to protect Dumbo, his mother became extremely angry to the children that caused her being secured. In later times, Dumbo's huge ears created accidents that harm a lot of different elephants. He was then made to dress like a comedian and perform risky tricks. Dumbo then learned that his huge ears gave him the ability to fly. He baffled everybody at the bazaar with his new ability.

Controversy

The group of crows that assist the titular elephant in Dumbo

The film has been criticized by some for having racial prejudice. The Encyclopedia of Racism in American Films (2018), mentions that "All of the circus laborers are African American, the only time that blacks are seen in any great number in the entire movie."[1] Near the end of the movie, Dumbo and Timothy, meet a group of crows who were designed to conveniently match racial stereotypes of African-Americans.

The crow group sparks controversy because the crow was sounding a Southern African American dialect while in fact it was voiced by a white actor, Cliff Edwards. He was also named after the pre-Civil-War minstrel character,Jim Crow, where the term “Jim Crow” was taken from "Jump Jim Crow”. It was a parody song performed by a white man in blackface. The parody song refers to African-American people.[2].

Another black racism or black stereotype shown in the movie is where the movie introduces the “Song of the Roustabouts”. This scene is showing African-American characters, without facial features, working on the railroad while singing some offensive lyrics. The song openly features racism by using language that fits racial stereotypes. Below is the quoted offensive lyrics that are taken from disney.fandom;

Dumbo “Song of the Roustabouts” (1941)

"We work all day, we work all night

We never learned to read or write

We're happy-hearted roustabouts

Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike!

When other folks have gone to bed

We slave until we're almost dead

We're happy-hearted roustabouts"[3]

References