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Page 12 The Antique Shoppe October, 2018
Disney’s “ DUMBO ” Long a Favorite

by Roy Nuhn Except for the Superluxe set, postcards
of Dumbo are far less plentiful than
those for the other Disney films and
umbo, the cute little elephant with characters. Great Britain’s Valentine
Dthe big, big ears first flew into & Sons, publishers for 30 years of a
America’s heart more than 75 years ago. colossal length series of Disney postcards
And he’s been there ever since. beginning in the 1930s, marketed only a
Disney’s shortest animated full-length few of Dumbo. One of these, “Having a
feature (64 minutes), “Dumbo” premiered High Old Time,” Number 1909, depicts
on October 31, 1941. Costing less than $1 Mickey Mouse atop a smiling Dumbo in
million to make - “Bambi,” five minutes a circus ring.
longer, released the following year, Most of the large continental size
was nearly three times more expensive. chrome publishers, like Italy’s Grafiche
“Dumbo” was in production for only 18 Biondetti and Mondiacolor, of the mid-
months. 1960s to 1980 era, chose to concentrate
The simple but heartwarming tale, their efforts in Disney postcards on sets
based on a story by Helen Aberson, was about Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and
enthusiastically received by moviegoers Pluto; newly released, fully animated
of all ages. ↑ No. 10 of Superluxe set; Timothy features; and the old big-name classics,
To Americans, tottering on the brink of consoles a sad Dumbo. such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
World War II, films like “Dumbo” were ← Board book (1992) by Western and Cinderella.
pleasant, momentary diversions from the Publishing Co. Inside are scenes Dumbo does, however, show up
march of events being reported daily from from the movie. on at least one of Grafiche Biondetti’s
war-torn Europe and Asia. postcards, in Series Number 124, where
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, ↓ Picture-tilt novelty postcard, he is seen playing with Chip an’ Dale and
less than six weeks away, would come all printed by Vari-Value Card Co., the kittens from “The Aristocats.”
too quickly. Tuckahoe, N.Y. (chrome, 1950s). But there are a few really good
Dumbo’s Story chromes of him to be found among the
The film begins with the stork making earliest cards published for Disneyland
one of his special deliveries, this time to (Anaheim, California) in 1955 and 1956.
the menagerie at the circus. Among the There are artist renditions and, while
animals receiving little bundles of Joy is once plentiful, are now hard to find. The
Mrs. Jumbo, one of the elephants, who Art Corner at Disneyland, a gift shop
is thrilled with her new son. Her friends That same night the little elephant with inside the gates, produced a series of tilt-
come calling to visit and admire the new the big ears surprises the audience and change chromes, at least one of which
arrival. Suddenly, the little guy sneezes! circus people by soaring around under the showcases Dumbo in flight. Another, an
Giant, oversized ears unceremoniously Big Top. advertisement by the amusement park for
unfold like the opening of a parachute, All ends happily with Dumbo an its “Dumbo Ride,” portrays Huey, Louie
and the ladies pull back in horror. overnight superstar and he and his mother and Dewey flying atop Dumbo.
Throwing nasty barbs as they stomp off now enjoying their own special private The Disneyland and Walt Disney
in disgust, they sneeringly call the baby car on the circus train. World chromes from the last several
Dumbo instead of Jumbo. Dumbo Collectibles decades regularly include Dumbo among
Ostracized by the elephants and other Like all of Walt Disney’s cartoon the many “live” characters that roam the
animals of the circus, the sad, lonely calf features, “Dumbo” inspired a considerable parks entertaining visitors.
has only his adoring, affectionate mother amount of merchandising during its Dumbo, now well over a half-century
for companionship. Even this ends, initial 1941-1942 run and subsequent re- old, has long been a favorite with Disney
a few weeks later, when some circus releases. fans. No doubt he will continue to be
roustabouts mistreat Dumbo, causing the More than a dozen children’s books, popular for years to come,
infuriated Mrs. Jumbo to come charging including the original Dumbo, the Flying as will the many postcards
to her son’s defense. Labeled mad, she is Elephant story by Aberson and Pearl, late 1940s to the mid 1950s. The two of the little elephant who
ordered locked up by the ringmaster. were published from 1941 to 1950 and may well have been the same company could fly.
Now totally alone and miserable, reprinted ever since. There have been operating under different names.
Dumbo finally finds a friend, Timothy, a several comic books (1941-1963), six The sets were sold complete, each
wiseacre, street-wise mouse who takes the different pieces of sheet music of songs inside thin plastic envelopes imprinted
lad under his tutelage. The two become from the film (1941), a set of records with the title and number of postcards.
inseparable buddies. narrated by Shirley Temple four years Superluxe’s and Sepheriades’ cards Figurine of
When he becomes a bit older, but still later, some character figurines (1946) and were not chromes but color scenes on Dumbo,
little more than a baby, Dumbo is forced inflatable dolls (1949). regular postcard cardboard stock. Many 3” high
to become part of the circus’s clown act. Dumbo Postcards American G.I.’s stationed in Europe after and 4”long
Though Dumbo is embarrassed and “Dumbo” was re-released in 1945 the war purchased these sets and brought 1950s→
ashamed, the act is a success, and he’s and shown in Europe and the British them home as souvenirs.
sucked into it seemingly forever. Commonwealth the following year,
One night he and Timothy suddenly its first overseas distribution. The best OF NOTABLE INTEREST:
get drunk, and he dreams his famous pink postcards of the movie were made at this Dumbo is scheduled to be re-released in March 2019 in a Hollywood adaptation. The upcoming
elephant nightmare. Upon awakening, time by the French publisher Superluxe, American fantasy adventure film is directed by Tim Burton, with a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger.
The movie is based on a story written by Helen Aberson, and is loosely inspired by Walt Disney’s 1941
they find themselves high up in a tree under authorization of the Disney studio. animated version.
where the crows are just as confused as Printed in French, this 25-card set used The film stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton & Alan Arkin. Colin Farrell as Holt Farrier, a one-armed
the new arrivals. After much thought, cels from the film to retell the story war veteran and former circus star from Kentucky who is hired by Medici to care for the newborn
Timothy finally figures it out: Dumbo flew from beginning to end. Superluxe and E. elephant, whom his two children befriend. Michael Keaton as V. A. Vandevere, a ruthless and
them there! He coaxes the scared elephant Sepheriades were two firms who marketed enigmatic entrepreneur who acquires a circus to exploit Dumbo. Danny DeVito as Max Medici, the
circus owner who runs a small circus that gets acquired by Vandevere.
into jumping from their aerial perch and exact duplicate printings of many 25-card
to everyone’s amazement, Dumbo flies! sets of Disney cartoon movies from the Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.orgiwiki/Dumbo (2019 film)