We all do 'do, re, mi', but you have to find the other notes yourself. Louis Armstrong

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Dumbo - When I see an Elephant Fly

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Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures. Dumbo won the 1941 Academy Award for Original Music Score, awarded to musical directors Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace. The film also won Best Animation Design at the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.

The crow characters in the film can be seen as African-American stereotypes. The leader crow was originally named "Jim Crow" for script purposes, and the name stuck. The other crows are all voiced by African-American actors, all members of the Hall Johnson Choir. Despite suggestions of racism by critics others reject these claims. Defenders note that the crows form the majority of the characters in the movie who are sympathetic to Dumbo's plight, are free spirits who serve nobody, and intelligent characters aware of the power of self-confidence. Furthermore, their song "When I See An Elephant Fly", which uses intricate wordplay in the lyrics, is more oriented to mocking Timothy Mouse than Dumbo's large ears.

Last modified on Wednesday, 29 January 2020 11:10

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