DATE Night: 101 Dalmatians

First off I want to say to any of my regular blog readers that I am grateful for your patience and kindness. As you can tell from my post on The Muppets, life is a bit on the challenging side for me right now and I needed to take a brief siesta of sorts to recharge. This blog has been a passion project from go and a way for me to flex some creative muscles that I was afraid would atrophy, but, when all is said and done, it's just lil' ole me. One dude behind a computer sending his Disney musings out on the interwebs and hoping that some people find enjoyment in them. I've even had the pleasure of guest blogging on This Happy Place blog about Walt Disney, the man, for their Walt Wednesdays series (Please check the posts out- one is on Walt and trains, another is a review of a documentary about his life and the most recent is on the WWWD- what would Walt do?- phenomenon) and I hope to keep contributing to blogs outside of my own in the Disney blogging community. Moved by the Mouse ain't going nowhere, but I have made a promise to myself that won't get into a tizzy over my own self-imposed deadlines, as I am sometimes wont to do. I have enough work at work. This blog is all about joy, connection and fun. So how bout this...you promise to keep reading and I promise to keep writing, ok?

Way to milk the "one" pun.

Our DATE Nights are especially important to me and I will keep watching one Disney animated classic every week. I will continue to post my blogs about them as soon after watching as I can. So let's get down to business (to defeat the Huns). After spending last week with Sleeping Beauty, we are doing a complete one-eighty and taking a look at 101 Dalmatians. Storybook to modern. Precise to sketchy. It really is a changing of the guard artistically, even if many of the nine old men were still behind the pencils. This movie is both a new beginning and the beginning of the end for Disney animation's second golden age. The technological innovations discovered (Xeroxing) would be utilized only because they were economical, forgetting that they work so well here because they serve the story so well. Gone is hand inking of lines on cels and the department that went with it, and it's sad. (If you want proof, take another look at Aurora. Even something as basic as the the hand-inked lines of her hair are in another shade of gold. The inking is exquisitely done and treated as an important part of the whole.) For now, though, let's rejoice in the fact that with 101 Dalmatians, the Xerox line is just as beautifully rendered an artistic statement and that the film as a whole is a complete triumph!

The Background:

Pongo standing guard at the All Star Movies
Resort in Orlando.

101 Dalmatians sits at a very odd juncture in Disney history. Sleeping Beauty had been a extravagant artistic masterpiece but commercially was met with a resounding "meh". Out of necessity, drastic cuts were made in the animation department, leaving them with a fraction of the talented team that they had. By this point, Walt himself was also busying himself with other projects. Live action films were becoming more and more prevalent on the studio's slate. The Disney presence on television, which Walt was wise enough to embrace early, was now secure and significant. And above all else, Walt turned his attentions to Disneyland, which was by now a bonafide smash. Animated films were now no longer the entire meal, but one of many cups in the Lunchables tray.

By using the Xerox process, which Ub Iwerks adapted to use in animation, the animators were able to cut costs significantly. The creators of the film were faced with a challenge that forced them to adapt their process in a way that was both artistically robust and economically feasible and, bless their souls, they were able to do so. Walt, however, was not terribly happy with the look of the film. Considering that this would be the overarching aesthetic for Disney animated features for the foreseeable future, you can only assume that Walt would have been none too pleased. Critics and audiences, on the other hand, embraced the film. It was the tenth highest grossing film of 1961 and was re-released into theaters several times before its was available to watch at home. After all is said and done, it stands as one of the most successful animated films in history.

The First Impression:

The Disney Project- Part 10: 101 Dalmatians: The cool thing about watching these in chronological order is watching the progression of the animation. The style is so different from Sleeping Beauty. It's the first modern feeling Disney film. I enjoyed this much more than I remember enjoying it as a kid. Fantastic, non-traditional artwork. Great characters and story. A fascinating departure.

February 6, 2010 at 3:20pm ·

The Art:

Hi there, dreamy Roger.

9/10. I have already brought up how the use of Xerox technology affects the look of this film and it is a factor that is hard to overstate. Instead of inkers coming in and tracing the original artwork, giving it a smooth and polished look in the process, the cleaned up original artwork is what you saw onscreen. This was wonderful for the animators, who saw their creations appearing with one less middleman to be filtered through. The result is a startlingly different look in the animation. There is a sketchy, imperfect quality to the lines where you can see flashes of stray pencil marks left untouched. And where better to employ this than in a film populated with thousands of black and white spots that probably would have been too time-consuming to do otherwise. We have clearly ventured outside of the fairy tale land of clean, detailed elegance and entered a gritty city where specificity and impressionism clash in fascinating ways.

The backgrounds are especially fascinating for me. They are impressively composed with lots of telling details laid over blocks of color that do not always stay within the lines. It is especially lovely in shots of the interior of Roger and Anita's flat (when it is dark, the coloring shifts solely to shades of grey) and of the rows of buildings. They have a fine art quality that makes them look like they could fit nicely in a gallery. The use of color to telegraph emotion which first came to prominence in the Mary Blair era, leaves its mark here as well. Note the shot of the dogs crossing the river, where the scene is washed in shadows with red puncturing the horizon and the all-red backgrounds when the pups are about the be attacked.

Disney can still work a gorgeous landscape, huh?

This works in tandem with the stunning effects animation (smoke, storms, water, stars and snow) and landscapes (the city with its flashing neon, the country during the twilight bark) to give us shots like London shrouded in fog (less detailed than we're used to, which adds to the mystery). We also have the technological advancements in the animation of the cars, which involved filming three dimensional car models in black and white and adding color to the cels, giving them a fascinatingly realistic look. Other beautiful elements include the stained glass at the wedding and the gorgeous final shot of the city windows lighting up. All of these elements come together to give us a film that does't look like any feature we've seen before. The art in this film is refreshing, modern, pitch-perfect and eye-poppingly brilliant. The films that follow fail to employ this style of animation as artfully and organically and it will be quite a while before Disney animators are able to establish a new, powerful visual identity or gain a significant new piece technology in computer animation. 

The Story:

For Tom, who loves Cake Wrecks- How not to
do a 101 Dalmatians cake...

9/10. Starting with the incredible opening sequence, we know that this is going to be a story unlike any we've seen in a Disney animated feature. A new-fangled visual style and saucy underscore, timed to the animation, playfully incorporates the credits, slyly winking at the fact that we're watching a film. When we see the score credit, dalmatian spots become musical notes, etc. (It's probably my favorite opening sequence in all of the Disney animated features.) This brings us to the first modern, urban story told in animation by the studio. It's divided into two halves- a comedy of manners at first, morphing smoothly into a tense adventure story as the puppies are rescued. The major storyman on the project was the great Bill Peet, who had worked on many of the Disney greats.

Along the way we get robust moments of humor (Pongo drunk with joy at the puppies' birth), sadness (Pongo and Perdita under the stove), anticipation / release (the expectant fathers and their subsequent happy dance), and joy (the dogs' return home). The movie never sags and manages to make all of its beats flow together seamlessly. I have not read the book that the film is based on, but its author, Dodie Smith, was even known to have said that she felt like the Disney artists improved on her story. If that isn't high praise, then nothing is. The spark, the emotion and the charm that defines the best of the animated classics is abundant here.

...and how to do a 101 Dalmatians cake!

I love the familial feeling that binds the film together. Pongo, Perdita, Roger and Anita blend their family and welcome the new additions. When the little ones are taken away they stop at nothing to bring them home. They protect each other. They keep the home fires burning. It's a lovely statement about the strength of the bonds of both the families that we choose and that we are born into. That extends into the animal community, where other dogs, along with cats, geese, horses and cows create a chain of aid for the escaping pups. The film is showing the importance of being surrounded by a group of peers that is willing and eager to help when the mess hits the fan, in this case to send a message in barking morse code though the outcome may look bleak. It's a subtle and lovely lesson to be taken away from a stylish comedic adventure story that doesn't slow down long enough to bother with sounding preachy.

The Characters:

They're gonna have a lot of soot to clean up.

9/10. In the same way that Lady and the Tramp is built around a pair of dogs at the center of the story, 101 Dalmatians features two canines as leads. The major difference here is that they made the effort to keep the humans in the story as dimensional as their companions are. Pongo refers to Roger as his pet, and there is a wonderful sequence showing owners and their suspiciously similar-looking owners. (The moment when Cruella gets pen ink splotches on Roger makes it plainly obvious how much he resembles Pongo.) The central quartet is comprised of two couples that genuinely love each other. Roger and Anita are lighthearted and sweet while Pongo and Perdita are loving and protective parents. Their relationships feel lived-in and real. They are all gorgeously designed, fabulously animated and wonderfully voiced. It takes real artistry to capture such fully realized moments as Anita's half-sit in shock when she hears the number of puppies who have returned and her rise back up to avoid squashing one of them, the anger turned to laughter when she and Roger tumble into the lake, or the moments of tenderness between Pongo, Perdita and the pups.

Sweetie, you may need to see an optometrist.

This brings us to the other central character to the plot, and that's the villain Cruella De Vil. She was deliciously created by Marc Davis, who, as an Imagineer would contribute significantly to The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Country Bear Jamboree. Cruella was his feature animation swan song and, whew, did he go out with a big, fantastic bang! From her first appearance in silhouette, she is one of the most formidable villains of all time, with her black and white fright wig hair, bony and exaggerated form and face (Those cheekbones! Ouch! You could slice someone open with them!), the singular harshness and angularity of her design, her evil laugh, and dramatic demeanor. Emotions are perpetually turned up to eleven for her. When she's angry she seethes and when she's satisfied she's creepily blissful. I love telling moments like when she pushes Roger's pipe to the side so that she can get in his face, looks in the broken windows like she's hungrily hunting for her prey, and gets crazy, swirling red eyes as she tail-ends a truck that is harboring her victims. She may be larger than life, but she is very human in her cruelty. She is awful in a completely real way with no sorcery or witchcraft involved. It's the same mean-spirited spite that can be found next door in any city, any day. And that is probably the scariest thing about her.

Nanny's so cute!!!

The supporting cast of characters are all great as well. I'm especially partial to the lovably sweet Nanny, who is feisty when fighting off the intruders ("You got cloth ears?!?!") and is palpably devastated when she finds the puppies gone. Cruella's henchmen, with their oversized hands and noses, are blundering but intimidating and seem fully capable of violence. The animals participating in the twilight bark all make an impact with minimal screen time. (The goose who wags her tail feathers like an excited dog and holds up her friends ear so he can hear is my favorite.) And, last but not least, the puppies are adorable. They wisely use children to voice them to great effect and give us a central group to focus on, ably differentiating the perpetually hungry one, the rambunctious one, the curious one, etc. It is impossible not to fall in love with them, which is essential for a story that hinges on whether you are engaged with them enough to care about whether they are rescued. By the time one of them says that his "toes are froze" in a snowstorm, you are so smitten that you have to stop yourself from trying to reach into the screen and give him a hug to warm his bones.

The Music:

The amazeballs opening credits.

8/10. Examining the music in Disney films over the course of our DATE Nights, one of the things that has really stood out for me is the impressive scores from the Disney animated classics. One of the truly brilliant Disney composers is George Bruns and he has done some truly fantastic work here miles away from his work adapting Sleeping Beauty from Tchaikovsky. The sound is a bridge between the the classic original Disney film scores, perfected in Lady and the Tramp, and the distinctive sixties Disney sound that you would soon hear all over the music for the 64-65 New York World's Fair. It is a completely new sound appropriate for a modern day urban tale, mixing pop and jazz idioms into an emotionally resonant film score that fully supports the story being told.

Think of the opening credits, where the music that you hear signals that this will be unlike any other Disney animated film. Or the sweet music that peeks it head out from under the steady tic-toc of the clock and uneasy sound of thunder at the same time little Lucky emerges alive from the cloth in Roger's hands. The music in contrast to the preceding lack thereof mirrors our relief and joy in this sweet, sad moment when a puppy is almost lost.

Fabulous!

The songs, by Mel Leven, who would later go on to adapt Babes in Toyland for Disney (meaning we have him to thank for that awesome, multi-colored Annette Funicello walking on her hands number!), are few, but fantastic. His great contribution to the Disney (if not American) songbook is "Cruella De Vil". It's a fantastic way to get us to gird our loins for the character to come, and she does't disappoint. It also tells us a lot about Roger and his fun relationship with Anita. The song is playful and catchy enough to be played on the radio, as it later is in the story. The other songs in the movie ("Kanine Krunchies" and "Dalmatian Plantatian") are brief little larks, but effective for what they are.

It's interesting to me that a movie about a songwriter has so few songs. (Apparently Leven planned for there to be more, but they didn't make their way into the finished project.) But even beyond the score playing a major role in shaping the narrative, they use the idea of music to tell the story. Watching it this last time I noticed that Roger insists to Anita at the beginning of the film as he writes "Cruella De Vil" that the music comes first and then the words, but in the end when he writes "Dalmatian Plantation", it's the lyrics that precede the melody. It's a way for Roger to signal to us, in his own vernacular as a tunesmith, that their world has changed. It's details like this, combining music and character to relay information without exposition, that show storytellers at their most creative.

The Gay Scale:

What could be gayer than a Disney
themed Barbie doll? Nada.

8/10. Most of this high score can be attributed to three words: Cruella De Vil. If you want to talk about over-the-top camp in Disney films, the conversation would start with her by necessity. She is completely larger than life and the fact that she is a materialistic diva to boot makes her gay catnip (queernip?). From her initial appearance in a huge fur coat, three times the size of her slim frame, to her wild gesticulations and whisky and nicotine (from pink cigarettes!) branded voice, to the sight of her in her over designed bedroom, wild-eyed in curlers, Cruella is for all intents and purposes a drag character. She belongs in the same league as other self-important, glamorous, steamrolling, destructive dames like Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest and Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Her presence in this movie coupled with the fact that I have a humongous crush on Roger, who I think is a total dish, gives the movie a very high gay quotient.

The Bottom Line:

Bold, fresh styling. Wowza.

9/10. This movie is wonderful from start to finish. It is bracingly fresh, uniquely gorgeous to look at, with great characters, a rock solid story, a knockout score and a smattering of fun songs, one of which has become a standard. It is squarely unlike any other animated film Disney has done. The artists took what could have been a major setback (financial cuts) and found a way to flourish within their new boundaries. The problem will arise that not every story is suited to the look that was given to 101 Dalmatians. Could you imagine a Fantasia that looks like The Three Caballeros or an Alice in Wonderland that looks like Dumbo? They began to use the Xerox process, and the visuals that come with it, without really looking at whether the choice would support the story. I am not precious about animated style, but I am insistent that the style be carefully chosen because it is what the story, the characters and the world of the piece call for.

In a way, Walt got it right. The Xerox process did weaken the artistic boldness of the animated film for a spell. But here, in 101 Dalmatians, it is a technique that illuminates the story. That is where he got it wrong. Just as Sleeping Beauty was a bold artistic shift from Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmatians broke the mold of how an animated feature is supposed to look. We can't fault the movie that techniques pilfered from it for other movies would be far less successful there. This movie truly does get better for me every time I see it and it gets everything pretty spectacularly right. After having scant recollection of watching it as a child (probably because there were no pretty, pretty princesses), I am really floored by it as an adult. This easily ranks among the best of the best in the canon.

The Miscellanea:

The inevitable straight-to-video sequel, 101 Dalmatians 2: Patch's London Adventure, was released in 2003. It has something to do with rambunctious Patch wanting to be on TV like his hero, a dog named Thunderbolt. (Weird parallels to the 2008 Disney animated film Bolt much?) Cruella comes back with gay sidekick in tow and Jodi Benson (Ariel) voices Anita. It all seems a bit convoluted from plot summaries I've seen. I do find it telling that it has taken an original story whose main plot hinges on the power of community to vanquish a foe to a story about wanting to be someone special who stands out in a crowd. I think that says anything about the differences in values we taught our kids in the sixties versus what we teach them now. The importance of community over individuality as opposed to the exact opposite. Interesting.

I still have yet to see the 101 Dalmations live action adaptation. This trailer doesn't make a case to me that it needs to exist. What is there to improve on? Glenn Close seems to be having a blast and all, but, in the end, what is the point really? Just watch the original.

And here we have a questionable live action sequel to a unnecessary live action adaptation of an animated masterpiece. If the first seemed pointless, then 102 Dalmatians seems not only pointless, but also redundant and a bit lazy. Really? She reforms? But not actually? And she has some kind of gay sidekick? Now maybe my opinion on these films will change when I see them, which I'm sure I will one day, but they have a real uphill battle to fight if they want to win my good graces. (Do I sound like an old curmud...hey! Kid! Get off of my lawn! Sorry...curmudgeon yet?)

There is an amazing album called Disney Bossa Nova. If it is not in your hot little hands as we speak, get thee to an online retailer of your choosing (it's out of print) and for heaven's sake buy it! The entire album is brilliantly produced and wonderfully arranged. I promise you will love it. Last week I brought you a bossa nova "Once Upon a Dream", but this week is the reigning champ of bossa nova Disney covers- Marcos Valle singing "Cruela Cruel". Chances are if Tom and I are singing this particular tune, we are singing Marcos' version and gently swinging our hips.

I will admit that I came around to appreciating Dr. John rather late. It was around the same time that I started gaining an appreciation for country music and my Southern roots. Of course, the deal was sealed a few years later when he was involved in The Princess and the Frog, which is steeped in the flavor of his native New Orleans. He did a funky lil' cover of "Cruella De Vil" for the soundtrack to the live action remake and I kind of heart it.

I've also come clean to you guys about my burgeoning affection for some of the Disney Channel tween stars. My two favorites are easily Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. They have actually come out with some really great pop tunes. This is Selena Gomez's cover of "Cruella De Vil". She adds some "hard-edged" guitar sounds to tough it up, but it's pure bubble gum. I find it to be rather catchy and a good time. Tom finds it chasing him through his nightmares, poor thing.

This young man's name is Jonny May and he tickles the ivories at Disneyland. There are tons of great videos of his stylings, but this one is particularly delicious. I love that he really brings out the sexiness in "Cruella De Vil".

Just cuz they're always pretty much awesome, here are the Dapper Dans, Disneyland's barbershop quartet,  with their own rendition of 101 Dalmatians' signature song.

It seems that 101 Dalmatians also spawned a TV series in the late nineties set on the dalmatian plantation. I have no recollection of this show at all and it seems to have come and gone after two seasons without making too much of an impact. I can't say that this opening theme song sequence makes me feel too optimistic about its quality. It seems stylized in a Kim Possible kind of manner and full of hijinks, but there does seem to be a bit of imagination there. Then again, I did just take a look at the beginning of the first episode and when the first line belonged to a Jamaican rasta man, I stopped watching.

I will go on record as saying I wish there were more character encounters at Disney Parks. Not character greetings where you stand in line for an hour and a half to walk into a fancy room with vague theming and spend a few minutes with a princess, but random, magical character encounters when you aren't even seeking them out. Part of what is so wonderful about the experience of being in a Disney park is that you are somehow in a world where Peter Pan searches for treasure, Mary Poppins is making her way somewhere terribly important (if her impeccable posture is any indication), and Cruella De Vil could be around the next corner waiting to pop out at you. This is a world where characters from the entire Disney canon go about their business and make you a part of the magic while doing so. I direct you to the spieling Peter Pan in the Miscellanea from my DATE Night a few weeks back for further evidence. That's how you serve face character realness, ladies and gentleman.

That being said, this Cruella may not have the voice or look down perfectly, but the spirit is dead-on. And that's more than good enough for me- it's the most important factor. If you get the spirit of the character right, you are good to go as far as I'm concerned. Watching her as she poses for paparazzi that isn't really there, spooks people as they emerge from attractions, and barks orders at an adorable nugget behind the wheel of the stationary car outside Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is pure joy tinged with a healthy dose of schadenfreude. It's super rad.

Just when you thought it wasn't possible for Cruella De Vil to get campier, you see this video of her show in Disneyland Paris. All you had to do was flank her with two super gay backup dances and drop her into a French theme park show, et voila! Plus de camp! This show actually looks pretty cute and it's very interesting to see how they handle the language issue, speaking both in French and English. As a monolingual rube who wants nothing more than to visit the Disney parks in other countries, it helps me feel like I won't be completely lost at (Tokyo Disney)sea.

And now we come to a non-Disney duo of clips. First, we have a clip about a 101 Dalmatians musical that was completely unrelated to the Disney version. It toured the country a few years back and I actually caught it during its stint at Madison Square Garden. It was not good. There were real dogs. Plus there were actors playing dogs in dog costumes. Kids played the puppies. And people on stilts played the humans. The music was not memorable or appropriate to the story in the least and was written by a guy from the rock group Styx. Natch. The performances were ok, with Rachel York doing her darndest to make something major out of her turn as Cruella. She was quite fine, but I was constantly terrified she would topple over. Most of all I missed the Disney storytelling, amazing music and lack of treacle.

This is a clip of a band named Cruella DeVille of a song called "Two Dreadful Children". It sounds like like what would happen if Rocky Horror and Dresden Dolls had a baby in a production of Shockheaded Peter directed by Brecht. It's completely twisted, weird and awesome. The band wasn't prolific, were together for two years and were from Northern Ireland. Someone also put together a website gathering as much information as they could about the band, but apparently there isn't all that much. Suffice it to say that this song alone is enough to endear them to me and guarantee them a place on my Halloween playlists in perpetuity.

So there we have it! As we've entered the sixties things are changing and changing fast. Next week for our DATE Night we will be traveling back to the era of wizards and royalty with The Sword and the Stone. Full disclosure, y'all. Things start to get a little janky now. 101 Dalmatians marks the end of Disney animation's second golden age and from here on things get a little spotty. Some of the films over the next fifteen years will be out and out gems, some will be disappointments and some will rest in between the two, but I can guarantee you two things. 1) They will all be fascinating and b) there is a small lady with a fishtail (not to mention the third golden age) on the other side. Stick with me, kids!

What did y'all folks think? Are you as impressed with the film's more contemporary feel or do you miss the storybook world of many of Disney's past masterpieces? Did you prefer the hand inked and painted look of the older films or the new look that 101 Dalmatians ushers in? Do you feel like this film is the end of a golden age? Some would argue Sleeping Beauty and some The Jungle Book. What's your take? Have you ever sung "Cruella De Vil" under your breath to an insufferably awful boss? Maybe that last one is just me...

DATE Night: Bambi

I hope you brought the bug spray, because this is our DATE Night in the great outdoors. By the way, I'm wise to all of the tricks. I saw our friend Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap. Don't give me any sugar water to keep the mosquitos away. Don't give me any sticks to bang together to frighten the mountain lions off. And if you put a lizard on top of my canteen, pass me the vaseline. The hoops will be coming off. Now that that's out of the way, let's get a breath of fresh air with Bambi. 

The Background:

Sage advice from a wise owl.

Though it was not completed and released until five years later in 1942, Disney had been working on turning Felix Salten's book Bambi: A Life in the Woods into a movie since he acquired the rights from another filmmaker in 1937. Production was continually delayed because the animators had not yet gained the skill and experience needed to render the characters as realistically as Walt wanted. While Pinocchio and Fantasia were being made, work on Bambi never really stopped. Animators studied animal behavior and nature, even going so far as to have a mini-zoo at the studio so they could get an up close look at their characters' real-life counterparts.

Bambi was another gamble for a studio that had stayed stubborn in its penchant for taking risks. This time, they were making a film with no human characters and few spoken words based on a contemporary work of fiction. Once again, the risk did not pay off as handsomely as they would have liked in a financial sense. The film, though embraced by the critics, did not make back its not-insignificant costs on initial release. This is due in part to the unfortunate timing of its release during World War II, when a large chunk of their distribution options were cut off. Since that time, however, it has come to be appreciated as the masterpiece that it truly is. Artistically speaking, it is nothing short of a triumph.

The First Impression:

The Disney Project- Part 3: Bambi. (Don't have Dumbo or Fantasia so I skipped 'em.) The artistry blew me away. The use of color was almost avant garde in places and the backgrounds were wonderful. The characters were charming. Flower is totally a gayby. The movie makes you see the world through a child's eyes. I loved it.

January 31, 2010 at 12:11am ·

The Art:

10/10. I don't have enough words to say about how amazing the art is in this movie. The use of the multiplane camera technology added depth in a subtle but palpable way. The colors are brilliantly used, from the rich, dark greens of the forest to the blazing red-orange of the fire which grows from a single dot to consume the forest and the stark winter white that blankets everything. The backgrounds, which took much inspiration from the spare, striking artwork of Tyrus Wong, is impressionistic. Sometimes there are no lines at all, just undefined washes of color trusting the power of your imagination to fill in the details. Moments like the sky clearing after the storm are like moving paintings. This contrasts with the incredible detail of the parts of the forest in the foreground and the animals, which is where all of the intense research that the artists undertook really paid off.

Breathtaking concept art by Tyrus Wong.

If you pause any single frame of this film, you are looking at a gorgeously constructed painting, so it's telling that even still there are so many moments that stand out artistically. Once again, Disney renders rain and lightning excruciatingly well. There is an incredible shot during the storm that pans up from Bambi and his mother to the sky with the perspective of the rain changing moment to moment. When the deer are fleeing from the hunters, many of them morph into mere colored shapes with wide, blank eyes, which seems to me a commentary of how they are seen by "man" contrasted with the fully dimensional creatures that we have come to see them as. It's a great example of art supporting the story. There is gorgeous animation of leaves swirling in the fall and the final two that have held on til the bitter end finally falling to the ground. The multiple Bambis that the owl sees after he is shaken on the tree branch. The portrayal of Bambi literally dancing in the clouds after being kissed by Faline is jarringly shattered by his battle with another young buck for her, all shadows, highlights and boldly bright colors. The frolic directly afterwards in the wind with the swirling petals is the visual relief that we need. The fire effects are horrifying and spectacularly beautiful at the same time.

Let me take a quick moment to give a shout out to a lovely feature on the Blu-rays for several of the early animated classics called Disney View. Since these earlier films were made in a more square shape than we are used to seeing on our wide screens, Disney brought artists in to fill in the black bars that normally appear on the sides with artwork that corresponds with what's going on in the frame. Nothing distracting. Just simple, lovely artwork reminiscent of the style of the movies themselves. It is a great idea and is being very well-executed. It doesn't really dawn on you how groty those heavy black bars look on the sides of the screen are until you don't have to look at them any more. Kudos, Disney Blu-ray folks, on that!

The Story:

9/10. The storytelling Bambi is lean and muscular. They learned their lessons well from Dumbo and there was real focus and clarity to the way the story unfurls. Not an ounce of fat on this baby. They are telling what is pretty much the most elemental story that there is. The Lion King's circle of life ain't got nothing on the one here. We see the birth and death of the characters, the forest, and the seasons. We are confronted pretty brazenly by the fact that life continues with or without us and you have to keep calm and carry on.

Engineered to rip your heart out.

That bring us to the moment. You know the one. We were all traumatized by it back in the day. The death of Bambi's mom. It actually happens off screen but is so powerfully done that you feel like you witnessed it. One moment she is right behind him and the next moment she just isn't. There is a lack of underscoring and the silence is startling. A heartbreaking Bambi calls out for her. And the booming voice saying, "Your mother can't be with you anymore." What isn't seen is as important as what is. And directly after that, spring arrives. Life goes on. It is so hard-hitting because it is so true. In a larger way we see it again in the traumatic forest fire. The whole of the woods dies and then spring comes again. We are born and we die. It doesn't cut any more to the heartmeat of it than that.

Things aren't all dreary. There is much lightness in the story. What is wonderful is that it comes so organically out of the story that you never feel like you are watching a sight gag. A great example is Bambi climbing over the log awkwardly. Its humor comes from its truth. We are seeing the world through Bambi's eyes and his experience of life in the forest is ours. It makes connect with him viscerally right off the bat and really become invested in his story. When the whole forest gets twitterpated (For heaven's sake, we need to start working that word into our everyday more often! It's so rad!), our hearts get aflutter despite the owl's warnings as well.

The Characters:

9/10. The characters are so well done in this film that even the absence of a character makes for one of the most compelling villains in all of film history. Of course, I'm talking about "man", whose specter looms large over much of the film. He manifests himself in others, like the poor pheasant who we see have a nervous breakdown and try to fly away before being shot. We only know her for a few seconds and are devastated when man brings her down. It is made pretty clear that in this world, man is a terrifying monster and it is a harsh reality to face that we have that capacity.

I just want to squidge them all!!!

All of the other characters are beautifully animated. The artists found a perfect balance between realism and personality. They are believable as animals but have enough human characteristics to make them sympathetic. There was much care taken to give specificity to the mannerisms and quirks of each creature in the forest. The pay-off was a forest filled with relatable characters who you feel a real emotional pull for. It is why the joys are so vivid and the tragedies so affecting. You get the feeling that every possum and duck and mouse would have a story just as interesting if you took the time to learn it, which we eventually would for many in Disney's True-Life Adventure series.

We watch Bambi grow from an awkward young thing into an adolescent. In him we see every child and we see ourselves. We see the little one taking his first steps, learning how to interact with others, mimicking gestures along with words to learn language. We see him being bashful in the throes of first love when he first encounters Faline and we watch their romance blossom. We watch him exuberantly try new things, like skating on a freshly frozen pond. We see him faced with death and tragedy. And we see him tackle them both with dignity and strength. Bambi is actually quite a lovely role model.

I think I remember seeing Nancy Kerrigan
do this move in the '94 Olympics. No?

Another character that makes a real impact is, of course, Thumper. Here, Disney learned a lesson that would serve the Peanuts cartoons well later in the sixties. If you find quirky, real, unpolished kids and use their idiosyncrasies as inspiration, there's gold in them there hills. From the moment you hear his voice, you are immediately charmed. The sequence when he recites the "If you can't say something nice" saying is a brilliant performance from a kid being himself coupled with an insanely talented animator using what he's given to full advantage. 

The Music:

8/10. There are about a thousand words of dialogue in the entire screenplay of Bambi. That ain't nothin'. It means that the scoring plays a very important part in the storytelling. The music was written by Frank Churchill ("Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf", Snow White, Oscar winner for Dumbo), who sadly committed suicide shortly before the movie was released, and Edward H. Plumb. The songs function very differently than plot-advancing numbers of charm songs. The chorus is used as another instrument and the lyrics are another color in the palate. The voices sing of the two major themes of the movie- love and renewal, reinforcing those ideas without being intrusive. Supporting the artwork instead of overpowering its imagery. Each of the songs is absolutely wonderful. Simple, elegant, and evocative.

The score is mightily impressive. During Bambi's first moments, it is charmingly awkward and halting. It matches the droplets of rain as they fall. When the bucks are seen butting heads in the field, the music gets more intense. It becomes low and ominous during the forest fire. The music highlights moments, guides your emotional journey and serves as foreshadowing of things to come. The lack of dialogue here makes the importance of its success even greater and, luckily, what is arguably one of the greatest film scores of all emerged from the challenge.

The Gay Scale:

8/10. One word accounts for most of Bambi's queerness. Flower. The cute lil' critter has become a bit of a gay icon. Sure, there's a song called "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song" but we know that they really just meant happy. Flower's appearance is when all of the gender creative little boys' ears perk up and they think, "Ah. There I am." Here is a shy, giggly little nubbin of a skunk who doesn't mind being called a pretty flower. He bats his girlishly long eyelashes and gazes lovingly at Bambi with his big crystal blue eyes because this is probably the first time he has ever been seen as beautiful.

Do that dainty wave proudly, little one.
You are loved.

I like to think that because of this Flower carries a torch for Bambi. He loves the Flower he sees reflected in Bambi's kind eyes. During everyone's twitterpation, Flower does meet an (allegedly) lady skunk, who looks suspiciously like him, and is the first one to head off with a mate, but we all know that back in the forties guys did what guys were supposed to do for the most part regardless of their sexuality. So he gets kissed, turns bright pink from his fancy hair to his dainty feet and goes off to make babies. Later, we discover that he has named his little one after Bambi. I smell unrequited love.

Regardless, Flower is a gentle soul who is absolutely adorable and seems to be accepted as he is by his little group of friends. It is a lovely message to send to little ones watching who feel like purty flowers themselves the way that I did when I first watched this movie. Flower always stood out to me in the cast of characters and has stuck with me as sort of an spirit that encourages me to be unafraid of embracing the sweetness within myself.

More Tyrus Wong concept art just cuz it's amazing.

The Bottom Line:

9/10. If Snow White created the basic formula and proved an animated feature could be done at all, Pinocchio and Fantasia expanded the artistic palette, and Dumbo focused on clear storytelling, then Bambi is when Disney learned how to synthesize all of these aspects into a movie that is as close to perfection as I think Disney has ever reached. There may be movies that I enjoy aspects of more, but Bambi is lovely, timeless, well-paced, and beautifully told, with adorable characters, gorgeously powerful music, stunning art and animation, and a budding gay icon thrown into the mix. It also manages to convey a message without resorting to obvious moralizing. I, for one, will never really get hunting for sport and, no joke, this movie has a big part in that. Whenever people ask me which film surprised me the most during the original Disney Project, Bambi is always my answer. It's impact as a child was indelible and seeing it through adult eyes reinforced that impact on an even deeper level. It is even more moving than you remember and more sophisticated and powerful than you can imagine.

The Miscellanea:

I will not lie to you. I haven't seen Bambi II yet. It was just released on Blu-ray and, being the completist that I am, I almost ran right out and bought it just because. I slowed my roll, read the reviews, saw that they were less than sparkling and refrained. The straight to video sequels are rarely great. Even the better ones (Lilo & Stitch II, Return to Neverland) are good but not nearly on par with the originals. I did, however, get a copy of the soundtrack mostly because I listened the song that Alison Krauss did for it on Spotify. The video below is the song that she does in the movie called "There Is Life". The animation looks fine, but unspectacular, especially in relation to the amazingly high bar that was set by the original. But the song is lovely. Her voice is like a cozy quilt you wanna just wrap yourself up in. The rest of the soundtrack is quite fine, with some pieces of the sequel's score, songs from the original film, one from Martina McBride, and one more featuring a pre-Tiana Anika Noni Rose.

We all know how I feel about animator Andreas Deja. This is a very cool video that was released around the time of the Bambi Diamond edition Blu-ray disc where Andreas shows you how to draw Bambi. I love how easy he makes it look. I've never been very talented with visual art. The only thing I can really draw is a funky lil' happy face with huge eyes and his tongue sticking out. Beyond that, I'm mostly useless. Maybe one day I'll give it a shot. Meanwhile, if you're so inclined, let Mr. Deja give you a crash course.

Did you know that Bambi actually preceded Smokey the Bear as the face of forest fire prevention? But the characters were only licensed for a year in the forties, so Smokey was created when that time was up. Bambi and his friends still stopped by to help the cause, though, like in this ad from 1968.

And last but not least...it's even adorable in Dutch! Please stop me from from putting myself into a giggle coma!

So, how did you feel about Bambi? Were you as astonished by the whole affair as I was, or am I just unusually swayed by precious woodland creatures? Were you as convinced that there is unrequited love between Flower and Bambi? After The Watcher in the Woods I swore that I would never venture too far into the forest again. That hasn't changed, but after this movie, I'll certainly be more inclined to take a stroll out in nature. As long as creepy Bette Davis stays back at the manor house.

Since I feel like I was a little cheap with our DATE Night this week, I thought next week I would make a grand gesture and fly us down to South America for Saludos Amigos! How does that sound? Just make sure you don't drink the water. We all saw the Sex and the City movie. I probably won't be quite as amused as the girls were about loss of bowel control. Ew. Subject change. Uh...South America next week! Yay! Margaritas are on me!

DATE Night: Dumbo

It's already our fourth DATE Night! Things are coming along swimmingly dontcha think? I think this may even turn into something long-term. Don't tell Tom, though. He gets jealous since he's wearing my ring and all. This time around I'm taking you to the circus for Dumbo. 

The Background:

Artwork from the original Roll-A-Book.

Pinocchio and Fantasia were mad expensive and took a very long time to make, y'all! Gorgeous as they may have been, those big gambles did not exactly pay off the way it had been hoped that they would. The studio needed a project to follow them up that they could make quickly and inexpensively. They found their solution in the slight story of Dumbo the flying elephant that had been created as a Roll-A-Book, which was a scrolling toy/book hybrid. They expanded the story into a full-length feature, though at just over an hour, it is one of their shortest.

Simplicity was the name of the game. They worked quickly and economically and after less than a year they had the final product- Dumbo. It was released in late 1941 and was warmly received by critics, who saw the film as a return to form for Disney. The film was the most financially successful release of the forties from the studio, aided, no doubt, by the fact that it cost half as much as Snow White had cost them to produce. It weathered an animator's strike and being famously knocked off the cover of Time Magazine by the attack on Pearl Harbor to become one of the most beloved of the Disney animated classics. 

The First Impression:

The Disney Project- Part 11: Dumbo. (Just came in at the library) Dumbo is precious. You can't help but love him and his mom and Timothy for protecting him. Though it almost feels more like a long short than a feature, it's quite sweet and nicely simple. "Baby Mine" is one of my favorite songs ever and so heartbreaking in context. And I want a sip of what made them see the pink elephants. What an amazing sequence!

February 6, 2010 at 7:23pm ·

The Art:

7/10. The art in Dumbo is a complete 180 from the style of their earlier films. It is less representational and more stylized, simpler and brighter. It almost feels like a feature film with the look of an exceptionally good short. That's not to say there aren't impressive effects or artistry, because there are. The watercolor backgrounds, the rain and cloud effects at the opening, the storm and lightning effects during the raising of the tents, and the stunning use of color throughout prove that this was crafted by skilled artists. Artwork this straightforward fits a story this uncomplicated.

I am terrified that they will eat me in my sleep.

Of course, no discussion of the art in Dumbo is complete without mentioning the "Pink Elephants on Parade" sequence. It is so incredibly far ahead of its time that I still don't think we've caught up with it. The hallucinogenic quality makes for an unforgettable experience that's unlike anything else Disney had ever done before or since, no matter how hard those Heffalumps and Woozles may try. This is truly groundbreaking artwork. It is ingenious and sophisticated and a complete contrast to the rest of the film. It is creepy and mesmerizing in equal parts and even cleverly pokes fun at Fantasia in the ballet portions.

The Story:

Those eyes...sigh...

7/10. Simple. Exactly as it should be. The slight premise was expanded just enough without over bloating it. It feels less episodic than Pinocchio, moving swiftly along as the idea of Dumbo learning to excel by embracing his differences, despite the discouragement of others, takes center stage. Each experience that our little friend goes through helps support that thesis without indulging in superfluous tangents. The only exception is the "Pink Elephants" section, but if they were going to go off the beaten path, I'm glad they did it in such a bold, visually impressive way. They knew they needed a showpiece to lighten the mood a bit, and they got it and how. The movement is lean and muscular, following a path so familiar that it is actually archetypical. No bells and whistles, just necessities. This kind of back to basics storytelling was a breath of fresh air after the experimentation of the last two films. It was much needed.

The Characters:

8/10. This is the area where the movie really shines. We see from go that the animals are going to have more human characteristics and the humans are going to be vaguely sketched in, which immediately gives us permission to empathize with the animals and see things from their point of view. The humans are cartoonishly evil (the ringmaster and the boys that taunt Dumbo), completely faceless voids (the roustabouts), or seen in silhouette. The animals are shown as more like humans and the humans are shown as more like animals.

Even the clowns are less like humans in the ring than an alien species biologically created solely for hijinks in the ring. It's rather creepy, in fact. By the way, I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but clowns terrify me to no end. Mama says that when we went to the circus museum when I was a little nubbin, I was so horrified that I spent the entire trip going from trash can to trash can peering in to avoid having to look at anything else. Therefore I find it rather amusing that clowns seem to be the lowest life form imaginable in this film. The worst punishment that could possibly dealt to Dumbo is that he be forced to be a clown. Sounds about right to me. Shudder.

Even one of the Real Housewives' plastic
 surgeons couldn't fix that.

The character of Dumbo is so amazingly animated, you just want to scoop him into your arms and love him forever. The fact that he doesn't utter a word for the entire film means that not only does he seem more child-like, but you feel more protective. Not to mention it means that the animator, Bill Tytla, had a massive task ahead of him. He had to animate the central character of the movie, who was a pantomime elephant, and make us fall head over heel in love with him. The result is some of the most lovely character animation ever put on celluloid. From his very first appearance, Dumbo's sweetness is palpable, with his teardrop-shaped, crystal blue eyes and eager and loving nature. When he sneezes and his ears pop out, you can't help but adore him. At every turn, from being forced to perform tricks in the circus tent to getting drunk, he is a curious little nugget whose openness and curiosity are an audience's window into the world of the story.

Don't mess with his mama, yo. She'll school you.

Your heart breaks for Mrs. Jumbo, Dumbo's mother, when she doesn't get her package from the stork at the top of the film. Then the lovely moments between Dumbo and his mother are so exceptionally touching they are truly able to establish a very real, loving relationship between them. When she takes those huge ears and swaddles him in them, you know that she is a mother who will love her son because of and not despite his flaws. You can feel the warmth. When they touch trunks, it has the truthful spark of a real mother/son connection. You adore the mother for protecting her son at any cost. When she lashes out against the children teasing Dumbo, she gets so upset that the blue eyes she and her son have in common turn red with anger. The devastation of her being locked up as punishment makes your heart sink. During "Baby Mine", when she cradles Dumbo in her trunk, a simple gesture becomes the ultimate expression of motherly love.

Contemplating where he left his pants.

Timothy is a great sidekick for Dumbo. He is the more gentle Jiminy Cricket to Dumbo's more relatable Pinocchio. He advises him, brings him out of his shell, and supports him unwaveringly. There is a great moment when Timothy uses one of Dumbo's tears to lather him the soap to clean him off as if to tell him to use his sadness to propel him forward and not hold him back. He was charmingly voiced by actor Edward Brophy, whose work in gangster pictures gave Timothy the sound of a mob boss with a heart of gold.

The other supporting animal characters are also distinctively animated and voiced. The moments showing the other baby animals with their mamas work like a charm. Disney has a knack for making little ones in the animal kingdom so squishy that you want to just eat them up. The goofy stork who delivers Dumbo is portrayed by Sterling Holloway, who would later voice Winnie the Pooh and the Chesire Cat. Verna Felton, whose voice is familiar as the Queen of Hearts and the Fairy Godmother, made the leader of the cruel elephant ladies icily horrifying.

The one on the right looks like he has
the glasses bird from the Tulgey Wood in
Alice in Wonderland sitting on him.

One other familiar voice is that of the head crow, named Jim Crow (yikes), who was performed by Cliff Edwards, who also provided the voice for Jiminy Cricket. All of the other crows are voiced by African-Americans. They are clever with their words, playful, and turn out to be Dumbo's allies. This leads us to the sticky wicket of the crows and the accusation of racial stereotyping. I will say that I winced a bit, but I don't see them as any more or less offensive than Sunflower from Fantasia or Song of the South. I find it interesting what Disney censors and what they don't. Once again, I think it's important to keep characters like this intact. They tell us about our history and are opportunities to open up conversations about the portrayal of minorities in film. And that's something that is still a hot topic. 

The Music:

6/10. The score, by Frank Churchill, who also wrote effectively for Snow White, does wonderful work again here, winning the Oscar for best score. It does a fantastic job of evoking the circus atmosphere and guiding your emotional journey through the movie. It also wonderfully underscores the action in wordless scenes, like the first moments of bonding between Mrs. Jumbo and Dumbo.

I love the chick beneath the "B"
who's terrified of getting crushed.
Nice touch, poster artist.

The songs are half fantastic and half fine. Churchill wrote them with lyricist Oliver Wallace. "Baby Mine" is one of the most perfect lullabies ever written. It is still covered often be artists like Bette Midler (I'll admit it made me cry during Beaches, too) and Alison Krauss. "Casey Junior" is a fantastic theme which represents the anthropomorphized circus train. "Pink Elephants on Parade" is a vaguely sinister, completely weird ditty appropriate for a liquor-induced vision. "When I See an Elephant Fly" is jazzy tune of disbelief that turns into a triumphant blare at the very end. The rest of the songs, though not bad at all, fail to stand out or stand up to these fantastic numbers.

The Gay Scale:

Pride Parade float or Disney
Attraction? You decide. 

8/10. You have a youngster who is born different than all the other little ones. He is protected fiercely by a loving mother. He is torn away from his mother and finds an unlikely ally in another outsider, who unwaveringly stays on his side, reminding him that the things that hold him back will ultimately carry him up. He is judged by cruel grown-ups, who call him a freak that only a mother could love. They literally turn their backs on him, referring to him as their "shame" and saying that they wouldn't "eat at the same bail of hay with him". Finally, after he learns that his differences are what make him special, he finds his faith in himself. From there, what made him different makes him a star, which is the ultimate revenge for an outsider.

Any outsider narrative is bound to have an effect on a gay audience, and Dumbo is just that in it's purest, simplest form. It resonates deeply. It is very easy to read the movie as the story of a newly out young gay person into this film. All of these experiences are ones that we all go through at some point in the coming out process. What I love about Dumbo is how beautifully it reinforces that being unlike others is valuable and desirable. It also shows friends and family who are willing to fight to support Dumbo as he discovers his true self.

Pink elephant in drag. Still terrifying.

During the "Pink Elephants" sequence, Tom said "Those pink elephants are obviously gay. Wait...Now they're cars. I guess that has nothing to do with sexual orientation". He has a point. It really doesn't. But at the same time there is something indelibly queer about the sequence. It is over the top, proud of its freakiness, and pink as all get out. Oh. And they bellydance. Seems pretty gay to me.

The Bottom Line:

Best Dumbo Pin. EVER!

8/10. Dumbo is a movie that, though slight, is undoubtedly full of great characters and emotional impact. Add to that bright, colorful art, some fantastic songs, brisk pacing and humor in all the right places and you have a charmer without an ounce of fat on it. Just like Dumbo, who learned that what some considered a fault could be a major asset, Disney took a financial crunch and made it into an opportunity to focus on telling a simple story very well and creating outstanding characters. Instead of aiming for the clouds and falling short, it aims for your heart and hits a bullseye.

The Miscellanea:

Back in the early days of the Disney Channel, one of the flagship shows was Dumbo's Flying Circus. I have a vague recollection of the show and this theme song. Somehow it feels like I should be watching this with a big bowl of Fruit Loops in my lap while sitting way too close to the TV. Looking at it now, it amazes me what a different beast children's television programming is today. It also makes me appreciate how sophisticated Sesame Street always has been from day one and continues to be.

There was a sequel planned to Dumbo. A short trailer/making-of feature was on one of the DVD releases. The idea was abandoned and never came to be, and I must say I'm pretty happy with that decision. From the trailer it looks like it would have been another sequel by committee incorporating "important lessons that children should learn" and "characters designed to have specific characteristics that children can relate to". One day I'll give you an earful about how I feel about the direct-to-video sequels. Most of my opinions aren't terribly high. I'm grateful that Dumbo was spared this fate.

In Disneyland, they have a roaming Pearly Band, like the one that performs "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with Mary Poppins. This is them performing "Pink Elephants on Parade". It is fully awesome.

It gets me all excited like because I am going to Disneyland with Tom in just two more weeks! Come to think of it, the last time that I went to Disneyland, also known as my first time, Tom and I went on Dumbo's Flying Elephants. I had never gone on it in my adult life. It always seemed like a long wait for a lame ride. Riding it in Disneyland was one of the coolest things we did that day. Just like the movie itself, sometimes the simplest things are the ones that will surprise you by being the most enjoyable. The sense of history riding the classic attraction and seeing all the little ones get so excited was magical. I can't wait to ride it again.

So, were you as charmed by Dumbo as I was or do you think that it's a little too lightweight? Do you miss the ambition of the past few films or did you appreciate that they dialed it back a little and simplified? Did you feel like you were tripping balls during the "Pink Elephants on Parade" section? Did you weep uncontrollably during "Baby Mine"? Come on, y'all. I know it's not just me!

I thought that next week maybe we could take a lovely walk in the forest with Bambi on our DATE Night. I'll pack the bug spray and if you come wearing cammo or bring a firearm with you, the date is officially canceled. Fair warning.