#herman bing

[howardhawkshollywood]

Howard Hawks demonstrates his mastery of film in numerous scenes with four people in Twentieth Century (1934)

[mariocki]

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)

"Heresy? Heresy? Do they still burn men for heresy? Then burn me, monsieur. Light the fire. Do you think your little candle will outshine the flame of truth? Do you think these boards and curtains are my whole life? They are only a trap to catch the pennies of fools. My life is consecrated to a great experiment! I tell you, I will prove your kinship with the ape."

[alfred-st-john]

Mischa Auer and Herman Bing in Sweethearts (1938)

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[gatutor]

Herman Bing-Bonita Granville “Sacrificio de amor” (Westward passage) 1932, de Robert Milton.

[sesiondemadrugada]

Sunrise (F.W. Murnau, 1927).

[moviehealthcommunity]

Dumbo (1941)

This is a Movie Health Community warning. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies, and does not reflect the quality of the film itself.

Dumbo has two scenes involving thunderstorms with lightning strikes. There is one sequence, involving drunken visions, with extreme strobe effects.

A few scenes happen at extreme heights.

Flashing Lights: 10/10. Motion Sickness: 3/10.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Dumbo (1941)

Walt Disney’s fourth animated feature may be his most emotional. Dumbo packs a wide gamut of emotions and an intensity not found in many children’s films - all within its 64-minute running time.

In a traveling circus, a stork delivers to an elephant named Mrs. Jumbo (voiced by Verna Felton) the baby she’s been yearning for. Jumbo Junior is soon renamed “Dumbo” because of his oversized ears. Shunned by his kind and separated from his mother, Dumbo’s only friend is Timothy Q. Mouse (Edward Brophy), who searches for a way to earn the child some respect.

Everyone remembers the film's most powerful scenes: Dumbo being teased by the visitors and other elephants, his mother’s unjust imprisonment after she lashes out against them, and the fleeting moments of comfort they share afterward. It’s a challenge not to shed tears during Baby Mine because it pulls no punches. The bullies aren’t just mean, they’re cruel. The humiliation Dumbo suffers cuts deep. The character's loneliness seems inescapable. Even with Timothy at his side, everything happening feels so big and overwhelming it doesn't matter that Dumbo never utters a word. The pathos you feel is second to none. You don’t often see that kind of rawness in children’s movies (certainly not today).

Alternatively, you may argue the best scene is the famous Pink Elephants on Parade sequence. It’s hard to argue. Memorable, hilarious and simultaneously terrifying, it’s an amazing display of top-notch animation in which creatures morph and contort in impossible ways. Set to that catchy tune, it’s best described as a pleasant nightmare you're compelled to revisit over-and-over.

Whether Dumbo is too intense for young children is unimportant, when weighed against what it excels at. I will criticize its look, however. After the twin box office disappointments of Fantasia and Pinocchio (which are, ironically, some of the cannon’s best films) the animation budget was slashed, and it shows. Sometimes it’s unnoticeable but next to the lavish backgrounds of Bambi (1942), not so much. The humans, in particular, often lack definition.

As for the famous crows... I don’t really have an opinion on them. The movie’s nearly 80 years old so their scenes probably wouldn’t be done the same way today. I find the characters likable and their dialogue clever. Your opinion might differ. That’s ok. Many aspects of Dumbo place it during a specific time and place in film history, for the better. The moments where it doesn't hold back or where it frightens, the circus setting (remember those? they don't really exist anymore), even the songs and the mute hero give the film a bold identity, they make it stand out.

Dumbo is an elongated Silly Symphony with the power of true-life stories. You immediately understand why it’s endured and why, despite its flaws, many viewers consider it their favorite. (On Blu-ray, March 24, 2019)