Wonderful character development!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Don't Believe the Hype

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

"Elmer Elephant" is an American 8.5-minute cartoon from 1936, so a bit longer than usual and this one had its 80th anniversary last year already and even if it is in color, this means it is certainly among the earlier days of the Golden Age of Animation. But this Disney production nonetheless includes several big names like director Wilfred Jackson and voice actors Nash and Colvig who were really defining for both the genre and the company for many years to come. This one here may not include the ducks and mice and dogs everybody loves until today, but it includes a little elephant. He visits his little tiger friend for her birthday and he brought her flowers. But sadly, the other visitors aren't friendly to him at all and make fun of his nose and ears etc. So he leaves the party, but meets some real friends who give him solace and eventually also help him when a fire puts Tillie's life at risk.That's one thing I liked that it was not some kind of superhero performance, but that the giraffe and pelicans etc. made it a team effort for Elmer. And honestly animation-wise this was way ahead of its time, certainly a contender for best 1936 short film. On a side-note: This was the year that the Olympics were held in Berlin. Anyway, back to the film: I also liked the love to detail, such as the ways in which the animators breathed life even into those little fire creatures and it was also smart as this takes away from the tension and drama and makes sure it's not too serious for younger audiences to watch too as after all most of the characters in here are their age. Many anti-bullying films from recent history can learn a lot from the heart put in this one and maybe if the filmmakers actually would have watched this one, then their work would not have turned into such forgettable mediocrity (in the better cases). And finally, also a word on the really sweet ending that shows us that we should not pay too much attention to what breed everybody is in here. A cute kiss and little Elmer could not be any happier. His ears finally serve a purpose too. A strong cartoon with a slightly superior second half, I very much recommend checking it out to everybody. For cartoon lovers, it is a must-see and such a shame Elmer was forgotten quickly. I would have loved to watch more films starring him, no matter if short or long. Such a cute, charming and likable character.

. . . because even the children of normal Americans might stir up a ruckus with the neighbors' Grope Openly Party (G.O.P.) tykes if they reveal how Walt Disney uses ELMER ELEPHANT to blame these Right-Wing "Conservative" Dumbos for America's then on-going Great Depression. In this animated short, Disney depicts Elmer as a Total Loser, Cluelessly skipping through the daisies while everyone else shows up on time for Tilly's Sixth Birthday Party. When the other critters present mock Elmer for always sticking his Ginormous Facial Appendage into Private Places where it clearly doesn't belong, Disney suggests that Elmer torches Tilly's Treehouse in an Arsonous Fit of Spite. Elmer than does his best to fan the flames toasting Tilly, just as his Real Life cohorts in America's Pachyderm Party did with their deplorable Smoot- Hawley Tariffs Act. Disney implies that Elmer is like the Teflon Don: he could probably gun down Girl Scouts and Brownies at HIGH NOON in Times Square, and get away with it like Gary Cooper!

Elmer Elephant is a great Silly Symphony and a wonderful childhood gem. It does have a beautiful story, and very heartfelt and well meaning, though out of the Silly Symphonies Ugly Duckling gets my vote as the most heart-rending. You do genuinely feel for Elmer, who gets bullied for his unusually long trunk,then ends up saving the day in one of my favourite Silly Symphony moments, and although the other characters aren't as significant, other than Tillie, they do serve purpose to the well thought out story that doesn't preach in any way.The animation is lovely, and so is the music, especially when the theme tune goes into a minor key to portray Elmer's sadness. All in all, if you come across this Silly Symphony, watch it-you won't be sorry! 10/10 Bethany Cox

Both cute and clever -- a good combination in a Disney animated Silly Symphony. We see a lot of comedy bits in this cartoon that are similar to gags in later animated stories, but they're somewhat different here. Sure, we've seen the whole anthropomorphic-fire thing, but a lot of the elements are pretty unique. I personally enjoyed way Elmer has all sorts of tricks up his, well, nose when it comes to hitting his targets with good ol' H2O. For the Looney Tunes fans out there, you may the voice of Tillie Tiger as the same voice as Petunia Pig.