Although there have been rumors and even listings on the Disney web site, the long-awaited animated classic of the flying elephant has still not appeared on Blu-ray. But all that is changing soon. Disney is celebrating another birthday this year! In honor of Dumbo's 70th anniversary, the cartoon classic will receive a high-def update. The studio just officially announced plans to release the Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray on September 20, 2011.
This is the first time that Dumbo will be seen in high definition. The 2-disc combo pack includes the movie on Blu-ray, as well as a standard-def DVD. Also, so you can hear that Oscar-winning score, the upcoming release will also include a DTS HD 7.1 soundtrack.
In typical Disney fashion, the Blu-ray will have quite a few exclusives, such as Cine-Explore, which provides picture-in-picture commentary. There's also Disney View and the "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette, as well as two games titled, "What Do You See?" and "What Do You Know?" It will also have animated shorts "The Flying Mouse" and "Elmer Elephant."
A few features that will be available on the Blu-ray and the 1-disc DVD release include a deleted scene and deleted song and an audio commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja. There will also be two featurettes: "Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo" and "The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage." Last, but not least, there's a sound design excerpt titled, " The Reluctant Dragon, as well as the original Walt Disney Television introduction.
To restore the film, Disney worked with the U.S. Library of Congress, who has the original 70-year-old nitrate camera negative in their film vaults. They also used an original 1941 "release" print as reference, which is held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Released theatrically in 1941, Dumbo is Disney's fourth animated film. The story of a cute elephant with big ears and a big heart won the 1941 Academy Award for Original Music Score. It was also nominated for Best Song, for the lullaby, "Baby Mine."
The Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray will have an MSRP of $39.99. However, Amazon is currently taking pre-orders for $27.99. A 1-disc DVD will also be available for $29.99, with Amazon taking pre-orders for $9 less.
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