Dumbo

One of the best of Disney's animated features. An ugly duckling variation, lifted by those unforgettable characters: the ancient, haywire stork who delivers Dumbo late, the circus train reminiscent of the Tin Man, the irrepressible mouse who befriends the rejected hero, the bitchy old elephant troupe ('Hey girls, have I got a trunkful of dirt...'), and the beautifully characterised crows - stolen by Bakshi for Fritz the Cat - who sing the classic 'When I See A' Elephant Fly'. The artwork, of course, is magisterial: aerial views of the States, the erecting of the big top in a storm, and the brilliant drunken vision of pink elephants. Magic.