Fresh and Exciting

Boring

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Nice little Silly Symphony about Elmer, the kid elephant, who was making fun of because of his trunk by the other animals during their friend's birthday party. However, they soon had to have a new viewpoint of the elephant because of his courageous acts during a fire. A pretty exciting plot and a good lesson to be learned here about appreciating what you have been given in life and about treating everyone with kindness. Grade B

"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 heads to Tillie Tiger's birthday party cutesy characters other animals make fun of him ostriches heads"Elmer Elephant" is an exceptionally well-animated cartoon but it suffers from a case of the ultra-cutesies. It is just too cute and tries so hard at this that it's a tad cloying. Still, compared to the output of other studios of the day, it's still a pretty decent short.The cartoon begins with adorable Elmer making his way to Tillie Tiger's birthday party. However, the other animals are jerks and make fun of Elmer's trunk. Elmer is a bit thin-skinned and is chased away. However, when fire strikes at the party, Elmer returns and saves the day.In many ways, this cartoon is like the song "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". The animals are all jerks and the target of their nastiness eventually proves himself a hero nd all is forgotten. I say that revenge would have been a much more satisfying ending--but it doesn't fit into the whole Disney style. Overall, a mildly entertaining cartoon that isn't bad but seemed a bit too predictable and cute for my taste.