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''Dumbo's Circus'' is a
live action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games o ...
/
puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...
television series that aired on The Disney Channel beginning on May 6, 1985 to May 25, 1986. and featured the character of ''Dumbo'' from the original film. Reruns continued to air until February 28, 1997.TV Guide - February 22–28, 1997 The cast members are human-sized
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
animals played by people in puppet suits. Many of the show's cast went on to star in the Christian radio series, ''
Adventures in Odyssey ''Adventures in Odyssey'' (AIO), or simply ''Odyssey'', is an Evangelical Christian radio drama and Radio comedy, comedy series created and produced by Focus on the Family. Aimed at families with children age 12 and younger, the series first air ...
''. The wagon used in the show was seen in the late 1980s and early 1990s on the vehicle boneyard lot of the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney-MGM Studios in
Lake Buena Vista, Florida Lake Buena Vista ( or ) is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being the mailing address for Walt Disney World, although almost all of the resort facilities, including all four theme parks, are physically loc ...
. When the series started, Sebastian is seen wearing only his hat, vest and short pants. After a few episodes, he is given a white T-shirt to go with it. Some of the puppets used for audience members in the circus were used for ''The Mother Goose Video Treasury''.


Background

In the show, Dumbo has grown up, is finally able to speak, and has struck out on his own to begin his own circus. He and a cast of characters fly from town to town, in a wagon pulled through the air by Dumbo, performing their "greatest little show on earth". Other than Dumbo, none of the characters from the original film appeared in the show. Each character would perform a particular talent, which ranged from dancing and singing to telling knock-knock jokes.


Characters


Main

* Dumbo, also known as the "World's Only Flying Elephant", (voiced by
Katie Leigh Katie Leigh is an American voice actress. She has voice acted in both television, film and occasionally video game roles. Career Katie Leigh is known for her voice roles such as Sunni Gummi in '' Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears'', Zuzu in ...
), is the star of the circus. Dumbo still relies on his magic feather to help him fly. He can usually be seen pulling the Circus wagon from place to place up in the sky. Often breaks the fourth wall towards the boys and girls watching the show, telling them when it's time for a song or the sideshow. Being an elephant, Dumbo's memory is usually very good (based on the expression "An elephant never forgets"), his hearing is very sharp and sometimes his sneezes are often strong - strong enough to cause some wind. Most of all he now can speak unlike in the original 1941 film where he was mute. * Lionel (performed by
Sharon Baird Sharon Baird, born August 16, 1943 in Seattle, Washington, is an American actress, voice actress, singer, dancer and puppeteer who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer. Early life She has one younger brother, Jimmy, also a former chi ...
and voiced by
Jim Cummings James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in over 400 titles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., serving as the offic ...
) is a high-pitched
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
-accented lion who serves as Dumbo's right-hand partner, popcorn vendor, and ticket taker. and sideshow barker. He has a knot in his tail. Lionel was inspired by the character of Timothy Q. Mouse from the 1941 film and says goodbye to the viewers at the end of several episodes. Lionel's voice is almost similar to Timothy Q. Mouse as well. Unlike Timothy Q. Mouse, though, who wears a red drum major's uniform, Lionel wears a blue uniform (as do the performers in the circus band). Lionel, along with Sebastian, was with Dumbo when he first started on his own. * Sebastian (voiced by
Walker Edmiston Walker Robert Edmiston (February 6, 1926 – February 15, 2007) was an American actor and puppeteer. Early years Walker Edmiston was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 6, 1926, to William Sherman Edmiston (1894–1976) and Anna Edmiston ( ...
) is a purple alley cat who is usually reduced to janitorial duties and likes to nap any chance he gets. Sometimes tricks others (usually Q.T.) to do his own work, but sometimes his tricks backfire on him. In the sideshow, Sebastian has a
ventriloquism Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...
dummy with him called Sly. Sebastian joined Dumbo and Lionel because Dumbo's mother promised Sebastian's mother that he could go with them. * Fair Dinkum, also known as "Dink" for short, (performed by Patty Maloney and voiced by Hal Smith), is a
koala The koala (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), sometimes inaccurately called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only Extant taxon, extant representative of the Family (biology), family ''Phascolar ...
who serves as ringmaster of the circus. As he is from
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, he has the accent they have as well. There are a few things that Dink is afraid of - heights (so he's scared of flying) and drowning in the water being a few of them. His name comes from the Australian phrase, "''fair dinkum''". He was the first to join Dumbo, Lionel and Sebastian when they were just starting out. * Barnaby Bowser (voiced by
Will Ryan William Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film '' The Land Before Time''. He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner in t ...
) is a goofy dog who is the
circus clown Circus clowns are a sub-genre of Clown, clowns. They typically perform at circus, circuses and are meant to amuse, entertain and make guests laugh. Traditional types There are traditionally three basic types of clowns that appear in the circus: ...
and magician as "Barnaby the Great". Known for saying ''"Ah-hee-ee-ee-ee-ee"'' whenever he laughs and sounds like he's from the South. His magic tricks don't always work out the way he wants them to. Good friends with Lionel and Q.T. He also gets scared easily. Often hums his signature song "I'm Just a Lucky Dog". Comes from a big family - Edison Bowser (who invented flea powder), Isadoga Bowser (a famous dancer who perfected the "Dog trot"), Julia Bowser (Barnaby's favorite as she invented the hot dog) and his famous Uncle Lattimer Bowser, III. Barnaby shares a trait with Rabbit from ''Welcome to Pooh Corner'' (also voiced by Will Ryan) - both are gifted magicians. The only difference is that Rabbit's tricks usually work well, whereas Barnaby's don't always work the way he wants them to (though it sometimes gets plenty of laughs). Barnaby was the last to join the circus after Q.T., and before Fair Dinkum's twin brother, Rinkum Dinkum, joined up. * Lilli (voiced by Patricia Parris) is the only female character before Matilda appeared, Lilli is a beautiful cat who serves as a
tightrope walker Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...
in the circus. Sometimes wears glasses because of her bad eyesight - mostly to see things that are very close like books, signs and to play checkers. Likes pretty things. Originally from Williamsport, Lilli joined the circus after Fair Dinkum, with her mom, Mrs. Lilli (also voiced by Patricia Parris)'s blessing. She comes from a long line of high-wire walkers (starting with Great-Grandma Lilli, Granny May, and Mrs. Lilli), with Lilli carrying on the family tradition in Dumbo's Circus. * Q.T. (performed by Caleb Chung and voiced by Ron Gans) is a slow-witted, but good-natured
orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
who is the resident
strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...
and calliope player. In earlier episodes, he was accompanied by a small pink creature while playing the calliope. He makes friends easily and has other talents, like kite making. Sometimes doesn't know his own strength. Q.T. joined the circus after Lilli.


Others

* Flip & Flap (voiced by Paul Fusco and John Lovelady) are a duo who are usually seen during the sideshow, telling each other jokes. They are identifiable by their appearances - Flip has long rabbit ears, and Flap has a red afro and a pig-like nose & cat-like ears, resembling a vampire bat. * Rinkum Dinkum (voiced by Hal Smith) is Fair Dinkum's older twin brother. In contrast to Fair Dinkum, Rinkum is much more brave and doesn't scare easily. Like his brother, Rinkum speaks with an Australian accent. He joins the circus as the resident
stunt performer A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
. During the Side Show, Rinkum puts on a show in which the audience has to guess what country he once visited and is pretending to be from. * Matilda Dinkum (voiced by
Mona Marshall Mona Marshall is an American television and voice actress, known for her work in a number of cartoons, anime shows, films and video games. Her major credits include ''South Park'', where she voices many of the female characters on the show, '' .h ...
) is Rinkum and Fair Dinkum's younger Australian-accented sister and loves to dance. Also known as "Matty". Her name comes from the famous Australian song "
Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing ...
". She becomes the honorary circus timekeeper, an idea shared by Lionel and Fair Dinkum. * Lattimer Bowser III (voiced by Laurie Main) is Barnaby's English-accented uncle who is a famous explorer. He looks like Barnaby, but is much older, with a moustache (which he occasionally brushes with his hands), and wears a monocle and a pith helmet. * Fira (voiced by Jim Cummings) is Lilli's aunt, who speaks with an upper-class accent. Looks like Lilli, but whereas Lilli only wears glasses for reading, she wears glasses all the time. Finds Sebastian to be sneaky, even if he ''is'' a cat. * Mrs. Jumbo is Dumbo's mother, whom he sometimes talks about. She gave Dumbo his circus cart and promised Sebastian's mother that her son could accompany Dumbo and Lionel when they were first starting out.


Side-show acts

*Sebastian and Sly *Flip and Flap **Flip and Flap at the Restaurant *Dumbo's Nursery Rhymes *Barnaby's Magic Show *Q.T.'s Knock-Knock Jokes *Lilli's Tongue Twisters *Rinkum Dinkum's Make-Believe *Lilli's Mystery Lionel introduces all of the side-show acts.


Cast


Puppeteers

*
Sharon Baird Sharon Baird, born August 16, 1943 in Seattle, Washington, is an American actress, voice actress, singer, dancer and puppeteer who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer. Early life She has one younger brother, Jimmy, also a former chi ...
- Lionel * Caleb Chung - Q.T. * Charlie Edwards * Paul Fusco * Joe Giamalva * Richard Griggs * Frank Groby * John Lovelady - Flap * Ron Mangham * Patty Maloney - Fair Dinkum * Norman Merrill Jr. * Tom Reed * Mark Sawyer * Van Snowden


Voices

*
Katie Leigh Katie Leigh is an American voice actress. She has voice acted in both television, film and occasionally video game roles. Career Katie Leigh is known for her voice roles such as Sunni Gummi in '' Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears'', Zuzu in ...
- Dumbo *
Jim Cummings James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in over 400 titles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., serving as the offic ...
- Lionel the Lion, Aunt Fira *
Walker Edmiston Walker Robert Edmiston (February 6, 1926 – February 15, 2007) was an American actor and puppeteer. Early years Walker Edmiston was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 6, 1926, to William Sherman Edmiston (1894–1976) and Anna Edmiston ( ...
- Sebastian * Ron Gans - Q.T. * Laurie Main - Uncle Lattimer Bowser III *
Mona Marshall Mona Marshall is an American television and voice actress, known for her work in a number of cartoons, anime shows, films and video games. Her major credits include ''South Park'', where she voices many of the female characters on the show, '' .h ...
- Matilda Dinkum * Patricia Parris - Lilli, Mrs. Lilli *
Will Ryan William Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film '' The Land Before Time''. He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner in t ...
- Barnaby Bowser * Hal Smith - Fair Dinkum, Rinkum Dinkum


Recurring songs

*"Dumbo's Circus" (Opening theme song) *"When the Circus Comes to Town" *"The Marching Band Parade" (Dumbo, Lionel, Barnaby and the Chorus) *"Clowning Around" (Chorus) *"I'm Just a Lucky Dog" (Barnaby)
Follow Me, Follow Me
(Lilli) *"I'm an Elephant Song" (Some episodes play it during the closing credits instead of "Gotta Fly") *"I Love a Circus" (Chorus) (Some episodes plays it during the closing credits instead of "Gotta Fly") *"Hand Clappin'" (Barnaby and Lionel)
March to the Music
(Lionel) *"Dumbo's Up in the Air" (Chorus) *"A Genuine Clown" (Barnaby) *"One, Two, Three, Pop" (Chorus) *"More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys" (Barnaby) *"Gotta Fly" (Regular Closing theme song)


References


External links

* {{Series from WDAS films Dumbo Disney Channel original programming 1980s American children's television series 1980s preschool education television series Television series by Disney American television shows featuring puppetry 1985 American television series debuts 1986 American television series endings American children's fantasy television series American children's musical television series American preschool education television series Children's television series about talking animals Television series based on Disney films Television shows about apes Television series about cats Television shows about dogs Television series about elephants Television series about koalas Television series about lions Television shows set in circuses