Way back when, Disney had announced the 70th Anniversary Edition of Dumbo for release on Blu-ray then it quietly fell off the release slate — in the U.S. at least. There had been a UK release, which we reviewed here in 2010, but the U.S. version never showed. Now Disney has announced the release once again. Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition will be available for purchase as a 2-Disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (with the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada), a 1-Disc DVD (with the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada), High Definition Movie Download (for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./44.99 Canada) and/or Standard Definition Movie Download (for the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada) on September 20, 2011. The Blu-ray will feature a 1.33:1 AVC/MPEG-4 1080p transfer with English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, English, French, and Spanish subtitles. 
It looks like all the same special features from the UK release will be available on this North American release with a few additional features added in, including an audio commentary.
Here’s a comparison of special features from the previous UK and forthcoming US releases:
UK:
- DisneyView — Watch the 1.33:1 film with the sides filled in with artwork rather than the black bars
- Deleted Scenes:
- Deleted Sequence: The Mouse’s Tale (1.78:1; 1080p/24)
- Deleted Song: “Are You A Man or A Mouse?” (1.33:1; 1080i/60)
- Backstage Disney:
- Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo (1.78:1; 1080p/24)
- The Magic of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage (1.78:1; 1080p/24)
- Sound Design Excerpt from “The Reluctant Dragon”
- Celebrating Dumbo
- Original Walt Disney TV Introduction
- Trailers
- Art Galleries
- Bonus Shorts:
- Elmer Elephant (1.33:1; 1080p/24)
- The Flying Mouse (1.33:1; 1080p/24)
- Disney Family Play:
- “What Do You See?” Game
- “What Do You Know? Game
- BD-Live
- DVD — standard DVD of the film.
US:
DVD:
- Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
- Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
- Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo – A journey back to the origins of the film as everybody’s favorite baby elephant takes wing.
- The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage – Witness the excitement and magic of Disneyland’s most popular ride through the eyes of a child.
- Audio Commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja
- Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon
- Original Walt Disney Television Introduction
Blu-ray:
Everything on the DVD plus:
- Cine-Explore
- Disney View
- “What Do You See?” Game
- “What Do You Know?” Game
- “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
- Animated Short: “The Flying Mouse”
- Animated Short: “Elmer Elephant”
Movie Download (Standard Definition& High Definition Versions):
- Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
- Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
- “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
See the press release below for further details and after the press release we have a look at the trailer for the release as well.
Press release
“A film you will never forget”
The New York Times
First Time in High Definition — As A 2-Disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Movie Download
Disney’s Dumbo 70th Anniversary Edition
The Beloved Academy Award®-Winning Animated Classic
Releases September 20, 2011
BURBANK, Calif., April 29, 2011— Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment invites audiences to let their spirits soar with the release of the beloved animated classic Dumbo, for the first time ever in high definition as a 70th Anniversary Edition, coming on September 20, 2011. The Academy Award®-winning (1942, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture) favorite will take flight for the first time with a premium restoration in stunning Blu-ray™ highdefinition featuring pristine 7.1 Digital Theater System High-Def Surround Sound, allowing fans to see more, hear more, interact more and share more of this timeless adventure about believing in yourself.
Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition will be available for purchase as a 2-Disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (with the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada), a 1-Disc DVD (with the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada), High Definition Movie Download (for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./44.99 Canada) and/or Standard Definition Movie Download (for the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada). All versions come packed with a variety of special bonus features including such features as deleted scenes, interactive games, audio commentary, behind the scenes details and more.
Faced with the daunting task of restoring the film to its original pristine condition, the Walt Disney Studios Restoration Team turned to the US Library of Congress who store the original 70 year old nitrate camera negative in their film vaults, and for reference, to an original 1941 ‘release’ print, held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Using this rare nitrate “dye-transfer” Technicolor print for color reference, the team was able to restore Dumbo to the color settings most likely approved by Walt Disney himself, which will be seen in their full splendor for the first time in 70years, on the Blu-ray debut.
In addition, the rare film print (housed as part of the UCLA Film and Television Archives collection) proved to be the earliest surviving generation of the original audio for Dumbo which provided a unique source from which to build the new Disney Enhanced Home Theatre (DEHT) mix for the Blu-ray release.
Released theatrically in 1941, Dumbo, Walt Disney’s fourth animated film, was an immediate success with audiences and critics alike. In addition to its Academy Award® for BestMusic, Dumbo was also Oscar®-nominated for Best Song, for the haunting lullaby, “Baby Mine.” Additional songs from the film, written by renowned composer Frank Churchill and lyricist Ned Washington, have become popular standards. They include the infectious “When I See an Elephant Fly,” sung by a chorus of hip crows who befriend Dumbo and his friend, Timothy Mouse, and “Pink Elephants on Parade,” which accompanies Dumbo’s feverish dream-sequence.
Film Synopsis
In celebration of this landmark film’s 70th anniversary, experience the daring adventures of the world’s only flying elephant with a dazzling all-new digital restoration and brilliant Disney Enhanced High Definition Theatre Mix Sound. The inspirational tale of Dumbo, the courageous baby elephant who uses his sensational ears to soar to fame with the help of his clever best friend Timothy Q. Mouse, will thrill and delight audiences of all ages. And now, the award-winning music and empowering messages about friendship and belief In yourself reach new heights in this must-have Blu-ray high-definition presentation of Walt Disney’s classic Dumbo!
Bonus Features:
DVD:
- Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
- Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
- Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo – A journey back to the origins of the film as everybody’s favorite baby elephant takes wing.
- The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage – Witness the excitement and magic of Disneyland’s most popular ride through the eyes of a child.
- Audio Commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja
- Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon
- Original Walt Disney Television Introduction
Blu-ray:
Everything on the DVD plus:
- Cine-Explore
- Disney View
- “What Do You See?” Game
- “What Do You Know?” Game
- “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
- Animated Short: “The Flying Mouse”
- Animated Short: “Elmer Elephant”
Movie Download (Standard Definition& High Definition Versions):
- Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
- Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
- “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
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