That this film’s storymen and animators could make a member of the pesky species of dragonflies as lovable and full of personality as the brave Evinrude (‘voiced’ by Disney soundman Jimmy MacDonald) is a testament to their talents of characterization … so much so, that his absence from the sequel is palatably evident.

In no other of his Disney films was Phil Harris’ presence so sorely needed as in this slight take on the English legend. So the character of Little John is not much different from his more famous ‘cousin’, The Jungle Book’s Baloo, but it’s a fun performance nonetheless, most notably when he disguises himself as the foppish Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney.

Whether he’s looting Captain Smith’s bags for tasty biscuits, clutching Pocahontas’ head while canoeing down a waterfall or, as is most often the case, harassing a hapless Percy or that busybody Flit, Meeko, the cheerfully gluttonous raccoon (voiced by John Kassir), proves that even the tried-and-true cliché of the cute animal sidekick can still work.

Originally just a one-note character in a single scene, the filmmakers realized the potential of this little teacup who could (voiced by Bradley Pierce) and expanded his role significantly, to the point where he eventually saves the day … and the girl. Pretty good for a precocious piece of cracked crockery …

No other second-tier villain has made such an impression as the comically vicious goanna lizard Joanna (voiced by Frank Welker). All one has to do is watch the comedic genius of the hysterical ‘egg scene’, where she snatches the bosses dinner right out from under his nose, to see that this dame will do whatever it takes to get what she craves.

Is he a friend? Or foe? Or merely a means to lure Alice ever deeper into Wonderland? No matter, for, in actuality, all of the Wonderlandians prove to be obstacles to Alice in her goal to just get out of there; but it is this ever grinning, at-times-invisible and/or disembodied feline (voiced by Sterling Holloway) that does it with the most panache.

“My problem is, I got a fifty-year-old lust and a three-year-old dinky.�? Thus, albeit rather crudely, sums up the dichotomy of the character of Baby Herman. First seen as Roger’s gurgling, wide-eyed infant co-star (voiced by April Winchell) when the cameras are rolling; off-screen he is a cigar-chomping, potty-mouthed letch (now voiced by Lou Hirsch with a Borsht Belt croak). Ahh, toons … and babies … you gotta love ’em!

It’s easy to dismiss our mouse Timothy as a second-rate Jiminy Cricket, but that would be wrong. With an attitude straight out of Brooklyn (courtesy of actor Ed Brophy) and a courage that belies his diminutive stature, Timothy stands on his own, an exemplary model of mousy mentorship, whose inherent faith in Dumbo helps our star become a superstar.

The very essence of childlike innocence can be summed up in one little word: Boo. The catalyst for the entire plot of the movie is when this adorable toddler (voiced by Mary Gibbs) enters into the monster world through her closet, whereupon she finds her new best friend, a big blue galoot she calls her ‘kitty’. His heart melts, as does ours, happily.

When one thinks of the fairy tale Cinderella, images of glass slippers and pumpkin coaches come to mind, but even more so is the falsetto refrain of “Cinderelly, Cinderelly!�? as sung here by the ‘mice chorus’ during their “Work Song�?. Lead by the scrappy Jaq and the dippy Gus (both voiced by Jimmy MacDonald), the mice were original creations for the Disney film; if not for them, this telling would have ended long before midnight.