Dumbo (1941)
Directed by Samuel Armstrong (sequence director) (as Sam Armstrong), and multiple directors. Disney animation.
Dumbo stands at the top of a burning building and is supposed to jump off it, hurtle down towards a circle of firefighting clowns, holding a jumping sheet over water for the big finalé show in the main circus tent. Timothy Q. Mouse (Edward Brophy) stands on top of Dumbo’s trunk, cheering him on, telling him he’s going to be a success. Dumbo jumps off the fire building gag but loses his magic feather which gives him the confidence to finally fly. Timothy, scared for his and Dumbo’s life, tells Dumbo it was a hoax; the feather did not have any magical powers. As Dumbo dives faster and closer to the towards the jumping net and tank filled with water, Timothy pleads with him fly, and at the last moment, Dumbo unfolds his ears and flies. Dumbo found his self-confidence via magical flight. In the live action film Dumbo (Tim Burton, 2019), the same stunt occurs, but this time he accidentally sucks the feather up his trunk, which could be seen as Dumbo internalizing and embodying the ability of birds to fly. The magic of flight became part of him.