The Story of Ferdinand
Encyclopedia
The Story of Ferdinand is the best known work written by American
author Munro Leaf
and illustrated by Robert Lawson
. The children's book
tells the story of a bull
who would rather smell flowers than fight in bullfights
. He sits in the middle of the bull ring failing to take heed of any of the provocations of the matador
and others to fight.
The book was released nine months before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
, but was still seen by many supporters of Francisco Franco
as a pacifist
book. It became a target of the right wing, being banned in many countries, and—perhaps because of that suppression—was promoted by many on the left. It was one of the few non-Communist
books promoted in Soviet
-occupied Poland
.
Leaf is said to have written the story on a whim in an afternoon in 1935, largely to provide his friend, illustrator Robert Lawson
(then relatively unknown) a forum in which to showcase his talents.
The landscape in which Lawson placed the fictional Ferdinand is more or less real. Lawson faithfully reproduced the view of the city of Ronda
in Andalusia
for his illustration of Ferdinand being brought to Madrid on a cart: we see the Puente Nuevo
("New Bridge") spanning the El Tajo canyon. The Disney movie added some rather accurate views of Ronda and the Puente Romano ("Roman bridge") and the Puente Viejo ("Old bridge") at the beginning of the story, where Lawsons pictures were more free. Ronda is home to the oldest bullfighting
ring in Spain that is still used; this might have been a reason for Lawson's use of its surroundings as a background for the story.
as a short animated film entitled Ferdinand the Bull
in 1938, in a style similar to his Silly Symphonies
series (and sometimes considered an unofficial part of that series). Ferdinand the Bull won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons)
.
Another film, which will be full-length, will be directed by Carlos Saldanha
, and will be produced by 20th Century Fox
(which had recently acquired the rights to the story).
. The toy is passed between various characters, having been originally purchased as a memento of a visit to a nightclub called Ferdinand's. The nightclub has a large statue of Ferdinand at the rear of the bandstand.
"The Blind Side", Movie starring Sandra Bullock where the coach mentions that the main character would rather stare at balloons than hit someone. Sandra Bullock then replies "Ferdinand the Bull" as they leave the field during football practice.
In the film Pursuit to Algiers
, Mrs. Dunham compares Dr. Watson to Ferdinand the Bull because he would rather drink sherry than exert himself by going on a three–mile hike.
Ferdinand made an appearance in the 1997 film "Strays," a Sundance favorite written/directed/starring a then-unknown Vin Diesel. The story of Ferdinand, the bull who followed his heart and proved that just because you're a bull you don't have to act like one, served as a major influence and spirit of the film's plot. Ferdinand again appeared in the 2009 movie The Blind Side
, the story of Michael Oher
, with a similar metaphorical message.
A rubber mask of Ferdinand is featured in the Stephen King novel Rose Madder
.
The story was set to incidental music in "Ferdinand the Bull" by classical composer Mark Fish. It has been narrated in concert by David Ogden Stiers
and by Emmy award-winner Roscoe Lee Browne
. It was also adapted, in 1971, as a piece for solo violin and narrator by the British composer Alan Ridout
.
Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith
had a tattoo of Ferdinand the Bull, from the cover of Munro Leaf's book, on his right upper arm, which is visible on the cover of his record either/or
. The rock band Fall Out Boy
named their third album From Under The Cork Tree
after a phrase in the book.
Richard Horvitz commented that fellow actor and friend Fred Willard
performed this story as a 5th grade class play when Fred was a child.
According to one scholar, the book crosses gender lines in that it offers a character to whom both boys and girls can relate.
The short film is broadcast in Sweden every year on Christmas Eve as a part of an annual Disney Christmas show.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Munro Leaf
Munro Leaf
Wilbur Monroe Leaf , was an American author of children's literature who wrote and illustrated nearly 40 books during his 40-year career. He is best known for The Story of Ferdinand , a children's classic which he wrote on a yellow legal-length pad in less than an hour...
and illustrated by Robert Lawson
Robert Lawson (author)
Robert Lawson was an American author and illustrator of children's books. During World War I, he also served as a camouflage artist.-Background:Born in New York City, Lawson spent his early life in Montclair, New Jersey...
. The children's book
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
tells the story of a bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
who would rather smell flowers than fight in bullfights
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
. He sits in the middle of the bull ring failing to take heed of any of the provocations of the matador
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
and others to fight.
The book was released nine months before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, but was still seen by many supporters of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
as a pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
book. It became a target of the right wing, being banned in many countries, and—perhaps because of that suppression—was promoted by many on the left. It was one of the few non-Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
books promoted in Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
-occupied Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Leaf is said to have written the story on a whim in an afternoon in 1935, largely to provide his friend, illustrator Robert Lawson
Robert Lawson (author)
Robert Lawson was an American author and illustrator of children's books. During World War I, he also served as a camouflage artist.-Background:Born in New York City, Lawson spent his early life in Montclair, New Jersey...
(then relatively unknown) a forum in which to showcase his talents.
The landscape in which Lawson placed the fictional Ferdinand is more or less real. Lawson faithfully reproduced the view of the city of Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
in Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
for his illustration of Ferdinand being brought to Madrid on a cart: we see the Puente Nuevo
Puente Nuevo
The Puente Nuevo is the newest and largest of three bridges that span the -deep chasm that carries the Guadalevín River and divides the city of Ronda, in southern Spain. The architect was José Martin de Aldehuela, who died in Málaga in 1802...
("New Bridge") spanning the El Tajo canyon. The Disney movie added some rather accurate views of Ronda and the Puente Romano ("Roman bridge") and the Puente Viejo ("Old bridge") at the beginning of the story, where Lawsons pictures were more free. Ronda is home to the oldest bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
ring in Spain that is still used; this might have been a reason for Lawson's use of its surroundings as a background for the story.
Film
The story was adapted by Walt DisneyWalt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
as a short animated film entitled Ferdinand the Bull
Ferdinand the Bull (film)
Ferdinand the Bull is a Walt Disney cartoon released on November 25, 1938 by R.K.O. Radio Pictures, directed by Dick Rickard. Based on the book, The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and illustrations by Robert Lawson...
in 1938, in a style similar to his Silly Symphonies
Silly Symphonies
Silly Symphonies is a series of animated short subjects, 75 in total, produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939, while the studio was still located at Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles...
series (and sometimes considered an unofficial part of that series). Ferdinand the Bull won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons)
Academy Award for Animated Short Film
The Academy Award for Animated Short Film is an award which has been given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as part of the Academy Awards every year since the 5th Academy Awards, covering the year 1931-32, to the present....
.
Another film, which will be full-length, will be directed by Carlos Saldanha
Carlos Saldanha
Carlos Saldanha is a Brazilian director of animated films. He was the director of Ice Age: The Meltdown , Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Rio , and the co-director of Ice Age and Robots...
, and will be produced by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
(which had recently acquired the rights to the story).
Legacy
A plushie of Ferdinand plays a significant role in the 1940 film Dance, Girl, DanceDance, Girl, Dance
Dance, Girl, Dance is a film released in 1940, directed by Dorothy Arzner.In 2007, Dance, Girl, Dance was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", describing it as Arzner's...
. The toy is passed between various characters, having been originally purchased as a memento of a visit to a nightclub called Ferdinand's. The nightclub has a large statue of Ferdinand at the rear of the bandstand.
"The Blind Side", Movie starring Sandra Bullock where the coach mentions that the main character would rather stare at balloons than hit someone. Sandra Bullock then replies "Ferdinand the Bull" as they leave the field during football practice.
In the film Pursuit to Algiers
Pursuit to Algiers
Pursuit to Algiers is the twelfth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes movies. Elements in the story pay homage to an otherwise unrecorded affair mentioned by Watson at the beginning of The Adventure of the Norwood Builder, notably the steamship Friesland.-Plot:About to...
, Mrs. Dunham compares Dr. Watson to Ferdinand the Bull because he would rather drink sherry than exert himself by going on a three–mile hike.
Ferdinand made an appearance in the 1997 film "Strays," a Sundance favorite written/directed/starring a then-unknown Vin Diesel. The story of Ferdinand, the bull who followed his heart and proved that just because you're a bull you don't have to act like one, served as a major influence and spirit of the film's plot. Ferdinand again appeared in the 2009 movie The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
, the story of Michael Oher
Michael Oher
Michael Jerome Oher is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels...
, with a similar metaphorical message.
A rubber mask of Ferdinand is featured in the Stephen King novel Rose Madder
Rose Madder (novel)
Rose Madder is a 1995 novel by Stephen King. It deals with the effects of domestic violence and, unusually for a King novel, relies for its fantastic element on Greek mythology...
.
The story was set to incidental music in "Ferdinand the Bull" by classical composer Mark Fish. It has been narrated in concert by David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...
and by Emmy award-winner Roscoe Lee Browne
Roscoe Lee Browne
Roscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing.-Biography:Browne was the fourth son of a Baptist minister, Sylvanus S. Browne, and his wife Lovie...
. It was also adapted, in 1971, as a piece for solo violin and narrator by the British composer Alan Ridout
Alan Ridout
-Life:Born at West Wickham, Greater London, England, Alan Ridout studied briefly at the Guildhall School of Music before commencing four years of study at the Royal College of Music, London with Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob...
.
Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
had a tattoo of Ferdinand the Bull, from the cover of Munro Leaf's book, on his right upper arm, which is visible on the cover of his record either/or
Either/Or (album)
Either/Or is the name of the third album recorded by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. The album was released on Kill Rock Stars on February 25, 1997 on compact disc and vinyl LP....
. The rock band Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
named their third album From Under The Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree is the third studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released on May 3, 2005, through Island Records as the band's major label debut...
after a phrase in the book.
Richard Horvitz commented that fellow actor and friend Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
performed this story as a 5th grade class play when Fred was a child.
According to one scholar, the book crosses gender lines in that it offers a character to whom both boys and girls can relate.
The short film is broadcast in Sweden every year on Christmas Eve as a part of an annual Disney Christmas show.
External links
- Ferdinand the Bull, in the Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts.
- Ferdinand the Bull Disney cartoon short, on YouTube.