Ferdinand the Bull

1938 8 min ★ 6.7 Animation, Comedy, Family

This Oscar-winning short tells of a bull who preferred to sit under trees and smell flowers to clashing horns with his fellow animals. As luck would have it, an untimely bee reveals Ferdinand's ferocious side via pained howls and wild stomping. This lands him in the bull-fighting arena amidst characters based on Walt's animators with a matador reportedly modeled after Walt himself.

Cast

Milt Kahl

Ferdinand (voice)

Don Wilson

Narrator (voice)

Walt Disney

Ferdinand's Mother (voice)

Details

Director

Dick Rickard

Tagline

"Ferdinand only wants to stop and smell the flowers."

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Budget

$66,260

Production

Walt Disney Productions

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

December 19, 2025

★ 7/10

All poor old “Ferdy” wants to do is sit in peace and enjoy his flowery pasture, but when he gets stung by a bee he runs rampage and that impresses the local bigwigs who conclude he’d be a terror at the next bullfight. With posters everywhere depicting this terrifying and horned beast, he arrives in the ring only to have reverted to his old, gentle, self. No amount of provocation is going to get hi...

V

Vinicius Monteiro

May 26, 2026

★ 10/10

In a world that often demands brute force and pushes aggressive stereotypes, it’s surprising to find the answer to true courage in an animated short from almost a century ago. "Ferdinand the Bull" isn't just a forgotten gem from Disney's golden age; it’s a timeless manifesto on the right to be vulnerable and the liberating power of embracing who we truly are. Get ready to discover why this classic...