Vimacone
Clampett's cartoons featuring popular African American culture have had polarizing views, either praising the artistic value or condemning the politically incorrect imagery. Both views have merit. Although, the use of tasteless ethnic jokes make these films extremely difficult to defend these films on artistic grounds to a 21st century audience. It is true that Clampett and his unit visited African-American night clubs and collaborated with some artists to produce Coal Black. The authentic elements in the film are the music and the slang. This along with Rod Scribner's elastic animation are the remarkable elements. However, one must remember that this was in the pre-civil rights era and that just because Clampett (and his caucasian contempories) hired African American artists, doesn't mean he had any racial sensitivity nor did the artists had any voice to object to anything they would have found offensive. And the NAACP did voice objection to this short in its initial release in 1943, over the depiction of African-American soldiers as dwarfs.While this film, along with CLEAN PASTURES, GOLDILOCKS AND THE JIVIN BEARS, are really the only films on the fabled Censored Eleven list that come close to worth celebrating, they really shouldn't be wholly celebrated. It's very important though that there is an awareness of these films and others like them.
Tweekums
I wasn't sure what to expect with this (in)famous Warner Brothers' spoof of Disney's Snow White, I can understand that the style of the animation looks racist today but had the character design been a bit different it would have probably have been acceptable with only one or two other changes.In this version of the tale the wicked queen is jealous of "So White" so calls Murder Inc. to "black out So White", they grab her but later let her go, we can guess why as they have lipstick on them. She then meets up with the seven dwarfs who are in the army. The Queen then sends a poisoned apple to So White, this puts her to sleep and Prince Chawmin' tries to wake her with a kiss (several times) after he gives up one of the Dwarfs kisses her and she wakes up, he is asked how he did it and he replies suggestively that that is a military secret.I suspect this cartoon was aimed at an adult audience as So White is drawn in a way that is more sexually provocative than a character one would expect in a children's cartoon. The most offensive joke is Murder Inc's advert saying they will rub out anybody for a dollar, midgets half price and Japanese people for free, and it used a derogatory term for the last.I must admit that I found it fairly funny, certainly not as offensive as I thought it might be.
tavm
This cartoon, Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, has a unique place among the Warner "Censored 11" cartoons: This one is highly inventive and very entertaining! Oh, yeah, there's some unflattering stereotypes here like Prince Chawmin' having a couple of dice for front teeth and the Queen being an ugly Mammy character (who seems to speak with a male voice) so jealous of So White she intends to have her "blacked out" but otherwise, it's so full of the fast pace of gags typical of Bob Clampett that you can't help but laugh your behind off! And wait till you see Chawmin's face after constantly trying to bring So White back to life with his kisses! Or the Dopey-looking dwarf's energy that he gives when doing the same thing! There's also great use of jazz music that livens the short considerably. Perhaps the most interesting thing to point out here is that the storytelling Mammy in the beginning and end is Dorothy Dandridge's mom, Ruby, and So White is her older sister, Vivian. There's also a dated reference to killing Japs that I can excuse because of the wartime setting. So for all that, if you want to watch Warner Bros. cartoons at their wackiest as done by the highly creative Bob Clampett, I highly recommend Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, stereotypes and all!
thedevilyouknow00
And you'll love every second. I could comment at length about the excellent and fast director provided by the directors and animators, or the sound pattern and music that never lets up and is determined to not let a second of silence infect the pictures, but really, the reason this makes such a great cartoon is probably because there's no way it will ever get a DVD release today. Imagine every stereotype the Greatest Generation ever engaged in, and now set it to the music that same generation bopped out to before getting on the boat to go over there. And here's the thing: we have to laugh at 'Coal Black...' We have to laugh at it because the energy of piece never lets up. It starts out fast with quick music and dialog and keeps a beat- the pictures move in concert with the various ebbs and flows of the music. It's poetry in animated motion. And it's funny. The stereotypes are so silly and unrealistic that what gets the suits nervous make us laugh. We've got your Welfare Queen, your Dark Chocolate hottie, your Swingin' Playa, and your seven soul brothers. And an offer to kill Japs for free! This could only be misconstrued by the most humorless critic as insulting. They would have to so buried in their opinions and others' opinions that they would be prevented from seeing the beat and rhythm inside the cartoon's 7 minutes. You can't take it seriously. You can't take away a world view from it. All you can do, is laugh.
AD
