5/10
The three bears as Black jazz musicians,..now THAT'S unusual!
18 October 2006
This is a very peculiar little film that was pulled from circulation a long time ago because some found the film to be racially offensive. However, compared to many of the other films Warner Brothers pulled out of circulation for the same reason, the racist elements of this film seem very, very mild and can be forgiven due to the time in which it was made. If you don't believe me, try watching ALL THIS AND RABBIT STEW or COAL BLACK AND DE SEBBEN Dwarfs!!! In fact, although the three jazz playing characters look stereotypically exaggerated, the characters don't act stupid or lazy like in some of the other offensive cartoons. Because of this, the film is important historically and if viewed by adults I think they can take the imagery without "blowing a gasket". Would I want little kids to see it? Maybe not--or at least I'd have to talk to them and explain the context of the cartoon and the attitudes towards Black America.

As far as the cartoon itself goes, it's pretty similar to MGM's SWINGSHIFT Cinderella, except that it isn't nearly as funny or well-made. Pretty typical of early 40s Warner Brothers, but not among their finer films.
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed