Mickey and the gang put on a low budget play of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Hilarity ensues when an unruly audience heckles the performance.
The source material was still well known decades after it was published and stage plays were commonplace. This provides some degree of historical context of this highly problematic short. Mickey and Clarabelle in blackface make it all the more troubling.
It's been noted that during post production, the staff went back and re-did several scenes to improve the production value. (The animation draft thoroughly documents all the changes). It resulted in another step towards stronger character animation and a more believable "illusion of life." Horace getting pelted with fruit in the end looks very painful, but well timed (poor Horace!).
Despite the minor achievement in artistic advancement, this short falls flat. The stereotypes and (dumb) blackface gags repulse (despite the audiences' apparent disdain of the in-universe portrayal of Simon Legree, the cruel slave-owner). It does serve as an important reminder of the progress American society has made in the decades since.
The source material was still well known decades after it was published and stage plays were commonplace. This provides some degree of historical context of this highly problematic short. Mickey and Clarabelle in blackface make it all the more troubling.
It's been noted that during post production, the staff went back and re-did several scenes to improve the production value. (The animation draft thoroughly documents all the changes). It resulted in another step towards stronger character animation and a more believable "illusion of life." Horace getting pelted with fruit in the end looks very painful, but well timed (poor Horace!).
Despite the minor achievement in artistic advancement, this short falls flat. The stereotypes and (dumb) blackface gags repulse (despite the audiences' apparent disdain of the in-universe portrayal of Simon Legree, the cruel slave-owner). It does serve as an important reminder of the progress American society has made in the decades since.