![]() #JIM CROW DUMBO MOVIE#Therefore, the racism of the original movie was something Burton had to address and avoid repeating. Obviously, the social climate of 2019 is much different than that of 1941. Only recently has it been examined differently, shedding light on the parts that are controversial.Įarlier this year Tim Burton released a live-action remake of Dumbo. Bosley Crowther from The New York Times wrote, “Ladeez and gentlemen, step right this way - to the Broadway Theatre, that is - and see the most genial, the most endearing, the most completely precious cartoon feature film ever to emerge from the magical brushes of Walt Disney’s wonder-working artists!” Variety wrote a similar praising review, “There’s a pleasant little story, plenty of pathos mixed with the large doses of humor, a number of appealing new animal characters, lots of good music, and the usual Disney skillfulness in technique.” In 2017 the film was selected for preservation for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Upon its debut, it received great reviews. On top of the message that slavery was good and enjoyed by “happy-hearted” blacks, they also insinuate that black people are poor because they just waste money, so it doesn’t even matter when they will get paid assuming they will just squander it anyway.ĭumbo was extremely successful financially at the time of its release and was the most successful Disney movie in the 1940s. The “Song of the Roustabouts” with obvious references to slavery, “We work all day, we work all night We never learned to read or write We’re happy-hearted roustabouts Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! When other folks have gone to bed We slave until we’re almost dead We’re happy-hearted roustabouts Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! We don’t know when we get our pay And when we do, we throw our pay away” The manner in which they describe slavery makes it seem acceptable that they’re happy to work and will “slave until we’re almost dead”. The movie includes another incredibly racist song. ![]() Cliff Edwords, who voices Jim the Crow, participates in what The Washington Post calls, “the vocal equivalent of blackface.” The crows sing a song that include lyrics such as, “I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band I seen a needle that winked its eye But I be done seen ‘bout ev’rything When I see a elephant fly (What d’you say, boy?)” The choice of language/syntax clearly portrays the racist stereotype of blacks being uneducated. While the birds are voiced by white actors, they’re made to sound like caricatures of poor black men. The color of the crows are black and they are dressed in ragged clothes, such as ripped vests and socks paired with dingy looking hats. First off, the head crow is named Jim the Crow, a clear reference to Jim Crow laws. When vocal crows are introduced, there is a noticeable underlying racist message. ![]() Dumbo depicts these stereotypes through a few of the many talking animals in the film. Blacks were marginalized legally and socially and were labeled with stereotypes, such as being uneducated and poor. ![]() A large part of the country, primarily the south, faced segregation, and Jim Crow laws were in effect. Racism was still very much in play in 1940’s America. ![]()
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