After reading through all of the other comments, my review won't be either eye opening or original. My aim is to pile on the accolades. Easily one of the greatest if not the greatest cartoon ever made as well as my personal favorite. The animation and the music are both fantastic. When I finally got a copy of "Coal Black" some years ago I watched it at least ten times in a row. It's that amazing. Yes, the racial caricatures are disturbing by todays "standards" and I wouldn't show it anywhere at anytime, but it does have its place. And it's place is in front of anyone who loves classic animation and can view it within the context of the times in which it was made. Director Bob Clampett loved the African American music he included. There isn't a single frame that had any intent what so ever of offending anyone. The problem here is that there's absolutely NO WAY to animate an African American cartoon character without coming across as racist. Just think about it. You couldn't draw a racist depiction of a white person if you tried. In fact, it's rather impossible. Even if you set out to do so and tell everyone that's your intention, it simply can't be done. So the fact remains that any cartoon drawing of an African American will always come across as a demeaning caricature. Ironically, it was black comedians themselves such as Steppin Fetchit (real name Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry!) who created the stereotypical black characters in the first place. They were meant to be FUNNY and not reflections of reality. Unfortunately though, stupid white Americans came to accept these comedic characters as what African Americans were really like. It's every bit as idiotic as thinking that all white Americans are actually like Elmer Fudd or Red Skelton's Clem Kaddiddlehopper! Too bad, because great cartoons such as "Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs" continue to be hidden from view and kept away from all but the most fanatic of animation fans who take the time to go out and hunt them down.
Review of Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs
