Wednesday Spotlight: Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs

Today's spotlight is on the controversial and long-banned 1943 Merry Melodies animation:

 Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs.

For some reason I can't post the video, so CLICK HERE to watch it on Youtube.

As you can see, this cartoon is filled with stereotypical and quite racist content. 

Film scholars and historians say that it's one of the greatest animations ever made (of course they do). Some call it a "masterpiece". 

In terms of its animation, is it a masterpiece? Is it one of the greatest animations ever made?

Do you think the creators had good intentions or ill-intentions?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

By the way--Vivian Dandridge provided the voice of "So White" and Ruby Dandridge provided the voice of "Mammy". 

Unsung of the Screen: Vivian Dandridge (Post Five)

The beautiful Vivian Alferetta Dandridge passed away on October 21, 1991 after a massive stroke at the age of 70. Donald Bogle, the author of Dorothy Dandridge's biography was actually in the midst of writing the book and had been interviewing Vivian. When he returned for more information, he found out that she had passed away.

The world is slowly beginning to recognize Dorothy Dandridge as a classic superstar and a pioneer for Black Americans and Black American women alike. Let us also remember Vivian Dandridge, a beautiful and talented woman who had a hard time shining just as bright as her sister and her mother. We cannot allow her legacy to just fade away.

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Vivian's (and Emmett "Babe" Wallace's) granddaughter, Nayo Wallace is actually an up and coming actress! Be sure to be on the look out for her and her work. Here is her IMDB page.

Unsung of the Screen: Vivian Dandridge (Post Three)

It's a little hard to find information about Vivian's life online (Donald Bogle's biography on Dorothy may provide the best information), so the information you're about to read is mainly from Wikipedia and not all facts are available.

Vivian was married five times--first to a Jack Montgomery (1942-1943), Warren Bracken (?-?), Ralph Bledsoe (1946-1947), Forace Stead (1951-1953), and Gustav Friedrich (1958-?) and was romantically linked to entertainer Emmett "Babe" Wallace (with whom had a son, Michael in 1943). All of Vivian's marriages ended in divorce unfortunately.

Here is a photo of entertainer "Babe" Wallace.

Also, click HERE to read a small article on Vivian's divorce from her fourth husband, Forace.

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Throughout the 1950s, Vivian continued to struggle to find work. She had only two minor film roles--one as a "native girl" named Melisse in the classic film I Walked With a Zombie and the other in an uncredited role as a schoolteacher in Bright Road, a film in which her sister was the star. In 1955 she would attend the Academy Awards with her Oscar nominated sister and would also replace Thelma Carpenter in the Broadway play Anchors Aweigh.

In post four, we will look at a sad decision in Vivian's life that may have had a major affect on the entire Dandridge family.

Photo of Emmett "Babe" Wallace: 

http://illkeepyouposted.typepad.com/ill_keep_you_posted/2008/05/fine-and-mellow.html

Photo of Vivian and Dorothy:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2jy2n2LNx1qet8i6o1_500.jpg

Magazine clipping:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3570/3637485802_be86119044.jpg

Unsung of the Screen: Vivian Dandridge (Post Two)

After much success throughout the years of 1938 and 1939, Dorothy Dandridge decided she wanted to go pursue an acting a career in about 1940, leaving Vivian and Etta to find work of their own.

Vivian tried to find work in nightclubs, but very few were interested. Vivian was to get a few uncredited roles in movies like Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. 

I personally was able to spot Vivian in a couple of scenes in Stormy Weather, and she's the dancer dancing in at 0:55 of this clip from Cabin in the Sky and the one jumping up beside Duke Ellington towards the end:

(Clip from "Cabin in the Sky")

However, Vivian's most popular work (unfortunately) would probably be as the voice of lead characters in some of Old Hollywood's most racist cartoons--cartoons that were eventually banned.

She provides the voice of "The Girl" at about 4:34 in this banned cartoon called "Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat":

She also provided the voice of "So White" in the more controversial Merry Melodies cartoon: "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs". Her mother, Ruby also provided the voice of Mammy and by the way it sounds, I believe she may have also portrayed the voice of the child too (Ruby was popular for her high pitched voice in certain TV/Movie/Radio roles).

In Post Three tomorrow, we will talk more about Vivian's personal life and life under her sister and her mother's shadow.

Sources

Wikipedia

IMDB

The Screen's Unsung: Vivian Dandridge (Post One)

Vivian Alferetta Dandridge was born on April 22, 1921 to Ruby and Cyril Dandridge. Her mother Ruby would leave Cyril with her baby Vivian in hand and baby Dorothy in her belly. 

Ruby, an aspiring actress would put her dreams on hold to push Vivian and Dorothy into show business once she discovered their talents (they were about three and four years old). They were billed as "The Wonder Children" (or "The Wonder Kids") and they sang, danced, did skits, and performed acrobatics. Unfortunately, Ruby knew that she had to go out and find more work to support her family, so she would let a pianist named Geneva Williams move in to care for and train the children as she went out for work. Auntie was a strict disciplinarian and could be quite rough on the girls. In her autobiography, Dorothy would write that if they missed a step, a cue, anything--she would beat them with anything that was within reach.

The Screen's Unsung (Week 1)

This week (6/25/12-6/29/12) will be the first week of "The Screen's Unsung" on Aige: Film & Television.

The first person honored will be actress and singer,

Vivian Dandridge.

(Photo from: http://coppercoloredgal.blogspot.com/)