The second set of Silly Symphonies on the Treasures collection has been discussed frequently here on the forum. I'd like to express why I think they are being held back until a later date.
The issue of race is a sensitive subject here in the United States and I think that Disney has a strategy so that they can release these treasures at a pace so as to not offend any one group to severely. The first wave was void of any controversy minus the short segment of the Jewish Peddler shown on the first edition of Silly Symphonies.
The Second wave had Goofy shorts full of gun and bomb violence, uncivillized behavior such as Mickey forcing a kiss on Minnie and Goofy smoking while gambling in a seedy room. There wee also blackface gags and "Mammy" being spoken. Offensive, but not rising to the level of some of thethings we will see in wave 3.
These will contain shorts where Donald is dressed as a Nazi, Heiling to pictures of Adolph Hittler and Goosestepping in an Ammunitions factory. It will also show some of the most grotesque caricatures of Japanese soldiers, ala commando Duck. I am not one who thinks these should be locked away but to deny they may cause controversy would be to deny the sun will rise tommorow. On the Mickey set shorts such as Pluto's Dog House with the paintbrush scene, and more gun play from Mickey Mouse. We will also see the first appearance of Black stereotype "Steppin Fetchit" in the Donald short "The Autograph Hound" All stuff that Disney has tried over the years to avoid offending anyone.
Now back to the second set of Silly Symphonies. Some of the most heinous examples of racist caricatures are contained in these shorts. Black face gags and characters saying mammy abound. Asians and other ethnic minorities fare no better. I believe that Disney is trying to soften the blow, or shock value of these cartoons, by releasing more tame objectionable material first.
There is a second point however. Many of these shorts have never or rarely seen the light of Day in over forty years. MY guess is a lot of restoration needs to be done. If any of you have a copy of "A Walt Disney Christmas" videocassette take a look at how grainy and sometimes dark the prints for Night before Christmas and Santas Workshop are. They are in desperate need of cleaning up.
For an example of the controversial stuff Disney incorporated into these shorts I will include a still on my avater from Santas Workshop. This chracterappears and exclaims mammy with outstretched arms and then proceed to stick her posterior on a rubber stamp saying OK and then waves her posterior in our direction. Not funny, not enlightened, but typical of Disney output at the time.
2nd Silly Symphonies Treasures.
2nd Silly Symphonies Treasures.
Last edited by matthewgb on Sat Dec 20, 2003 12:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
You make a good point, and that very well may be the reason for the delay.
But I honestly think that it wouldn't make much of a difference if two controvercial sets were released together instead of a year or more apart. So far, there hasn't been a lot of controversy over the shorts on DVD, and the next batch of Silly Symphonies wouldn't be much worse than the shorts already released. Besides, every time there is a stereotype/un-social happening in the toons, its always accompanied with an intro by Maltin. But this is all my opinion, and for all I know, maybe it would make a difference.
I can certainly see Disney playing it safe in this matter.
But I honestly think that it wouldn't make much of a difference if two controvercial sets were released together instead of a year or more apart. So far, there hasn't been a lot of controversy over the shorts on DVD, and the next batch of Silly Symphonies wouldn't be much worse than the shorts already released. Besides, every time there is a stereotype/un-social happening in the toons, its always accompanied with an intro by Maltin. But this is all my opinion, and for all I know, maybe it would make a difference.
I can certainly see Disney playing it safe in this matter.
Yes, several of the Silly Symphonies that would appear in a Volume Two DVD set have strong previously-censored scenes. "Broken Toys" - which I feel few people have seen uncensored - has the strongest black racial caricatures of all the Disney shorts...in my opinion. Although I love the short, I wonder if "Hell's Bells" will ever see DVD release?
Such previously censored scenes in the Disney shorts, Disney shorts not generally previously shown on the Disney Channel, and Disney shorts not released on video due to their sensitive contents makes me very curious about the 2nd volume of Mickey Mouse In Black and White, which should contain numerous shorts with racial stereotypes and ethnic "jokes". If Mickey Mouse Black and White Volume 2 gets released without censorship, I feel a later Volume Two of the Silly Symphonies would also get released without censorship.
Such previously censored scenes in the Disney shorts, Disney shorts not generally previously shown on the Disney Channel, and Disney shorts not released on video due to their sensitive contents makes me very curious about the 2nd volume of Mickey Mouse In Black and White, which should contain numerous shorts with racial stereotypes and ethnic "jokes". If Mickey Mouse Black and White Volume 2 gets released without censorship, I feel a later Volume Two of the Silly Symphonies would also get released without censorship.
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Prince Phillip
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I'm not a minority, so I don't know from experience how the images you speak of from the old Disney cartoons effect minorities, namely African Americans. To me, I think they're historical pieces and should be taken as that. Its like the rebel flag. There is no need to flaunt it or go around waving it, but it shouldn't be banned from museums or some state flags because it represents history. I name museums because here in New Orleans, there is a movement to eliminate the Civil War museum.
I personally think ganster rap and videos seen on MTV are more offensive and degrading than "tar babies" and "mammy".
I personally think ganster rap and videos seen on MTV are more offensive and degrading than "tar babies" and "mammy".
1. El Terrible ToreadorPrince Phillip wrote:Can someone please comprise a list of short that might appear in a second vol of Silly Symphonies?
-Thanks
2. Springtime
3. Hells Bells
4. The Merry Dwarfs
5. Summer
6. Autumn
7. Cannibal Capers
8. Night
9. Frolicking Fish
10. Artic Antics
11. Midnight in a toy Shop
12. Monkey Melodies
13. Winter
14. Playful Pan
15. The Cat's Out
16. The Clock Store
17. The Spider and the Fly
18. The Fox Hunt
19. The Bird Store
20. The Beard and the Bees
21. King Neptune
22. Bugs In Love
23. Santa's Workshop (Black Doll Stating mammy)
24. Birds in the Spring
25. Old King Cole
26. The Pied Piper
27. The Night Before Christmas (Black Faced Boy from Sout)
28. The China Shop
29. The Goddess of Spring
30. Three orphan Kittens (academy award winner, mammy topsy-turvy doll)
31. Cock O' the Walk
32. Broken Toys (steppin fethcit, other ethnic charicatures)
33. Three Blind Mouseketeers
34. More Kittens (black maid Delilah)
35. Little Hiawatha
36. Moth and the Flame
37. Merbabies
38. Mother Goose Goes Hollywood (Numerous Black Stereotypes)
Here is a list of what will most likely appear on the second volume.
It should also be noted that this one will contain more of the black and white SS which in my opinion tend to be more musical but seem to drag on longer.
A good point you have made. The contoversial stuff we have seen so far, concerning race, has all been in black and white. Just in that context it feels old, and makes us think that it was a day of racism long since past. However, when we see things in color, they seem more recent and contemporary, because we now see the world in color. It is less easy for us to seperate it from a day long past. It was less than forty years ago that public utilities were segregated. Shorts such as Pluto's Dog House in the Upcoming wave of Mickey shorts will give us a good example of whats to come.Jack wrote: So far, there hasn't been a lot of controversy over the shorts on DVD, and the next batch of Silly Symphonies wouldn't be much worse than the shorts already released. Besides, every time there is a stereotype/un-social happening in the toons, its always accompanied with an intro by Maltin. I can certainly see Disney playing it safe in this matter.
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Lars Vermundsberget
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I took the list directly from Disney A to Z by Dave Smith, the Disney archivist. There is plenty of room to fit these on two dvd's, the only question is whether they would leave some off for reasons of p.c. Highly unlikely however if and when it is released. If it is released it will be complete. IF?Lars Vermundsberget wrote:I didn't double-check your list of titles likely to appear in Silly Symphonies volume 2, but I assume it's exactly the ones not included in the first set. There are 75 of them all in all - if any one of these is not included in this set, the collection isn't going to be complete.