The Censored Eleven
Rudy Ising, Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett & Chuck Jones: to fans of American animation, these are the undisputed masters of the medium. However, they share another interesting distinction: each of these men have directed films which now belong to the Censored Eleven.
What are the Censored Eleven? Long story short, the Censored Eleven are a series of 11 short cartoons, produced between 1931 and 1944, that contain an exceptional amount of racist humor. Anyone under fifty years old has likely never seen these cartoons before; the oldest was released some 78 years ago, and they have been banned from television for over 40 years now.
For those my age, who grew up in the 80’s, these represent the “holy grail” of classic cartoons; the ultimate forbidden fruit. Most people my age first discovered “Merry Melodies” cartoons via syndication, long after the Censored Eleven had been removed from the airwaves. Even so, the cartoons we saw were not the originals; they had been heavily censored:
Many cartoons from previous decades are routinely edited on international television (and on some video and DVD collections) today. Usually, the only censorship deemed necessary is the cutting of the occasional perceived racist joke, instance of graphic violence, or scene of a character doing something that parents and watchdog groups fear children will try to imitate (such as smoking, drinking alcohol, ingesting pills and dangerous chemicals freely, playing with fire, and abusing animals). For example, one classic cartoon gag, most prominent in MGM’s Tom and Jerry cartoons, is the transformation of characters into a blackface caricature after an explosion or an automobile back-fire. Such small amounts of objectionable material only require relatively minor cuts in the cartoon to make it palatable to censors, in spite of objections and sometimes boycotts by fans.
Below you will find all the guilty members of the Censored Eleven in their uncensored entirety (God bless the Internet). Being that the most recent of these films was produced 65 years ago, the quality is understandably low. Even so, they offer a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era; a time before the Civil Rights movement had begun, to say nothing of “political correctness”.
Hittin’ the Trail for Hallelujah Land
Directed by Rudy Ising, 1931
Sunday Go to Meetin’ Time
Directed by Friz Freleng, 1936
Clean Pastures
Directed by I Freleng, 1937
Uncle Tom’s Bungalow
Directed by Tex Avery, 1937
Jungle Jitters
Directed by Fritz Freleng, 1938
The Isle of Pingo Pongo
Directed by Tex Avery, 1938
All This and Rabbit Stew
Directed by Tex Avery, 1941
Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs
Directed by Bob Clampett, 1943
Tin Pan Alley Cats
Directed by Bob Clampett, 1943
Angel Puss
Directed by Chuck Jones, 1944
Goldilocks and the Jivin’ Bears
Directed by Fritz Freleng, 1944
Animation, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Rudy Ising, Tex Avery
