Uncle Tom's Bungalow

Uncle Tom's Bungalow is an American Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Tex Avery, and released to theatres on June 5, 1937 by Warner Bros. The short cartoon is a parody of the 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin and of the “plantation melodrama” genre of the 1930s. It contains many stereotypical portrayals of black characters. The cartoon plays off Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel in that it portrays Uncle Tom as an old man, and wooden shacks and cotton fields pervade the scenery. Director Tex Avery adds his own sense of humor and “trickster” animation, giving the classic theme a modern, humorous twist. In 1968 the cartoon became a part of the Censored Eleven, a group of cartoons banned from syndication by the television arm of United Artists due to the controversy surrounding their racially stereotypical content. Brief segments did, however, appear in Turner Entertainment's 1989 home video release, Cartoons For Big Kids, hosted by Leonard Maltin.