The Edmondson Blog

Coal Black And De Sebben Dwarfs is a cartoon released in 1943 by Warner Brothers. The film is notable for being an all-black parody of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Snow-White, known to its audience from the popular 1937 Walt Disney animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The stylistic portrayal of the characters, however, is an example of classic politically incorrect darky iconography, which was widely accepted in white American society at the time. As such, it is one of the most controversial cartoons in the classic Warner Brothers library and is one of the Censored Eleven cartoons in their library considered unsuitable for present-day viewing. It has been rarely seen on television, and has never been officially released on home video. However, it is often named as one of the best cartoons ever made, in part for its African-American-inspired jazz and swing music.