This film is part of Free
Charley's Black Magic
Cartoon propaganda short sweetens the pill of post-war coal prices by promising jam tomorrow
Overview
With coal prices rising and harsh winters in recent memory, postwar Britain was understandably grumpy. The irascible Charley featured in a series of cartoon propaganda shorts communicating many new policies of Clement Atlee’s Labour government, which promised a brighter future ahead. Charley was always quickly turned around with the promise of better days ahead, but postwar austerity was still a bitter pill for many to swallow. But the film is marred by the grossly racist caricature that serves as Charley’s guide and teacher: a crass representation of the spirit of coal that is very clearly inspired by ‘blackface’ minstrel performances. The offence is compounded by the character repeatedly addressing Charley as ‘master’. The film is included here not just as a record of its subject, but as evidence that this kind of racist characterisation was not uncommon even in official filmmaking at this time - and for long after.
The seven Charley films released between 1948 and 1949 were all produced by Halas & Batchelor Cartoon Films, who would go on to make Britain’s first animated feature film, Animal Farm, in 1954.
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