John Henry and the Inky-Poo

I'm a huge fan of Pal's Puppetoons - they remain some of the most outstanding examples of animated films ever made. But this later work appears to have been done mainly to make amends for Pal's series of "Jasper" films, which feature such strong racial stereotypes it is impossible to show them on television today.

"John Henry," while presenting African-Americans in a more favorable light, displays little of the inventiveness and style of Pal's earlier works. Perhaps concerns about being offensive limited his artistic choices. Whatever the reason, this is not one of his better works. Check out his earlier films, made in Holland and England, for extraordinary flashes of brilliance.