The title itself makes us cringe. Helen Bannerman's 1899 children's story would offend few people today, but we're more familiar with the knock-off versions with their derogatory racial caricatures. The very word "sambo" is a racial slur.
Sambo and his mammy are both drawn as racial caricatures. Their presence alone keeps this film off the TV airwaves, as do at least three racial gags:
*The mammy pats down a freshly-scrubbed Sambo with black powder.
*The mammy warns Sambo to watch out for the mean tiger: "He shore do like dark meat!"
* Sambo turns white with fear.
Sambo and his mammy are both drawn as racial caricatures. Their presence alone keeps this film off the TV airwaves, as do at least three racial gags:
*The mammy pats down a freshly-scrubbed Sambo with black powder.
*The mammy warns Sambo to watch out for the mean tiger: "He shore do like dark meat!"
* Sambo turns white with fear.
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