The Isle of Pingo Pongo
Encyclopedia
The Isle of Pingo Pongo is a 1938 Warner Bros.
cartoon directed by Tex Avery
. It is the first of Avery's spoofs of travelogues
. The cartoon was banned from television syndication in 1968 by United Artists
(the owners at the time) for racist depictions of black people
and is one of the "Censored Eleven
".
The short follows a cruise ship’s trip from New York
to the island, presumably located in the South Seas. The ship sails past the Statue of Liberty
, who acts as a traffic cop, past the "Canary Islands" and "Sandwich Islands", and the overall story was less plausible than some of Tex Avery's other cartoons.
The cartoon revolves around themes of jazz
and primitivism
and is set on a remote island. The central character is an early version of Elmer Fudd
known as Egghead, and most of the cartoon consists of travelogue-type narration and blackout gag
s, many including Egghead. The inhabitants of Pingo-Pongo are mostly tall, black, and have big feet and lips. Like other cartoons of this time, the native inhabitants resemble animals and reflect stereotypes of African Americans of the time. The natives are at first playing drums, then break into a jazz beat, still described as a "primitive savage rhythm", which leads the audience to connect the savage jungle to modern jazz music.
The ban has been upheld by the cartoon's successive owners and is unlikely to be released on home video
. However, The New York Times
reports that unauthorized copies are relatively easy to find. The cartoon was reissued as a Blue Ribbon Classic. However, a print with original titles does exist, and can be easily accessed on Youtube
. Additionally, it was recently viewed with other films part of the Censored Eleven at the TCM Film Festival in Hollywood on April 24, 2010 as part of a classic film series, presented by Donald Bogle
.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
cartoon directed by Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
. It is the first of Avery's spoofs of travelogues
Travelogue (films)
Travelogue films, a form of virtual tourism or travel documentary, have been providing information and entertainment about distant parts of the world since the late 19th century.-History:...
. The cartoon was banned from television syndication in 1968 by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
(the owners at the time) for racist depictions of black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
and is one of the "Censored Eleven
Censored Eleven
The Censored Eleven is a group of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons that were withheld from syndication by United Artists in 1968...
".
The short follows a cruise ship’s trip from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to the island, presumably located in the South Seas. The ship sails past the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, who acts as a traffic cop, past the "Canary Islands" and "Sandwich Islands", and the overall story was less plausible than some of Tex Avery's other cartoons.
The cartoon revolves around themes of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and primitivism
Primitivism
Primitivism is a Western art movement that borrows visual forms from non-Western or prehistoric peoples, such as Paul Gauguin's inclusion of Tahitian motifs in paintings and ceramics...
and is set on a remote island. The central character is an early version of Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
known as Egghead, and most of the cartoon consists of travelogue-type narration and blackout gag
Blackout gag
A blackout gag is a term mainly used in broad, rapid-fire, slapstick comedy to describe a manner in which a gag or joke is executed. The term is derived from burlesque and vaudeville, when the lights were quickly turned off after the punchline of a joke to accentuate it and/or allow for audience...
s, many including Egghead. The inhabitants of Pingo-Pongo are mostly tall, black, and have big feet and lips. Like other cartoons of this time, the native inhabitants resemble animals and reflect stereotypes of African Americans of the time. The natives are at first playing drums, then break into a jazz beat, still described as a "primitive savage rhythm", which leads the audience to connect the savage jungle to modern jazz music.
The ban has been upheld by the cartoon's successive owners and is unlikely to be released on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
. However, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reports that unauthorized copies are relatively easy to find. The cartoon was reissued as a Blue Ribbon Classic. However, a print with original titles does exist, and can be easily accessed on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Additionally, it was recently viewed with other films part of the Censored Eleven at the TCM Film Festival in Hollywood on April 24, 2010 as part of a classic film series, presented by Donald Bogle
Donald Bogle
Donald Bogle is a film historian and author of six books concerning African Americans in film and on television. He is an instructor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and at the University of Pennsylvania.-Early years:...
.