Bunuel1976 Review of John Henry and the Inky-Poo

John Henry and the Inky-Poo (1946)

JOHN HENRY AND THE INKY-POO {Short} (George Pal, 1946) ***

[7/10 · 4 February 2014]

This is yet another black-themed and Oscar-nominated "Puppetoon": the premise involves a child who grows to adulthood – and gigantic size – in a matter of days! It does present a stereotyped view of the black community (the mother tells her boy "I is your maw" and railroad workers repeatedly mispronounce the word "engine"), but the mythic quality of the narrative makes up for this. The hero enthusiastically joins in the railway construction but, before long, the company decides to replace the labour force with a pressurized machine (the "Inky-Poo" of the title). He, however, is not about to give in so easily and challenges the contraption to a duel of strength. Using two hammers at once to lay the tracks at double the normal speed, he manages to win the contest against all odds…but this extraordinary effort puts a toll on John Henry's heart, who drops dead soon after from exhaustion! The 'boy' is thereafter revered by his people as an icon.