Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom

I must have seen this half a dozen times in elementary school in the 70s, but had not seen it since. I remember enjoying it, and, as a musician, I have thought of it many times.

I watched this again recently, and it's really a gem, except for the unfortunate racial stereotypes. We see clownish caricatures of Chinese, and we see a quartet of black-faced minstrel players.

The few cringey moments were disappointing, but it was 1953, and sensibilities were different. That doesn't excuse it or explain it, but I'm not going to 'cancel' Disney or even this one film because of it. Who knows how our current society will be judged in 70 years? That said, I understand why this wasn't included in the offerings provided by Disney+.

The animation is refreshingly different than other projects coming out of Disney in the early 50s. The music is great, and it's a great lesson in musical instrument families (even if they did put the piano in the string section).

Watch it. Enjoy it. Remember times were different then. Remember your history and how far we've come, and how far we have to go.