MovieChat Forums > Jeanne Eagels (1957) Discussion > racial harmony

racial harmony

posted 14 years ago by CJ-Diggs
9 replies | jump to latest

Just caught a scene where a white guy is throwing the football with some kids, they're all black. For me it seemed touching, black folk and white folk coming together as we should. So the kids bring the ball in and the white guy gives them some advice, something like 'now you see that, you hold the ball just like you would a watermelon'

I busted a gut laughing. No idea if it was intentional racism or not but it seemed such a comical twist ending to what should of been a nice innocent, harmonious scene. Must have been intended racism, I can't picture anybody ever holding a football like watermelon, especially a kid, they're too weak and their hands too small to grip it and hold it in passing position. Or maybe just an ignorant remark based on the characters trying to relate with the kids based on all he knows about black people, that they supposedly eat lots of watermelon. Ahh well, gotta laugh at the ignorance of man, or this poster.

[–] joseph_dixon63 14 years ago

At what point in the movie was this? I've only seen the movie part way through, where Jeanne & Sal go to New York City.

--Oh, okay; I just saw it, where Jeanne finished a movie shoot for the day and Johnny was outside the studio with the black kids. The watermelon reference *was* pretty ridiculous. Did you notice, though, that the boys called him by his first name? Didn't expect that one, but progressive social elements were beginning to make their way into the movies by 1957. (You wanna see some interesting social messaging, check out some of Bogey's movies.)

[–] ladymacbeth_2004 14 years ago

It was...unintentional intentional racism--supposed to be the "racism" of the time (not 1957, but the year it was in the film...but at the same time, 1957 because the writers didn't HAVE to include it--it was superfluous and ridiculous). I too laughed out loud not because it was funny because it most certainly was not (it was highly offensive!!!), but because I couldn't believe just how offensive it was! As an African-American classic film scholar and lover, I've seen/heard such racist remarks in film and am rarely...affected or surprised, but this actually made my jaw drop. I just couldn't believe it. Especially since that whole scene was SO unnecessary. My mind is still boggled.

[–] BG43214 14 years ago

Let us not forget that we have to put our heads into the timeframe the story takes place.....you cannot and should not judge any film by today's standards as to racial remarks, etc......yes, it was offensive to you, but as you are well aware, this sort of thing went on all the time in the 'old days'....

[–] BG43214 14 years ago

Whoever wrote the script probably thought the reference to a watermelon would have been something a white guy AT THAT TIME would have said to a black child, & probably was not intended as racist at the time the story takes place..

[–] TDemian 13 years ago

it is a ridiculously stupid, racist line.
i realize this was the 20s by way of 1957 and it is racist for both eras.
why would little kids hold a watermelon in one hand anyway?
he says it like it is something common for black kids.
think about it.
survived all the script overhauls this movie had to have because it is so badly written so it has to be daniel fuchs and george sidney to blame.
to not think about this is racist and idiotic.
the only purpose it would serve would be to show this character as a racist which it is obviously not trying to do.

[–] ladymacbeth_2004 13 years ago

Here HERE! I quite agree. Well said, and thank you :) I feared returning to this board b/c I was afraid of the ignorant things folks would probably say RE this topic, but thanks for your insightful one :)
That's EXACTLY the point--it was racist and unnecessary--that whole entire scene was unnecessary--it didn't add to the film in anyway. It was just...random. It just always amazes me when people can't/don't/won't see blatant racism. It's supposed to be all right to have random racist lines because the film was set in the 20s & made in the 50s? So, OK, what if the shoe was on the other foot? What if they were white children & there was a 400 year history of white people being thought of and depicted as all kinds of degenerates (for lack of a better word), and that they "eat watermelon" with big giant grins, and then that character made that same remark? Would people then view that random racist scene any differently? What if I then said it wasn't racist? Hmmm....

"Hmmm....you better get your mind right."

[–] uhriaheap69 11 years ago

Yes it was a silly unnecessary line, however like some here it did not make me laugh !

[–] charcas67 10 years ago

The watermelon line wasn't the main purpose of that scene--to me it was just an example of unconscious racism. The main point of that little scene was to illustrate how Johnny Donahue had become emasculated after 5 years of marriage to Jeanne--everyone one set trying to find "MR Eagels" and then find him playing with some Black children, who call him, a white male adult, "Johnny" rather than "Mr. Donahue" or "Mr. Eagels". AT least the kids know who he is which is more than one can say for anyone working on the set of the movie.

[–] joeparkson 9 years ago

it is a ridiculously stupid, racist line.
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Why? If there's a black person within earshot are we supposed to refrain from saying watermelon?

I like watermelon in the summer. If I'm having a barbecue and serving watermelon after the hot dogs and burgers, do I apologize if a black person shows up?

Soy 'un hijo de la playa'