John Henry and the Inky-Poo

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The titular character John Henry from the short stop-motion animation John Henry and the Inky-Poo.

John Henry and the Inky-Poo is a 1946 stop motion animation short film based on African-American folk hero John Henry directed by George Pal. The short film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for the 19th Academy Awards.

Plot

The story follows the legendary figure of American folklore, John Henry, on a strength match with his automatic steel-driving engine, Inky-Poo, saying that any man can beat a machine because a man has mind. He later wins the challenge at a great cost as he drops at the finish line, never to rise again[1].

Empowerment

In 2015, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"[2]. The short is selected as one of the 25 motion pictures that depicts the diversity and richness of the nation's cinematic heritage. After a series of criticism for his previous works, stop-motion animation pioneer George Pal was later praised for the short that feature African-American folklore in a positive light and treat the characters with "dignity, imagination, poetry, and love" [3].


References