One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing
Disney’s love affair with London (see Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Bedknobs & Broomsticks etc.) lasted from the 1950s to, arguably, the 1980s (with Basil The Great Mouse Detective), and this entry, made in 1975 is largely throwaway, moderately amusing now I’m not a child, faintly racist but mostly harmless. My kids are watching it right now for the third time in as many days, which can’t be bad for a film of more than thirty years where everyone speaks in that quaint, Queen’s English jolly-hockey-sticks manner - but then my kids have resolutely NOT been raised on a diet of talking CG animals, with the exception of Nemo, so they’ve no reason to expect that kind of a film.
The plot is peculiar though - Lord Southmere (Derek Nimmo) returns to London from China having stolen a microfilm, and as soon as he re-enters the country is chased by Chinese spies (led by Hnup Wan - Peter Ustinov) to get it back. He resorts to hiding the film on a dinosaur in the Natural History Museum, and just before he is apprehended by the Chinese bumps into his former nanny (played with dignity and poise throughout by Helen Hayes) and her nanny friend, who he charges with finding the film and keeping it from the Chinese. When Wan decides to steal the dinosaur, the nannies get the jump on them, and take it off for a thrilling chase around London.
The aspect that sticks out like a mile now I’m an adult re-watching it is the fact that all the Chinese are played by Englishmen (Ustinov, Clive Revill, Bernard Bresslaw) in shocking amounts of make-up and very silly accents, especially Ustinov. Heidi and I wondered yesterday whether our parents were equally uncomfortable about it, but came to the conclusion that this actually possibly makes it less racist. If the jokes that are made at the expense of the Chinese and the silliness they get involved in were directed at genuine Chinese actors, it would be a great deal more uncomfortable - thankfully every adult watching knows this is a piece of monumental silliness (especially when it is revealed what is actually on the microfilm). And kids? Well, the setting, style and language of the film makes it so far removed from their reality that I don’t think one could accuse the film of promoting unhelpful attitudes towards the Chinese and have that accusation stand.
It’s fun and silly, harmless and good-hearted, and features some great music (which my kids are now dancing to while watching the DVD menu!). Great for the holidays.
Can’t say I see anything hugely racist about non-Chinese people playing Chinese people, especially if its the excellent Peter Ustinov. At any rate, it certainly didn’t occur to me until you mentioned it.
As for the film - its harmless fluff as you say. Daniel’s not seen it, but since it’s not scary and doesn’t involve fights with huge Ray Harryhausen type monsters he probably wouldn’t be interested at the moment. He has just started getting into Doctor Who though.
Comment by Simon Dillon — 17 April, 2008 @ 4:53 pm