Adaptations
Tom shows
Uncle Tom's Cabin's popularity and weak copyright laws at the time led to a variety of adaptations, both on stage and in film. Stage shows were known as "Tom shows," and they often were based very loosely on the novel. With the plot simplified, white actors used blackface in minstrel shows and adapted many stereotypes found in the book, ironically promoting racism.
The best-known Tom show was by George Aiken, who focussed primarily on Eva, with a later iteration on Tom's story. Others skewed the message of the book, creating pro-slavery versions or turning the anti-slavery message into feelings against the South. Through the shows, "Uncle Tom" became a stereotype and derogatory term, as they transformed him into an old man who would follow any order (right).
Click here to read some of the original scripts for "Tom shows" and stage adaptations.
Film
Various cartoons and films were adapted from Uncle Tom's Cabin in the early 1900s. Many were created during the silent film era and based on Tom shows. Click on each title below to view them.
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Edwin S. Porter (1903)
The first adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin to film, directed by Edwin S. Porter and produced by the Edison Company. It was in the style of many Tom shows, using white actors in blackface and was not quite accurate to the book.
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William Daly (1914)
This film was much longer than other adaptations at the time, and it was the first film to feature an African American actor, Sam Lucas.
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Harry A. Pollard (1927)
Pollard's adaptation was the last silent film adaptation and cost $1.8 million, running at 112 minutes. It was produced and publicized by Universal Studios and was praised for being fairly accurate to the book, unlike other adaptations.
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Mickey's Mellerdrammer (1933)
Uncle Tom's Cabin was also adapted into a number of cartoons, many of which took stereotypes from minstrel shows. Mickey's Mellerdrammer, produced by Walt Disney, was the subject of controversy due to its exaggerated portrayal of Tom shows