Article: Song of the South

[Sarangel]

Found in the LA Times:

Fueled by mainstream acceptance of the DVD format, Disney has been scouring its vaults to bring more product to market. So collectors can get DVD sets devoted to Mickey Mouse cartoons, the complete Goofy oeuvre and the "Davy Crockett" episodes of the "Disneyland" TV series.

However, "Song of the South," a 1946 Academy Award-winning feature, has not been seen in American theaters since 1986, and remains the one Disney classic that has yet to be released in this country on home video.

Ask supporters and critics of the film why, and you get speculation and rumor. Ask Disney, and you get "zip," without the doo-dah.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment issued a statement for this story: "Walt Disney Home Entertainment uses many factors to evaluate which movies in its rich library will be issued onto video and DVD formats To this point, we have not discounted nor committed to any distribution window concerning this title."

Most likely, the film remains unreleased due to sensitivity over the stereotypical portrayals of its African American characters and its perceived benign image of slavery, which have embroiled the film in controversy since its theatrical release.

To its supporters, it is precious American folklore. To its critics, it is a racist film. And Disney, observed Leonard Maltin, film historian and author of "The Disney Films," "is a big target."

"I'm sad," it has not been released, said Ruth Warrick, 86, who costarred in "Song of the South," "because it leaves out a whole chapter in the history of Walt Disney. The film is probably one of his crowning points."

A labor of love, "Song of the South" was conceived by Disney as a celebration of Joel Chandler Harris' "Uncle Remus" stories that inspired him and enchanted his children.

"It was a film he really wanted to do," recalled Diane Disney Miller, his daughter. "My dad quoted so much from Uncle Remus' logic and philosophy."

"Song of the South" stars Bobby Driscoll as Johnny, a young boy who accompanies his mother (Warrick) to his grandmother's plantation. Devastated by his parents' separation, he decides to run away. But he becomes enthralled by Uncle Remus (James Baskett, who was honored with a special Academy Award), whose stories about the wily Br'er Rabbit teach the boy valuable life lessons.

It is not clear in the film if the story takes place before or after the Civil War (although the synopsis on the box of a French VHS edition states, "We are in Georgia, south of the United States, after the Civil War"), or if Remus is a slave or servant.

From its opening day, the film sparked protests. Members of the Theatre Chapter of the National Negro Congress picketed the film with signs that read, "We fought for Uncle Sam, not Uncle Tom," according to newspaper reports. A New York Times critic dismissed the Remus character as "just the sweetest and most wistful darky slave that ever stepped out of a sublimely unreconstructed fancy of the Old South."

The National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) acknowledged the film's "artistic merit" but chastised it for perpetuating the stereotypical "idyllic master-slave relationship" — a position the organization maintains to this day, according to a spokesperson.

But the film has its champions. Christian Willis, 22, of Dana Point founded songofthe south.net, a Web site devoted to "Song"-related collectibles and to raising awareness of the film. Willis saw the film when he was 6 years old and calls it "a cherished childhood memory."

"Originally my site was only going to show memorabilia," he said, "but so many people contacted me about the film, I decided to expand my Web site. This is a landmark in motion picture history. This was a project Walt Disney wanted to do for years and years. I don't think it's right that Disney should withhold it from the public."

Willis' site has a link to Uncle RemusPages.com, a Web site started by fellow enthusiast James McKimson, 28, of Pasadena. The site features a petition to lobby for the film's home video release. Currently, more than 30,000 have affixed their names.

Maltin is also in favor of the film's home video release. "I'm very fond of the movie," he said. "I think it has been unfairly maligned and misread. [Some] people reject the film out of hand, and I think that's a shame. It denies people of all colors the ability to see this warm and uplifting movie."

For critics of the film, the exaggerated dialects and scenes of the black sharecroppers singing as they heigh-(di)-ho to work in the fields are anything but "satisfactual."

"It was a very racist film," said Todd Boyd, an African American professor of critical studies at the USC School of Cinema-Television. "The character of Uncle Remus is a throwback. He affirms every negative and demeaning stereotype from slavery about Southern black men being happy-go-lucky, passive, carefree and non-threatening."

But proponents of the movie counter that the Uncle Remus tales, as so memorably animated in the film, are a vital part of African American folklore. Clarence Page, nationally syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune who also is African American, called the film one of his favorites from his childhood and one he had hoped to share with his son.

"To quote Bill Cosby, so much black history has been lost, stolen or strayed," he said in an interview. "There's a deep African tradition in 'Song of the South.' Br'er Rabbit is an emblematic figure of African folklore, a direct descendant of the trickster who gets by on his wits. Where [political correctness] gets ridiculous is when [corporations trying to avoid a controversy] just presume that if something is stereotypical, then African Americans aren't going to like this. There is a diversity of images in the media now that reflect our diversity in real life. We can look at 'Song of the South' with a new awareness and appreciation."

"What I take away from the movie," Maltin said, "is the following: That Uncle Remus is a warm, good-hearted character who captures the imagination of a lonely little boy who happens to be white. The boy is absolutely colorblind, and the audience relates to him. There is an incredible moment when Uncle Remus takes the boy's hand in his, and there is an insert of the white and black hands clasped together. It's the emotional climax of the movie."

Those in favor of "Song of the South's" home video release point out that other films with racial depictions from another era are readily available, including "Gone With the Wind" and D.W. Griffith's epic, "Birth of a Nation," with its glorification of the Ku Klux Klan. Mail order outlets such as Movies Unlimited still stock "Charlie Chan" films and episodes of the "Amos & Andy" TV series.

"There are plenty of great films that are not available," Maltin observed, "but the reasons are much more mundane or whimsical. I hope it ['Song of the South'] has a chance to come out again and find a new audience. It would have to be done responsibly. I hope it comes to pass."

So does Warrick. "I wish Walt were alive," she said. "I think I could talk him into releasing it."

 

[antnee]

So sad that this classic is unavailable

 

[Cricket2]

I still think it's odd that they will capitalize on the music, but not the movie.

perpetuating the stereotypical "idyllic master-slave relationship"

How is it doing this? A stereotype is developed from perception. The fact of being a slave and happy is apparent, but being happy BECAUSE of being a slave is not apparent. The perpetuation of the stereotype is made by the idiot viewer, not the film itself.

Very sad indeed

 

[Luv2Roam]

Uncle Remus is the hero in this movie.
It's the white trash who are shown in the negative manner. I don't hear anyone complaining about that.
We live in an over sensitive society.

 

[Daxx]

Song of the South is bad ... yet Gone With The Wind is ok!?

Ummm ... let me see ... in GWTW, we glorify whites owning slaves and treating them unkindly. I know that Scarlet slaps Prissy, treats Mammy like, well, a slave and most of the other slaves are portrayed as stupid and/or lazy (thinking of the slave boy who is sitting on the floor when Ms. Ellen arrives and gets reamed b/c he's not opening the door). The slaves in GWTW are shown as carefree, happy-go-lucky and passive -- just like they accuse U. Remus as being!

Oh, but that is ok!??! Hmmm ... whatever!!!!

And, we have Birth of a Nation, which glorifies the KKK and we can show that?!

Yet, we have an African American gentlemen (where it isn't clear if he's a slave or not) spinning yarns of Br'er Rabbit and company that give us life lessons ... and that is racist!?

What can we learn from SOTS? Life lessons and to treat each other equally. Johnny does not see Uncle Remus's color -- isn't that what we are trying to teach our children!? And, in turn, what can we learn from GWTW? Nothing positive that I can think of ... unless you think it's ok to slap people and treat people of color like morons.



What am I missing?!

 

[SoonerKate]

Christian Willis, 22, of Dana Point founded songofthe south.net, a Web site devoted to "Song"-related collectibles and to raising awareness of the film. Willis saw the film when he was 6 years old and calls it "a cherished childhood memory."

If he's 22 and remembers seeing it, then I guess I'm not crazy!

I knew I had seen this, I remember going to a theater outside of Chicago with my grandmother to see it -- but I kept hearing that it hadn't been released in forever, so I figured that my mind was just playing tricks on me! If I'm crazy, so's this guy!

 

[hopemax]

I know it says in the Disney A to Z book, but I'm going off memory. I think the last time it was released in theaters was 1986.

 

[IndyJammer]

I think it is sad that Disney has not released it - yet! It is one of my father's favorite movies - I remember him reading my Disney Story book and imitating all of their voices when I was child!

I bought him a bootleg copy of the movie off ebay a couple of years ago for Christmas & it was probably the best of the 29 years of Presents that I've gotten him!

I now have a DS8 & his grandfather loves to watch that movie with him! It has nothing to do with color - just life! My DS8 loved the cartoon part of the movie & didn't think twice b/c the story teller was one color & the listener was another!

 

[crusader]

To its supporters, it is precious American folklore. To its critics, it is a racist film.

This will never be resolved. The subject matter is far to controversial to market. It is a painful reminder to the African American community of slavery and racism and how it was portrayed without fair and accurate representation during the early years of entertainment.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

I remember watching SotS on the Disney Channel in 91.

 

[Daxx]

It is a painful reminder to the African American community of slavery and racism and how it was portrayed without fair and accurate representation during the early years of entertainment.

Gone With The Wind isn't a painful reminder? That movie sure as heck portrays slavery w/o fair and accurate representation. Nobody seems to be upset over that film.

Those slaves in GWTW don't look miserable, mistreated or underfed ... they all seem content to be workin' the fields, catering to the O'Hara clan and they all look well fed to boot. Nobody on that plantation is starving ... look at them ... all healthy, fat and not effected by being a slave. None of them looks worse for the wear. You'd think they like being the O'Hara's slaves. Is that how slavery really was?! I don't think so!

So, how come GWTW, a film that does not portray slavery accurately, isn't yanked from the shelves? It does not represent slavery in its true light, yet it's entertainment for millions. TBS airs it on a regular basis ... and nobody's complaining about that.

 

[crusader]

GWTW is another contributor to this problem. It sensationalizes slavery and inaccurately portrays the civil war. I do not consider it to be better by any means!

Why it is allowed to be aired so much vs this being blocked probably has everything to do with its' critical acclaim as a classic academy award winning motion picture and who owns the distribution rights. Disney appears to be demonstrating an appropriate level of consideration here.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I hate Gone With the Wind.

I have two copies of Song Of The South. I love the animation, but the rest of it drives me nuts. Whenever Uncle Remus speaks to the white adults he keeps his head bent and his eyes down. This bothers me much more than the workers singing as they go off to work in the fields.

Many people say they want the movie released so that their children will know what Splash Mountain is all about. I wonder why disney can't just do a remake of the movie. Keep all of the animation as is, and redo the rest.

I think Ossie Davis or Morgan Freeman would make a great Uncle Remus.

 

[Daxx]

SOTS won an Academy Award, too. I'd have to say it's a classic.

My thoughts on releasing it ... nobody's forcing anyone to purchase it or watch it. Just like GWTW and Birth of a Nation, nobody has to buy it unless they want to. Do the same w/SOTS. Use it as a teaching tool ... let your kids know that Uncle Remus was a slave, how slavery began, what slave life was like, how they were treated, about the Civil War, etc. The movie can be an excellent learning tool.

And, I agree w/the poster who said "remake it"! It doesn't have to be set on a plantation during/after the Civil War ... it can be set at a woodsy kids camp, year 2003! Uncle Remus could be a camp counselor -- or camp director. I am sure that there would be plenty of African American actors who would be happy to portray Uncle Remus and tell the delightful, valuable stories!

 

[mikeymars]

>>It is a painful reminder to the African American community of slavery and racism and how it was portrayed without fair and accurate representation during the early years of entertainment.<<

Yawn. Whenever discussion on this wonderful film come up, the “we love to censor entertainment” PC gang inevitably shows up and throws out these sorts of simplistic, demonizing generalizations. Pray tell, exactly what is it in Song of the South that is so screamingly "unfair and inaccurate?"

The closest I've seen to an answer to that is the below:

"Whenever Uncle Remus speaks to the white adults he keeps his head bent and his eyes down. "

That is absolutley incorrect. He speaks directly (no "bent" head, no "eyes" down) to the grandmother early in the film, and the mother a short while later. What do you want him to do, yell at them!??!

"This bothers me much more than the workers singing as they go off to work in the fields."

They are singing while RETURNING from their work, and anyone who is familiar with Southern history knows that was common. I guess some people just want to re-write history.

 

[crusader]

Pray tell, exactly what is it in Song of the South that is so screamingly "unfair and inaccurate?"

To begin with, it is based on "slave lore" as retold by someone who is not black and did not personally live through the experience. Whatever songs and sayings he has depicted in writing to demonstrate that a person condemned to a life of slavery had the wisdom to outwit the master is nothing more than storytelling which fails to tell the truth about this story. Why should the black community support this form of entertainment?

 

[mikeymars]

>>quote:
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Pray tell, exactly what is it in Song of the South that is so screamingly "unfair and inaccurate?"
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To begin with, it is based on "slave lore" as retold by someone who is not black and did not personally live through the experience.<<

The film is based upon the writings of Joel Chandler Harris, a man who did more to save Southern African American folklore than anyone else in history (black OR white). Some short history on Harris:

"the young boy born December 9 in Billy Barne's Tavern to the unwed Mary Harris suffered the pangs of illegitimacy by stammering in public and being self-effacing. Obviously bright, Harris received the attention of Andrew Reid who paid his tuition at Union Academy. He befriended elderly slaves George Terrell and Old Harbert who entertained him with trickster tales about Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and the other critters in the Briar Patch.

In 1862 Harris left Eatonton to work as a printer's devil on The Countryman published by Joseph Addison Turner on his Putnam County plantation, Turnworld. Here he studied the trade of the journalist under Turner's watchful eye and from a fence post at Turnwold witnessed Sherman's March to the Sea, an event he captured in his tribute to Turner, the 1892 memoir On the Pantation.

With defeat, Harris left Putnam County for newspaper jobs in New Orleans and Savannah before landing at the Atlanta Constitution in 1879. The next year appeared the collection Uncle Remus, His Songs and Sayings and in 1883, Nights with Uncle Remus. The animated exposure of Walt Disney's 1946 "Song of the South" has obscured the true Uncle Remus tales that are more complex than presented in the movie and represent only part of Harris's corpus of work."

>>Whatever songs and sayings he has depicted in writing to demonstrate that a person condemned to a life of slavery had the wisdom to outwit the master is nothing more than storytelling which fails to tell the truth about this story. <<

Sigh....more demonizing of the author based on ? In response, more history:

"Unlike the moonlight and magnolias of the popular southern fiction of his day, Harris wove complicated stories filled with humor and pathos. In Mingo, and Other Sketches in Black and White, published in 1884, Free Joe, published in 1887, and Daddy Jake the Runaway, published in 1889, Harris presented a darker side to slavery than had previously appeared in the Uncle Remus tales. These stories epitomized the tragedy and realism of the age.

Like his contemporary and friend, Mark Twain, Harris composed a national literature that used localism to describe the universal. This shy red-headed and freckled man understood more of humanity and the world because of personal circumstances which enables him to relate to those society deemed less fortunate . "

>>Why should the black community support this form of entertainment?<<

You imply that the mere availability of a film is somehow forcing people to "support" it. That is ridiculous. I may happen to think Madonna is a piece of excrement, and won't purchase, view or listen to anything she releases. But I'm not out there all over the web trying to FORCE CENSORSHIP on her and have never complained that I am somehow being "forced" to "support" her.

However, censorship is EXACTLY what the PC anti-Song-of-the-South crowd wants. They want to TELL everyone else what they can and can't watch.

Well, they picked the wrong issue, as did Disney, if they think they can "hide" their cowardly kneejerk reaction to the PC censors.

 

[crusader]

I am not in defense or support of this position. I am sure that this is one controversy which will never be resolved successfully.

Here's a clear example of why - given the following written work of Joel Chandler Harris: (courtesy of the following link:http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/bio.html)

WHY THE NEGRO IS BLACK

One night, while the little boy was watching Uncle Remus twisting and waxing some shoe-thread, he made what appeared to him to be a very curious discovery. He discovered that the palms of the old man's hands were as white as his own, and the fact was such a source of wonder that he made it the subject of remark. The response of Uncle Remus led to the earnesr recital of a piece of unwritten history that must prove interesting to ethnologists.

"Tooby sho de pa'm er my han's w'ite, honey," he quietly remarked; "en w'en it come ter dat, dey wuz a time we'n all de w'ite folks 'uz black--blacker dan me, kaze I done bin yer so long dat I sorter bleach out."

The little boy laughed. He thought Uncle Remus was making him the victim of one of his practical jokes; but the youngster was never more mistaken. The old man was serious. Nevertheless, he failed to rebuke the ill-timed morth of the child, appearing to be altogether engrossed in his work. After a while he resumed:

"Yasser. Fokes dunner w'at bin yet, let 'lone w'at gwinter be. ******s is ******s now, but de time wuz w'en we 'uz all ******s tergedder."

"When was that, Uncle Remus?"

"Way back yander. In dem times we 'uz all un us black; we 'uz all ******s tergedder, en 'cordin' ter all de 'counts w'at I year fokes 'uz gittin 'long 'bout ez well in dem days ez dey is now. But atter' w'ile de news come dat dere was a pon' er water some'rs in de naberhood. w'ich if dey'd git inter dey'd be wash off nice en w'te, en den one un um, he fine de place en make er splunge inter de pon', en come out w'ite ez a town gal. En den, bless grashus! w'en de fokes seed it, dey make a break for de pon', en dem w'at wuz de snopless, dey got in fud' en dey come out w'ite: en dem w'at wuz de nex' soopless, dey got in nex', en dey come out merlatters; en dey wuz sech a crowd un um dat dey mighty nigh use de water up, w'ich w'en dem yuthers come 'long, de morest dey could do wuz ter paddle about wid der foots en dabble in it wid der han's. Dem wuz de ******s, en down ter dis day dey ain't no w'ite 'bout a ****** 'ceppin de pa'ms er der han's en de soles er der foot."

The little boy seemed to be very much interested in this new account of the origin of the races, and he made some further inquiries, which elicited from Uncle Remus the following additional particulars:

"De Injun en de Chinee got ter be 'counted 'long er de merlatter. I ain't seed no Chinee dat I knows un, but dey tells me dey er sorter 'twix' a brown en a brindle. Dey er all merlatters."

"But mamma says the Chinese have straight hair," the little boy suggested,

"Co'se, honey," the old man unhesitatingly responded, "dem w'at git ter de pon'time nuff fer ter git der head in de water, de water hit onkink der ha'r. Hit bleedzd ter be dat away."



Editor's Commentary to "Why the Negro is Black



"Why the Negro is Black" is very different from the others tales in Legends of the Old Plantation in that it is more ethnographically charged than the other tales. The majority of the tales documented by Harris are accounts of the mishaps and adventures of Brer Rabbit. "Why the Negro is Black,"instead tells Uncle Remus' version of the evolution of the races. The story begins when the little boy notices that the palms of Uncle Remus' hands are as white as his own. Uncle Remus immediately becomes serious as he explains to the child that at one time, "we wuz all ******s tergedder."


Uncle Remus then goes on to explain that all of the races were black at one time, however, by dipping their entire bodies into a pool of enchanted water, many of the "blacks" were able to become white. He explains the existence of mulattos and other ethnicities by saying that mulattos were only able to dip part of their bodies into the pool and that the Chinese dipped their hair into the water in order to straighten it.


Interpreting the story is incredibly problematic for the modern reader. On one hand, it can be interpreted as being extremely critical of contemporary southern society with its racial divisions. By having an elderly Negro man explain that at one time there was racial equality to a young white boy, shows a potential influence over the next generation--an influence that, perhaps, could lead to a future where there would again be no racial division. This version of racial evolution also negates the idea of the biological inferiority of African-Americans by linking the origin of racial differences to a pool of water rather than to an innate disparity in the intellectual and biological capacities of whites and blacks. The text could also be interpreted as being extremely critical of Uncle Remus' intellect. In some of the earlier Uncle Remus texts that appeared in the Atlanta Constitution as commentaries on contemporary Atlanta society, Harris portrays Uncle Remus as technologically backward and incompetent. "Why the Negro is Black," could be read as a perpetuation of the stereotype of the backwards plantation Negro--a happy darky without any conception of the realities of the world around him.



Despite the conflicting interpretations, "Why the Negro is Black" poses the question of Harris' intent in documenting these tales. In his introduction to the 1881 edition of the test, Harris insisted that his collection was not an ethnographic or anthropological archive, but rather a collection of works from a dying tradition. With the inclusion of a tale like "Why the Negro is Black" however, Harris entertains the anthropological approach that he denounced in his introduction. By discussing something as socially charged as the origin of the races and the former equality of all races, Harris engenders commentary about the various racial stereotypes and the society from which they are spawned.




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[mikeymars]

Crusader has a good point, ergo, trying to get people to agree on the appropriate "translation" of 19th century literature (or what context to read it in) is never going to work, particularly in a world where many insist on forcing their 20th century norms onto everything and anything that preceeded them.

Whatever, another intriguing tangent in this debate: one wonders whether archival management gang back in Burbank has any idea how much money they are losing by not putting this film back in print.

Perhaps they should take a look at eBay on any given day at any given hour, where there are dozens of auctions going on for VHS copies of Song of the South

(example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3326135117&category=1163)

Most of these auctions are by the way 100% legal - they are generally for out-of-print PAL format copies that were distributed by Disney in the U.K.; the typical auction either includes a second copy in NTSC format for North American VCRs or information on where to get such a copy made - which again is inarguably 100% legal, federal law allows one to make a copy of a tape they own for private, personal use.

On average, the auctions for original PAL copies close at well over $100, which represents just how strong the demand for this film is. In fact, if one doesn't want to compete in auctions, there are other web stores that sell the PAL copies (with a second NTSC tape included) for even more - as much as $230 in one case!!!!!!!!!

Can you add up the annual sales, Disney?

Your loss.

 

[dizgirl28]

I personally think the speculation about why Disney hasn't released SOTS yet is mostly rumor. I remember a comment by some studio exec a couple of years ago that said they were working on the film, but due to the fact that it has been on the shelf so long, a lot of restoration is needed. May or may not be true. I would hope they would take a lot of care with this one since it is so anticipated.

If the reasons were racial, wouldn't we have picket lines outside Splash Mountain? You guys have made some very good comments regarding GWTW and Birth of a Nation. Both of those are waaayyyy more racial than SOTS!

And, I am almost certain Uncle Remus says at one point in the movie (and this is paraphrased) "I don't have to take this, ma'am. I'm a free man!"

I think most people, black or white, who object to the film have never even seen it. They just take everyone else's word for its content (mmm, same story with lots of controversial things, ie Harry Potter, D&D, etc.) Wouldn't it be wonderful if people in this country would make up their own minds about things after gaining first-hand knowledge?

I would really like to see this film released, since as a DS CM I get dozens of questions about it a week. I just give them Buena Vista's phone number and tell them to call so BVHE can log the request. Maybe if they get enough, it will shake them loose.