Difference between revisions of "Song of the South"

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[[File:Song-of-the-south.jpg|250px|thumb]]
 
[[File:Song-of-the-south.jpg|250px|thumb]]
<b>Song of the South</b>, a 1946 live-action/animation hybrid produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Song of the South directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson. Based on the collected Uncle Remus stories of author Joel Chandler Harris, the film follows an innocent young boy from Atlanta named Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) who moves with his mother to his grandmother’s plantation. (His father remains in Atlanta to work as a newspaper editor.) On the plantation, Johnny learns a series of life lessons from Uncle Remus (James Baskett) in the form of stories about the animated Br’er Rabbit (voiced by Johnny Lee) and his quest to evade Br’er Fox (Baskett) and Br’er Bear (Nick Stewart). Included amongst these cartoon interludes is “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,which won the Oscar for Best Original Song and is one of the most famous and beloved tunes in the Disney library.<ref>Matt Singer. [https://screencrush.com/song-of-the-south-racism/ Just How Racist Is ‘Song of the South,’ Disney’s Most Notorious Movie?], screencrush.com, March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref>
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<b>Song of the South</b>, a live-action/animation hybrid released by RKO Radio Pictures and produced by Walt Disney back in 1946. Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson directed Song of the South. The film follows an innocent young boy named Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) from Atlanta who moves with his mother to his grandmother's plantation, based on author Joel Chandler Harris' collection of Uncle Remus stories. (His father remains in Atlanta to work as a newspaper editor) On the plantation, Uncle Remus (James Baskett) teaches Johnny a series of life lessons through stories about the animated Br'er Rabbit (voiced by Johnny Lee) and his quest to avoid Br'er Fox (Baskett) and Br'er Bear (Baskett) (Nick Stewart). Among these cartoon interludes is "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and is one of the most well-known and well-loved songs of all time in the Disney library.<ref>Matt Singer. [https://screencrush.com/song-of-the-south-racism/ Just How Racist Is ‘Song of the South,’ Disney’s Most Notorious Movie?], screencrush.com, March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref>
  
  
 
==Plot==
 
==Plot==
Seven-year-old Johnny is excited about what he believes to be a vacation at his grandmother's Georgia plantation with his parents, Sally and John Sr. When they arrive at the plantation, he discovers that his parents will be living apart temporarily, and he will live at the plantation with his mother and grandmother while his father returns to Atlanta to continue his job. Distraught at his father's departure, Johnny secretly leaves for Atlanta that night with only a bindle.
+
Johnny, seven years old, is looking forward to a vacation with his parents, Sally and John Sr., at his grandmother's Georgia plantation. When they arrive at the plantation, he learns that his parents will be living apart for the time being, and that he will be living with his mother and grandmother at the plantation while his father returns to Atlanta to resume his job. Johnny, distraught about his father's departure, sneaks away to Atlanta with just a bindle that night.
 
[[File:Remuskids.jpg|250px|thumb]]
 
[[File:Remuskids.jpg|250px|thumb]]
As Johnny sneaks away from the plantation, he is attracted by the voice of Uncle Remus telling tales of a character named Br'er Rabbit. By this time, word had gotten out that Johnny was missing, and some plantation residents are looking for him. Johnny evades being discovered, but Uncle Remus catches up with him, befriends him, offers him food for his journey, and takes him back to his cabin, where he tells the boy the traditional African-American folktale, "Br'er Rabbit Earns a Dollar a Minute". In the story, Br'er Rabbit attempts to run away from home only to change his mind after an encounter with Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. Johnny takes the advice and lets Uncle Remus take him back to his mother.
+
The voice of Uncle Remus telling stories about a character named Br'er Rabbit draws Johnny away from the plantation. By this time, word of Johnny's disappearance had spread throughout the plantation, and some residents were on the lookout for him. Johnny manages to avoid detection, but Uncle Remus finds him, befriends him, provides him with food for his journey, and takes him back to his cabin, where he tells him the traditional African-American folktale "Br'er Rabbit Earns a Dollar a Minute." Br'er Rabbit tries to run away from home in the story, but after meeting Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, he reconsiders. Johnny heeds Uncle Remus' advice and allows him to return to his mother.
  
Johnny makes friends with Toby, a young black boy who lives on the plantation, and Ginny Favers, a poor white girl. Ginny gives Johnny a puppy after her two older brothers, Joe and Jake, threaten to drown it. Johnny's mother refuses to let him take care of the puppy, so he takes it to Uncle Remus. Uncle Remus takes the dog in and delights Johnny and his friends with the fable of Br'er Rabbit and the Tar-Baby. The boys go to speak with their mother about the dog, then realize that Johnny had fooled them. In an act of revenge, they tell Sally about the dog. She becomes upset that Johnny and Uncle Remus kept the dog despite her order. She instructs Uncle Remus not to tell any more stories to her son.
+
Toby, a young black boy who lives on the plantation, and Ginny Favers, a poor white girl, become Johnny's friends. After her two older brothers, Joe and Jake, threaten to drown the puppy, Ginny gives it to Johnny. Johnny's mother won't let him keep the puppy, so he gives it to Uncle Remus. Uncle Remus takes the dog in and tells the story of Br'er Rabbit and the Tar-Baby to Johnny and his friends. The boys go to their mother to talk about the dog, only to discover that Johnny had duped them. They tell Sally about the dog as a form of retaliation. She is irritated that Johnny and Uncle Remus kept the dog against her wishes. Uncle Remus is told not to tell any more stories to her son.
  
Johnny's birthday arrives and Johnny picks up Ginny to take her to his party. On the way there, Joe and Jake push Ginny into a mud puddle. With her dress ruined, Ginny is unable to go to the party and runs off crying. Johnny begins fighting with the boys, but their fight is stopped up by Uncle Remus. Johnny runs off to comfort Ginny said he does not want to go either. When the three return to the plantation, Sally becomes angry at Johnny for missing his own birthday party, and tells Uncle Remus not to spend any more time with him. Saddened by the misunderstanding of his good intentions, Uncle Remus packs his bags and leaves for Atlanta. Johnny rushes to intercept him, but seriously injured after taking a shortcut through a pasture. While Johnny hovers between life and death, his father returns. Johnny calls for Uncle Remus, and his grandmother escorts him in. Uncle Remus begins telling a tale of Br'er Rabbit and the Laughing Place, and the boy miraculously survives.
+
When Johnny's birthday arrives, he picks Ginny up and takes her to his party. Joe and Jake push Ginny into a mud puddle on the way there. Ginny is unable to attend the party because her dress has been ruined, and she runs away crying. Uncle Remus intervenes in Johnny's fight with the boys, breaking up the fight. Johnny rushes off to console Ginny, who expresses his reluctance to leave. Sally becomes enraged at Johnny for missing his own birthday party and tells Uncle Remus not to spend any more time with him when the three return to the plantation. Uncle Remus packs his belongings and departs for Atlanta, saddened by the misunderstanding of his good intentions. Johnny rushes to stop him, but he is seriously injured after cutting through a pasture. Johnny's father appears as he teeters between life and death. Johnny summons Uncle Remus, who is escorted in by his grandmother. Uncle Remus starts telling a story about Br'er Rabbit and the Laughing Place, and the youngster miraculously survives.
  
Later, a fully recovered Johnny sings with Ginny and Toby while Johnny's returned puppy runs alongside them. Nearby, Uncle Remus is shocked when Br'er Rabbit and several of the other characters from his stories appear in front of them and interact with the children. Uncle Remus rushes to join the group, and together, they all skip away into the sunset.
+
Later, a fully recovered Johnny sings with Ginny and Toby, accompanied by Johnny's returned puppy. When Br'er Rabbit and several other characters from Uncle Remus' stories emerge in front of them and engage with the youngsters, Uncle Remus is taken aback. Uncle Remus joins the group, and they all skip away into the sunset together.
  
 
==The Controversy==
 
==The Controversy==
  
Since its original release, Song of the South has remained a subject of controversy. Some critics have described the film's portrayal of African Americans as racist and offensive, maintaining that the black vernacular and other qualities are stereotypes. Because of this controversy, Disney has not released Song of the South on any home video format in the United States.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_the_South#cite_note-Watts_2001-74 Song of the South]. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref>
+
Song of the South has been a source of contention since its initial release. Some reviewers have called the film's depiction of African Americans racist and offensive, claiming that the black vernacular and other characteristics are stereotypes. Disney has not launched Song of the South on any home video format in the United States as a result of the dispute.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_the_South#cite_note-Watts_2001-74 Song of the South]. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref>
  
There are plenty of examples of pernicious racism in Song of the South that are right there on the surface: the minstrelsy of the animated characters, particularly Br’er Fox; the slang in the dialogue; a wandering chorus singing traditional black songs; and, most notoriously of all, a fable where Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear use a tar baby to fool and ensnare Br’er Rabbit. (That part didn’t make Splash Mountain.) Yet the subtle low point of the film comes in Remus’s narration just before Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, when he reminiscences about how things were “a long time ago,,” when “every day was mighty satisfactual”. “If you’ll excuse me for saying so,” he adds, “’twas better all around.”<ref>Scott Tobias. [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/19/song-of-the-south-the-difficult-legacy-of-disneys-most-shocking-movie Song of the South: the difficult legacy of Disney's most shocking movie], theguardian.com, 19 November 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref>
+
There are many instances of pernicious bigotry in Song of the South on the surface: the ministry of cartoon characters, in particular Br'er Fox; the dialect in dialogue; the roaming chorus singing traditional black songs; and, most notoriously, the fable in which Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear use a tar kid to fool and snare Br'er Rabbit. (That part didn’t make Splash Mountain.) Yet the subtle low point of the film comes from Remus' narration just before Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, when he recalls how things were “a long time ago,,” when “every day was mighty satisfactual”. “If you’ll excuse me for saying so,” he adds, “’twas better all around.”<ref>Scott Tobias. [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/19/song-of-the-south-the-difficult-legacy-of-disneys-most-shocking-movie Song of the South: the difficult legacy of Disney's most shocking movie], theguardian.com, 19 November 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref>
  
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., a congressman from Harlem, branded the film an "insult to American minorities [and] everything that America as a whole stands for." The National Negro Congress set up picket lines in theaters in the big cities where the film played, with its protesters holding signs that read "Song of the South is an insult to the Negro people" and, lampooning "Jingle Bells", chanted: "Disney tells, Disney tells/lies about the South."<ref>Watts, Steven (2001). [https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=NgARIndAbjAC&q=song+of+the+south&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=song%20of%20the%20south&f=false The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life]. University of Missouri Press. pp. 276–277. ISBN 0-8262-1379-0.</ref>
+
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., a congressman from Harlem, branded the film as "an insult to American immigrants [and] all that America as a whole stands for." The National Black Congress set up picket lines in theaters in the major cities where the film was being played, with its demonstrators raising posters that read "Song of the South is an insult to the Black community" and chanting "Jingle Bells": "Disney says, Disney tells/lies about the South."<ref>Watts, Steven (2001). [https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=NgARIndAbjAC&q=song+of+the+south&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=song%20of%20the%20south&f=false The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life]. University of Missouri Press. pp. 276–277. ISBN 0-8262-1379-0.</ref>
  
Some of the black press had mixed reactions to Song of the South. While Richard B. Dier in The Afro-American was "thoroughly disgusted" by the film for being "as vicious a piece of propaganda for white supremacy as Hollywood ever produced," Herman Hill in The Pittsburgh Courier felt that Song of the South would "prove of inestimable goodwill in the furthering of interracial relations", and considered criticisms of the film to be "unadulterated hogwash symptomatic of the unfortunate racial neurosis that seems to be gripping so many of our humorless brethren these days."<ref>Gevinson, Alan (1997). Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960. California: University of California Press. p. 956. ISBN 978-0520209640</ref>
+
Some of the black press had mixed responses to the Southern Song. Although Richard B. Dier in The Afro-American was "very appalled" by the film for being "as vicious a piece of propaganda for white supremacy as Hollywood has ever made" Herman Hill, in The Pittsburgh Courier, thought the Song of the South would "prove inestimable goodwill in the furtherance of interracial relations" and found the film's critique to be "unadulterated hogwash symptomatic of the unfortunate racial neurosis that so many of our humorless brothers appear to be gripping these days."<ref>Gevinson, Alan (1997). Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960. California: University of California Press. p. 956. ISBN 978-0520209640</ref>
  
 
==Release==
 
==Release==
Song of the South has never received a home video release in the United States. Disney CEO Bob Iger said “it wouldn’t be in the best interest of our shareholders to bring it back, even though there would be some financial gain.” A VHS and LaserDisc release, however, exist overseas.<ref>Ryan Lattanzio. [https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/song-of-the-south-disney-you-must-remember-this/ ‘Song of the South’: 10 Fast Facts About Disney’s Most Controversial Movie], indiewire.com, 3 November 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref>
+
Song of the South has never been released as a home video in the United States. Disney CEO Bob Iger said, "It wouldn't be in the best interests of our shareholders to put it back even if there would be any financial benefit." However, there is a release of VHS and LaserDisc abroad.<ref>Ryan Lattanzio. [https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/song-of-the-south-disney-you-must-remember-this/ ‘Song of the South’: 10 Fast Facts About Disney’s Most Controversial Movie], indiewire.com, 3 November 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref>
  
After a release for the film’s 40th anniversary in 1986, Song of the South was locked away in a vault. Asked if the movie would ever get a DVD release, Disney CEO Bob Iger called it “antiquated” and “fairly offensive.” Although Disneyland’s Splash Mountain is entirely dedicated to the forgotten feature, Song of the South is rarely spoken about in any other context than it being a racist misstep for the studio.<ref>Tom Chapman. [https://www.cbr.com/offensive-classic-cartoons-that-should-be-censored/ 15 Classic Cartoons That Would Definitely Be Censored Today]", cbr.com, 27 November 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref>
+
Since the release for the film's 40th anniversary in 1986, Song of the South was sealed in a vault. Asked if the movie ever had a DVD release, Disney CEO Bob Iger called it "antiquated" and "fairly violent." While Disneyland's Splash Mountain is entirely devoted to the forgotten feature, South Song is scarcely spoken of in any way other than a racial misstep for the studio.<ref>Tom Chapman. [https://www.cbr.com/offensive-classic-cartoons-that-should-be-censored/ 15 Classic Cartoons That Would Definitely Be Censored Today]", cbr.com, 27 November 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref>
  
 
==External Link==
 
==External Link==

Revision as of 15:35, 11 March 2021

Song-of-the-south.jpg

Song of the South, a live-action/animation hybrid released by RKO Radio Pictures and produced by Walt Disney back in 1946. Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson directed Song of the South. The film follows an innocent young boy named Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) from Atlanta who moves with his mother to his grandmother's plantation, based on author Joel Chandler Harris' collection of Uncle Remus stories. (His father remains in Atlanta to work as a newspaper editor) On the plantation, Uncle Remus (James Baskett) teaches Johnny a series of life lessons through stories about the animated Br'er Rabbit (voiced by Johnny Lee) and his quest to avoid Br'er Fox (Baskett) and Br'er Bear (Baskett) (Nick Stewart). Among these cartoon interludes is "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and is one of the most well-known and well-loved songs of all time in the Disney library.[1]


Plot

Johnny, seven years old, is looking forward to a vacation with his parents, Sally and John Sr., at his grandmother's Georgia plantation. When they arrive at the plantation, he learns that his parents will be living apart for the time being, and that he will be living with his mother and grandmother at the plantation while his father returns to Atlanta to resume his job. Johnny, distraught about his father's departure, sneaks away to Atlanta with just a bindle that night.

Remuskids.jpg

The voice of Uncle Remus telling stories about a character named Br'er Rabbit draws Johnny away from the plantation. By this time, word of Johnny's disappearance had spread throughout the plantation, and some residents were on the lookout for him. Johnny manages to avoid detection, but Uncle Remus finds him, befriends him, provides him with food for his journey, and takes him back to his cabin, where he tells him the traditional African-American folktale "Br'er Rabbit Earns a Dollar a Minute." Br'er Rabbit tries to run away from home in the story, but after meeting Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, he reconsiders. Johnny heeds Uncle Remus' advice and allows him to return to his mother.

Toby, a young black boy who lives on the plantation, and Ginny Favers, a poor white girl, become Johnny's friends. After her two older brothers, Joe and Jake, threaten to drown the puppy, Ginny gives it to Johnny. Johnny's mother won't let him keep the puppy, so he gives it to Uncle Remus. Uncle Remus takes the dog in and tells the story of Br'er Rabbit and the Tar-Baby to Johnny and his friends. The boys go to their mother to talk about the dog, only to discover that Johnny had duped them. They tell Sally about the dog as a form of retaliation. She is irritated that Johnny and Uncle Remus kept the dog against her wishes. Uncle Remus is told not to tell any more stories to her son.

When Johnny's birthday arrives, he picks Ginny up and takes her to his party. Joe and Jake push Ginny into a mud puddle on the way there. Ginny is unable to attend the party because her dress has been ruined, and she runs away crying. Uncle Remus intervenes in Johnny's fight with the boys, breaking up the fight. Johnny rushes off to console Ginny, who expresses his reluctance to leave. Sally becomes enraged at Johnny for missing his own birthday party and tells Uncle Remus not to spend any more time with him when the three return to the plantation. Uncle Remus packs his belongings and departs for Atlanta, saddened by the misunderstanding of his good intentions. Johnny rushes to stop him, but he is seriously injured after cutting through a pasture. Johnny's father appears as he teeters between life and death. Johnny summons Uncle Remus, who is escorted in by his grandmother. Uncle Remus starts telling a story about Br'er Rabbit and the Laughing Place, and the youngster miraculously survives.

Later, a fully recovered Johnny sings with Ginny and Toby, accompanied by Johnny's returned puppy. When Br'er Rabbit and several other characters from Uncle Remus' stories emerge in front of them and engage with the youngsters, Uncle Remus is taken aback. Uncle Remus joins the group, and they all skip away into the sunset together.

The Controversy

Song of the South has been a source of contention since its initial release. Some reviewers have called the film's depiction of African Americans racist and offensive, claiming that the black vernacular and other characteristics are stereotypes. Disney has not launched Song of the South on any home video format in the United States as a result of the dispute.[2]

There are many instances of pernicious bigotry in Song of the South on the surface: the ministry of cartoon characters, in particular Br'er Fox; the dialect in dialogue; the roaming chorus singing traditional black songs; and, most notoriously, the fable in which Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear use a tar kid to fool and snare Br'er Rabbit. (That part didn’t make Splash Mountain.) Yet the subtle low point of the film comes from Remus' narration just before Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, when he recalls how things were “a long time ago,,” when “every day was mighty satisfactual”. “If you’ll excuse me for saying so,” he adds, “’twas better all around.”[3]

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., a congressman from Harlem, branded the film as "an insult to American immigrants [and] all that America as a whole stands for." The National Black Congress set up picket lines in theaters in the major cities where the film was being played, with its demonstrators raising posters that read "Song of the South is an insult to the Black community" and chanting "Jingle Bells": "Disney says, Disney tells/lies about the South."[4]

Some of the black press had mixed responses to the Southern Song. Although Richard B. Dier in The Afro-American was "very appalled" by the film for being "as vicious a piece of propaganda for white supremacy as Hollywood has ever made" Herman Hill, in The Pittsburgh Courier, thought the Song of the South would "prove inestimable goodwill in the furtherance of interracial relations" and found the film's critique to be "unadulterated hogwash symptomatic of the unfortunate racial neurosis that so many of our humorless brothers appear to be gripping these days."[5]

Release

Song of the South has never been released as a home video in the United States. Disney CEO Bob Iger said, "It wouldn't be in the best interests of our shareholders to put it back even if there would be any financial benefit." However, there is a release of VHS and LaserDisc abroad.[6]

Since the release for the film's 40th anniversary in 1986, Song of the South was sealed in a vault. Asked if the movie ever had a DVD release, Disney CEO Bob Iger called it "antiquated" and "fairly violent." While Disneyland's Splash Mountain is entirely devoted to the forgotten feature, South Song is scarcely spoken of in any way other than a racial misstep for the studio.[7]

External Link

Song of the South at IMDb
Song of the South at Rotten Tomatoes

References

  1. Matt Singer. Just How Racist Is ‘Song of the South,’ Disney’s Most Notorious Movie?, screencrush.com, March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  2. Song of the South. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  3. Scott Tobias. Song of the South: the difficult legacy of Disney's most shocking movie, theguardian.com, 19 November 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  4. Watts, Steven (2001). The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life. University of Missouri Press. pp. 276–277. ISBN 0-8262-1379-0.
  5. Gevinson, Alan (1997). Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960. California: University of California Press. p. 956. ISBN 978-0520209640
  6. Ryan Lattanzio. ‘Song of the South’: 10 Fast Facts About Disney’s Most Controversial Movie, indiewire.com, 3 November 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  7. Tom Chapman. 15 Classic Cartoons That Would Definitely Be Censored Today", cbr.com, 27 November 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2020.