correcaminos
Well-Known Member
I have and more than once. Have a converted digital copy I showed my offspring as a teaching experience too. Not a good movie at all to just "enjoy"
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Have you seen Song of the south in its entirety
- Thread starter ppete1975
- Start date
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
SotS was re-released to theaters 4 times after its initial 1946 release. 1956, 1972, 1980, 1986.
Splash Mountain at Disneyland opened 3 years after the last one.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
It was shown on UK TV as recently as 2006, so it's entirely possible you may have seen it on cable outside of the USA.
Tony Perkis
Well-Known Member
Yes. It’s well-intentioned, but ultimately obliviously racist.
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you know that's the outside the box thinking that is needed, they have rebooted every movie.. why not this one.. but remove anything even close to controversial heck have a black director, use the animated characters use the music. Turn it from something controversial to something positive... then keep splash mountain. OF course youd have to rename it splash mountain or something and get support from the black community.
Uncle Scrooge
New Member
I bought a job lot of VHS tapes last year just to acquire Song of the South. I have to say given the negative publicity it was no where near as bad as I had expected it to be.
My opinion is that it should be available for all to watch however it should carry some kind of warning around the content and maybe have an adjusted rating to reflect this.
My opinion is that it should be available for all to watch however it should carry some kind of warning around the content and maybe have an adjusted rating to reflect this.
Old Mouseketeer
Well-Known Member
Disney had previously said that they were looking at how to release it with discussion that put it in the proper historical context. But Iger later said they had shelved it. I think ultimately it would fall to an African-American-led production team to make a new film. But that would be difficult if what I have read is correct about differing opinions about the original books among black scholars, authors, and public figures.
Miss Jennifer
Member
I was fourteen when my dad and I saw it in 1986, during its final re-release. (My dad and I often saw Disney movies together well into my teenage years, and we also took along the neighbor's little girl.) At the time, I'd only recently discovered Gone with the Wind so I got a kick out of recognizing Hattie McDaniel. (And, as a newly minted Trekkie, I was over the moon about the Star Trek IV preview beforehand.)
As a younger child (I was reading at three and can't remember a time when I didn't know how to read), I read the Golden Book adaptation of The Tar Baby in the collection Walt Disney's Story Land. There was a brief introduction explaining the background of Johnny and Uncle Remus (no mention that he ever had been a slave, just that he lived in a simple cabin near Johnny's big house). Then there was the Tar Baby story, written in dialect (nowhere NEAR as thick as the original Joel Chandler Harris stories, but present all the same). And I'm a little ashamed to admit I found the dialect funny at that age. A couple years later I got the Big Golden Book Uncle Remus Stories, which also had that same intro and version of The Tar Baby, along with many other Brer Rabbit stories, all written in dialect. But to its credit, the book adapted a wide variety of these amusing tales, and the illustrations were gorgeous. I still have both books. So even before seeing it I had some familiarity with the Brer Rabbit stories in general and SotS in particular.
My feelings on it today are mixed. In fact, this movie always sends me into Tevye mode. "Well, it DOES take place AFTER the Civil War and AFTER emancipation. On the other hand, it gives no indication of that, or that slavery has had any negative impact on the ex-slaves whatsoever--would it have killed them to leave in the line, 'I'm a free man now and I don't have to take this'? On the other hand, it's an important part of film and animation history, with one of Disney's most iconic songs, and James Baskett won an Oscar. On the other hand, the dialect even during the animated sequences is cringe-worthy, and it was only an 'honorary' Oscar. On the other hand, the Uncle Remus stories can be read as the oppressed outsmarting their oppressors--as a coded message of defiance among the slaves. On the other hand, again, this isn't made clear and the stories are only used to help the privileged white kid. On the other hand, it's hinted that the father's newspaper is hinted to contain pro-African American and pro-Reconstruction sentiments, just as Joel Chandler Harris himself did. On the other hand, again, they don't come right out and SAY this when it would have been easy to do so..."
Irish playwright Neil Sharpson, writer of the (wonderful) Unshaved Mouse blog, points out that some of the problem might come from CALLING it "Song of the South" instead of, say, "The Tales of Uncle Remus" or "The Adventures of Brer Rabbit" or something. The title (and the title song, over the credits) give the impression that this is the ideal South, where the ex-slaves are happy to remain in service to the white ruling class and the plantation system is glorified.
As a younger child (I was reading at three and can't remember a time when I didn't know how to read), I read the Golden Book adaptation of The Tar Baby in the collection Walt Disney's Story Land. There was a brief introduction explaining the background of Johnny and Uncle Remus (no mention that he ever had been a slave, just that he lived in a simple cabin near Johnny's big house). Then there was the Tar Baby story, written in dialect (nowhere NEAR as thick as the original Joel Chandler Harris stories, but present all the same). And I'm a little ashamed to admit I found the dialect funny at that age. A couple years later I got the Big Golden Book Uncle Remus Stories, which also had that same intro and version of The Tar Baby, along with many other Brer Rabbit stories, all written in dialect. But to its credit, the book adapted a wide variety of these amusing tales, and the illustrations were gorgeous. I still have both books. So even before seeing it I had some familiarity with the Brer Rabbit stories in general and SotS in particular.
My feelings on it today are mixed. In fact, this movie always sends me into Tevye mode. "Well, it DOES take place AFTER the Civil War and AFTER emancipation. On the other hand, it gives no indication of that, or that slavery has had any negative impact on the ex-slaves whatsoever--would it have killed them to leave in the line, 'I'm a free man now and I don't have to take this'? On the other hand, it's an important part of film and animation history, with one of Disney's most iconic songs, and James Baskett won an Oscar. On the other hand, the dialect even during the animated sequences is cringe-worthy, and it was only an 'honorary' Oscar. On the other hand, the Uncle Remus stories can be read as the oppressed outsmarting their oppressors--as a coded message of defiance among the slaves. On the other hand, again, this isn't made clear and the stories are only used to help the privileged white kid. On the other hand, it's hinted that the father's newspaper is hinted to contain pro-African American and pro-Reconstruction sentiments, just as Joel Chandler Harris himself did. On the other hand, again, they don't come right out and SAY this when it would have been easy to do so..."
Irish playwright Neil Sharpson, writer of the (wonderful) Unshaved Mouse blog, points out that some of the problem might come from CALLING it "Song of the South" instead of, say, "The Tales of Uncle Remus" or "The Adventures of Brer Rabbit" or something. The title (and the title song, over the credits) give the impression that this is the ideal South, where the ex-slaves are happy to remain in service to the white ruling class and the plantation system is glorified.
The Grand Inquisitor
Well-Known Member
I was able to watch it on youtube. I can see why people are upset with the movie. Also the tarbaby scene is 100% racist. The whole movie isn't racist or bad but some parts can be considered questionable. Heck when it first came out the NAACP and many African Americans considered it racist or problematic.No dialogue needed, and just be honest. How many of you have seen the movie beginning to the end.. and for you old timers remember it
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
You and I are around the same age (and apparently both started reading at a very young age).
You mention the illustrations in the book you have. Are they black and white illustrations? Is the tar baby depicted as a sort of slumped seated figure with a round head, a round nose, and if I recall a brimmed hat? When B'rer Rabiit hits him, does his fist go "Blip!"?
If so, then that is the book I had as well.
Brer_Bear_Is_Number_One
Member
Yes, I've seen it. Even though it's only partially animated, I've always considered it my favorite Disney animated movie.
Minnie1976
Well-Known Member
I am sure I’ve seen the movie years ago. I put the truth about what Brer Rabbit is all about, the real history but no one cares. They just want to fight because of the movie. They don’t realize erasing their own history.
Miss Jennifer
Member
That's the one, all right! Some of the illustrations are in black and white and some are in color. Here's the cover of the edition I have:
I own a blu ray of the movie purchased in London. My next door neighbors are African American and they recently borrowed the movie to see what people were talking about. They thought it was a bad title and they laughed at the non cartoon images what their daughters got singing When You Upon A Star. They called it an average film with great music.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
You know truthfully why bother? come on it's a very old movie, as others have said it was simply ok and the cost to do all of that probably isn't worth the return. let the thing die.
Parker in NYC
Well-Known Member
Who else thinks the Splash Mountain re-theme requires its own sub-board? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Cado603
Member
I saw in 1956, read or had the Uncle Remus books read to me. As a child, and these were childrens book I had no context of racist anything. Just cute stories and movie great music. People who see racism are looking for it. A child is look for entertainment thats all. Its a shame the biased adults are spoiling it all. I never rode thru that ride thinking anything but how beautiful it was and singing Zip a Dee Do Dah at the end EVERY time. So sad. Now you all tainted it.
RollerCoaster
Well-Known Member
I actually own a copy of the movie on Super-VHS. It was released in Japan about 25 years ago. The movie really isn't what people are depicting it to be.
NelleBelle
Well-Known Member
Was it a fairly thick (for a kids book)? I know my parents read me these stories as well when was young and I remember the Tar Baby being illustrated in black and white--did he have a cork-like nose? I remember my dad using different voice and reading in the dialect (which I cringe at now) so like you and Dave, I was quite familiar with quite a few of the characters when Splash opened.