The sad fate of Walt Disney's Song of the South (1946)

US 1/2 sheet, 1946.

1. Introduction

One of the saddest stories of modern Hollywood is the Disney studio's mistreatment of the 1946 Walt Disney production Song of the South. The film is based on the Uncle Remus stories first published in 1881, they being a collection of stories gathered from Black Americans working in the southern states. As of February 2024 this rather sweet, moving, classic children's 94 minute long, Academy Award winning animated and live-action feature musical has been withdrawn by Disney Studios and is no longer available for purchase or viewing. It has also been publically castigated by Disney CEO Bob Iger. The film is not present on Disney+ or any other officially-sanctioned streaming service, nor is there an official DVD/Blu-ray release available, or 4K restoration by Disney. Old VHS copies can be purchased on sites such as eBay, along with related ephemera such as original LP recordings of the soundtrack and release posters up to, and including, its final official release by Disney in 1986. Fans, however, have ensured that the film is nevertheless available to those who appreciate its quality, and are keen to see its true worth exposed.

Walt Disney and the two lead child actors. Source: Song of the South.net.

The film was unfortunately controversial from the outset, in that it was an attempt by Walt Disney to promote racial harmony at a time - the 1940s - when certain sections of the United States did not support this noble and humanitarian aspiration. The film is based on the Uncle Remus stories and featured Black American actors at a time when racial segregation was rife in the southern states of the United States, and racism was present in other parts of the country, at all levels of society, business and government. As a result, Hollywood depictions of Black Americans were at times both realistic and stereotypical, such that there was dissent and disagreement within both the White and Black communities. Even the presentation of children's stories as seen in Song of the South found itself being criticised by sections of both communities. By the time that Walt Disney came to prepare Song of the South for production he and his colleagues were very much aware of this dichotomy, namely those who supported and encouraged realistic depictions of Black American lives, and those who saw any such depictions as racist. This conflict was reflected in the reception of the film from the time of its release and through to the present day. In the opinion of the present author - an Australian - the case for the film as racist is wrong, misplaced and of a political nature, not grounded in the actual reality of the final production and therefore to be rejected out of hand.

In a somewhat controversial move, Walt Disney premiered the film at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, where the lead actor - James Baskett - was not able to attend due to the racial segregation then in place. In support of his lead actor, Walt Disney introduced the film but did not watch it in the theatre at that premiere. Reviews of the film were generally good, though when dealing with the politics of the day, some reviews were split, just as the country was split racially. For example, one Black reviewer commented at the time that the film was: ....as vicious a piece of propaganda for white supremacy as Hollywood ever produced. The present author did not see any of that during his initial viewing in February 2024. Another contemporary reviewer said it would prove of inestimable goodwill in the furthering of interracial relations. Such a divide in commentary has continued to the present day, with the former winning out. Recently, the Democrat Bob Iger, Disney CEO, mentioned the movie in 2010, and reiterated in 2011 that it was a period piece that is both “antiquated” and “fairly offensive". Iger is no Walt Disney, and his statements are nothing less than disgraceful political pandering.

 Walt Disney talks about Song of the South [1960s], The Briar Patch, YouTube, duration: 0.31 minutes.

The Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland California (1989), Florida and Tokyo (1992), which was based on the film, and which was long known as its most popular ride, has recently (2023) been demolished at the two US sites and is in the process of being replaced, despite widespread public opposition. Statements by Disney about the film and the ride have been severely critical and basically accuse both of being racist. Despite this, the company has also announced a new Song of the South themed retirement community. The mixed messaging and cancelling (sic) of the film is a sign of the times where critical assessments of past productions are primarily focussed on present-day sensibilities, with no regard for the contemporary, historical context. 

The following article brings together information relating to the debate and controversy over the film and ride, whilst attempting to highlight its inherent significance - a significance which has been ignored and devalued by present-day Disney. A high grade, fan-produced, 4K (24.8G) restoration of the film is available at the Internet Archive site and is linked below.

The present author - an elderly, white male from Australia, born in 1956, a decade after the film was released - viewed it for the first time on 20 February 2024 via a low grade YouTube copy. He found it to be a typical Disney film of the era - innocent, charming, sentimental, made for children, and very watchable. In fact, the end episode where the young boy almost dies after being attacked by a bull, moved the writer to tears, such was the emotional power of the production. The question therefore arises: how could such a beautiful Walt Disney production be labelled racist and suffer a tragic banning? Perhaps the best case for dropping all of these racism accusations against the film, and placing it within its appropriate, and respectful, historical context, is the following 2023 video interview of Valarie Stewart by YouTuber WDW Pro. She was the daughter of the voice actor Nick Stewart who portrayed Brer Bear in the film. As the introduction to the video notes:

Valarie Stewart sits down with WDW Pro to tell the real story behind Walt Disney's Song of the South, Splash Mountain, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah and the trailblazing actors who were the first black movie stars. Find out the truth about James Baskett, Hattie McDaniel and Nick Stewart. Discover how Nick Stewart spent his acting money made from sometimes flawed roles to run a theater that was used to raise up so many future African American stars. And learn how since the 1940s, people of a certain belief have worked hard to tear down what he and his wife, what James Baskett and Hattie McDaniel, accomplished.

Splash Mountain: Saving Her Father's Legacy - The Story of Nick Stewart and His Daughter Valarie, WDW Pro, YouTube, 24 January 2023, duration: 82.02 minutes.

Whilst the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is said to have picketed Song of the South, and since 1986 has been outspoken about the film, the organisation also gave an award to Nick Stewart for his role in the positive depiction of African Americans.

We see that in Song of the South, just as in other movies such as the adult-orientated Gone with the Wind (1939), there is a depiction of free Black Americans living on a White-run plantation, with the owner being an elderly woman. There were no obvious racist remarks, or outright racism, present in the author's view. The fact that the situation on screen was inherently the result of racism, i.e., former slaves still living and working on a white-owned plantation and for the owner, did not by itself make the film racist in the view of the present author, who is also an historian. However, in the view of other commentators in the United States, from the time of the film's initial release through to the present day, this was pure and simple racism, despite what they referred to as the sugar-coating Walt Disney attempted to put on this version of the likewise controversial Uncle Remus stories. I would suggest that any child watching Song of the South, either in 1946 or 2024, would not find the film racist, but would enjoy the journey of the young white boy, who feels lost after his father leaves the family, and who is befriended during this time by a young Black boy and a young white girl, plus the homely Uncle Remus who is able to ameliorate some of his sadness through the telling of enchanting stories. Of course a deeper reading of the film by adults is going to see the racial divisive historical elements in the film and act accordingly, as Bob Iger and others have done. This is both unfortunate and unwarranted. There is nothing wrong with Song of the South and I would readily show it to my children, grand-children and anyone else. Fear not, for Zip-a-dee-doo-dah will surely bring a smile to your face, and perhaps even a tear to your cheek.

-------------------------

2. Videos

In recent years numerous videos have been produced which discuss both sides of the Song of the South argument, along with non-political assessments of the history of the film. Some of these are listed below, chronologically from earliest date of posting.

* Song of the South, The Cinema Snob, 12 September 2017, YouTube, duration: minutes. NB: The commentator fails to realise that the people are no longer slaves in the movie.

* The History of Song of the South, and Is It Banned?, Disney Dave, 28 April 2019, YouTube, duration: 15.31 minutes.

* In Defence of Uncle Remus, Super Maxxi, 30 June 2020, YouTube, duration: 14.26 minutes.

* Song of the South, Scribbles to Screen, 15 November 2020, YouTube, duration: 40.23 minutes.

* Song of the South: A Disney Retrospective, The Fangirl, 21 July 2022, YouTube, duration: 19.43 minutes.

* Song of the South - trailer (1986), FT Depot, 5 September 2022, YouTube, duration: 1.17 minutes.

* Song of the South full movie, Song of the South Archive, 24 December 2022, YouTube, duration: 92 minutes, in 29 parts.

* Splash Mountain Creator, Tony Baxter, Defends Ride Against Disney, WDW Pro, 9 August 2023, YouTube, duration: 15.28 minutes.

* Song of the South Remastered, Part 1, WDW Pro, 1 October 2023, YouTube, duration: 14.36 minutes.

* Song of the South Remastered, Part 2, WDW Pro, 2 October 2023, YouTube, duration: 20.35 minutes.

* The banned Disney films: Song of the South, The Film Analysis, 13 February 2024, YouTube, duration: 16.10 minutes. 

-------------------

3. Posters

A number of posters were issued for the initial release of the film, both in the United States and overseas. For a comprehensive listing of posters and related memorabilia refer Song of the South.net.

US 1 sheet, 1946.

US 1 sheet, 1946.

US 1 sheet, 1946.

US insert, 1946.

French 1 sheet, 1946.

Japan 1953.

Australian daybill, 1971.

US 1 sheet, 1972.

US 1 sheet, 1972.

US 1 sheet, 1986.

A number of lobby card sets, press books and related advertising material was also produced.

----------------------

4. LP recordings

The songs of Song of the South became very popular, especially the Academy Award winning Zip A Dee Doo Dah. Long play records were released to promote these songs.

-------------------

5. Books

A variety of books arising out of Song of the South featured the tales of Brer Rabbit and associated characters.

-------------------

6. References

Korkis, Jim, Who's Afraid of Song of the South? and Other Forbidden Disney, 2012.

Song of the South, Wikipedia, accessed 20 February 2024.

Song of the South Archive, YouTube, 24 December 2022.

Song of the South.net, accessed 21 February 2024.

Sperb, Jason, Disney's Most Notorious Film - Race, Convergence, and the Hidden Histories of Song of the South, University of Texas Press, 2012, 294p.

---------------------

Last updated: 5 March 2024

Michael Organ, Australia