Who banned this movie?
This movie is at the center of a long-standing myth. It has been said that the NAACP banned the movie, but that is simply not true. However, the NAACP did show their disapproval of the portrayal of African-Americans in the film even when Song of the South was being produced. So there hasn’t been any official “banning” going on anywhere. As far as we know at The Woods, Disney has taken it upon themselves to withhold this movie from the public. Supposedly, the NAACP has no current position on the film.
Why can’t I find this movie anywhere?
You cannot find this movie anywhere because after Song of the South’s last theatrical release in 1986, Disney decided not to re-release it again, most likely because of the movie’s “racist” stigma (although there are no documented complaints stemming from the movie’s 1986 theatrical release.) The movie has been released on video and laserdisc in various foreign countries, but never in the United States. As of December 2001, Song of the South was withdrawn worldwide.
What is racist about the movie?
The general objections lie in the depiction of African-Americans within the live action sequences of the film, such as stereotyping. Some also mistakenly believe the movie depicts slavery, and consequently believe that Disney tried to “sugarcoat” slavery. In 1946, the NAACP charged the film with giving the impression of “an idyllic master-slave relationship”.
Song of the South is the story of a pitiful little boy, living on a plantation in the ol’ South, who is drenched in distress because his mamma and papa can’t seem to get along. So he finds his solace and comfort in ol’ Unc’ Remus, a teller of tales, and in a little po’-white girl who owns a puppy that her brothers aim to drown. The cartoons are picturizations of the familiar Joel Chandler Harris tales of Br’er Rabbit’s amusing misadventures with the wily Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear.
Let us know your thoughts.
For more information on the issues surrounding this film, please read HERE.
Screenplay: Dalton Reymond, Morton Grant and Maurice Rapf
Original Story: Dalton Reymond
Animation: The “Uncle Remus” stories of Joel Chandler Harris.
Production: Walt Disney
Cast: James Baskett (Uncle Remus), Bobby Driscoll (Johnny)
Why would anyone ban this movie? I thought is was very interesting.
I never liked musicals but the quality of this Disney picture in 1946 is pretty good. I had no idea that there were movies with black people in it at the time. This picture is very well done. The main actor in ‘Uncle Remus’ is really good. I am sure the Disney people helped but his eye movement and focusing on the cartoon characters are spotless. I am surprised that this movie even exists.
It’s a very nice picture. It has to be released on DVD. There is no reason why people think it shd be banned. There is nothing racist at all about the movie, it anything it is quite historical. The NAACP are probably right about the ‘idyllic painting of slave-master’ relationships. That I agree and I support the NAACP for trying to ban it anyway. It is a musical and a’such can’t be an accurate depiction of history. We have many books and videos to read and watch if we need to lern about our history and Song of the South is not one of them. It is merely a great source of entertainment.
I have no idea why the NAACP and Disney think that this is not a historically accurate movie. How? So the only movies they want to see from back in the day are ‘historically accurate ones’? What does that mean? That black people should always be portrayed as slaves all the time? I simply don’t agree. As much as I think slavery was parasitic, inhumane and uncivilized, I don’t think we ought to always make an effort to paint the times as always brutal.
I agree with you. I think here’s no problem with having a story that is different from the usual slave-master plots. I am bored most of the time watching those stories only because I have seen so many of them.
Song of South is very refreshing. It’s almost like you expect to see humanity (Uncle Remus) against inhumanity. But the story strings you along together with that expectation into a breathtaking moment of pure fantasy and entertainment. Good movie.
Racist or not, it was made and it’s part of history so they shouldn’t try to deny it. Why do people try to erase the past when it happened? I think you have to address it before you can move on.
Yeah, I agree with the part about it’s part of our historical collection. It should be out. We deserve to know the truth about everything. What is this new thing about hiding what ‘white’ people call bad old times. We need to know the bad things they did so that they never have to ever ever try it again. Whether it paints a rosy picture of slavery or not, we want to see this movie.