Sixty-Eighth Anniversary of Disney’s ‘Song of the South’

Canada Free Press ^ | 11/12/14 | Calvin E. Johnson Jr.

[Sean_Anthony]

Is the movie 'Song of the South' racist...of course not!...Have a Zippy Doo Dah Day!

Is censorship of Hollywood motion pictures a thing of the past, or…

Is it still alive and well in the movie industry today against movies that are not politically correct? There are many who find some ‘R’ rated Hollywood movies of today equally offensive but I don’t think Hollywood is listening.

Why would an old wonderful family motion picture offend anyone starring an African-American man whose stories fascinate both Black and White children?

Some call Walt Disney’s 1946 family classic ‘Song of the South’ racist. Is this movie racist or just too politically incorrect? Keep reading and you be the judge!

‘Now, this here tale didn’t happen just yesterday, nor the day before. ‘Twas a long time ago. And in them days, everything was mighty satisfactual. The critters, they was closer to the folks, and the folks, they was closer to the critters, and if you’ll excuse me for saying so, ‘twas better all around’——Uncle Remus from Disney’s ‘Song of the South’.

[kalee]

I loved the Uncle Remus stories as a child and think it sad that Disney decided to omit this movie from any future sales or viewing.

[elcid1970]

Look up “banned cartoons” on youtube & find Bugs Bunny & Popeye the Sailor outwitting the Japs & the Krauts, plus the Warner Bros `ten most banned’ cartoons such as “Coal Black & De Sebben Dwarves”.

Betty Boop also made the banned list IIRC.

Lots to see on the internet. No wonder Obama wants to regulate it.

[Ingtar]

And yet, Splash Mountain, one of the more popular rides at Disney World, is based upon it.

[WayneS]

Yes. On a very poorly mastered DVD transferred from a bad quality VHS tape. It IS still available.

[Chuckster]

Thanks. Just ordered a new copy.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Though not sold in the US in DVD or Blu-Ray format, Disney did sell SOTS in Laserdisc format in Japan, so there are some quality copies available as pirate versions.

This points out a glaring problem with current copyright law, that while it should protect publicly sold content, if the owners should refuse to sell content previously sold, they should lose their copyright, so others can sell it.

Disney claims no benefit from withholding SOTS from sale, only citing the potential for loss of goodwill if it is sold. But this is, or should be, inadequate for copyright protection.

The philosophical change in the idea of copyright is that it should both protect the marketing rights of content, but it should also encourage content to be marketed. Those who have immense libraries of copyrighted, and patented, information, but refuse to use it or sell it, deserve no protection for it. If they have ever sold it, they must continue to sell it. If there is no market for it, then it also deserves no protection.

[southernmann]

good

[Adder]

There are many versions from further searching and yes they are all unofficial versions because Disney refuses to release this gem of art.

They don’t mind pushing homo’s in our kids’ faces but to hear some Negro dialect sends them scurrying in fear.

[Revelation 911]

me too - it was one of my first theater oictures

[Usagi_yo]

Uh, yea, lets compare Disney’s Song of the South with Tarantino’s Django.

[publius911]

I have done extensive searching for version that is even half-legitimate.
It is simply not available.

Hmmmm.
A few years ago, perhaps the 60th or 65th anniversary, I ran across a thread similar to this one, and viewed it as a challenge to get a copy.
Took me three tries, but I DID get a copy. From Canada.

Alamo DVD.com

It took me three tries, the first two the DVD was confiscated by U.S. Customs, a branch of the US government and unconstitutional censorship, IMHO.
The third try, I had my stepdaughter, who lives in Canada, bring one for Christmas.

As you can see on the link, they ARE available.

Past discussions on line, if I remember correctly, identified two or three individual U.S. citizens who were so outraged by the censorship of a Disney children's movie, that they offered free copies to whomever asked for one.

[onedoug]

And what did “Amos n’ Andy” do that “Sanford & Son” didn’t?

[wally_bert]

I avoid loaning out things as much as possible, goes triple for known liberals.

[WayneS]

Are the video and audio on the DVD you obtained of reasonably high quality?

The bootleg versions I have run across are of uniformly bad quality.

[publius911]

Are the video and audio on the DVD you obtained of reasonably high quality? The bootleg versions I have run across are of uniformly bad quality.

I haven't watched it lately, and I can't tell if it is a bootleg or not. It has a normal movie jacket, produced in England and the as for image quality, it is no worse than Stardard Definition old movies shown on regular TV channels.

This movie was withdrawn from sale by Disney before Blu Ray hit its stride, so I doubt if a Blu Ray version was ever released.

[WayneS]

Thanks. I might see if I can smuggle one in from Alamo.

[Blood of Tyrants]

It was released on 12” laser disk back in the late 70s or very early 80s. There used to be a fellow on ebay who would sell a copy from his laser disk in the correct format (all the ones on ebay now are in PAL format which will not play on US VCRs). I guess that Disney finally made him stop.

[Political Junkie Too]

Talk in dialect.

I think that's the issue with Song of the South, that the Uncle Remus character talks in an uneducated slave dialect.

-PJ

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I saw it being played at the theaters back around 1971. I have a poor copy of a pirated version somewhere around the house along with ANIMAL FARM and a few un-PC cartoons.

[Neidermeyer]

This one on eBay is a good used Japan laserdisc in NTSC ,,, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Song-Of-The-South-LASERDISC-PILF-1096-Rare-japan-import-OBI-no-dvd-/251709593313