Zippidy Doodah? Not in America, thank-you.

3/11/02

[Jethro Tull]

Oscar award winning actor, James Baskett, as Disney's version of Uncle Remus.

The NAACP acknowledged "the remarkable artistic merit" of the film when it was first released, but decried "the impression it gives of an idyllic master-slave relationship". Disney re-released the film in 1956, but then kept it out of circulation all throughout the turbulent civil rights era of the 1960s. In 1970 Disney announced in Variety that Song of the South had been "permanently" retired, but the studio eventually changed its mind and re-released the film in 1972, 1981, and again in 1986 for a fortieth anniversary celebration. Although the film has only been released to the home video market in various European and Asian countries, Disney's reluctance to market it in the USA is not a reaction to an alleged threat by the NAACP to boycott Disney products. The NAACP fielded objections to Song of the South when it premiered, but it has no current position on the movie.

[TomGuy]

is not a reaction to an alleged threat by the NAACP to boycott Disney products

uh huh...ok.

Just wondering out loud (aka fingering the keyboard)--- Wonder whether Disney was a part of any of Jesse Jackson's Shakedowns?

[Jethro Tull]

You can still get a copy of this wonderful movie on the net...

[Jethro Tull]

#3) To be sure....

[Caipirabob]

I bought a new VHS tape via E-bay. I had it converted into a format for America VCRs, although some brands will play both PAL and NTSC formats. There are many companies that do this for your and some vendors will simply contract them to do the job and then send you both the original and converted tape.

This is such a wonderful, innocent lovable classic. It's a crime it's not available because of some whiny ingrates who deserve a far worse fate than I can express here.

Disney (Not Walt) should be deeply ashamed, but we all know this won't happen soon.

For those of you who have never seen this classic, it's basically the story of a child and his parents, the father who is seeking to follow through with some opportunity and will be leaving the family on a long term basis. The mother has other thoughts about this and they end up staying at a relative's plantation. The boy makes friends with the help, whom although black, are basically part of the family. In the boys adventures, he encounters the mysterious local legend, "Uncle Remus" who passes on his wisdom in the tales of B'rer Rabbit and friends.

It's just a good, heart warming film.

[TomGuy]

Check the Song of the South site. Costs about $150. If you do some google search, you might find some additional sources.

[Caipirabob]

Good morning, just flagging you for post #7.

[Caipirabob]

$150?!? Ouch! Flagging you for post #7, too. I think most people are paying $40.00, total.

[OnAMission]

Song of The South has been discontinued worldwide as of February. You can still find copies on line, but prices are already up to $180.00 from some euro retailers.

I recently got a sealed copy from eBay. It was a little pricey (75.00), but only cost 10.00 to get converted from the european PAL format.

A legitimate outfit will destroy the original, to comply with copyright laws.

My advice...Buy two! Get one converted for your enjoyment and leave the other sealed. The sealed one will most likely increase dramatically in value after the remaining tapes are all sold.

[Mom_Grandmother]

I have been in love with all the Disney classics for 35 years, and I would go out of my way to buy anything the NAACP boycotted just out of pure, mean spite. They were all loveable characters that meant no one any harm. Compare them to today's stand-up comics, it makes no sense.

[Jethro Tull]

I'm with you.

I love Uncle Remus to this day.

[alnick]

I would go out of my way to buy anything the NAACP boycotted just out of pure, mean spite.

I wouldn't call that spite; I'd call it principal.

[B Knotts]

We need copyright reform in this country. In addition to cases like this, where works are being suppressed through political pressure, many other works are being lost or forgotten, because copyright holders do not find it profitable to publish them.

I propose a new aspect to copyright law: automatic copyright abandonment. If the holder of a copyrighted work fails to publish that work in its entirety, or otherwise as a meaningful whole, for a period of five years, the work shall fall into the public domain.

Whadda think?

[weepnomore]

Could you tell me where I might locate a $40 video. I searched Disney eBay & couldn't find anything.

[Fred Mertz]

Ask babylonian.

[SpookBrat]

I had an Uncle Remus record when I was little. My brother and I listened to it a zillion times. We had it memorized backwards and forwards. I LOVED that record. I still have it, but it's in bad condition.

"Everybody's got a happy place. Take that frown, turn it upside down, and you'll find yours I know-ho-ho".

This is so sad.

[Jethro Tull]

"If the holder of a copyrighted work fails to publish that work in its entirety, or otherwise as a meaningful whole, for a period of five years, the work shall fall into the public domain."

What do I think?

I think your idea is brilliant!

It would stop historical revisionists cold in their tracks.

[weepnomore]

Thank you.