The Biggest Controversy In Disney History

I'd love to give you my review of Disney's Song of the South DVD, but the fact of the matter is that it has never been released on DVD or even VHS here in the United States. It has been released overseas (primarily in Europe and Japan), but fearing backlash from groups such as the NAACP, Disney has refused to release the film stateside so far.

Why? Because many folks erroneously consider this film racist. The primary character, Uncle Remus (portrayed by James Baskett, the first actor ever hired by Walt Disney), is a black man working on a post-Civil War plantation who befriends young Johnny (Bobby Driscoll). Remus shares the wonderful stories of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear, among others. These stories are actually solid life lessons for the boy and, eventually, Uncle Remus himself.

Many people believe that Remus is a slave when, in actuality, he isn't. Many also believe that Baskett plays the character in a highly stereotypical fashion which makes blacks look dumb or ignorant when, in fact, Remus is the cornerstone of wisdom in the film. He takes on a father-like status with Johnny.

Song of the South was the first live action film produced by Disney. Baskett received an honorary Academy Award for his portrayal of Uncle Remus in 1948. The song, Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah won the Academy Award for best song and the score received a nomination as well.

If you've ever been to Disneyland or Disney World, there's a high probability that you experienced Splash Mountain. If you did, you can thank Song of the South. When I took my daughter on her first trip to Disney World, we rode Splash Mountain together. After the ride, we visited the gift shop conveniently located at the end and I purchased a Brer Rabbit stuffed animal for her. I've tried my best to recall the stories from the film to tell her, but I can't tell them like Uncle Remus.

If you're interested, there's a petition to have Song of the South released on DVD in the United States as well as a ton of information on the film, actors, stories, etc. located at www.songofthesouth.net. I highly recommend you check it out. It's a great source for fans new and old of the film and consistently gives updates on the possibility of an American DVD release of the film.

This is the last film in my initial Disney list. I plan to make more lists in the future. I also plan to have my Cinderella review posted as soon as time will allow.

I hope you've enjoyed my look into the films of Disney, and I'll gladly take suggestions on which films you'd like to see me review on this site. I'm open to anything, so just drop me a line.