SFGate-"Disney could unlock 'Song of the South'"

[brotherbear]

I found an article on the San Francisco Gate's website concerning Song of the South, and it's possible DVD release. Most importantly, it shows that Iger is seriously reconsidering releasing SOTS on DVD!!!!! So, read on!

(WARNING: Most of this article provides information about SOTS's plot and background. Therefore, many on this board will have to skim the article to get the more valuable information!)

Despite controversy, Disney could unlock 'Song of the South'


(03-25) 05:19 PDT Orlando, Fla. (AP) --


Walt Disney Co.'s 1946 film "Song of the South" was historic. It was Disney's first big live-action picture and produced one of the company's most famous songs — the Oscar-winning "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." It also carries the story line of the Splash Mountain rides at its theme parks.


But the movie remains hidden in the Disney archives — never released on video in the United States and criticized as racist for its depiction of Southern plantation blacks. The film's 60th anniversary passed last year without a whisper of official rerelease, which is unusual for Disney, but President and CEO Bob Iger recently said the company was reconsidering.


The film's reissue would surely spark debate, but it could also sell big. Nearly 115,000 people have signed an online petition urging Disney to make the movie available, and out-of-print international copies routinely sell online for $50-$90, some even more than $100.


Iger was answering a shareholder's inquiry about the movie for the second year in a row at Disney's annual meeting in New Orleans. This month the Disney chief made a rerelease sound more possible.


"The question of 'Song of the South' comes up periodically, in fact it was raised at last year's annual meeting ..." Iger said. "And since that time, we've decided to take a look at it again because we've had numerous requests about bringing it out. Our concern was that a film that was made so many decades ago being brought out today perhaps could be either misinterpreted or that it would be somewhat challenging in terms of providing the appropriate context."


"Song of the South" was re-shown in theaters in 1956, 1972 and 1986. Both animated and live-action, it tells the story of a young white boy, Johnny, who goes to live on his grandparents' Georgia plantation when his parents split up. Johnny is charmed by Uncle Remus — a popular black servant — and his fables of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox, which are actual black folk tales.


Remus' stories include the famous "tar baby," a phrase Republican presidential hopefuls John McCain and Mitt Romney were recently criticized for using to describe difficult situations. In "Song of the South," it was a trick Brer Fox and Brer Bear used to catch the rabbit — dressing a lump of hot tar as a person to ensnare their prey. To some, it is now a derogatory term for blacks, regardless of context.


The movie doesn't reveal whether it takes place before or after the Civil War, and never refers to blacks on the plantation as slaves. It makes clear they work for the family, living down dirt roads in wood shacks while the white characters stay in a mansion. Remus and other black characters' dialogue is full of "ain't nevers,""ain't nobodys,""you tells," and "dem days's."


"In today's environment, 'Song of the South' probably doesn't have a lot of meaning, especially to the younger audiences," said James Pappas, associate professor of African-American Studies at the University of New York at Buffalo. "Older audiences probably would have more of a connection with the stereotypes, which were considered harmless at the time."


Pappas said it's not clear that the movie is intentionally racist, but it inappropriately projects Remus as a happy, laughing storyteller even though he's a plantation worker.


"Gone with the Wind," produced seven years earlier, endured the same criticism and even shares a common actress (Hattie McDaniel, who won an Oscar for "Gone" for playing the house slave "Mammy").


However, Pappas said he thinks the movie should be rereleased because of its historical significance. He said it should be prefaced, and closed, with present-day statements.


"I think it's important that these images are shown today so that especially young people can understand this historical context for some of the blatant stereotyping that's done today," Pappas said.


From a financial standpoint, Iger acknowledged last year that Disney stood to gain from rereleasing "Song." The company's movies are popular with collectors, and Disney has kept sales strong by tightly controlling when they're available.


Christian Willis, a 26-year-old IT administrator in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., started a "Song" fan site in 1999 to showcase memorabilia. He soon expanded it into a clearinghouse for information on the movie that now averages more than 800 hits a day and manages the online petition.


Willis said he doesn't think the movie is racist, just from a different time.


"Stereotypes did exist on the screen," he said. "But if you look at other films of that time period, I think 'Song of the South' was really quite tame in that regard. I think Disney did make an effort to show African Americans in a more positive light."


Though Willis is hopeful, there's still no telling when — or if — the movie could come out (beyond its copyright lapsing decades from now).


For this story, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney's distribution arm, issued a statement: "Song of the South is one of a handful of titles that has not seen a home distribution window. To this point, we have not discounted nor committed to any distribution window concerning this title."


___


On the Net:


"Song of the South" fan page:


www.songofthesouth.net



Link:Click here!

-BB

[goofystitch]

Thanks, brotherbear. That's good that they are considdering it again. I won't get my hopes up this time, but I will head over to the website and sign the petition.

[dalmation134]

Nice! I've always wanted to see this movie, and there seems to be a chance I may.

[Princess Stitch]

Woo hoo! I have a couple good copies that I've downloaded (probably from laser disc sources) but I'd love a real copy of this DVD!

[singerguy04]

We're going to watch this film sometime soon in one of my classes, so I'm really excited to see it.

Although I have never seen it, I've always believed that Disney should release it in a decent way. Maybe they can stick it into this new Legacy Collection Disney has going now. I think that would be very appropriate because then it'd be treated in a serious way, which will be more acceptable by the U.S. citizens IMO.

[Big Disney Fan]

No way. I'm not going to fall for that one again, like I have been the last several times it would be "released". It's like they're crying wolf.

[carter1971]

No way. I'm not going to fall for that one again, like I have been the last several times it would be "released". It's like they're crying wolf.

I agree. The recent apologies by John McCain and Mitt Romney were the nail in the coffin for me. If political correctness has gotten to the point where people can't use the term "tar baby" to refer to a difficult situation, when they aren't even talking about anything racial, then I see little hope that Song of the South will be released.

[Mr. Toad]

No way. I'm not going to fall for that one again, like I have been the last several times it would be "released". It's like they're crying wolf.

But this is different. Never has the CEO commented on it. In fact, we have never had any official comments from Disney, just rumour. This sounds rather good.

[UmbrellaFish]

Hmm... I hope this is true! But I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Disney - please don't release SotS on DVD! That way my laserdisc will stay valuable.

[Eeyore]

Pappas said it's not clear that the movie is intentionally racist, but it inappropriately projects Remus as a happy, laughing storyteller even though he's a plantation worker.

Because we all know that once you become employed, you become sullen.

[Mr. Toad]

Pappas said it's not clear that the movie is intentionally racist, but it inappropriately projects Remus as a happy, laughing storyteller even though he's a plantation worker.

Because we all know that once you become employed, you become sullen.

It would be a stretch to call what blacks in the South had during reconstruction could be called unemployment.

[disneyboy20022]

No way. I'm not going to fall for that one again, like I have been the last several times it would be "released". It's like they're crying wolf.

Although Remember the full story of the Boy who cryed wolf... He mislead and mislead the townsfolk until one day it was really happening but nobody believed Him until well you know the story..

Also Nothing stays away from the world forever... Even Song of the South... Maybe it might say away for a very long time but not Forever....

[PixarFan2006]

I hope this rumor is true. I would really like to see this movie, regardless of it being racist.

[Escapay]

Also Nothing stays away from the world forever...

Unless you're a Jerry Lewis movie called The Day the Clown Cried.

Escapay

[Mr. Toad]

The movie isnt racist. Its just totally unrealistic portrayal of the lives of blacks during reconstruction. Along with totally unrealistic portrayal of the fashion sense of young rich white kids(at least I hope it is unrealistic)

[Escapay]

Along with totally unrealistic portrayal of the fashion sense of young rich white kids(at least I hope it is unrealistic)

It's the curse of the lace collar!

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I've said this in previous Song of the South threads, but I've often felt that the film is not racist at all because it takes place entirely (save for probably two scenes) from the point of view of Johnny. And what six year old boy knows the difference between a black person and a white person, in the adulterated corruptible terms? Johnny sees people as people, regardless of skin color, regardless of class, regardless of age.

It's unrealistic as Mr. Toad as said, but mainly because it's from the mind of Johnny. If Johnny had the choice between playing with the Faver boys (who'd torture puppies for fun) or listening to an old black man telling stories, he'd choose Uncle Remus in a heartbeat. It's because he's not yet "corrupted", not yet tainted by thoughts of what type of person is better than the other.

If only the naysayers of Song of the South had the mentality of young Johnny, and focus on what they like about people, and not what's allegedly "wrong" with them.

Escapay

[Big Disney Fan]

No way. I'm not going to fall for that one again, like I have been the last several times it would be "released". It's like they're crying wolf.

But this is different. Never has the CEO commented on it. In fact, we have never had any official comments from Disney, just rumour. This sounds rather good.

Forget it. I won't be gettin' my hopes up anytime soon. However, I do agree that it's not entirely racist. Maybe a little bit, but not a whole lot. However, until I hear from the official Disney website or I see a commercial for it on TV, I'm not holding my breath and I won't fall for their wolf cry. Besides, I already have the movie downloaded onto my computer. I got it from the members-only website MouseBits.

[DisneyFan4life]

I read it on CNN.com I hope that it will be released. I want to see it.

[Mr. Toad]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... index.html

Same story but more high profile source.