Song of the South (1946)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Harve Foster
Wilfred Jackson

Writers:

Joel Chandler Harris (book)
Dalton S. Reymond (story)
(more)

Release Date:

2 December 1946 (Brazil)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Music

Tagline:

Only the magic of Walt Disney could bring you the tales of Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit . . . live actors with cartoon background!

Plot:

The kindhearted storyteller Uncle Remus tells a young boy stories about trickster Br'er Rabbit, who outwits Br'er Fox and slow-witted Br'er Bear.

Plot Keywords:

Rabbit | Young Boy | Fox | Tar | Bear

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ruth Warrick	...	Sally
Bobby Driscoll	...	Johnny
James Baskett	...	Uncle Remus / Br'er Fox - voice
Luana Patten	...	Ginny
Lucile Watson	...	Grandmother
Hattie McDaniel	...	Aunt Tempy
Erik Rolf	...	John (as Eric Rolf)
Glenn Leedy	...	Toby
Mary Field	...	Mrs. Favers
Anita Brown	...	Maid
Georgie Nokes	...	Jake Favers (as George Nokes)
Gene Holland	...	Joe Favers
Nick Stewart	...	Br'er Bear (voice) (as Nicodemus Stewart)
Johnny Lee	...	Br'er Rabbit (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
The DeCastro Sisters	...	Bird Voices (uncredited)

Directed by
Harve Foster		(photoplay director)
Wilfred Jackson		(cartoon director)

Writing credits
Joel Chandler Harris		(book "Tales of Uncle Remus")
Dalton S. Reymond		(story) (as Dalton Reymond)
Bill Peet		(cartoon story) &
Ralph Wright		(cartoon story) &
Vernon Stallings		(cartoon story) (as George Stallings)
Dalton S. Reymond		(writer) (as Dalton Reymond) &
Morton Grant		(writer) &
Maurice Rapf		(writer)

Produced by
Walt Disney	....	producer
Perce Pearce	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Daniele Amfitheatrof

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland

Film Editing by
William Morgan		(as William M. Morgan)

Art Direction by
Ken Anderson		(as Kenneth Anderson)
Philip Barber
Harold Doughty
Perry Ferguson
Hugh Hennesy
Charles Philippi

Set Decoration by
Irving W. Sindler		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Mary Wills

Production Management
Frederic Leahy	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound recordist
C.O. Slyfield	....	sound director
Harold J. Steck	....	sound recordist (as Harold Steck)

Special Effects by
Ub Iwerks	....	special photographic processes

Visual Effects by
Brad Case	....	effects animator
Blaine Gibson	....	effects animator
Joshua Meador	....	effects animator
George Rowley	....	effects animator

Animation Department
Hal Ambro	....	animator
Jack Campbell	....	animator
Les Clark	....	animator: minor animals
Al Coe	....	animator
Marc Davis	....	directing animator
Al Dempster	....	background artist
Ray Huffine	....	background artist
Ralph Hulett	....	background artist
Ollie Johnston	....	directing animator
Milt Kahl	....	directing animator
Hal King	....	animator
Rudy Larriva	....	animator
Eric Larson	....	directing animator
John Lounsbery	....	directing animator
Don Lusk	....	animator
Brice Mack	....	background artist
Tom Massey	....	animator
Murray McClellan	....	animator
Cliff Nordberg	....	animator
Ken O'Brien	....	animator
Bill Peet	....	animation planner
Ed Starr	....	background artist (as Edgar Starr)
Harvey Toombs	....	animator
Paul Murry	....	animator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mitchell Kovaleski	....	associate color consultant: Technicolor

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	vocal supervisor
Edward H. Plumb	....	orchestrator (as Edward Plumb)
Paul J. Smith	....	composer: cartoon score
Charles Wolcott	....	musical director
Charles Wolcott	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Elmer Plummer	....	art treatment

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• Daiei Motion Picture Company (1951) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (all theatrical re-releases)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (Germany)

Also Known As:

Uncle Remus (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Portugal:M/4 | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | UK:U | USA:G (1971)

Filming Locations:

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

When "Splash Mountain", an amusement ride based on the film, "Song of the South" opened in Disneyland in the '90's, the local NAACP and others protested the ride.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Shadows of the mike and boom are visible in the early scene in Johnny's room.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Uncle Remus: There's other ways o' learnin' 'bout the behind feet of a mule than gettin' kicked by 'em, sure as I'm named Remus. And just 'cause these here tales is 'bout critters like Br'er Rabbit an' Br'er Fox, that don't mean they ain't the same like can happen to folks! So them who can't learn from a tale about critters, just ain't got the ears tuned for listenin'.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Walt Disney Christmas Show (1951) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Who Wants To Live Like That?

The erroneous spin of the censors

O.K., enough already. Several comments regarding this movie (most, but not all from those who argue it should be censored, ergo not released again by Disney in any form) contain erroneous so-called "facts" about the movie. Here is the truth:

There are NO slave characters in the film. Several comments about this movie go on and on about it containing "slaves." Wrong, wrong, WRONG. The movie is set AFTER the civil war. That is fact. The African Americans at Miss Doshy's plantation are working employees, NOT slaves. Yes, the film is set during the Jim Crow era, and one can argue that the general quality of life (in terms of housing and education in particular) of the African Americans shown was not much better than that of pre Civil War slaves, but to imply the African Americans in Song of the South are chained, whipped and ordered around by nasty white "owners" is ridiculous. Are there one or two situations in the film where an African American shows a certain level of "servitude" to a "white manager"? Yes, but to define that as "slavery" is erroneous spin.

The words "massa" is never used by anyone, much less Uncle Remus. Several comments here state or imply African Americans in the film refer to the whites as "massa." That is completely false. That term is NEVER heard anywhere in the entire 93 minute film.

Uncle Tom is NOT "ignorant." He is defined that way in several comments. Why, I don't know, but how anyone can sit through this wonderful film and be completely ignorant of the intelligence, compassion and common sense shown by the Uncle Remus character (at a level frankly higher than that of any white character in the film) is completely beyond me.

Bottom line: the minority that attacks this film is running with a PC agenda that depends upon on your buying spin and erroneous "fact." Don't fall for that - it's a classic film that overall provides a positive message to any honest viewer with an open mind.