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James Baskett, Anita Brown, Bobby Driscoll, Mary Field, Gene Holland ... see more see more... , Johnny Lee , Glenn Leedy , Hattie McDaniel , George Nokes , Luana Patten , Erik Rolf , Nick Stewart [Nicodemus] , Ruth Warrick , Lucile Watson

Song of the South is a blend of live action and animation, based on the popular "Uncle Remus" stories of Joel Chandler Harris. Set in the years just after the Civil War, the story begins with young Jo... read more read more...hnny (Bobby Driscoll) being sent to live at the southern plantation of his grandmother (Lucile Watson) while his parents contemplate divorce. At first disconsolate, the boy is cheered up by African-American handyman Uncle Remus (James Baskett), who tells him many delightful fables concerning the clever trickster Br'er Rabbit, whose adventures are illustrated in cartoon form. Each story has a moral, which Johnny applies to the exigencies of his real life. Johnny's mother (Ruth Warrick) disapproves of Uncle Remus, and orders the boy never to visit the kindly old black man again. Uncle Remus packs his bags and leaves; while chasing after him, Johnny is injured by a bull. He recovers thanks to the friendly presence of Uncle Remus, and all is forgiven. The film was awarded the Best Song Oscar for "Zip-a-dee Doo Dah," and James Baskett won a special Oscar for his portrayal of Uncle Remus. Disney has withheld the movie in the U.S. ever since its last theatrical re-release in 1986, due to controversy over what some (including the NAACP) argue is a sugar-coated depiction of the Reconstruction-era South. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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75% liked it

7,072 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

8 critics

G, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Harve Foster, Wilfred Jackson

Release Date: November 12, 1946

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Flixster Reviews (549)

  • FrizzDrop
    June 9, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    Considering the reputation this film holds, I compliment it with revealing that it's not as racist as one expects. Oh, there's no disputing that the insensitivity of the Disney Corporation in making this film wasn't apparent, just that it couldn't possibly be worse than anyone co... read moreuld expect. Based on the tales of Uncle Remus, the logic behind making this film is apparent: a folksy old man tells tales of hilarity to a socially disadvantaged youth. In simple terms, this is cute and kitschy as any other Disney live action film, but making it about slavery in the Antebellum South and adding in the cute as it went along made for a confusing and racially deplorable film watching experience. There is so much wrong in this film: the slave/master relationship is not a dramatic and abusive toil, but a pleasant exchange. There's even a scene where the Uncle Remus goes against his mistresses' orders and asks if she's mad at him, to which she replies, "I could never be mad at you, you old coot!" Because we all know slave owners were respectable and understanding folks. Another incredulous moment came when Uncle Remus leaves the plantation forever and while the misguided boy runs after him, the owner sadly watches it all happen. The live action, overall, was disgusting. As for the cartoons incorporated, they weren't all that spectacular, and the animal characters could easily have been copy/pasted from Robin Hood, but with worse quality and voice actors who were obviously portraying stereotypical black characters. Worse was a sequence one can only title "Tar Baby" which made me flinch all the way through. It hurt to see, and I only gave as many stars as I did for the one redeeming value, "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," a mellifluous song that Disney can claim credit for.
  • cosmo313
    March 6, 2010
    cosmo313
    As this film was meant for children, and seeing as how I'm an adult AND a history graduate student, it was really hard for me to watch this film objectively. Anything related to racism, hurt stereotypes, and the like, can be attirbuted to when this film was released, and the time... read more period it depicts. Regardles though, it's still pretty dated by modern standards, but any "offensiveness" is purely relative. The story is well intended, and fun, and filled with fantasy, but that's the problem. This film is segregation through the eyes of Disney, meaning that it is not only watered down, but candy coated in the extreme. If this movie is to be considered offensive, then it would be on the grounds that it totally fucks up how it portrays history due to the agenda of the filmmakers. I can only tolerate such a thing for so long. I enjoyed the film, for the most part, but it was hard for me to care really about everything. I did like the blending of animation and live action though. If I'm not mistaken, this was one of, if not the earliest, film to blend the two, so in that regard, it has some merit, but as I said, even though I should just shut up and enjoy, it's really hard to do that when you spent most of your time in classes where they teach you to scrutinize.
  • flixsterman
    January 12, 2009
    flixsterman
    Wonderful Disney classic that has become hard to find due to the contemptible specter of political correctness.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    December 27, 2008
    FiLmCrAzY
    i love it its a great childrens story lovely and so innocent!
  • thefog1331
    August 14, 2007
    thefog1331
    I will never understand why Disney classified this film as racist. It's a wonderful family film that teaches life lessons as well as entertains. As far as the slavery issue goes...well, it happened! I'd rather my kids glean their first idea of slavery from a Disney film then say,... read more Roots!
  • YosemiteSamFan
    July 30, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    Great mix of animated animals and live action, but that's only a small portion of the movie. The remainder is live action, with a whiney little plantation boy hanging out with good old Uncle Remus, against his parents' wishes. Oprah needs to recommend this movie on her show; then... read more it will get released. The songs were great. Favorite Tune: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, of course! It's pure magic.
  • staindslaved
    January 13, 2012
    staindslaved
    The film that showcased the catchy "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is notorious for its cheerful depiction of slave ownership on old Southern plantations and a cartoon featuring a literal tar-baby. Those who can overlook the short-sighted scripting of this Disney production will be treated ... read moreto a cheerful and pleasant film that blends live action and animation. Of course it's nowhere near as good as Disney's other animated features and considering the many other options available I suspect just about all parents will choice a lesser non-controversial work before putting on Song of the South.

    FYI: I saw this film as a kid and even owned a VHS recorded copy. All of the racist elements went completely over-my-head and it wasn't till I was in High School before I even realized what the slur tar-baby meant.
  • crazydannielle16
    January 2, 2012
    crazydannielle16
    This movie is artistically beautiful and contains some of the finest actors of the time including child star Bobby Driscoll who was the voice of Peter Pan and academy award winning Hattie McDaniel who acted alongside the likes of Clarke Gable, Shirley Temple, and Vivien Leigh. Th... read moreis story is all about Uncle Remus, a wise, kindhearted storyteller who befriends a little white boy named Johnny. Johnny feels mistreated and neglected but Uncle Remus gives him something to live for and becomes a father figure to him since his daddy has left him. When he tells stories that revolve around the trickster Br'er Rabbit who outwits Br'er Fox and slow-witted Br'er Bea, the children hang on his every word. These stories are moral fables that have been passed down from generations of black history and can be traced all the way back to Africa.

    This movie was heart-warming with many tender parts, especially at the end when Johnny's family is reunited. There is an especially moving part when Johnny wakes up from being bed-ridden and sees Uncle Remus, taking his hand to hold it.

    It's a crying shame that I wasn't allowed to see this movie growing up. I was born only one year before the last showing of this movie in theaters. I sure wish I could have seen it in my childhood, and Disney robbed me of that joy. I had this movie on my "to-see" list since I was a little girl and I finally found it on youtube.

    The reason Disney will not release this classic film on home video or DVD is lost on me. I did some research and found some of the complaints and quite frankly, I think they are unfounded and I will explain.

    Why Song of the South is NOT Racist:
    1.) People claim that the blacks in the movie are so happy all the time so it shows an unrealistic picture of happy, subservient slaves. First of all, this movie takes place POST Civil War, which means there is no more slavery. Of course the blacks are happy because they are well-treated by the plantation owners who regard them as family, affectionately calling Remus "Uncle." The blacks work on the plantation of their own free will and are paid for their work. Uncle Remus leaves the plantation at the end without asking permission. This is proof that the time period is a post civil war era. If you're complaining about showing black people living happily alongside the whites, then too bad. It's history, and the movie is just being true to the past. I don't see you complaining about Gone With the Wind which deals with a similar time period. The ex-slaves stay with Scarlett's family after the war because they are treated well and enjoy working there and are considered part of the family. People just want to have this ugly picture of slavery in their mind when they think about the deep south but even though poor treatment unfortunately did happen sometimes, other times, the blacks were sharecroppers and had good relationships with the whites.
    2.) I've heard people complain about stereotypes. I didn't really see any stereotypes except maybe Br'er Bear who wasn't even mentioned in any of my research.
    3.) Some people complain that the blacks singing traditional black songs were offensive as a stereotype. OH COME ON!!! The parts where the blacks sing traditional songs were among my favorite parts of the film. I think Disney hired some amazingly talented singers and the music was beautiful and added richly to the story. Be proud of your heritage! If I were black, I'd be proud that my ancestors had such beautiful music and sang it when they were both happy and sad to express emotion.
    4.) The last objection to this film was that the Negro dialect was offensive. Really? Are you serious? The movie is just depicting reality. I rather enjoyed hearing the dialect because I don't think I've ever heard that dialect before. There are black dialects even today depicted in modern-day movies but you don't complain about that! Why not? It's just the way people speak. If the black people in Song of the South spoke the way the white people did, that would be dishonest because they didn't speak that way, they had their own way of communicating, just like different parts of the United States today have different accents. It's not a stereotype to show a white southern person with a southern accent but for some reason it's suddenly racist if a black person has a southern accent. In fact, my research shows that Disney watered down the dialect so that it could be better understood by the audience and that the actual dialect was even more thick. Why is everyone so racist???
  • threefolddado
    March 22, 2008
    threefolddado
    Too bad Disney will never release this again. Yes it is racist, but it also tells a truth about a state of mind in America at the time.
  • kenscheck
    December 3, 2011
    kenscheck
    Only the animated segments are decent, and even they are sort of hit or miss. The story told in live action is not terribly interesting, other than for its perceived racist elements. It is only sort of racist too...so its not even as ignorant and ridiculously racist as one migh... read moret hope. Now by hope, I mean that I find it interesting to see the ignorance of the past. Like a math book an uncle of mine once found, in which a math problem actually involved deciding how many white people would have to be thrown off a boat after you've exhausted the total amount of black people left on the boat. That is hilariously racist...Song of the South is only sort of mildly racist, certainly not as bad as some have claimed. But that doesn't mean the live action segments are good or interesting, they are mostly poorly acted and just make you hope for the actual animated segments.

View All Song of the South Reviews

Critic Reviews

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Apparently the Disney wonder-workers are just a lot of conventional hacks when it comes to telling a story with actors instead of cartoons. Full Review

Dave Kehr
September 10, 2003
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Better save this for nostalgia only -- kids won't be missing anything if they never encounter this relic. Full Review

Tim Brayton
November 18, 2010
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

The central drama is only intermittently successful, and not only because any rational modern viewer will be seriously put off by the jolly racial ignorance of it all... but its heart is in the right ... Full Review

November 3, 2009
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Song of the South's cartoon sequences are as fine as anything produced by the Disney animators. Full Review

Trevor Johnston
June 24, 2006
Trevor Johnston, Time Out

This rather mushy combination of animation and live-action remains one of Disney's most controversial efforts. Full Review

Pablo Villaca
April 14, 2005
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

A visão deturpada de uma vida feliz de escravidão compromete o filme, mas sua história lúdica e simpática, ressaltada pelo carisma de Baskett, acaba nos conquistando.

September 10, 2003
Film4

If only Disney had been as aware of the environment they were depicting as they were inventive in their combination of live action film, cartoon animation and unforgettable songs. Full Review

Phil Hall
September 10, 2003
Phil Hall, Film Threat

The film is not racist, but it stupidly regurgitates the old myth of happy, singing slaves who just love working on massah's plantation. Full Review

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Song of the South Trivia

  • In what Disney movie do they sing "zip-a-di-do-da"?  Answer »
  • What Disney animated movie has not been released on dvd/video because of some controversy?  Answer »
  • Who played the character Uncle Remus in Disney?s Song of the South?  Answer »
  • In the movie Song of the South, where was Brer Rabbit born and raised?  Answer »
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