July 26, 2010
Article Details Song of the South's Filming History in Arizona
In an article written on June 11th, Richard Ruelas of the Arizona Republic details the ties of Song of the South to the state of Arizona. The state has two important links to this movie: First, it was at a Phoenix school playground where Glenn Leedy was discovered by a talent scout and recruited for the role of Toby; and second, the majority of Song of the South's outdoor scenes were actually filmed at a ranch in Phoenix.
The full article is available here:
http://www.azcentral.com/travel/articles/2010/06/11/20100611song-south-filmed-phoenix0612.html
Thanks to Tom for the news report!
June 13, 2010
New 2010 WDCC Song of the South Figurine Set
For the first time since 1996, this summer's Walt Disney Classics Collection release includes Song of the South themed figurines. Entitled "Brer Fox & Brer Rabbit: Cooking Up a Plan/Last Laugh", the set depicts Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox from the beginning of the Laughing Place sequence of Song of the South, in which Brer Fox is about to cook up Brer Rabbit. Interestingly, Song of the South isn't mentioned at all in the official product description:
"Walt Disney loved the animal fables penned by Joel Chandler Harris in which clever Brer Rabbit constantly outfoxed crafty Brer Fox— but this time it looks like it’s the hungry fox who has the upper hand. But never fear, quick-thinking Brer Rabbit will have the last laugh. First brought to life through Disney animation, these fanciful folklore critters have been immortalized in the classic Disney Theme Park attraction Splash Mountain. These fun-filled sculptures are plussed with a bronze fork and pewter neck on Brer Fox and a pewter pole for Brer Rabbit."
The set was sculpted by Rubén Procopio, and the suggested retail price is $225.00 for the set. The full Summer 2010 catalog can be viewed on the official Walt Disney Classics Collection web site. Thanks to Michael Damato for the news report! |
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UPC #045544250498, Item #4015615.
Height: Brer Rabbit 6 3/4", Brer Fox 6 1/4".
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April 29, 2010
Song of the South Among TIME's Top 10 Controversial Cartoons
In light of the recent censorship of the controversial cartoon series South Park, Claire Suddath of TIME Magazine looks back at the top 10 cartoons that have "caused a ruckus". Walt Disney's Song of the South comes in at #4 (though the list can be re-ordered by readers.)
Suddath states, "...there's no denying the fact that by today's standards, the film is rather racist. Set in the post–Civil War South, the movie — in which a former slave named Uncle Remus regales children with amusing stories — depicts an offensively "idyllic" master-slave relationship, as the NAACP once described it. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. considered the feature's depictions of happy slaves an "insult to American minorities." Disney has declined to release the film on video in the U.S., fearing an outcry over the crude stereotypes."
Here is the list (in order): South Park and Muhammad, The Censored Eleven, The Simpsons and Brazil, Song of the South, The Boondocks, Family Guy and Sarah Palin, Pokémon Panic, Aladdin, South Park and Scientology, and the character Speedy Gonzales. It's interesting to note that out of the ten, Song of the South is the only one to contain live action sequences (considered by many to be the most controversial aspect of the film). Also, only Song of the South and Aladdin (both by Disney) are full-length movies — the rest are TV episodes or short subject cartoons. And thirdly, it is one of only two entries from the 1940's. So, have cartoons gotten more offensive, or are we just more sensitive? Both? Food for thought.
The full article can be read here: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984966_1984961_1984613,00.html
Song of the South has made some other "top" lists in the past as well, including Movies.com's "The 25 Most Controversial Movies of All Time" (2007), and MSNBC's "10 Least Politically Correct Movies Ever" (2006). Personally, the list I'd really like to see this movie on is Library of Congress' National Film Registry. So if you haven't already, please vote for Song of the South to be added to the 2010 National Film Registry!
One more list... Amazon.com's "Top 100 All-Time Sign-Ups." Which movie is still #1? Yep, you guessed it.
March 16, 2010
Disney CEO Calls Movie "Antiquated" and "Fairly Offensive"
Carol Koster of DisneyEcho.com has informed me that at this year's Disney Shareholder Meeting in San Antonio, TX, the question was again posed to Disney CEO Robert Iger if Song of the South would finally be released on DVD.
Reporter Paul Bond of HollywoodReporter.com put it this way: "Calling the movie 'antiquated' and 'fairly offensive,' Iger said there are no plans for releasing 'Song of the South' on DVD.
"'Thank you for not disappointing me,' Iger said Wednesday after an attendee of the meeting in San Antonio asked about the 1946 film. It has become something of a tradition that someone will ask about 'Song of the South' at a Disney shareholders meeting, though Iger’s negative response this year seemed more firm than in the past."
Koster also posted that Iger's response seemed more pre-rehearsed than ever: "Mr. Iger thinks, and now in 2010 in his tone of voice is entrenched with the belief, that parts of the movie can be construed as offensive, and for that reason he will not authorize its release on home video in the US."
While I've said it before, it's worth saying again: for every year Disney doesn't release this film, they lose more money to the bootleggers who are selling copies of this movie on the Internet. Please see my FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on how we can make sure Disney knows we want this movie released.
Read the full news articles at:
DisneyEcho.com
HollywoodReporter.com
Thanks to Carol Koster and Joey Sartin for the news reports and sources.
December 16, 2009
Roy Disney Passes Away at Age 79
Today marks a very sad day: Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, passed away at the age of 79 after fighting a year-long battle with stomach cancer.
Roy made headlines in 2003 when he and Stanley Gold stepped down from Disney's board of directors and launched SaveDisney.com. SaveDisney.com was a wonderful web site filled with many well written articles, including several on Song of the South. Through his efforts and the voices of many unhappy shareholders, CEO Michael Eisner was effectively ousted in 2005. Roy later returned to Disney as "Director Emeritus".
Some long-time readers may also remember my February 14, 2004 article in which Roy Disney expressed to me his support for the release of Song of the South. "Song of the South ... happens to
be one of my favorite of the old Disney films.... [Releasing] it would be one
of my first acts if I were to come back to the company!" Sadly, he never got to see this come to fruition. Roy, you will be greatly missed by all.
November 12, 2009
Song of the South's 63rd Anniversary
On this day 63 years ago, Song of the South made its worldwide debut at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Take a step back in time and look at the photos from the premier. Or, check out the 1946 Campaign page, which shows various memorabilia from the 1946 release. Also, be sure to check out the audio archives where you can hear some of the 1946 radio transcriptions, including James Baskett, Bobby Driscoll, Luana Patten, and Walt Disney himself with songs performed by Johnny Mercer.
I wish I could say that Disney will be releasing this movie soon, but there has been no news on that front. So if you haven't already, please be sure to sign the petition and let your family & friends know about our efforts to get Disney to release this movie once and for all. Thanks!
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August 18, 2009
Cartoon Brew Article: Who's Afraid of Song of the South?
Jerry over at Cartoon Brew has asked the question, "Who's afraid of Song of the South?" (That's what we'd like to know too!) While at Comic Con, he picked up Issue 16 of Hogan's Alley, which contains a 19-page article on Song of the South. In the article, the author Korkis "documents the complete story of the project, from pre-production to latter day reissues - with all the controversy inbetween". According to Jerry, this is a must-read. I just ordered my copy as I write this, and I'm looking forward to reading it!
The Cartoon Brew article also shows some rare Ub Iwerks notes and production boards from Song of the South, from the collection of Mike Van Eaton. These are definitely worth viewing. Special thanks to Merlin Jones for the news report!
The full Cartoon Brew article can be read here:
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/whos-afraid-of-song-of-the-south.html
To subscribe to Hogan's Alley or order a copy of Issue 16, visit:
http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/subscribe.asp
June 1, 2009
Wikipedia Rumor: "Diamond Edition" Song of the South DVD
First, let me say that Wikipedia is by no means a reliable source for Song of the South rumors. The very nature of Wikipedia is that it can easily be revised by pretty much anyone. This leads to a lot of unfounded speculation, which amounts to no more than defacement in my opinion. However, in the interest of Song of the South rumors, I will post this. But, depending on how frequently Wikipedia rumors keep cropping up, I may become more selective as to which ones I report on, or I may stop posting on them altogether.
On May 9th, the following information was added to the Disney Special Editions page of Wikipedia by someone at the IP address 189.82.131.134:
| Title |
Discs |
UK Release Date |
US Release Date |
Notes |
| Song of the South: 60th Anniversary Edition |
2 |
May 2010 |
February 9, 2010 |
DVD and Blu-ray Disc - First release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc |
There's just one problem with this: Song of the South's 60th anniversary was in 2006. This blatantly errant entry was removed two days later, on May 11th, by IP address 76.186.137.190.
Then, on May 23rd, the same IP (76.186.137.190) added Song of the South back on the list:
| Title |
Discs |
UK Release Date |
US Release Date |
Notes |
| Song of the South: Diamond Edition |
2 |
March 2012 |
March 13, 2012 |
Platinum Edition (US) (DVD/Blu-ray Disc) First Digital Release |
Notice how the release date is now 2 years further away, but now is supposedly part of Disney's new "Diamond Edition" series. This addition was removed only 12 hours later by IP address 189.82.136.79.
So there you have it... basically what amounts to a cyber "tug of war" for Song of the South. One thing's for certain: it hasn't been released yet, and until it does Disney will just continue to lose money to the bootleggers out there.
April 2, 2009
Wren's Nest: Song of the South To Be Released In 2009
NOTICE: The Wren's Nest post is a FAKE. I specifically stated it was posted on April Fool's Day, but people are still contacting me telling me that it's a fake. Yes, I know. :)
According to The Wren's Nest blog (posted on April 1st), Song of the South is slated to be released this year on both Blu-ray and DVD. To quote the blog: "Disney has decided to release the film Song of the South to Blu-ray and DVD later this year. After waiting over twenty years since it’s last theatrical release, this is enormous news.
"Not surprisingly, the decision came after the recent Disney shareholder meeting. Expect the official announcement within the next two weeks or so. ....
"We’re privy to this information now because one of the shareholders (and a friend of the Nest) thought we should know in advance in order to prepare ourselves. I’m considering buying a phone headset to avoid answering-elbow."
Rest of blog can be read here:
http://www.wrensnestonline.com/blog/disney-to-release-song-of-the-south-on-blu-ray-and-dvd-in-2009/
Despite being posted on April Fool's Day, people have been reporting this so I have decided to post this here for novelty's sake. Well, hope springs eternal, right?
March 10, 2009
D23 Limited Edition Song of the South Cel
Today, Disney announced the new club "D23", a web site that is touted to be the "premier online destination for Disney fans." Membership costs $75 a year, and "perks" include 4 newsletters a year, and exclusive collectibles.
One such collectible available for preorder from the D23 Boutique is a limited edition, framed cel from Song of the South: "Find your laughing place with our D23 Membership Exclusive Framed Limited-Edition Song of the South Cel. Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear bicker over the fate of a captive Br'er Rabbit on this hand-painted limited edition cel inspired by Walt Disney's 1946 film classic, Song of the South. If our hero uses his head and a bit of trickery, he's sure to escape once again. Matched to original production art by the world famous Disney Animation Ink and Paint department, each Br'er Rabbit cel is hand-numbered and comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity. The background is printed on museum-quality paper with archival inks. Made in U.S.A. Available to own April 15, 2009."
The price? $1,495.95.
Thanks to Merlin Jones for the news report!
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• Hand-inked and painted cel on acetate
• Fine art background print on paper
• Wood frame with fabric mat & UV coated plexiglass
• Framed size 19'' H x 22'' W.
• Image size: 10 1/2'' H x 12 1/2'' W
• Hand-numbered Limited Edition of 23
• Certificate of Authenticity |
Left Panel |
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March 9, 2009
New Framed Song of the South Giclées
As part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection, Disney has released two matching giclées:
"Magnolias bloom once more on our Walt Disney Signature Collection Song of the South Giclée... Elegance meets country living in the heart of the Southern antebellum style. This Walt Disney Signature Collection Song of the South fine art print highlights floral detailing from a pen and ink title card created for the film. A striking graphic design accent for your home or office décor. Made in USA."
• Archival ink print on paper
• Silver and brown wood frame
• Double matted
• Framed 30'' H x 20'' W x 1'' D
Each frame is sold separately for $149.95.
Thanks to Merlin Jones for the news report!
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Right Panel |
January 13, 2009
New 2009 Brer Rabbit "Retro" Pin Released
On Friday, January 9th, Disney released a new pin as part of the Retro Disneyland pin collection. It is a pin-on-pin design, with Brer Rabbit in the foreground. In the background is Chickapin Hill among grass and pine trees. At the bottom is the vintage Disneyland logo. The pin is Open Edition, retails for $8.95 and is currently available at Disneyland. The pin was designed by Tyler Dumas from the Disney Design Group. See the Disney Pin Trading web site for more info:
http://eventservices.disney.go.com/pintrading/pin?id=41033 |
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