Author Archives: hemingray

Disney Releases Splash Mountain Tsum Tsum Plush Toys

Disney has recently released the Splash Mountain Tsum Plush Collection featuring characters from Splash Mountain (and Song of the South). Each plush is priced at $5.99 and measures 3 1/2″, limit 5 per character. In the collection is Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Mr. Bluebird, Sis Possum (first ever as a plush), and one of the Boothill Boys (“Vulture Undertaker”). This is one of the first Splash Mountain plush collections to be released by Disney in many years. The last notable example was the Splash Mountain “Beanie Babies” of the 1990’s.

They are available to purchase at the Disney Store. Details for each TsumTsum can be found below. Special thanks to Nike Fleming for the news report!

Br’er Rabbit

Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah!
Find your Laughing Place along with Br’er Rabbit and a mighty satisfactual collection of Mini ”Tsum Tsum” Plush critters from our classic Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, each sold separately.

  • Mini ”Tsum Tsum” plush
  • Embroidered features
  • Soft, squeezable fill with beans in belly
  • Fuzzy plush texturing
  • Plussed with floppy ears and fluffy tail
  • 70th Anniversary – Br’er Rabbit made his screen debut in Walt Disney’s Song of the South on November 12, 1946
  • Splash Mountain first opened at Disneyland on July 17, 1989 and at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on October 2, 1992
  • Part of our Splash Mountain ”Tsum Tsum” Plush Collection, each sold separately
  • Polyester / polyethylene pellets
  • 3 1/2” L
  • Imported

Br’er Bear

Knockout!
Find your Laughing Place along with Br’er Bear and a mighty satisfactual collection of Mini ”Tsum Tsum” Plush critters from our classic Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, each sold separately.

  • Mini ”Tsum Tsum” plush
  • Embroidered features
  • Soft, squeezable fill with beans in belly
  • Fuzzy plush texturing
  • Plussed with felt hat, plush ears, tail, and furry tuft
  • 70th Anniversary – Br’er Bear made his screen debut in Walt Disney’s Song of the South on November 12, 1946
  • Splash Mountain first opened at Disneyland on July 17, 1989 and at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on October 2, 1992
  • Part of our Splash Mountain ”Tsum Tsum” Plush Collection, each sold separately
  • Polyester / polyethylene pellets
  • 3 1/2” L
  • Imported

Br’er Fox

Capture your heart
Find your Laughing Place along with Br’er Fox and a mighty satisfactual collection of Mini ”Tsum Tsum” Plush critters from our classic Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, each sold separately.

  • Mini ”Tsum Tsum” plush
  • Embroidered features
  • Soft, squeezable fill with beans in belly
  • Fuzzy plush texturing
  • Plussed with foam hat, furry tufts and tail
  • 70th Anniversary – Br’er Fox made his screen debut in Walt Disney’s Song of the South on November 12, 1946
  • Splash Mountain first opened at Disneyland on July 17, 1989 and at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on October 2, 1992
  • Part of our Splash Mountain ”Tsum Tsum” Plush Collection, each sold separately
  • Polyester / polyethylene pellets
  • 3 1/2” L
  • Imported

Mr. Bluebird

On your shoulder
Find your Laughing Place along with Mr. Bluebird and a mighty satisfactual collection of Mini ”Tsum Tsum” Plush critters from our classic Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, each sold separately.

  • Mini ”Tsum Tsum” plush
  • Embroidered features
  • Soft, squeezable fill with beans in belly
  • Fuzzy plush texturing
  • Plussed with felt hat
  • Foam cane, wings and tailfeathers
  • 70th Anniversary – Mr. Bluebird made his screen debut in Walt Disney’s Song of the South on November 12, 1946
  • Splash Mountain first opened at Disneyland on July 17, 1989 and at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on October 2, 1992
  • Part of our Splash Mountain ”Tsum Tsum” Plush Collection, each sold separately
  • Polyester / polyethylene pellets
  • 3 1/2” L
  • Imported

Sis Possum

How Do You Do?
Find your Laughing Place along with Sis Possum and a mighty satisfactual collection of Mini ”Tsum Tsum” Plush critters from our classic Splash Mountainattraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, each sold separately.

  • Mini ”Tsum Tsum” plush
  • Embroidered features
  • Soft, squeezable fill with beans in belly
  • Fuzzy plush texturing
  • Plussed with felt bow and skirt
  • Plush embroidered tail
  • 70th Anniversary – Sis Possum made her screen debut in Walt Disney’s Song of the South on November 12, 1946
  • Splash Mountain first opened at Disneyland on July 17, 1989 and at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on October 2, 1992
  • Part of our Splash Mountain ”Tsum Tsum” Plush Collection, each sold separately
  • Polyester / polyethylene pellets
  • 3 1/2” L
  • Imported

Vulture Undertaker

Boothill boy
The Vulture Undertaker can never be a buzzkill for this mighty satisfactual collection of Mini ”Tsum Tsum” Plush critters from our classic Splash Mountainattraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, each sold separately.

  • Mini ”Tsum Tsum” plush
  • Embroidered features
  • Soft, squeezable fill with beans in belly
  • Fuzzy plush texturing
  • Plussed with felt hat, feathery beard, and foam wings
  • The Vulture Undertaker was originally featured as one of the ”Boothill Boys” in America Sings at Disneyland from 1974 to 1988
  • Splash Mountain first opened at Disneyland on July 17, 1989 and at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on October 2, 1992
  • Part of our Splash Mountain ”Tsum Tsum” Plush Collection, each sold separately
  • Polyester / polyethylene pellets
  • 3 1/2” L
  • Imported

Song of the South Turns 70 – And Other News

November 12th marked the 70th anniversary of Song of the South. The movie premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia in 1946. I’m unaware of any related collectibles being released for the anniversary, so if you come across anything please let me know.

One reader also pointed out that the Song of the South Petition had been closed at Change.org. This is normal (they close petitions after a certain amount of time.) I have since reopened it so additional signatures can be added. We’re up over 2,000 signatures now; please spread the word.

I missed this back in July when it was published, but I’d like to feature this now: an excellent article over at MoviePilot.com written by Kyle Blanchette on why “Song of the South” Should Be Released Now. If you haven’t read it already, I would highly recommend doing so!

You probably noticed that the site isn’t getting updated as often as it used to. It’s hard to believe that I created this site over 15 years ago! Sadly I don’t have as much time as I used to as a young twenty-something, so my attention has shifted to other aspects of my life. That’s not to say I’m not listening though! Please always feel free to contact me with any Song of the South news or release rumors you might have.

That being said, there’s a couple of potentially interesting news items in the works, so please check back in the coming months! I promise I’ll update the site as soon as I have more info.

Today is Song of the South’s 69th Anniversary

Song of the South premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia on November 12, 1946. The last time the movie was released in theaters was for the 40th anniversary in 1986. Since then, Disney has locked the film away and refuses to release it in the U.S. Will they finally release the film for its 70th anniversary? I’ll be honest, I’m not holding my breath. Both 50th and 60th anniversaries came and went with nothing more than a few collectibles. To this day, Disney continues to profit off the movie without ever releasing it in the U.S.

For everyone out there tired of waiting for Disney to just release Song of the South on DVD and be done with it, there are plenty of web sites out there selling [unofficial] copies of the movie. Pick one up for yourself or a loved one this Christmas. Hey, if Disney wants to lose money to bootleggers, more power to the bootleggers! But, if you’re still holding out for an official Disney release, there are several ways you can let Disney know you want it:

  1. Sign the new petition over at Change.org.  Since last year, we’ve gotten nearly 1,300 signatures. Our old petitions have unfortunately been lost to time–PetitionOnline.com had over 30,000 signatures before shutting down last year, and the original petition over at UncleRemusPages.com is no longer being maintained; it had reached over 100,000 signatures.
  2. Like Song of the South on Facebook and share this site with friends and family. Educate them about the only Academy Award-winning film that you can’t even buy!
  3. Contact Disney! Bombard them with emails, phone calls, whatever. Some dedicated individuals have even made a tradition out of bringing up Song of the South at shareholder meetings.
  4. Nominate Song of the South to be added to the National Film Registry. You can send an email to Donna Ross, Boards Assistant of the National Film Preservation Board, explaining why you feel that the film is culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. I’d say winning 2 Academy Awards is pretty significant, wouldn’t you? Or how about the fact that James Baskett was the first African American man to win an Academy Award?

Happy 68th Birthday, Song of the South!

On November 12, 1946, Song of the South premiered at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Check out photos from the world premier, courtesy of the Georgia State University Library.

Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to sign the new petition over at Change.org. The old petition was hosted at PetitionOnline.com, which has since shut down.

And, of course, you can always check out our FAQ on other steps you can take to encourage Disney to release this movie to the American public!

Old Song of the South Petition Host Shutting Down

PetitionOnline.com, the site that has hosted the Song of the South petition since 2005, is shutting down today. Since I began hosting the petition there, we have received 36,543 signatures of people who “support the official release of Walt Disney’s 1946 Classic ‘Song of the South’ on DVD”.

The original Song of the South petition was hosted by James McKimson over at UncleRemusPages.com, and at final tally had 101,780 names.

We have started a brand new petition over at Change.org. Our current goal is to reach 100, so if you haven’t already, please sign your name, and pass this on to friends and family who also support this movie’s release!

Promotional Song of the South US VHS Found in Yard Sale?

A very interesting VHS copy of Song of the South surfaced last year at a yard sale. The following clip was posted on YouTube by MegaRock64 on 8/27/2013, and depicts what appears to be a promotional VHS tape dating to around 1995, including the Disney Masterpiece Collection logo:

The “Song of the South” typeface is identical to that used in the final theatrical release in 1986. It’s entirely plausible that the movie was slated to be released in 1996 for Song of the South‘s 50th anniversary. MegaRock64 has this to say about it:

Well well, you never know what you can find out in the wild, because it goes to show you can find gems like this one. This tape was used for promotional uses only by the distributors of the Walt Disney Company. According to the way it looks, this dates back to 1995, most likely to pair up with the release of “So Dear to my Heart” in 1994. As we all know, Song of the South was never supposed to see the light of day after the very last cinema showing in 1986. Bits of it leaked on various DVD’s such as the “One Hour in Wonderland” segment on the “Alice in Wonderland” DVD, and the short 8 second clip in “The Making of Fun and Fancy Free”. This tape has

1. FBI Warnings
2. Walt Disney Home Video Logo (1986)
3. Buena Vista Logo
4. Film

Nothing appears at the end of this tape except a “END OF TAPE” bit showing the production stuff and all the other distribution info. So was Song of the South going to have an initial release? We will see soon or later. I have no clue about the origins of this tape, so if you know more, let me know!

If anyone has any additional information about this VHS, please contact me. Special thanks to Christian for the news report.

“That Guy With the Glasses” Reviews Song of the South

As you may remember, back in March 2012, Nostalgia Chick over at “That Guy With the Glasses” reviewed Song of the South. Now, Doug Walker has posted his own review of the movie, as part of Disneycember, in which they review the most influential and memorable live action Disney movies:

Doug, like myself, remembers seeing it as a kid in theaters back in 1986. Like Nostalgia Chick, his overall reaction, at least to the live action sequences, is “Meh,” but he urges people to pick up a copy for themselves and “make your own Zip-A-Dee-Conclusion.” Overall the review is entertaining, witty, and honest!

One thing to note: Doug refers to the  African-Americans in the film as slaves, when in fact the movie is set in a post-Civil War South. This is a good example of why the film has gotten a bad reputation—some people believe the film depicts slavery. Special thanks to Kyle Blanchette for the news report!

Diane Disney Miller Passes Away

Walt Disney and DaughtersIt is with great sadness that we report the passing of Walt Disney’s oldest daughter, Diane Disney Miller. Diane was born to Walt and Lillian Disney in 1933. She passed away at the age of 79 from injuries sustained in a fall. Diane is survived by her husband Ron W. Miller, seven children, 13 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Song of the South, Diane recollected, “…was a film [Walt] really wanted to do. My dad quoted so much from Uncle Remus’ logic and philosophy.”

We extend our sincere condolences to the Miller family, and thank Diane for everything she accomplished to carry on the legacy of her father. Diane was instrumental in the creation of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, CA and the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, CA. She will be missed.

Song of the South Turns 67; Wren’s Nest Celebrates 100 Years

On this day 67 years ago, Song of the South debuted at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Click here to view photos from the worldwide premier.

Also of special note: The Wren’s Nest is celebrating 100 years! The Wren’s Nest was the home of Joel Chandler Harris from 1881-1908. Harris authored the Uncle Remus stories that Walt Disney himself grew up with, and was the basis for Song of the South.

Photo courtesy of Lain Shakespeare.

The Wren’s Nest. Photo courtesy of Lain Shakespeare.

The Wren’s Nest has been operating as a museum since 1913, was the Uncle Remus Memorial Carnegie Library until 1930, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962. If you want to learn more about Joel Chandler Harris, there’s no better place!

For more information about The Wren’s Nest and Joel Chandler Harris, please visit the Wren’s Nest official web site at www.wrensnest.org.

Disney Legend Floyd Norman Discusses Song of the South

Disney Legend Floyd Norman has posted on his MrFun’s Blog about a recent visit to the Fox Theater, where Walt Disney’s Song of the South debuted on November 12, 1946:

That morning, I strolled through the lobby of the Fox theater and tried to feel what it must have been like on that evening back in [1946]. Though hardly perfect, Walt Disney and his creative team put a lot of love into “Song of the South.” Let’s hope that one day this amazing motion picture can be appreciated for what it is – rather than what some would like it to be.

His full post can be read here:
http://floydnormancom.sqsp.com/blog/2013/10/31/the-fox-theater-in-atlanta-georgia

Mr. Norman was the first African-American animator at Walt Disney Studios. His work began in the late 1950s, and includes such classics as Sleeping Beauty, The Sword and the Stone, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, and later The Little Mermaid, Monsters, Inc., and Toy Story 2. He was named a Disney Legend in 2007, joining the ranks of many animators who created some of my fondest childhood memories.

Last month, Mr. Norman went on tour in Atlanta to promote his new book “Animated Life” and discuss Song of the South. His visit was partly sponsored by the Wren’s Nest, the official museum of Joel Chandler Harris, the author of the Uncle Remus stories from which Song of the South was based.

It’s especially heartening when Disney’s own animators encourage Song of the South to be released. Thank you Mr. Norman! And special thanks goes to Gavin for informing me of his post and to Ralph Ellis for letting me know about the tour.