Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

A. Right now, there are several important steps you can take:

1. Sign the Petition to Release Song of the South on Disney+.
   
   
2. Spread the word! Like Song of the South on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
   
   
3. Nominate Song of the South to be added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. The National Film Registry was established to preserve and safeguard U.S. films that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Each year they select 25 films. It's important to note that nominations do not carry over from year to year, so if you nominated Song of the South previously, you should re-nominate each year (and they encourage you to do so).
   
   
4. If you subscribe to Disney+, Disney's streaming service launched on November 12, 2019, you can suggest a title be added to Disney+ by going to the Help section, clicking on "Give Feedback" and selecting "Request a film or show" from the drop-down menu.
   
   
5. Call Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Guest Relations at (800) 723-4763 and tell them that you want Song of the South to be released on DVD/Blu-ray/Disney+. Their office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30AM-6:30PM Central time. If you're a Disney shareholder, you can also bring up Song of the South at the annual Disney shareholder meeting. You can also fill out this old form to send a request through Disney's now defunct Movie Finder. (Please note: this web form is about 17 years old and probably doesn't work anymore.)

A. No, Song of the South is not officially available on DVD or Blu-ray. Any DVDs, Blu-rays or VCDs of Song of the South you may see for sale are bootleg (unauthorized) copies, so buy at your own risk.

A. The main source where you can stream or download the full movie (at least for now) is the Internet Archive. You can also sometimes purchase bootleg (unofficial, unauthorized) DVD copies of the movie from eBay and other online sources. You can also find clips on YouTube from time to time (though they frequently get removed by Disney for copyright violation).

A. No. This is one of the long-standing myths surrounding this movie. It has been said that the NAACP banned the movie, but that simply isn't true. The NAACP did show their disapproval of the portrayal of African-Americans in the film even when Song of the South was being produced, however there hasn't been any official "banning" going on anywhere. As far as we know, Disney has taken it upon themselves to withhold this movie from the public. Supposedly, the NAACP has no current position on the film.

A. You cannot find this movie anywhere because after Song of the South's last theatrical release in 1986, Disney decided not to re-release it again, most likely because of the movie's "racist" stigma (although there are no documented complaints stemming from the movie's 1986 theatrical release that I'm aware of.) The movie has been released on video and laserdisc in many other countries, but never in the United States. In December of 2001, Song of the South was withdrawn worldwide.

A. The general objections lie in the depiction of African-Americans within the live action sequences of the film, such as stereotyping. Some also mistakenly believe the movie depicts slavery, and consequently believe that Disney tried to "sugarcoat" slavery. In the 1940's, the NAACP charged the film with giving the impression of "an idyllic master-slave relationship." Some people also find the Tar Baby animated sequence to be objectionable. For more in-depth discussion on the issues surrounding this film, please read my defense on the matter.

A. After. Just as the original Uncle Remus stories written by Joel Chandler Harris, Song of the South is set in a time period after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. This is evident by the fact that in the movie Uncle Remus is able to freely leave the plantation. It's possible Walt Disney assumed that people already knew this fact, and may have felt that stating the date was unnecessary. Nevertheless, it has remained a cause for confusion.

A. Yes, eventually. We just don't know when. Various rumors have cropped up over the years hinting at this movie's release, but none have actually occurred. You can read all of the latest rumors in the News section. Song of the South will enter the public domain in the year 2041 (95 years after the film's copyright).

A. Notable individuals who support making Song of the South publicly available included/includes: Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg, Disney Legend Floyd Norman, Leonard Maltin, Valarie Stewart (daughter of Nick Stewart, voice of Brer Bear), Roy E. Disney, Diane Disney Miller, Luana Patten, and Ruth Warrick.

Notable individuals who do not support making Song of the South publicly available include: Bob Iger (CEO and later Chairman of Disney), Bob Chapek (Disney CEO).

If you know of any other notable individuals who have publicly stated their position on this film, please contact me and I will update this answer. Thank you!

A. Yes, but currently only on out-of-print record albums. Disneyland #1205 (1963) is the most easily obtained Song of the South soundtrack album. It contains all 9 songs from the movie, minus the instrumentals. If you want the instrumental tracks as well, you'll need to find Disneyland WDL-4001 (1956) instead. As this was Disney's first soundtrack album, it is consequently quite desirable and usually demands a higher price. Four of the movie's nine songs have been released on CD in the box set entitled Classic Disney, but that's it. If you want the other five songs on CD, you'll need to convert the record album yourself, or find someone with the equipment to do it for you.

A. No, this is just an urban legend. (See this article over at Urban Legends Reference Pages for more info.) Bill Cosby did not buy the rights to Song of the South so that it would never be shown again. If anything, Cosby has allegedly expressed concern over the amount of African-American history that has been lost, stolen, or strayed.

A. The Community section is a central hub of resources for people to communicate with each other about Song of the South, share their opinions and reviews with others, and vote for/rate the film. Additionally, all of the articles posted in the Song of the South News section can be commented on.

A. "Brer," also sometimes seen written as B'rer, Br'er, or Bre'r, is simply a shortened form of Brother, just as "Sis" is a shortened form of Sister. Brother and Sister are Christian terms of kinship especially prevalent in the South.

A. Song of the South's theatrical runtime is over 94 min., but the British PAL VHS only runs about 91 minutes. This is not due to any scenes being cut; the British PAL VHS simply runs 4% faster, a common phenomenon known as "PAL speedup." Over the course of the movie, the change in speed is not noticeable.

A. The Song of the South Petition is an ongoing effort to show Disney how many people want this film released. There is no set number we are trying to reach, and no deadline for when we have to submit it to Disney. I know for a fact that Disney has visited this web site on several occasions over the years (hi guys!), so they are well aware that we have a petition.

A. The items pictured within the Memorabilia Museum are from my personal collection and are not for sale. If you are looking for Song of the South Memorabilia items for sale, please visit the Song of the South Store. Sorry, I cannot take requests for specific items.

A. I have set up the Song of the South Store with items that might be of interest to Song of the South and Disneyana enthusiasts. Your purchases help me defray the monthly costs of hosting this web site.