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.