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. FilmNothing 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.