On this day exactly 56 years ago, Song of the South made its debut in theaters. Happy birthday Song of the South! Visit the Campaigns section for more information on the 1946 debut.
Also on this day exactly 2 years ago, SongoftheSouth.net made its debut on the internet. SongoftheSouth.net now averages about 225 unique visitors a day. Take a trip back to what the site looked like two years ago!
Author Rod Bennett of Wonder Magazine has written an excellent article entitled “Going to Bat for Song of the South.” He defends the film wonderfully and I encourage you all to take the time to read it. Rod also generously included the SongoftheSouth.net banner.
There is one issue addressed in this article that I would like to clarify: while Song of the South may appear to have been set in an antebellum time period, I must stress that the movie is, in fact, set after the Civil War. Uncle Remus and the plantation workers are not being depicted as slaves.
On August 4, Disneyland Resort released 50 pins depicting all 50 states. Among them is Brer Rabbit, who appears on the Louisiana State Pin, and Brer Bear, who appears on the Georgia State Pin. These pins were also later released at the Walt Disney World Resort on September 24. It’s a shame Brer Fox didn’t make it this time around. Each pin is open edition, and retails for $8.50.
For the last year or so, every few weeks I would check LaughingPlace.com’s Site of the Week page to see some of the better Disney fan sites out there. Just this very evening I was thinking about how long it had been since a news-worthy item had been posted to this news section. By chance, I pulled up the Site of the Week page and did a double-take!
SongoftheSouth.net is honored to be LaughingPlace.com‘s Site of the Week for 9/30/02 – 10/6/02. Thanks to all of our faithful supporters! And thanks to LaughingPlace.com for providing us all with our daily dose of Disney.
Since Song of the South‘s last threatrical release in 1986, memorabilia all but ended there. Since then, merchandise related to this film has now entered a new era: collectibles. Disney is indeed known for its collectible market, to which Song of the South is no exception. It is with this realization that I have expanded the Memorabilia section to Memorabilia and Collectibles. You will notice two new sections have been added: Splash Mountain and Collectibles. These are the sections that will be seeing the most growth in the future as new items are released by Disney remembering this classic film.
Author Casey Stewart of Epinions.com has written an article on Song of the South, providing the reader with a thorough review, synopsis and the issues currently surrounding this film. Casey was also kind enough to mention this web site. I encourage all of you to read this excellent article.
Anchor Bay Entertainment has been known in the past to release older Disney live action films, such as One Little Indian and The Black Hole, lesser-known movies that Disney would most likely otherwise shun. Is this a possible avenue to take in getting Song of the South released onto video and DVD? Why not send an email to suggestions@anchorbayentertainment.com and express your interest in this possibility. And if you haven’t already, see what other steps you can take to persuade Disney to resurrect this classic by visiting the FAQ section. Thanks to Howard Bowers for this information.
Today, sadly, Bill Peet passed away at age 87. Peet, along with Ralph Wright and George (Vernon) Stallings, wrote the cartoon storyline for Song of the South. Bill was one of the “Nine Old Men”. His other works included Dumbo, Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, and 101 Dalmatians. He will be missed. Thanks to Charles Luna for this report.
As reported by Alex Reece today: “I have GREAT news. I have a friend who works at the Disney Store and in the May newsletter under Movies Coming Soon, Song of The South was on the list!!!!! Unfortunately there was no date.”
If any Disney Store employees out there can confirm this, please let me know!
[Update: No confirmation or proof has been received regarding this rumor.]
For our friends in Australia, Song of the South is playing this month on the Disney Channel (Ch. 16 on Austar, Ch. 20 on Optus, and Ch. 27 on Foxtel):
Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 PM; Sunday, May 12 at 6:30 AM; Monday, May 13 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, May 18 at 6:30 PM; Sunday, May 19 at 1:00 PM; and Tuesday, May 30 at 7:30 PM.
As previously noted in January 2002, Song of the South is still regularly broadcasted there. Thanks to Glen Vandervord in Australia for the information!
