disney’s mixed live action/animation film SONG OF THE SOUTH was released in nov. 1946. so far this endlessly controversial and widely discussed film has only come out on VHS some years ago in europe. I don’t understand all the problems some people are talking about and I don’t want to add that area to my blog. the animation part in the UNCLE REMUS stories is short. there are 3 segments and a short ending of the film. in my opinion the animation here is some of the best disney did, the story is good – developed by BILL PEET, the styling and art direction by MARY BLAIR and CLAUDE COATS the best you can get. fortunatelly I have a copy of the film, not the best quality though. following is a recreated beautiful long pan, where the bear and the fox are racing with their tar-baby through the forest, chasing the rabbit. I have added a few analytical little details…
© disney enterprises, inc
my name is hans bacher, – I work as production designer in the animation film industry. for the last 40 years I lived and worked in duesseldorf, london, paris, los angeles, manila and tokyo. now I am professor for film-design at the nanyang techn. university in singapore.
Some of the Song of the South animation is available as part of a segement of the Disneyland TV program (One Hour in Wonderland) that is on disc 2 of the Alice in Wonderland Masterpiece Edition DVD.
from hans -
thank you – I did not know
these are fantastic, hans. I haven’t seen the film in years, but this inspires me to do so again soon. the first full color pan and the character movement are excellent.
Wow, what a great analysis…and from a film I love too! Thanks for posting this.
Despite any controversy, I really wish the animations studios would just release everything on fully restored DVD’s from an animation history’s sake. I really appreciate the Disney Treasures DVD sets: Leonard Maltin explains in the preface of the Silly Symphonies collection that although some jokes are now controversial, they are presented for the sake of film and cultural history. I’d love to be able to see Song of the South in its entirety.
The film is quite weak and embarrassing to watch, but the animated sequences are very good and there’s no reason why they could not release these as a series of shorts.