Song of the South (film) Live-action feature about a boy learning about life through the stories of Uncle Remus, which are shown in animated segments. Little Johnny is taken to his grandmother’s plantation where he meets Uncle Remus and is guided by his stories (“Running Away,” “The Tar Baby,” and “The Laughing Place”) about Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear. Johnny finds friendship with a local girl, Ginny Favers, but is bullied by her cruel brothers. When he is accidentally gored by a bull, it takes more than Uncle Remus to save him. His parents must reunite, creating a happy family once more. The film was nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and received an Oscar for Best Song (“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”) and an honorary Oscar to James Baskett for his portrayal of Uncle Remus. Premiered on November 12, 1946, at Loew’s Grand in Atlanta. Directed by Harve Foster; cartoon direction by Wilfred Jackson. 94 min. Stars Ruth Warrick (Sally), Bobby Driscoll (Johnny), James Baskett (Uncle Remus), Luana Patten (Ginny), Hattie McDaniel (Tempy). Based on the stories of Joel Chandler Harris. Other songs included “Uncle Remus Said,” “How Do You Do?” and “Ev’rybody’s Got a Laughing Place.” The film and its songs provided the inspiration for the Splash Mountain attractions in the Disney parks. Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten were Disney’s first contract players, since this was the Studio’s first major plunge into live-action filmmaking. But since Walt Disney was considered an animated film producer, it was felt that the film should contain at least some animated sequences. Thus, Uncle Remus’s stories are shown in animation, along with some clever combinations of the live action and animated characters. The film was reissued in 1956, 1972, 1980, and 1986.
