Song of the South (1946)
D. Harve Foster (live action), Wilfred Jackson (animation)
This remarkable Disney film was based on the "Uncle Remus" stories of Joel Chandler Harris, and was presented as one of their earliest, innovative live-action and animation mixtures. Set after the Civil War at a time when slavery was abolished, its animated sequences featured Uncle Remus characters (i.e., Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear) accompanied by live-action portions with folk story-teller Uncle Remus (Special Oscar-winning James Baskett). The film's song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the Academy Award for Best Song.
Remarkably, it has never been released for home video consumption in the US (although it has been available in European and Asian markets). After this film's last theatrical release in 1986, it has simply vanished and been unavailable for purchase. Recently, a Disney spokesman reiterated the fact that the film may continue to be unavailable due to "the sensitivity that exists in our culture" and fears of political-correctness repercussions.
Although it has been rumored that the NAACP banned this Disney movie, that was untrue -- they simply expressed their disapproval of the portrayal of African-Americans in the film, and their concern about its potential to present an image of an idyllic master-slave relationship. The main objection was its stereotypical depiction of blacks in the live-action sequences, although others have mistakenly thought that the movie actually depicted slavery and tacit approval of the master-slave relationship.
