This week Disney will release "Snow White: Diamond Edition" to Blu-Ray. The "Diamond Edition" will include 16 of Disney's classic titles, to be released over the next few years. A glaring omission from the list, is a familiar one. "Song of the South."
Once again, Walt's crowning achievment in blending Live Action with Animation, misses a chance to break out of the Legendary Disney vault. "Song of the South" has not been released in the United States for home video distribution since the late 80's. It is only available on DVD as a bootleg, which has been copied from either VHS,Laser Disc, or recordings from European TV. We all know about the controversey surrounding the film. What bothers me, are the things the general public DOESN'T know about this film. Amazing, Historic and Tragic facts that have been largely forgotten, just as this film has. For instance, most people do not realize that "Splash Mountain" at the Disney Parks are based on "Song of the South." Nor do they realize that the first African American Actor to recieve an Academy Award was James Basket, he recieved it for his portrayal of Uncle Remus in "Song of the South." The saddest part of all in my eyes is that the performance of Bobby Driscoll as "Johnny" isn't being seen at all by this generation. The Bobby Driscoll part of the story is made all the more sad, by the fact that his career as a child star ended badly and he eventually turned to drugs when Hollywood had forgotten all about him. He died from an apparent drug over dose and was actually buried as a John Doe for years, before he was finally identified and given a proper grave. Now Bobby Driscoll is being forgotten all over again, because the film isn't being seen. I just think it's tragic that these stories and these people have been forgotten, when they were involved with a film that is filled with so much magic. A film that may never get out of the VAULT.
-Admiral Duke
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