"The Hedda Hopper Show - This Is Hollywood" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 1, 1947 with James Baskett reprising his film role.
James Baskett's last movie.
According to James Snead's book, "White screens/black images", p. 93: "At the film's New York premiere in Times Square, dozens of black and white pickets chanted, 'We fought for Uncle Sam, not Uncle Tom,' while the NAACP called for a total boycott of the film, and the National Negro Congress called on black people to 'run the picture out of the area.'"
All but five minutes of this film contains music.
Contrary to misconception, the film takes place after the U.S. Civil War, during the period known as, "Reconstruction".
In 1972, Buena Vista distributed this film on a double bill with another Disney film, The Boatniks.
In an article titled, "Disney's Laughin' Place" by Frank Stephenson, we read that, "Following its debut, the NAACP registered its official displeasure of what it called the film's 'racial stereotyping' a charge echoed by the National Urban League."
It's alleged that James Baskett couldn't attend the premiere of this film in Atlanta because there was no hotel that would give him a room due to his skin color.
Most of the outdoor live action scenes were filmed in Phoenix, Arizona.
Not only did James Baskett play Uncle Remus, but after Johnny Lee was called away to do promotion for the picture, he also played Brer Rabbit for the "Laughing Place" scene and sang the "Laughing Place" song, as well as the butterfly he originally auditioned to play.
On May 8, 2007, the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, which includes representatives from the Los Angeles Civil Rights Assn., the NAACP National Board, and the Youth Advocacy Coalition, sent out a press release denouncing Disney's contemplation to re-release Song of the South.
Part of this movie is on DVD in the USA. Extensive clips can be found on the Alice in Wonderland Un-Anniversary Edition DVD (2010), in the special feature One Hour in Wonderland.
The film was first released in 1946. Disney re-released the film in 1956, but in 1970 Disney announced in Variety that Song of the South had been "permanently" retired, but the studio eventually changed its mind and re-released the film in 1972, 1981, and again in 1986 for a 40th anniversary celebration.
The working title for Song of the South was "Uncle Remus".
When "Splash Mountain", an amusement ride based on the film, "Song of the South" opened in Disneyland in the '90's, the local NAACP and others protested the ride.