"Fredi Says," November 30, 1946
Excerpt from Washington, Fredi, “Fredi Says,” People’s Voice, November 30, 1946, p. 22
Walt Disney will, no doubt, receive the highest award the Solid South has to offer, for it will be through him and the world-wide distribution of his latest efforts with animated cartoons and live actors that the picturesque south with its bandanna-headed-song-singing ‘darkies’ will be shown through the medium of the screen. In his latest technicolor film, Song of the South, Disney has created some of his best cartoons to date. Based on the tales of Uncle Remus–-the antics of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear—the whole is fused with an appropriate musical score which will be sheer delight to adults as well as children.
But it is the background story of these tales of the “dear old southland” and the story’s enactment by the live cast which will give new courage and impetus to the discriminatory south. Like “Gone With the Wind” this new Disney opus helps to perpetuate the idea that Negroes throughout American history have been illiterate, docile and quite happy to be treated as children–-without even the average child’s ambition and without thought of tomorrow.
Mr. Disney, no doubt, has argued and will continue to argue that Song of the South is folklore, and had, of necessity, to be authentic—that, indeed, he has woven social content into his unusual film by making Uncle Remus a wise, lovable character. That Remus is allowed to walk through the front door of the stately southern mansion–that it is only Uncle Remus who can bring the little white boy out of a death grip delirium against which his mamma is helpless–that the little Negro boy is allowed to catch toad frogs with the unhappy white child–that it is Remus’ fantastic tales of the ‘critters’ coupled with his love and understanding of children which saves an otherwise fatal situation–these are all weak claims to social progress.
All of these reasons and some more will be proffered by Mr. Disney in defense of his new film. In addition to this Mr. Disney will lean heavily on the fact that he has been the only one in pictures to recognize and give opportunity to the undeniable talents of Jimmy Baskett who plays Uncle Remus, and that it was through the filming of this story that many Negro actors who have been idle for one reason or another for months, were given employment.
The two latter arguments are good ones and no one in his right mind would take issue with them in a purely economic sense. But it is not only economics that we are concerned with and anyone interested in human relationships and democratic principles, must take into consideration the entire broad picture of the struggle of the Negro people to gain their rights as dignified American citizens.
As a Negro living in a nation within a nation, who has some knowledge of the theatre and movie industry, I take very strong exception to the argument that one must not only be authentic but go to stereotyped extremes in presenting Negro characterization or subject matter, regardless of the time element or place in America. The argument that because the film deals with folklore, it had to be authentic, melts into thin air by the mere fact that, even though the setting is in Georgia, there is no trace of southern accent to be found in any of the dialogue used by the white characters, including the poor whites. The Negroes on the other hand, are saddled with the worst kind of dialect.
Needless to say, a plaintive song accompanies most of their action. No one has any objection to the beautiful choral singing of the players, but when it is coupled with every cliche in the book, the meaning gets to be pretty obvious. You can almost hear Bilbo say: “We in the South know how to keep our ‘nigras’ happy. They’re content and to prove it, listen to 'em sing as they leave their cabins to pick cotton in the fields.”
When a person of Walt Disney’s artistic and technical stature in an industry which is the greatest medium in the world for molding public opinion chooses to ignore the anti-social implications contained in any of his productions, then it is plain for all to see that the man’s social and political consciousness has yet to be awakened.
This is a great pity, for Disney had the opportunity to produce a highly amusing and entertaining film without resorting to all the stereotype characters of the Uncle Tom era. Since Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus and his tales are all pure fantasy, the film would not have been one wit more fantastical had the locale not been in Georgia in the days of the bandanna-head-bowing-uneducated-Uncle Tom-Negro. But Mr. Disney wanted to perpetuate Mr. Harris’ classical folklore tales in all their blessed Georgian glory. And to prove this, Song of the South had its premiere in Atlanta (a city which has been much in the news of late for its anti-Negro activities) just two weeks ago.
I’m wondering when folks with Disney’s talent, power and money are going to start itching to record and dramatize some of the true and worthwhile history of the American Negro’s achievements, much of which has high amusement value. The great trouble is, most of the authentic folklore of the Negro has been completely ignored while the writers have worked overtime at getting down on paper the minstrel ideas about us.
Despite the dialect, which had to be mouthed, a high word of praise should be said for Jimmy Baskett who, as Uncle Remus turns in a fine, sensitive performance. He sings several of the delightful songs in the picture and lends his fast talking spiel to the sound track for Brer Fox. Baskett will no doubt continue to do sound tracks for Disney’s animated cartoons since his voice is so adaptable, but you can’t help but wonder if he is ever going to get the opportunity to play roles commensurate with the high calibre [sic] of talent he showed for character acting in Song of the South.
Johnny Lee supplies the voice for Brer Rabbit and Nicodemus Stewart’s voice is effective as Brer Bear. Hattie McDaniel is her efficient ‘mammy’ self and there was a charming little fellow whose name is Glenn Leedy who seemed ill at ease handling the dialect.
Song of the South will soon be released in New York, and while you are bound to appreciate and enjoy Mr. Disney’s animated characters, you no doubt will feel as I do about his story background and Negro characterizations. If you do, a letter or postcard to Mr. Disney will help to acquaint him with the fact that there are paying customers who do not appreciate the idea of having the Negro perpetuated in the minds of the public as dialect-speaking-song-singing Uncle Toms.