Song of the South (1946)

“Out of the humble cabin, out of the singing heart of the Old South have come the tales of Uncle Remus, rich in simple truths forever fresh and new.”

Song of the South premiered at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia on November 12, 1946. Generally released on November 20, 1946. A Walt Disney Productions and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures Inc. Based on the “Uncle Remus” stories by Joel Chandler Harris. The film is set in Georgia during the Reconstruction era and follows Johnny (Bobby Driscoll), who visits his grandmothers plantation. Johnny befriends Uncle Remus (James Baskett), an elderly man on the plantation, who tells him stories of Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear. Through these stories, Uncle Remus teaches Johnny important life lessons.

The soundtrack to Song of the South was not released until 1956 and was the first soundtrack to be released under the newly formed Disneyland Records label. The original release included, “Song of the South,” “Uncle Remus Said,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “Ginny and Johnny,” “Who Wants To Live Like That,” “Let The Rain Pour Down” on side one and “How Do You Do,” “Sooner Or Later,” “Everybody Has A Laughing Place,” “Let The Rain Pour Down,” “Uncle Remus Leaves,” “All I Want,” “Finale” on side two. 

Alice’s Wonderland (1923)

Alice’s Wonderland (1923) was started by Walt and his staff at the Laugh-O-gram Films Inc. studio in Kansas City, Missouri. When the studio failed and he had to file bankruptcy, Walt left Kansas City and headed to Los Angeles, California with the unfinished film with him. In Los Angeles, he teamed up with his older brother Roy O. Disney and they used Alice’s Wonderland as a pilot to secure a distribution deal with Margaret Winkler and M.J. Winkler Productions. The date the deal was signed, October 16, 1923, is acknowledged as the release date of the film as well as the beginning of the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, know today as The Walt Disney Company.

In Alice’s Wonderland, Alice (Virginia Davis) visits a cartoon studio where she watches cartoon characters appear to come to life. That night, Alice dreams she visits Cartoonland. There she interacts with many cartoon animal characters before being chased by a pack of lions and escaping by jumping off a cliff. She is awakened from her dream by her mother (Louise A. Wright). 

Welcome to the Disney Movie and Film Encyclopedia

Welcome to the Disney Movie and Film Encyclopedia. My goal with this blog is catalog each and every Disney Movie and Film, from animated shorts to blockbuster live-action films and movies. Along with the usual encyclopedia type entries there will also be movie reviews where I (along with others) will share our thoughts on Disney movies and films. Also we will highlight the people that made it all possible and the music we all love. This will be an on going project with material added often. 

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If you are interested in contributing to the blog I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com.