Song of the South will not be featured in Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, according to a source close to the situation. The Jim Crow scene in 1941’s Dumbo will also be edited out for the digital library that launches November 12.
Why are they so problematic? Song of the South got Disney an Oscar for Best Song in 1948 and an E-ticket attraction. Dumbo was just remade for a new generation!
Walt Disney’s 1946 movie Song of the South follows a young boy named Johnny who moves to his grandmother’s plantation in an era that looks like after the Civil War. (The original Uncle Remus book by Joel Chandler Harris takes place after the Civil War.) There he meets Uncle Remus who teaches him lessons through stories about his animated counterpart, Brer Rabbit. The issue with the movie is that Disney made a lie out of the plantation system: The African-Americans that work on the plantation are happy to serve their white masters. The movie has been locked in the Disney vault since the 1980s.
Dumbo, on the other hand, while it was reimagined by Tim Burton in a film that debuted a few weeks ago, one scene from the original film did not make the cut. In the film, Dumbo meets a group of crows who give him a feather to fly. The leader of the group is named Jim Crow, a reference to the racist laws that allowed segregation until 1965. Jim Crow the crow even walks like the Jim Crow caricature used in the time period.
The Walt Disney Company has declined to comment at this time.
**UPDATE** It has come to our attention that we reported wrongly about the 1941 film Dumbo in regards to its placement in Disney+. A source close to the situation had told us that the crow scene would be edited in the film for Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+. We made the decision to post our findings.
The crow scene, known for its song “When I See an Elephant Fly” characterizes the crows in a way that points to the infamous Jim Crow Laws. This scene was not edited for Disney+. Instead Disney added a line in their description of the film for the service: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.”
While this scene was still included, another film we reported on was correct. Song of the South has not been included in Disney+. The movie has been locked in the Disney vault since the 1980s.
Boardwalk Times strives to report the most accurate news about The Walt Disney Company and will continue to bring the best news to your feed.
Elizabeth Pfeiffer is a columnist for Boardwalk Times.
Last Edit: Tuesday, November 12
