Song of the South Song of the South Song of the South is a 1946 American live-action/animated musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is based on the collection of Uncle Remus stories as adapted by Joel Chandler Harris, and stars James Baskett as Uncle Remus. The film takes place in the southern United States during the Reconstruction Era, a period of American history shortly after the end of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. The story follows 7-year-old Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) who is visiting his grandmother's plantation for an extended stay. Johnny befriends Uncle
Uncle Remus times, African American mothers are known to read the Br'er Rabbit stories to their children to teach them about the significance of protecting the small from the big and the weak from the powerful. Harris modeled Uncle Remus after a man known as "Free Joe" Edwards. In 1885, Free Joe was stabbed to death by Bell Todd in a quarrel over a woman. Todd was convicted of murder. An "Uncle Remus and His Tales of Br'er Rabbit" newspaper Sundays-only strip (King Features Syndicate) ran from October 14, 1945, through December 31, 1972. The stories have inspired at least three feature