8mm Forum: Brer Rabbit And The Tar Baby

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Posted by Thomas Murin, Jr. (Member # 1745) on October 12, 2009, 07:11 PM:

Brer Rabbit And The Tar Baby
Disney, 200'

For reasons unknown, the 1946 Disney movie, Song Of The South, has become such a hot button issue that Disney employees are forbidden to talk about it.

Charges of racism are absurd. I own a copy of the movie and it is a wonderful, magical film. The movie is set AFTER the Civil War so slavery is not an issue. A simple video release would clear up so many misconceptions. Yet, it's unlikely to ever happen.

So, that brings us to Brer Rabbit And The Tar Baby, an extract of one Song Of The South's animated sequences and the most controversial.

The film starts out with Brer Fox and Brer Bear putting together a "tar baby". Literaly, a glop of tar with button eyes, etc. Their plan is to use the tar baby to trap Brer Rabbit so they can capture him for their dinner.

Setting the tar baby on a log, Brer Fox and Brer Bear hide and wait. When Brer Rabbit comes along, he becomes angry at the tar baby's refusal to say hello to him. Brer Rabbit finally loses his cool and tries to hit the tar baby only to get his fist caught in the tar. Repeated attempts to free himself only result in him becoming covered entirely in tar.

Brer Fox and Brer Bear emerge from hiding and dance around the trapped Brer Rabbit. Brer Fox eventually pulls Brer Rabbit from the tar and he and Brer Bear start to srgue over who gets to do what to the poor rabbit.

Meanwhile, all this arguing is giving Brer Rabbit plently of time to think. He tells Brer Fox that he can do anything he likes to him except to throw him into the briar patch. Since Brer Fox has been trying to think of the cruelest thing possible to do to Brer Rabbit, he complies, flinging the rabbit into the nearby briar patch.

Brer Rabbit starts hopping with joy as he was "born and raised in a briar patch!". Brer Fox and Brer are left stunned as Brer Rabbit continues his laughter and taunts. THE END

I would like to take this moment to point out that the tar baby in no way looks like a racial caricature. It just looks like a glop of tar with things stuck on it. Not even when Brer Rabbit is covered in the tar does he resemble anything like a black caricature. The racial charges against this section of Song Of The South are ridiculous.

Picture quality is decent. The color has faded and is on the warm side but enough remains for a pleasing image. There are some scratches throughout which are not distracting. Sound is nice and clear, if a bit low in volume.

My print had some serious damage in the first minute or two. I spent a good portion of this past Saturday morning repairing it. I had to remove about 15 frames and putting about a dozen splices in the section but it now plays perfectly with just a couple of minor sound dropouts (no dialogue is missed).

There you have it! This is a funny, enjoyable cartoon short. I highly recommend it if you can find it.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 12, 2009, 10:16 PM:

I have a print of this as well. My hasn't faded so far and just the odd line. It is one of the harder ones to find.

People are so PC about everything (well not everything, just anything that can bring a potential lawsuit, which is everything).

Disney could do what Warners did with they're DVD cartoon collections. Simply place a title card at the beginning explaining that the film is a product of its times and does not represent the Disney studio at the present.

Wait a minute, what was I thinking? I'm talking sense. That will never do!

Posted by Gian Luca Mario Loncrini (Member # 1417) on October 13, 2009, 03:09 AM:

An edition of the full feature SONG OF THE SOUTH has been issued on 8 mm here in Italy during the 70's. It's absolutely a very rare title. I ignore if other editions exist. At least once, the quality is very good even if on Kodak SP (6*600ft). Color is holding well. No white flakes, clear sound and excellent sharp. Once more, very hard to get and a very good print.

Interesting review, by the way, Thomas.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on October 13, 2009, 02:48 PM:

Hmmm... I have spoken with Disney employees about SoS, so I'd better not say who! What a huge irony that one of the "great" classics is unavailable, yet if you visit Disneyland you can be treated to an animatronic version of "Zippidee-doo-dah" on the Splash Mountain ride.

By the way, Osi, the Walt Disney Treasures cartoon collections have introductions just like you describe where Leonard Maltin "apologizes" for the humor of the day now found to be in poor taste.

There are European laserdiscs and PAL videocassettes, and used or illegal copies spring up on eBay. I've never yet seen it, but for those who HAVE to have this, it's possible.

A few years ago eBay seller Thornhill Entertainment sold a 16mm IB Tech mint print for over $6,000. Anyone here get that one?

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on October 13, 2009, 03:39 PM:

I also have the 200ft Disney print of Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby. The color on mine has faded somewhat, but there is still a lot of color present.
The whole PC thing about this film is ridiculous. Disney needs to get some backbone and re-release it, first to the theaters, and then to DVD/BD - it would probably make them a bundle.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on October 13, 2009, 07:30 PM:

Thomas,

Thanks for the review. The color on my print has held up very nicely. I also have a 16mm print of the feature (great color throughout except for the last ten minutes!)

Doug

Posted by Gian Luca Mario Loncrini (Member # 1417) on October 13, 2009, 07:34 PM:

We discovered Doug was the one, Bill [Big Grin]

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on October 13, 2009, 08:07 PM:

Gian,

I wish it was IB Tech!

Doug

Posted by Luke Hopkinson (Member # 2649) on February 18, 2017, 08:55 PM:

I got A 16mm print on this a few months ago, The live action parts are faded reddish-brown, but the full animated parts look very good just a little color fade and I only paid $100.00 for it. The person selling it had the auction titled wrong. He did not people to know what he was selling I guess, for some reason worried about being sued by Disney for sell the used print. Anyway I put A clip of it on youtube for everyone to see, I did color correct it. Check it out: Song of the South Clip Disney zip a doo day test 1080P from 16mm

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