Disney's 'Song of the South' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joel Chandler Harris

Joel Chandler Harris heard stories from slaves on the Turnwold Plantation, GA, which inspired the 'Uncle Remus' stories. In 1876, working on the 'Atlanta Constitution' newspaper, he began to serialise them. In 1880 they were issued in book form as 'Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings'.
Since then there have been many versions of the stories, brought up-to-date and with different illustrators.
In the movie, 'Uncle Remus' is an ex-slave who still lives on the plantation, and who tells stories to anyone who will listen.

Answer: Animated sequences

This was the first Disney film made with live actors, and it included animation sequences in which real people interacted with cartoon characters.
The movie tells a story about the white owners of the plantation, as well as about the ex-slaves who still live there. It's probably true to say that what most people will remember best are the animations.

Answer: James Baskett

James Baskett so impressed Walt Disney with his natural acting technique and very little need for direction that he campaigned for Baskett to get an Oscar. Disney was eventually successful, and an honorary Oscar was awarded to Baskett in 1948. Sadly, Baskett died of heart disease in 1948, a few months after receiving the Oscar.
Baskett also provided the voice for Br'er Fox.

Answer: Gone with the Wind

Ms McDaniel played 'Mammy' in 'Gone with the Wind' and won an Oscar for her performance. She was the first African American to be awarded one, and in 2006 she was honored to be featured on a postage stamp.

Answer: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

No-one who has seen the movie is ever likely to forget the wonderful scene where Uncle Remus sings 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' and becomes a part of an animated sequence featuring birds and animals...

'Mr Bluebird on my shoulder,
It's the truth, It's actch'll,
Everything is satisfactch'll.
Zip-a-Dee-Do-Dah
Zip-a Dee-Ay
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!'

Answer: Segregation

The premiere was at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and since Atlanta was segregated at that time, Baskett and McDaniel could not attend. In fact, none of the black actors were invited.
After the end of the American Civil War, the different races continued to lived separately; black people were not allowed in many 'public' places such as parks, and education was segregated.
Segregation of blacks and whites in Atlanta continued, both as custom and as a result of the so-called 'Jim Crow' laws, until the 1960s, and its schools were not fully integrated until the 1970s.

Answer: Br'er Rabbit

Br'er Rabbit is the smart bunny who can run rings around the other characters, especially the slow-witted Br'er Bear.
The Tar Baby is a trap made by Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear to catch Br'er Rabbit, as indeed it does. Br'er Rabbit becomes stuck to the tar, and as the fox and bear ponder on what to do next, Br'er Rabbit uses reverse psychology on them and pleads with them not to throw him in the briar patch. Br'er Fox falls for it and throws Br'er Rabbit into the briar patch, which is the natural habitat of the rabbit - who escapes. I said he was smart...

Answer: Bobby Driscoll

Bobby Driscoll (1937-68) had a seventeen year career in films and television, but he suffered from severe acne as a teenager and found it increasingly hard to get work. He played 'Johnny', the son of the plantation owners, in 'Song of the South'. His last movie was made in 1953 - Disney's 'Peter Pan' for which he was the live-action model as well as the voice actor. Unable to get work he became a drug addict and in 1961 was sent to rehabilitation. He was released in 1962 but now had a criminal conviction which further prevented anyone from employing him. He worked in Andy Warhol's 'Factory' in 1965, then effectively disappeared. In 1968 his body was found by some children in an abandoned East Village apartment in New York; he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island. A sad end for someone who gave so much pleasure to millions.

Gene Holland and Georgie Nokes played Joe and Jake Favers, the brothers of Jimmy's friend Ginny, and Glenn Leedy played Toby, one of the black servants.

Answer: Phoenix, Arizona

The outdoor scenes on the plantation were not filmed in Georgia, where the story is set, but in Arizona. Disney Studios claimed that this was because of 'technical difficulties', and they constructed a plantation, complete with cotton fields, in Arizona. The indoor scenes were filmed at the Samuel Goldwyn Studio in Hollywood.

Answer: Splash Mountain

'Splash Mountain' can be found at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Each version is slightly different but they all feature songs, stories and characters from 'Song of the South'.