In the deep Georgia countryside of the late nineteenth century, a young boy whose parents are living apart is befriended by the kindly Uncle Remus, who entrances him with stories of the countryside and the critters that live there.
This is a charming, evocative adaptation of the Brer Rabbit stories of Joel Chandler Harris, brilliantly adapted for the screen with their wonderful patois. It is simply dripping with the atmosphere of the American south, and brilliantly photographed in colour by the great Gregg Toland. The animation sequences, directed by Wilfred Jackson, are funny and terrific (the tar-baby story is particularly memorable) and are melded beautifully into the live action. There is an incredible moment when Uncle Remus shares his pipe with a frog, and as he strikes a match and casts his fishing-rod the action flares from reality to fantasy. The movie is also full of wonderful music; the classic Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah number, but also a plethora of traditional negro melodies - no less than ten songwriters are credited. Baskett is simply unforgettable as the big-hearted Remus (he also does the voice of Brer Fox), and the kids (Driscoll, Leedy and Patten) are great. This movie has some narrow-minded detractors who would cite it as racist. They are completely wrong - this is a movie set in a time of racism, but which transcends bigotry with its story of friendship, love and compassion.
This is a charming, evocative adaptation of the Brer Rabbit stories of Joel Chandler Harris, brilliantly adapted for the screen with their wonderful patois. It is simply dripping with the atmosphere of the American south, and brilliantly photographed in colour by the great Gregg Toland. The animation sequences, directed by Wilfred Jackson, are funny and terrific (the tar-baby story is particularly memorable) and are melded beautifully into the live action. There is an incredible moment when Uncle Remus shares his pipe with a frog, and as he strikes a match and casts his fishing-rod the action flares from reality to fantasy. The movie is also full of wonderful music; the classic Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah number, but also a plethora of traditional negro melodies - no less than ten songwriters are credited. Baskett is simply unforgettable as the big-hearted Remus (he also does the voice of Brer Fox), and the kids (Driscoll, Leedy and Patten) are great. This movie has some narrow-minded detractors who would cite it as racist. They are completely wrong - this is a movie set in a time of racism, but which transcends bigotry with its story of friendship, love and compassion.