The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/12/2006
Joel Chandler Harris and the characters he made famous have left their tracks in many places:
Atlanta. The Wren's Nest, Harris' home from 1883 to 1908, is the best place to get a feel for the man behind Remus (1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. S.W., 404-753-7735). The author is buried in nearby Westview Cemetery.
Several storytellers perform Uncle Remus tales at the Wren's Nest, but there's only one known Harris impersonator: the Rev. Gil Watson, pastor of Northside United Methodist Church, who has been dressing up like the writer and telling the stories for three decades. His most memorable performance? At the funeral of Mrs. Joel Chandler Harris Jr., he recited her favorite story: "Why Mr. Possum Has No Hair on His Tail."
Eatonton. Harris' hometown proudly claims him with banners and a statue of Br'er Rabbit on the courthouse lawn. At the Uncle Remus Museum, there are displays of vintage books, critter carvings and animation cels from "Song of the South." The movie itself is nowhere to be found. Director Lanelle Frost says she used to refer visitors to a local woman who sold bootleg copies, but she stopped after a lawyer warned her that she might hear from Br'er Mouse.
Madison. The sculptures of Br'er Rabbit, Fox and Bear that once decorated the plaza at Atlanta's Lenox Square were moved during a reconstruction and now guard the Uncle Remus Regional Library.
Chicago. Uncle Remus, a black-owned chain of fried chicken restaurants, has five locations with plans for dozens more.
New Jersey. While tin signs for Uncle Remus Syrup ("Dis sho am good.") have been relegated to flea markets and eBay, B&G Foods of Parsippany, N.J., still makes Brer Rabbit Molasses.
Indianapolis. James Baskett, the actor who played Uncle Remus in "Song of the South," is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery. His tombstone mentions the honorary Oscar he won in 1948, making him the first black man to win an Academy Award. (Hattie McDaniel, who had a small role in "South," was the first black actress to win, for "Gone With the Wind.") A few months after he accepted the statuette, Baskett died of heart disease at 44.
Mission Viejo, Calif. Christian Willis, a 26-year-old IT guy, loves Uncle Remus so much that he started a Web site — songofthesouth.net — devoted to the movie and to the proposition that Disney should rerelease it. His online petition has gathered 10,000 names.
In stores and online: Most video chains don't carry the movie, although some independents have copies of an overseas edition from the '90s (Japanese subtitles pop up during the songs). A Google search turns up several sites offering unauthorized copies for sale. On YouTube.com, many people have posted snippets from the film, along with homemade parodies like the recent one titled "Song of the South on LSD."
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