User Reviews

While this Disney film attempts to give more sides to the story, it seems to be missing important plot developments and characterization necessities that would have made for a much stronger film. James MacArthur is a white teen raised by native Americans who taught him to hate his own race based upon genuine fears of "the white devil". A truce has been declared among the natives and white settlers, but only on the agreement that all whites abducted by the natives be returned to their families. MacArthur, the natural son of John McIntire and Jessica Tandy, has learned the ways of the Indian brave too deeply and at first rejects the white man's ways.

But through the patience of kind mother Tandy (initially at odds with supporting his native American ways), MacArthur slowly begins to adapt, especially when he befriends the pretty Carol Lynley whose own family was allegedly slaughtered by another native tribe. However, Lynley's cruel, native hating foster father (Wendell Corey) makes life difficult for MacArthur, and he escapes to be reunited with his tribe and best friend Rafael Campos who came to bring him home.

One of the issues I have with this film is it's true lack of a point of view. Is it pro-native, or trying to show how the natives needed to switch to the European ways to survive in the old world that had been taken over by newcomers? Performances are fine (especially Corey as a truly despicable character), and the photography is pretty, but there's just a little too much Disney "cutesiness" to truly deal with the harsh topics. what other reviewers have said, perhaps one day there will be a realistic story told about similar topics that makes its viewpoint clear, but this is not it.

I confess that Conrad Richter's "The Light in the Forest" is one my all-time favorite books which I have literally read over a dozen times. So my opinion of Walt Disney's film is heavily influenced by my love of the book.

Richter's novel is set in 1764 colonial America when the Ohio tribes were forced to return all their white captives in order to ratify a peace treaty with the British. Among these captives is 15 yr old True Son who was born John Butler and abducted by Delaware Indians from his Pennsylvannia home when he was four. True Son was adopted into the tribe and during the course of his eleven year captivity ceases to believe that he's a captive, forgets his real family, and views himself as an Indian. He also learns to hate all white people. Yet despite these views and his love for his Delaware home and family (which are the only ones he knows), he's forced to return to the family he was born into. He rebels against this with his whole being. He regards his real family as abductors. Even worse, he finds himself related to men who butchered a village of peaceful Christian Indians. True Son dreams of escaping this white prison and returning to his beloved life as a young god in the forest. Eventually, circumstances created by racial hatred cause True Son to find himself rejected by the two worlds that have laid claim to him. It is deeply moving and sad novel of a young man torn apart by the claims of blood and loyalty.

So how well did Disney's film capture the message and tone of Richter's novel? It didn't. To put it bluntly, this movie is a complete butchery of Richter's novel. It starts off badly with a cheesy choir singing a song entitled "The Light in the Forest" during the opening credits and it gets a whole lot worse. James MacArthur with his stocky frame and curly light brown hair is physically wrong to play the part of the lithe, dark, and black-haired True Son. Also, he did not have the acting ability to capture melancholy sadness and hostility of the character.

However, these are quibbles when it comes to the main fault of the movie- sanitizing and/or completely doing away with the entire theme of racial hatred which is the central subject of the novel. True Son knows that he was born white, but he loathes how white people live. He knows that some of his white relations are virulent racists (the character Uncle Wilse is a murdering butcher of Indian women and children) and later is confronted by the fact that the Delawares are not guiltless of committing atrocities. Of course, all this heavy stuff was too much for a 1950's Disney movie so it is not touched upon. However, that leads to the question- why did Disney buy the film rights if they were not going to address the main point of the novel?

So if film abandons the central focus of the novel then what is it about? Basically, the movie has a made-up, syrupy teen romance replacing all the dark elements of the novel. Upon his return to his white family,True Son is befriended by a lovely indentured servant girl and a gentle romance starts to bloom (ignoring that in the book True Son finds white girls unattractive in comparison to Indian girls and wants nothing to do with them). True Son escapes to his Indian family, but then decides he liked being with white people after all and returns to his blonde girlfriend. It is a far cry from the novel's ending: a forlorn teenage boy alone in the forest with tears filling his eyes and asking: "Then who is my father?"

Maybe I am being overly harsh on this film. On its own merits, its a well-made piece of Disney escapism. But as a film version of a beloved novel it is an insult.

WE HAVE READ that Mr. Disney did not have a reputation for his being much of a champion of Civil Rights and for Equality among the members of the Brotherhood of Man. These accusations dated to the early 1960s and even earlier; when the movement was in its infancy. Walt passed on in 1965.

ALTHOUGH BY TODAY'S standards and with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, it would appear that there is some merit to these accusations. But one must take into account that Disney was born 1901, long before the First World War and hence, his attitudes were those of so many others of that period.

HOWEVER, HIS THOUGHTFUL and kindly handling of sensitive issues that were very important then as now, was indicative of the true feelings of the man. As case in point, consider his adaption of the Joel Chandler Harris 'Uncle Remus' stories; which was set in the South where it was the labor of Black people in bondage to the plantation owners that drove the agricultural economy.

THE RESULTING PICTURE in the form of a mixture of both animation and live action, SONG OF THE SOUTH, is touching, humorous and pays particularly close attention to the emerging culture of the Black American.* AS FOR THE story, it is a well plotted, beautifully photographed drama of the pre-Revolutionary War American Colonies.

SET IN OLD Philadelphia, circa 1760, it is done up in a most convincing manner; as to transport the viewer back to the days when even Benjamin Franklin was somewhat youthful. It may have been Disney's best physical production in the Period Piece tradition.

THE PLOT REVOLVES around the return of a Caucasian boy, born Johnny Butler, who had been kidnapped by hostile Indians. The boy was raised from the time as a young child as a member of the tribe as, in native aboriginal tongues,"True Son". The young man, now a teenager, is caught between two peoples' cultures; which was really two worlds.

HE IS TORN between the two very different ways of life and finds that he is considered to be alien to both. Eventually, we get the drift that he is going to resettle and be assimilated into the society of colonists; thus returning to his original, biological family. The repatriating of the young man is happily facilitated with his romantic involvement with a beautiful, young blonde colonial girl (played by beautiful, young and blonde Carol Lynley.**

THIS PICTURE, PERHAPS more than any other Disney Live Action production, boasts of an outstanding assembly of supporting players. In addition to young Miss Lynley and Mr. MacArthur, we have: Fess Parker, Joanne Dru, Wendell Corey, Jessica Tandy, John McIntire, Joseph Calleia, Frank Ferguson, Marian Seldes, Dean Fredericks and others.***

ALTHOUGH THE STORY'S adaptation is said to have certain liberties with the storyline and certain of the characterizations, it was both very dramatic and effective in its ending. It is a call to action for all to be more understanding and kind to others; regardless of whatever is their membership in any racial, ethnic, national or religious affiliations.

AND THIS MESSAGE is the one imparted by Mr. Disney, himself.

NOTE * It is never clear in the movie as whether or not that the Black People are slave or free. The topic never really comes up.

NOTE: ** On a DIDSNEYLAND TV Episode that was a promo for the movie, it was announced that this was Carol Lynley's first on screen kiss. (It was a far different time!)

NOTE: *** Even Iron Eyes Cody, the son of Sicilian immigrants, was featured as an Indian of the Delaware tribe.

Disney's great movie. A very beautiful, unforgettable movie. It is a very human and very exciting film.The movie has a very interesting argument,the readjustment of a white boy raised by Indians, who lives many years with the Indians and he is forced to return to white society,after the signing of a peace treaty. I am charmed with James MacArthur.I like James MacArthur.He is beautiful and excellent, great actor.He has soul, a great captivation. My favorite scene is when Johnny (MacArthur) returns to his home and meets again with his biological parents, and also the scenes of love with Shenandoe (Carol Lynley). Others excellent actors who appear in the movie: an magnificent Fess Parker, splendid Frank Ferguson, affectionate Jessica Tandy, lovely Carol Lynley, beautiful Joanne Dru, Wendell Corey, Joseph Calleia,Rafael Campos...It is one of the Disney's best histories.The movie has emotion, romance, nice music and beautiful landscape.Wonderful movie.