Snow White afterparty

Image: DisneyWhen you think about Disney, you don’t think sex, drugs, and bacchanalia. You certainly wouldn’t link those things to Snow White, Disney’s first beloved Princess. For an odd reason, the two have a connection, though.

Back in 1938, Walt Disney wanted to reward his employees for their shocking triumph, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He hosted a wrap party for them at the Norconian Resort in the California Desert. It was actually the second wrap party, as the original one had been done in 1937 at the Hyperion. But no one at the time could have anticipated the blockbuster box office for the film.

The Norconian party was everyone’s reward for doing the impossible. The party’s host named it Walt’s Field Day. Uncle Walt generously paid for everything, stating that “the entire facilities of the Lake Norconian are offered for the day of June 4th.  There will be no charge for either luncheon, dinner or dancing.”

Image: DisneyThe longtime Disney employees invited to the event perceived it differently from their boss. He presumed a stately affair befitting mature adults. They envisioned a rare opportunity to kick back, get drunk, and…let’s say “date” a co-worker or two.

The situation quickly declined from patrician golf club outing to scenes from a 1980s teen sex comedy. One Disney illustrator swears that a co-worker got so drunk that he rode a horse into the resort swimming pool. 

Then, the naked swim parties began.

According to legend, the drunken hook-ups and wife-swapping happened next.

Image: DisneyNo, I’m not joking. Whether it’s true or apocryphal, the stories made their way through the company. Walt Disney was by all accounts appalled, even though some swore that he’d been drunk at the party, too.

Among the animation crowd, Walt’s Field Day is one of the most scandalous drunken sex parties ever. According to Disney historians, it was also a contributing factor to the Disney Strike of 1941. Disney and some members of his staff never felt the same about one another afterward.

Song of the South

Image: DisneyDisney+ will unlock the Disney vault and exhibit almost all of the company’s classic animated movies. It’ll be missing one infamous title, though. To the surprise of absolutely no one, company officials have chosen to keep 1946’s Song of the South locked away from the public.

Song of the South is one of the strangest titles in the Disney catalog. It was an unqualified hit during its theatrical run and claimed one of the best soundtracks in Disney history. Whenever you ride Splash Mountain, you’re listening to classic songs like How Do You Do, Ev'rybody's Got a Laughin' Place, Sooner or Later, and Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah. That last song even won an Academy Award!

Given these successes, someone with no knowledge of Disney history would be mystified about the disappearance of Song of the South. Those of us who follow Disney, however, recognize that the racial elements of this film are *ahem* uncomfortable.

Image: DisneyAnyone who watched Song of the South would believe that plantation life was terrific for slaves. Even a quick viewing of film clips on YouTube will make you wonder how in the world this thing ever got made. It seems abhorrent today, which demonstrates how much societal mores have evolved over the years.

Let’s be clear that the shame of Song of the South won’t go away. Disney knows it, too. CEO Robert Iger recently stated that the film “wouldn’t necessarily sit right or feel right to a number of people today.” There’s an understatement for the ages.

To Iger’s and Disney’s credit, they’ve chosen not to make a cheap buck on such deplorable subject matter. Iger firmly stated, “It wouldn’t be in the best interest of our shareholders to bring it back, even though there would be some financial gain.”