Br'er Raccoon (also known as Br'er Coon) is a character from the 1946 Disney film Song of the South and other media inspired by the film itself.
Background[]
Br'er Raccoon is an anthropomorphic raccoon often seen wearing a blue jacket and a red tie around his neck. Like all the Br'ers and Sises from the stories, Br'er Raccoon is an animated raccoon from the stories told by Uncle Remus (despite not appearing in any of the sequences with cartoon backgrounds).
Origins[]
Br'er Raccoon is based on the character (whose original spelling is "Br'er Coon" , a play on the word "Raccoon" which is a term used for several small species of raccoons) of the same name from the Uncle Remus stories often portrayed as a recurring character within the original stories who is a friend of Br'er Rabbit.
History[]
Development history[]
The Br'er Raccoon animatronic in the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland versions of the attraction is actually a reused model of the animatronic raccoon character from the former "America Sings" which ran from 1974 to 1988, where the raccoon from the attraction is seen during the "Polly Wolly Doodle" sequence in Act I of the attraction. After the attraction closed down in 1988, Splash Mountain opened in Disneyland in 1989, where a different raccoon figure was placed to represent the Br'er Raccoon character into the Disneyland version of the attraction. The raccoon animatronic from America Sings was replicated into the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland versions of the attraction, converting the America Sings character into the Br'er Raccoon character at the Splash Mountain attraction.
Due to the success of the attraction at Disneyland, the Splash Mountain attraction was later constructed at Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, still featuring the scene with Br'er Raccoon in it. Br'er Raccoon received a unique design in the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland versions where he is seen wearing red pants with yellow suspenders and a red ribbon-tie in the Disney World version and his clothes are similar in the Tokyo Disneyland version, but with blue pants instead of red and a red bandanna around his neck.
As of 2020, Splash Mountain was announced for closure to be completely reimagined into a Princess and the Frog-themed attraction due to controversy surrounding the film which inspired the attraction, it is unknown of what will replace Br'er Raccoon in the California and Florida versions of Splash Mountain while The Oriental Land Company has not decided whether to retheme the Tokyo version of the attraction or not. The Magic Kingdom version of Splash Mountain permanently closed on January 23, 2023 followed by the Disneyland version closed permanently on May 31 on that same year. The Oriental Land Company, however, has not yet decided whether to retheme its version of Splash Mountain yet in Tokyo Disneyland.
Appearances[]
Media[]
Song of the South[]
Br'er Raccoon is first seen during the "How Do You Do?" animated segment were he could be seen fishing at The Fishin' Place. Alongside with Br'er Frog, and Br'er Terrapin.
He is later seen during the reprise of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" at the end of the film, Br'er Raccoon appears again alongside various animated characters in the live-action scene where the children are happily strolling across the countryside. He later follows the live-action children happily strolling along just as Uncle Remus catches up alongside the other animated characters following them into the sunset just as the film ends.
Disney Parks[]
Splash Mountain[]
In the Disneyland version, Br'er Raccoon could be seen at the "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" sequence where they and various other critters are seen welcoming Br'er Rabbit to his home after escaping from Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear who attempted to capture him but they failed to do so. He could be seen sitting on top of pumpkins playing a harmonica, alongside with Br'er Porcupine.
In the Disney World and Tokyo version of Splash Mountain, Br'er Raccoon could be seen at the "How Do You Do?" sequence (in Br'er Porcupine's version "Time to be turning around") where he is playing a harmonica. In the Tokyo version, he could be seen playing a harmonica alongside with Br'er Porcupine playing his drum, and Br'er Dog playing his guitar.
Professor Barnaby Owl's Photographic Art Studio[]
A picture of Charles Boyer's Splash Mountain artwork featuring Br'er Raccoon can be seen in the Professor Barnaby Owl's Photographic Art Studio store.
Grandma Sara's Kitchen[]
His portrait can be seen inside the restaurant of Grandma Sara's kitchen, alongside with his wife and their children.
Gallery[]
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