Favorite Disney Character Challenge - #09: Brer Fox from Song of the South (1946)
 
While most people these days might remember this character as they careen down the falls of Splash Mountain at several Disney theme parks, he actually came from a film the company has vehemently kept under wraps for several decades for what they deem as “politically-incorrect subject matter”. Whether it’s true or not, the animated sequences from Song of the South are some of the most beautifully done things the studio ever did. Based on the folk tales of Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris, Brer Rabbit, using his keen sense of wit, thwarts Brer Fox and Brer Bear’s many attempts to capture and eat him for dinner.
 
While technically a villain (the first on my list), Brer Fox is an incredibly appealing character, despite his cruel and devious ways. He is the brains to Brer Bear’s brawn, together forming a threatening duo that plan on catching Brer Rabbit once and for all. He’s fast-acting, fast talking, and fast thinking, but not nearly as fast as Brer Rabbit, who always slips out of their clutches one way or another, often leaving them worse off then they started.
 
The Brers were mainly animated by Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, Eric Larson and Ollie Johnston, each animating their fair share of each character. Many of the animators on the film recalled later on in their careers that the animation they did on those characters was the best stuff they ever worked on at the studio. Brer Fox was voiced by James Baskett, who also performed the lead role of Uncle Remus in the live-action portions of the film (as well as Brer Rabbit in the “Laughing Place” sequence, when Johnny Lee wasn’t available to record). Baskett won an honorary Oscar for his role, becoming the first African-American actor ever to receive the award.