The Backstories and Magical Secrets of Walt Disney World

by Christopher E Smith

  The Country Bears

  Henry

  Henry is the “barrel-chested bearitone” who coordinates the show. A friendly brown bear who wears a bow tie, a top hat, a formal collar with a starched shirt front, and a string tie, his backstory reveals that he was at one time a promising athlete:

  Henry, master of ceremonies at the Country Bear Jamboree, stands six feet tall in his stocking paws. He is another famous football player who entered show business. Henry was formerly with the Goose Creek Bruins. One day they tried a hidden ball play, and Henry hid the ball so well he couldn’t find it. This hastened his transfer to music. For a while, he had trouble finding a melody, too. But Henry is a likable sort, and audiences go for him like he goes for honey.

  For a finale, Henry sings “Ballad of Davy Crockett” with Sammy, his live raccoon hat. Henry is glad he turned in his football gear for a starched shirt and Sammy. “After all,” he explains, “I never knew a football helmet that could sing like Sammy.”

  A sketch of a young Henry carrying a football accompanied the backstory. Pete Renaday, who has voiced many different characters throughout the Disney parks, voices Henry. Renaday’s credits include voicing Captain Nemo on the extinct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage attraction, and formerly voicing President Lincoln in the Hall of Presidents.

  Gomer

  Gomer is the piano player for the Country Bears. He is a tall bear who wears a tie and a starched collar. According to his backstory, Gomer is a classically trained musician:

  Gomer is the piano player, but he didn’t always play country and western music. His training was classical. He began pawing the ivories while a cub and practiced days and nights for many years. Finally, he went to New York, much to the relief of his neighbors. There he studied Bearlioz, and his favorite composition was “Night on Bear Mountain.” When he heard himself referred to as the “lard of Juilliard,” he quit the concert stage and went home to the hills. He is highly regarded by the other musicians because he can play in a key other than C.

  Gomer’s biography includes a sketch of the pianist in formal attire, reflecting his years of classical training.

  The Five Bear Rugs

  The Five Bear Rugs is a boisterous band of five unique bear talents: Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred, and Tennessee.

  Zeke is a grey bear and the leader of the group. He plays a guitar and a foot drum. An older bear, Zeke wears a hat and vintage glasses that hang low on his nose.

  Zeb is a brown bear who plays a fiddle and wears a red polka-dot bandanna and ruffled hat.

  Ted is a tall, lean brown bear who plays (blows might be more appropriate) a jug and a washboard. He wears a white shirt and a hat that covers his eyes.

  Fred is an extremely large bear who plays a mouth harp, known by many as a harmonica. He wears a red-and-white striped tie, which pairs nicely with his jeans and suspenders.

  Tennessee is a brown bear who plays a large, one-string guitar-like instrument known as the “thing.” He wears a small cap and a red bandanna around his neck.

  Baby Oscar is Zeb’s son and does not play an instrument, but he carries a teddy bear that cutely squeaks on occasion.

  The Country Bear album insert includes a sketch of the Five Bear Rugs performing in front of a church and provides the following backstory:

  The Five Bear Rugs began playing music together when they were in first grade. Fifteen years later they were still playing—in fourth grade! Zeke plays the banjo and wears glasses—he’s the only one who can read music. Fred plays the mouth harp and carries the tune (his wife says Fred is lazy, and a tune is the only thing he carries). Ted blows the white lightning jug, and Tennessee plays the one-stringed thing (he hopes one day to add more strings). Zeb plays fiddle, and Zeb’s son Oscar accompanies his father on concert tours because Zeb’s wife works (she models fur coats—always the same one—at a nearby boutique).

  Wendell

  Wendell is a brown bear with buck teeth who plays the mandolin for the Country Bears. He wears a bowler hat and a blue bandanna around his neck. His backstory reveals that he, like Henry, has a background in sports (although a much less successful one):

  Wendell is a frustrated basketball player. He quit the game when in the team photograph, he discovered he came up to the other players’ knees. He then turned to baseball, but three people stepped on him (they thought he was second base). He went from baseball to football, until two quarterbacks threw him for touchdowns. It was after his gridiron career that he latched onto Henry.

  A sketch of Wendell dribbling a basketball accompanies his backstory.

  Liver Lips McGrowl

  Liver Lips McGrowl may have the most distinctive appearance of any of the Country Bears. He plays the guitar and wears brown overalls with a red-and-white-checkered handkerchief around his neck. Liver-Lips also has messy hair and, of course, large lips that appear to be forever puckered. According to his backstory, he has performed in the most famous cities on Earth…in the United States:

  Liver Lips McGrowl is a homebody who is never home. His career has spanned the entertainment world, and he is equally famous in radio, TV, nightclubs and the circus. His throaty growl has captivated audiences everywhere, and he has played return engagements in such famous towns as Paris (Kentucky), Rome (Tennessee), Berlin (Wisconsin), Athens (Georgia), Cairo (Illinois), and Stuttgart (Arkansas). But his heart is always at home, where the Miami Serenader can guzzle home cookin’ and catch up on his whittlin’. He has whittled a rain barrel, a bathtub, a pig trough, and a sump pump.

  The Country Bear Jamboree sound track includes a drawing of Liver Lips sitting in a rocking chair whittling a stick with a knife.

  Trixie

  Trixie also has a distinctive appearance, with a heavy build, a blue tutu around her waist, and a matching bow on her head. She is prepared for any situation, with a glass of wine in one hand and a handkerchief in the other. Her backstory:

  Trixie is an old trouper, a veteran performer. There is nary a sourdough or grubstaker who doesn’t recall her singing and dancing in the rip-roaring music halls of the western frontier. She has been known variously as the Calgary Charmer, Alaska Allurer, Vancouver Vamp, Bewitcher of British Columbia, and Tacoma Temptress. As did so many folks with good sense, she visited Florida and decided to stay. She is now known as the Tampa Temptation. She spends her spare hours thumbing through the pages of her scrapbook and is planning to write a book, I Bearly Remember.

  The backstory for Trixie is accompanied by a drawing of the Tampa Temptation looking into a mirror while holding a second mirror in her hand.

  Terrance (also known as Shaker)

  Terrence is a tall bear who plays a guitar for the Country Bears. His backstory, including his time as an actor, may come as a surprise given his outward appearance:

  Terrance is better known as the “Vibrating Wreck from Nashville Tech.” His stay at Nashville was short—the roar of the greasepaint called to him, and he became an actor. He performed often with the Bearrymores. He was known throughout the Ozarks and as far north as Joplin for his tent-show rendition of Cyrano de Beargerac (he was one of the few actors who could play the role without a false nose). A fall from the balcony in Romeo and Juliet literally brought down the house. It ended his acting career (and the stage) and he turned in his tights for a guitar.

  The drawing of Terrance in the album cover is perhaps the funniest, as it features the bear in full Shakespearean acting garb giving a performance on stage.

  The Sun Bonnets

  A set of triplets known as the Sun Bonnets are perhaps the cutest of all of the Country Bears. They each wear light blue dresses and, not surprisingly, sun bonnets. The Sun Bonnets have a lot of singing experience despite their young ages:

  The Sun Bonnets (Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah) are the babies of the Country Bear Jamboree. They began singing in Public School 821 in Clint, Texas, in Miss Grizzly’s class. From there they appeared five weeks running on Major Bear’s Amateur Hour and were booked into Walt D
isney World. Backstage they study their lessons (all the cast helps them with their homework, but they get good grades anyway). In their spare time they are all knitting a scarf for Big Albert, which they hope to have finished for Christmas—three years from now!

  A fanciful depiction of the Sun Bonnets knitting a scarf is included with this backstory in the Country Bear sound track.

  Ernest

  Ernest is a brown bear who plays the fiddle. He wears a derby hat, a collar, and a polka-dot bow tie. As his backstory reveals, Ernest is quiet the clothes hound…or bear:

  Ernest the Dude is a modern Beau Brummell, the well-dressed bear-about-town. He carries his wardrobe with him wherever he goes, which is difficult (not many motorists will pick up a bear hitchhiker with 17 trunks of clothes). He has 30 coats and 40 slacks (some of which fit), 60 shirts, 47 shoes, 20 hats and a pair and a half of underwear. Each year, when the Ten Best Dressed are announced, Ernest the Dude is there (wondering why he isn’t on the list).

  The depiction of Ernest in the Country Bear Jamboree album cover matches his dapper backstory, as he is wearing a bright yellow hat and coat and holding a cane and a pocket watch.

  Teddi Barra

  The most seductive member of the Country Bears, for those bears who go for that kind of thing, is Teddi Barra. She descends from the ceiling of the theatre on a swing and exudes sophistication wearing a large feathered hat and a feathered boa. Teddi Barra even carries a parasol to complete the look. Her backstory is as follows:

  Teddi Barra was discovered sitting on a soda fountain stool in an ice cream parlor three miles from Gentry, Arkansas. From there, her rise in show biz was meteoric, and the ravishing beauty is known as the Jewel of the Dakotas. Though she has always wanted to perform serious drama, her fans have never let her forget her feather boa and her parasol, both of which have been promised to the Daughters of Benton County Western Museum when they wear out. In Grizzly Hall she performs her famous “Heart, We Did All We Could” while descending from the ceiling on a swing. She has been called the Last of the Big Time Swingers.

  The drawing of Teddi Barra that accompanies this backstory shows her sitting at a soda fountain reading a magazine with a milkshake next to her on the counter.

  Big Al

  For many guests, Big Al is the star of the Country Bear Jamboree. He is a large bear (hence the “Big”) who plays a guitar and wears a burgundy vest and hat. Big Al’s massive appearance is hilarious in and of itself. The backstory for this larger-than-life character is as follows:

  Big Albert says, “I was born in a cave near the Princess Theater in Pocatello, Idaho.” There was music in his blood, and he’s been playing his guitar since he was a child. It’s become more difficult—Big Al has grown, and the guitar hasn’t. He loves to sit in front of his cave and sing. He was the first to practice ecology; he didn’t litter his cave with tin cans and paper cartons—he ate ’em. He was resident bard and balladeer in the swamp before Walt Disney World was built (and three badgers and an alligator have expressed great joy that he is now singing for people). This is Big Albert’s 10th farewell appearance.

  In the album foldout, Big Al is depicted wearing a striped shirt and sitting on a rock while singing a tune.

  Storytelling elements

  The Queue

  The Building Façade

  The Country Bear Jamboree is housed in a rustic “pine-walled Northwoods theater” known as Grizzly Hall. The structure looks as though it was constructed with rustic wood logs, a stark transition from the more elegant Diamond Horseshoe just down the street. A clock hangs on the exterior of the building labeled “Country Bear Jamboree.” The pendulum for that clock is engraved with the attraction’s initials, “CBJ.”

  A sign near the top of the exterior façade reads “GRIZZLY HALL, 1898.” Beneath it, another sign touts what you’ll find inside:

  “SINGIN’ & STOMPIN’”

  “CLAPPIN’ & GROWLIN’”

  “A WILD AND WOOLY GOOD TIME”

  A sign in front of the Country Bear Jamboree provides several funny advertisements for the attraction:

  “SONGS WITH BITE!”

  “WHOOP & HOLLER ALONG!”

  “MUSIC WITH SOME TEETH IN IT”

  “A TASTY BREW OF DOWN-HOME MUSIC & MERRIMENT”

  Across the street from the Country Bear Jamboree is Big Al’s, a shopping cart purportedly run by one of the stars of the show. It sells coonskin caps, cowboy hats, and other Western-themed merchandise.

  Look up before you walk inside the Country Bear Jamboree. Hidden behind the building’s second floor balcony, just above the sign for the attraction, are two bearskin rugs hanging on the wall. That is a curious thematic touch given the fact that the performers of the show are bears.

  The Interior Waiting Area

  Unlike its Frontierland counterparts Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain, the Country Bear Jamboree does not include an elaborate queue. Instead, guests enter the building and wait in a modest lobby area until the preceding show has finished. Several vintage pictures of the stars of the show hang on the walls, including Wendell, Trixie, and the Five Bear Rugs. Look down and you’ll see one of the best details in all of Frontierland: the wood floors in the lobby are covered with bear claw marks.

  The Theatre and Pre-Show

  When the previous show has concluded, a series of doors in the interior waiting area open to allow guests to enter the theatre. The show takes place on five separate stages. A large central stage is flanked by two additional stages on both the left- and right-hand sides.

  Pay close attention to the numerous advertisements that are displayed on the curtain for the central stage. They promote a series of humorous bear-friendly products:

  “FOR MOLDY ITCHY SKIN DISINFECT WITH BEARALL”

  “CAVES FOR RENT, BEE HIVE REALTORS”

  “UNICYCLES FOR TRICK BEARS, THE BRUIN CYCLE CO.”

  “FUR COAT SALE, SCALP BROS. FURRIERS”

  “CORSETS, CINCH LIKE A BEAR-HUG, CLAMP’S TOGGERY”

  “CURES PAW ROT, WAHOO, GOOD FOR BEAR OR MAN”

  “THE DUMP, CONTINENTAL CUISINE, BOOTHS FOR BEARS”

  “DENTURES, BUILT-IN GRIZZLY GRIP, DR. WINCH, PAINLESS DENTIST”

  A plaque that hangs above the theatre’s stages includes a picture of Grizzly Hall’s founder with an inscription that reads: “URSUS H. BEAR, FOUNDER.” The plaque also includes the dates “1848” and “1928”—presumably Ursus’ lifespan.

  As you enter the theatre, you’ll immediately notice the three animal heads that hang on the wall to the far right of the theatre: Melvin the moose, Buff the buffalo, and Max the deer. These characters provide a funny banter for guests prior to the commencement of the show:

  Buff: Hey, Henry, what’s holding ya up? Let’s get on with the show! We can’t hang around here all day.

  Max: Now, Buff, be patient. It takes a little doing to set these things up.

  Melvin: Yeah, we ain’t going anywhere anyhow. We’re kind of hung up here!

  Thurl Ravenscroft voices Buff, the apparent leader of the three. Ravenscroft’s Disney credits include voicing one of the singing busts in the Haunted Mansion and the German macaw Fritz in the Enchanted Tiki Room. Bill Lee voices Melvin. Lee was, along with Ravenscroft, a member of the famous singing quartet The Mellomen. He also voiced characters in such classic Disney movies as Cinderella (1950), Peter Pan (1953), and Mary Poppins (1964). Like Henry, Max is voiced by Pete Renaday.

  The Show

  The Country Bear Jamboree consists of thirteen different musical performances, each of which is performed on one or more of the theatre’s stages.

  “Pianjo.” An instrumental song performed by Gomer as Henry welcomes the audience. A beehive sits on Gomer’s piano, complete with two straws just in case Gomer needs a fresh drink of honey. Stalks of corn appear to be growing up the sides of the piano.

  “The Bear Band Serenade.” The attraction’s theme song is performed by Henry and the Five Bear Rug, al
l of whom appear on the center stage. During the song, each band member is called out to play their instrument while a spotlight shines down on them. Zeke’s banjo is made out of a frying pan and chicken bones. Pay close attention to Ted’s corn jug and you will see that it is labeled “B Flat.” Two nearby jugs are labeled “E Flat” and “F Sharp.” The “thing” played by Tennessee sits on a bathroom plunger and has a bird and nest stuck to its top.

  “If You Can’t Bite, Don’t Growl” by fiddle-playing Ernest.

  “My Woman Ain’t Pretty (But She Don’t Swear None)” by Liver Lips McGrowl, is one of the most popular songs of the show:

  I got a woman, she’s got me.

  Whatever we do, we both agree.

  She ain’t pretty, but I ain’t, too.

  The things we like are the things we do.

  My woman ain’t pretty, but she don’t swear none.

  She’s kinda heavy, don’t weigh a ton.

  She’s my woman, through and through.

  I love her only ’cause my heart is true.

  “Mamma Don’t Whip Little Buford.” Performed by Henry and mandolin-playing Wendell. This is the attraction’s most controversial song:

  Henry and Wendell:

  Mama don’t whip little Buford.

  Mama don’t pound on his head.

  Mama don’t whip little Buford.

  I think you should shoot him instead.

  Henry:

  Bang!

  “Tears Will Be the Chaser for My Wine” by the “robust,” tutu-wearing Trixie. She holds a handkerchief in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, both of which are appropriate given the name of her song.

  “How Long Will My Baby Be Gone?” by Terrance.

  “All the Guys Who Turn Me on Turn Me Down” by triplets Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah, collectively the Sun Bonnets (along with Gomer). Bubbles is voiced by Loulie Jean Norman, whose credits include the classic Star Trek theme. Bunny is voiced by Jackie Ward, who sang the 1963 hit “Wonderful Summer.”