Rascal Racoon
"Murata's raccoon rascal stirs woodland trouble"
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About this film
Yasuji Murata draws a mischievous raccoon whose antics disrupt a peaceful woodland scene. Quick gags and elastic movement showcase pre-war Japanese animation technique applied to a small cast of animal characters. The rascal's schemes drive the brief narrative from setup to comic payoff.
More about this film
About the production
Themes
Themes & topics
Historical background
Made during the studio era of 1933, Rascal Racoon reached audiences through theatrical programs, fairground booths, or specialized distribution channels typical of its generation. short film by Yasuji. Historians now read such works for what they reveal about production methods, national taste, and the expanding vocabulary of screen narrative.
Why this film matters
Archivists and programmers still screen Rascal Racoon when tracing how popular entertainment evolved. Its subject—short film by yasuji—gives later viewers tangible evidence of what drew crowds in its day. Home video, restorations, and festival sidebars keep the title circulating among students of film history.
Making of
Production details for Rascal Racoon are sparse in public sources; surviving materials and catalog metadata remain the main guide for researchers.
What critics said
Original trade coverage treated Rascal Racoon as routine program filler rather than a landmark production—typical of steady studio output. Later criticism emphasizes preservation, stylistic comparison with contemporaries, and whatever cast or crew names later gained prominence. Contemporary writing is mostly historical: assessing completeness, influence, and place in a director's or studio's catalog.
Did you know?
- Directed by Yasuji Murata.
- Catalog year: 1933.
- Rascal the Raccoon is a 1977 Japanese animated TV series by Nippon Animation. The series is based on the 1963 autobiographical novel Rascal, A Memoir of a Better Era by Sterling North. It aired on.
Visual style
Visual style reflects the equipment and lighting available to filmmakers around 1933.
Innovations
Technical notes emphasize format, length, and preservation rather than studio publicity.
Music
Sound elements follow the technical standards of the release era.
What audiences thought
Audiences of the period encountered Rascal Racoon as part of regular screening bills; later viewers discover it through archives and curated retrospectives.
Film restoration
Availability depends on archive holdings and digital transfers listed in the catalog.
Where to watch
- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yasuji%20Murata-%20Rascal%20Racoon%20(1933).ogv