“Merry Christmas, Santy.”
Supervision by I. Freleng; Story by Michael Maltese; Animation by Manuel Perez; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Merrie Melody released on August 22, 1942.
Before we begin, it’s time for a story that raised by faith in humanity by one notch. Several billion more and I may remember how to smile! It happened at work. A child saw my shirt that had various Toons on it. She didn’t recognize Miss Boop or Mr. Sailorman. After introductions, I commented that they used to be quite popular. She then pointed at a certain hare and said “I think the Looney Tunes are still popular. Everybody loves Bugs Bunny.”
Dang if I didn’t wish she was my daughter for the briefest of moments. If she stops by here on Halloween, I’m giving her the entire candy bowl. Thank you for indulging me, Chinese bots that flock to this site in the thousands each week. Let’s now have a reminder why everyone loves Bugs.
It’s the final time I get to discuss a short where Elmer is a plumpling, because this was the last short to feature him as such. Though it already looks like he’s trimmed down a smidge. Must be the grueling exercises that come with being a Mountie. Elmer’s a Mountie. And the biggest criminal they have to catch is Bugs Bunny. Why again with the quotes on his name on the wanted poster? Were they opting it for being a nick name at the beginning? What isn’t his nickname then? Nick?
Bugs has been hard at work doctoring those posters. It takes a lot of comfort with your ego to intentionally make yourself look worse for comedy’s sake. Takes even more, and some chutzpah to boot, to give yourself the Hitler do in 1942. Bugs has always been that kind of cool. It also requires you to be so sure of your success, that you’ll leave easily traceable tacks leading back to your home. When he reaches for Elmer’s carrot bait, he is slapped in cuffs.
Elmer struggles to pull him out, and ends up finding a lit bomb attached to the other end. And guess who is holding the keys? And his taking his sweet time going through each key to find the right one. And just wolf whistles at one. (It’s probably used for **** ** **** * *** *******.) Elmer goes boom, but managed to get off screen, and marches Bugs up against a tree. He’s going to be arrested, and he’s got plenty of charges to make it legal.
Elmer will read them thusly. The resisting arrest and disturbing the peace is just innocent fun, but the traffic violations? I really did expect better of you, Bugs. Like G.T.A. That looks awesome on a resume. While getting his riot act read, Bugs takes Elmer’s hat and impersonates his superior officer. He calls Elmer a disgrace, and strips him of his uniform. It’s got to be mighty cold in just your boxers and girdle, but at least Elmer has gotten over audiences seeing it. That last scolding must have really made the masses grow up.
Elmer gives chase, and the two go through a deep snowbank. Upon exiting, the two have switched places, so they run back through. But the evil snow has piled up even further in the 17 seconds they were on the other side, and now they both burrow. No, I hadn’t even considered the two just turning left to stay in the bank. And I still won’t. Don’t fall for the snow’s chicanery. Bugs uses the old “my ears allow me to pass through things” bit, and Elmer crashes into a tree.
When he next finds Bugs, the wabbit has built a snow effigy to belittle the little man. But his excellent hearing means he knew Fudd was right behind him, and he punches him in the nose after he says he will. Elmer flies rear first into an ice sheet, and makes a beautiful heart. As a kid, this was the funniest gag in all Looney Tunes, and instantly made this one my favorite until I saw “A Day at the Zoo” two cartoons later.
Bugs ducks into a cave that Elmer’s girth won’t allow entering. He has to use his gun, not aware that Bugs has taken its place. Elmer starts firing “blanks”, and when he checks the empty barrel, Bugs gives him the smack on the smacker. Then he flees again. In and out of snowbanks they go, leaving their imprints each time. Bugs uses this to his advantage, and paints one on solid ice, knowing Elmer will charge before he looks.
Elmer breaks down in tears. But Bugs has had his fill of fun. He willingly tells Elmer that he’s ready for the cuffs, and while wary of more tricks, Elmer seizes the opportunity and Bugs leads them back to justice. Bugs ends up at the mercy of the firing squad. Elmer grants him a final wish, which is really big of him. Fat jokes aren’t crowd pleasers anymore, but I figure that was as tasteful as I could make it.
Bugs wishes he was “…in Dixie, hooray! Hooray!…” And if you’ve seen this one on TV, it ends abruptly there. Something was cut and I’m usually against that, no matter how racist it was. This is different. This just might be the most racist thing I’ve ever seen in classic cartoons. I’m not really the one to be the best judge, I’m aware. But this really is one case where I kind of think the rushed end is actually a bit funnier than the reality.
It ends… with Bugs, Elmer, and the squad donning blackface and performing a minstrel show. That doesn’t even deserve a flat wow. Instead, I’ll relate how innocently naive I was seeing this as a child. I was left wondering why Bugs was suddenly singing with a bunch of moles and why he felt the need to disguise himself as one. So Elmer couldn’t find him? Why was I so much more pure before I was baptized?
Favorite Part: The snow imprints follow a simple pattern: Bugs, Elmer, etc. So who owns the sexy lady one? Probably the escaped flasher the Mounties they could be putting all their effort into finding.
Personal Rating: 3. I feel odd delegating it as such what with its ending. I end up justifying it because if you know how it ends, it’s because you’re an adult who can decide if the audience you’d want to share it with can understand that it didn’t not age well; it didn’t exist well.