“No doggone, long-eared rabbits’ a’gonna stop me from dynamiting no oil drillin’ hole!”
Directed by Robert McKimson; Story by Tedd Pierce; Animation by Rod Scribner, Phil DeLara, Charles McKimson, and Herman Cohen; Layouts by Peter Alvarado; Backgrounds by Richard H. Thomas; Voice Characterization by Mel Blanc; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. Released in 1952
This short takes place in Texas. In the future I’m guessing. (Dallas had been renamed to Dalla$) Bugs is residing in Deepinahola, Texas. (Just a little bit past Deepinaharta) He enjoys his life. Outside a very long car drives by. “How long is it?” It’s so long, that not only does the passenger need a phone to call the driver, but it’s a long distance call! This guy is pretty much McKimson’s Yosemite Sam. Since he’s not given a name, I’ll give him an extremely clever and original one. Nah, I’ll just call him Tex.
His driver does have a name, Maverick. And I may sound weird but Maverick is kinda adorable. With his hat that covers his face, a shirt that covers his entire body and the fact he doesn’t talk… I dunno. I just want a plush toy of him. Back to our story: Tex is angered to see that one of the holes on his property is not gushing oil. He and Maverick start setting up an oil derrick, when Bugs pops up to see what’s going on. Despite his claims that the hole is his home and lacks fossil fuels, Tex still continues his work. He sets some dynamite into the hole as well, to keep Bugs away.
Happy to find “party decorations”, Bugs makes a cake and decorates it with the “candles.” Sending it back up. Tex is surprised that someone remembered his birthday was today. Especially because it’s not. (Speaking of birthdays, I have one.) Bugs urges him to make a wish. My wish is that we got to hear what he was going to wish for. All we know is that it’s not money. (He’s got plenty of that.) After the explosion, he tries to just shoot Bugs. The rabbit puts up a funnel and some pipe that lead the bullets back to Tex’s rear. Time for some grunt work.
He orders Maverick to go get Bugs, but the silent cutie comes back empty handed. Tex goes in himself and asks for plenty of TNT. Guess what? Bugs stole Maverick’s clothes and hands him sticks upon sticks of explosives. (Tex doesn’t seem to realize that there is a Maverick in the hole and out of the hole) Soon, there’s so much dynamite that the earth is near bursting at the seams! Bugs is pretty cool with the destruction of his home and all worldly possessions, since he tells Tex where his lighter is.
After another explosion, we see that Bug’s hole was not on top of an oil gusher; but instead a carrot one. Catching our disbelieving looks, he reminds us that anything is possible in Texas. (There you go. Toontown and Texas. The only two places on the planet where anything can and will happen.)
Personal Rating: 3