Author: Dr. Foolio

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Rabbit Romeo

“Women don’t chase men in America.”

Is it possible to be too attractive?

Directed by Robert McKimson

Acme Animal Delivery Service has just delivered a package to Elmer from his ncle, Judd Fudd. (I love that name.) The crate contains a rare species of slobovian rabbit. Her name is Millicent and if Fudd will hold on to her for awhile, Judd will give him $500.00 for the trouble. Elmer is momentarily shocked to find out how…”interesting” Millie looks. (“Wooks aren’t evewything, you know!”) He shows her to her room, but she immediately begins throwing a tantrum. Calling a vet, Elmer learns that slobovian rabbits prefer the company of other rabbits, and hey, who doesn’t? Elmer sets out to get one.

Bugs meanwhile, has been on a diet of icicles, and takes Elmer’s carrot bait without question. Elmer brings him home and Millicent immediately falls for her new boyfriend. Bugs is less than amused. She demands a kiss, so Bugs shoves a goldfish to her lips. She likes it. The fish shoots himself.  (Suicide CAN be funny. You just have to know how to do it.) Bugs tries to hide, but Millie’s strength easily helps remove him from his hiding places. She wants marriage now, and Bugs tries to teach her how the Americans do it: A long courtship.

She rushes through that to get to the good parts. (I love Bug’s annoyed face here.) Not willing to stick around, Bugs jumps out the window, but Elmer marches him back in at gunpoint. Millie next tries to get Bugs to do a traditional slobovian courtship dance. (“When in Slobovia, do as the other slobs do.”) He tries to dance away, but Elmer brings him back again, and tells him to go snuggle with his mate. Fudd goes to bed, and Bugs suggests eloping. Millie agrees and Bugs lets her climb out of the room first. He lets her plummet from the windowsill, leading to a very angry rabbit banging on the door. (That’s June Foray as Millicent. Out of all her roles as deep voiced women, this is my favorite.)

Bugs wakes up Elmer, and tells him that Uncle Judd is here. He gives Fudd a bathrobe to slip on, which is really a rabbit suit. As soon as Millicent sees this, she dumps Bugs and chases Elmer into the hills. Bugs: “Ain’t I the little matchmaker?”

Personal Rating: 4

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Knighty Knight Bugs

“So DIS is da singing sword! Big deal.”

Directed by Friz Freleng.

Well, it is now 2015. So let’s ring in the year with this: Bugs’ only Oscar. Heck, he was only nominated for the award three times. (The first two were in the 40’s.) What did he win against anyway? (*quick google search*) Well, it did beat Disney and their very well told, “Paul Bunyan.” So I guess it counts as a hard earned victory. But this isn’t even Bug’s best short. Does that mean I hate it? No! If you thought that, please go hurt yourself. As for the rest of us, lets get on with it.

King Arthur wants the singing sword which was stolen by the Black Knight. All of his knights refuse to go on such a quest, as the Black Knight has a dragon. Bugs dances in, as he is the jester. He remarks that only a fool would retrieve it. Arthur agrees and sends Bugs off. (Should’ve used better word choice.) The Black Knight it turns out, is Sam. And he does indeed have a dragon, but the beast (Gerry) let his fire go down. Which means he now has a cold. (Brilliant.) They are both asleep and Bugs manages to take the sword very easily.

Wondering why it has its title, the answer is given as it begins emitting music in his hands. This wakes both the knight and the dragon who give chase. Bugs escapes with them hot on his tail. (Gerry looks a bit horshish to me. Almost as if he was originally going to BE a horse, and they just drew scales around him.) Ducking into a hole, Bugs doubles back to the castle, and raises the drawbridge. (Dropping it on Sam when he demands he lower it.) Sam tries a catapult, (with results similar to “Sahara Hare”) and throwing a rope and climbing it. (Bugs uses a hammer to smack him back down.)

Later, seeing that the coast appears clear, Bugs sneaks out. Sam and Gerry were hiding but their position is given away when the creature sneezes. They chase again, and Bugs ends up locking them in a room full of explosives. Sam tells the dragon that if he sneezes, they’ll end up on the moon. As Bugs walks away, the entire tower blasts off. Waving goodbye, he marches off, a job well done. The sword playing “Aloha” to see us off.

Personal Rating: 3. I’m glad Bugs was finally recognized for his Oscar-worthy talents. It’s just a shame it couldn’t have been with a cartoon really showcasing them.

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8 ball Bunny

“It’s a boid! A boid in a tuxedo!”

Directed by Charles M. Jones

At a local theater, a show is just now closing. It is the “Ice Frolics” and it appears that their claim to fame is a skating penguin. Why, it’s Playboy. Haven’t seen him since “Frigid Hare.” (He’s not as cute as he was there. But he is getting his name.) But, uh oh! Looks like the rest of the crew forgot him! He desperately tries to catch up, but penguins weren’t exactly made for running. Or flying. In fact, unless he’s chasing a submarine, it’s probably hopeless.

While on the chase, he falls into Bug’s rabbit hole and wakes him up. Bugs is initially hostile, but softens up when the bird tears up. Apologizing, he agrees to help him find his way home. To his dismay, he finds his new charge is a penguin, and they primarily live at the south pole. (Although they do live in other places you know. Africa, the Galapagos, Australia…) But a promise is a promise. As they make their way south on a train, Bugs again announces his unhappiness. (We also have an adorable shot of Playboy hugging Bugs.) Playboy begins to tear up again, and Bugs apologizes saying he can’t bear to see him cry.

A hobo on the car agrees. Why, Penguins is practically chickens. (Well, they are both birds. So, sure.) And crying chickens make him so unhappy, he has to put them out of their misery. Coming to the rescue, Bugs points out that rabbits are bigger than penguins. (Not really, but sure.) The hobo agrees abandoning the bird,  and trying to get his mitts on Bugs. Bugs easily kicks him off the train. At New Orleans, Bugs has apparently had enough, and sends Playboy off on a boat to go the rest of the way. After it sets off Bugs overhears that it’s heading back to Brooklyn. Bugs swims after it, and rescues Playboy from being on the menu. (Are penguins really as tasty as this short suggests? I should test it.)

They make their way to an Island where Bugs forces the bird to build them a boat. Then Humphrey Bogart appears and quotes “The treasure of the Sierra Madre” asking for money. Bugs angrily gives him some. Later at sea, Bugs is going mad with hunger. The hobo’s words echo in his head and he nearly gives in to temptation. Luckily, they seem to have hit land! Bugs however, is not willing to pay 25 cents to pass through the Panama Canal. He opts to travel by land. It’s not long before they are captured by natives and are prepared to be cooked. (Okay, I really need a penguin hot dog now!)

Suddenly, something appears that sends them into a panic! It’s Bogart again. Bugs more happily gives him change this time. After many perilous obstacles, Bugs finally delivers Playboy to the actual pole. As Bugs turns to leave, Playboy begins crying ice cubes. He shows Bugs a flyer. He’s actually the only Hoboken born Penguin. (You’d think he would have shown him that sooner.) Bogart appears again, ready to ask for more money, but Bugs gives HIM the penguin this time and runs off.

Personal Rating: 4

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To Hare is Human

“Poor chap. He had his chance.”

See the poor coyote, dreaming of his breakfast.

Directed by Chuck Jones

Wile E. heads out of his lair with some type of contraption in tow. It turns out to be a portable elevator which he uses as a way into Bugs’s home. He comes out with Bugs literally in the bag. Bugs asks what is going on. Wile E. explains and also tells Bugs (who is in the middle of escaping) that since he is a genius, he knows that Bugs was going to ask what was in the bag, Wile E. would tell, and Bugs would ask what he was going to do with the rabbit, whilst using the time to escape. And by this point, Wile E. knows there is nothing in the sack. As it turns out, Bugs says there IS something in the sack and Wile E. humors him by taking a look. It explodes. Bugs takes the elevator back down and Wile E. chases after him. Not noticing the TNT Bugs has left in the lift. BOOM! Time for the brains to be used.

Wile E.’s latest gizmo is a Univac Electronic Brain. (UEB for short) You just enter your problem and it will offer you the best solution. He enters the animal as “rabbit” (was one of those options ‘dad’?) location as “hole”, and what as a “combination lock.” The machine tells him to use burglary methods and even prints the code for the lock. (Wow. I need me one of those. For good deeds, I mean!) Wile E. heads out at night with a portable window he puts up next to the lock. (Of course it’s necessary.) Bugs, reading in bed, can hear him and casually tosses a banana peel into his path. He slips and lands in the coyote disposal which throws him out off the side of a cliff.

Come morning, he asks what to do while Bugs is putting carrots into the toaster. It recommends substituting the veggies for grenades. He does so, but the spring of the toaster needs work as it launches them right back to sender. Simply asking “what”, “now”, and “?”  has it suggesting using a plunger. Wile E. has clearly been working out, as it creates a LOT of suction. So much so, that when Bugs puts a pipe out the other way, Wile E. gets sucked through it and into the plunger himself. Next, Bugs is vacuuming and Wile E. places a TNT stick into the machine. This probably would have worked if he hadn’t done it just as the rabbit was finishing. Then maybe he wouldn’t have emptied the bag right away into the trash can Wile E. was hiding in.

Wile E. then sets a booby trap in the carrot patch, that will launch a boulder on Bugs when he pulls a certain one. (Can carrots grow in the this dry a climate?) Of course, nothing happens until Wile E. touches the snare himself. Rushing back to the UEB he asks for a suggestion, and it flat out tells him to go back and get hit. (Which he does.) As the short ends, we see that the UEB only has one moving part: Bugs himself.

Personal Rating: 4

Have a merry Christmas!

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Barbary-Coast Bunny

“You realize this is not going to go unchallenged.”

Probably didn’t have his iron today.

Directed by Chuck Jones

While he is tunneling to visit family, Bugs strikes gold! (With his head.) His happiness quickly turns to paranoia, as he wonders how he will keep it safe. His fear is justified, as he is being watched by none other than Nasty Canasta. (Not only not appearing with Daffy this time, but also looking like less of a threat. Either way, we know he is not going to win against Bugs.) Canasta sets up a fake bank, and Bugs happily deposits his fortune. As Canasta ties it to his donkey/mule Bugs changes his mind and asks for it back. Canasta responds by folding up Bugs in the fake bank, placing a rock on top and riding off. (What do you know? He did “win after all.”)

6 months pass, and it looks as if Canasta has used his ill-gotten funds to build a casino. He is busy putting invisible ink on the cards with someone walks in. To us, it looks like Bugs Bunny. To Canasta, he looks like the worlds largest lollipop. He asks if he can use Canasta’s “telly-o-phone”. (A slot machine.) Canasta lets him do so. Bugs puts his coin in and pulls the lever. He asks the “operator” for his ma, and complains to her that he needs money. He wins the jackpot and thanks his mother. As he leaves, Canasta (Amazed at what just happened, but not going to allow someone to win in his joint.) asks if he would like to stay and play some games. Bugs suggests marbles and Canasta agrees.

He shows him how HIS version is played. (It’s roulette.) Bugs bets a penny and wins. (Because the game is rigged, and Canasta has buttons to stop the ball on whatever number he wants.) He tells Bugs that in his casino, the customer always wins. (“Really?” asks Bugs in a hysterical manner. Kills me every time.) Later, it’s shown that Bugs has now bet just about all he’s already won. Canasta hammers a block of wood, into the spot Bugs keeps betting on. (A small problem I have: why does he need to do that? He tells Bugs it’s so no one else can bet on it, but it’s rigged. He doesn’t need to worry about that.) He has the ball land on double zero and he laughs so hard, he pounds the table and the ball ends up landing in the knothole of the wood.

Bugs goes to leave, but Canasta suggests they play a game of draw poker next. Bugs is willing to try. Canasta explains that the player with the biggest hand wins, and Bugs blows up one of his gloves. (Canasta: “Cut it out, can’t ya?) Bugs begins to leave again, but Canasta apologizes and Bugs is willing to give him one more try. They play, and Canasta has a full house. Bugs is not sure he won, because all he got was two pair. (A pair of ones, and another pair of ones.) Having enough, Canasta pulls his gun on Bugs saying their going to play another game. (This must be the way they play marbles in Russia.)

Bugs wonders if all you do is spin the revolver. He does so, and even more money pours from the gun. Presumably having gotten his stuff back, Bugs leaves while Canasta tries spinning the gun. It blows up in his face. Bugs tells us our moral: NEVER try to steal karats from rabbits.

Personal Rating: 4

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Sahara Hare

“Yoo-Hoo! Mr. A-rab!”

Yearnin’ to be turnin’ up the surf on ole Miami beach.

Directed by I. Freleng

Our short takes place in the Sahara. (Natch.) Bugs tunnels into the big sandbox and leaps out excited. He believes he is at Miami Beach and happily runs off to find the surf. Not having any luck, he DOES come across the worlds smallest oasis. He decides he might as well try it and dives in. (Ouch.) Out of the desert comes Sam on a camel. Accurately, it only has one hump. Angered at the footprints all over “his” desert, he follows them.

Bugs is bathing in the oasis that seems to have gotten bigger. He stumbles out looking for something to dry his face, as Sam forces his camel to stop. Bugs rips the sheet off of Sam’s hat and invokes his wrath. Here, his name is Riff-Raff Sam and he chases Bugs to an abandoned Foreign Legion outpost. Even though it has a gate, Bugs closes the door. (Which conveniently becomes a drawbridge to drop on Sam’s head.) Sam tries to get in by pole vaulting, (into a stone) chiseling a brick away, (to find a cannon aimed at him), and trying to break the door down with an Asian elephant. (In Africa? You guys got the camel right.) Bugs sends out a wind-up mouse which scares the creature so much, that not only does it lose its tusks, but it uses Sam to bat at the rodent.

Eventually, Sam finds the secret entrance inside. Surprise, surprise, there’s another door. He keeps opening doors to find more doors. Bugs is putting them up faster than Sam can open them. The mass of doors leads to a booby trap that will explode when the last one is open. As Bugs walks away, he wonders if Sam is really stubborn enough to open all the doors. One explosion later answers his question. Then, of all people, Daffy pops out of the sand, happy to be at “Miami Beach.” (Ducks are well known for burrowing without rabbit’s help.) Bugs tries to inform him of his mistake, ultimately deciding he can figure it out himself.

Personal Rating: 3

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Forward March Hare

“Holy Cats! I’ve been drafted!”

Have I got your attention?

Directed by Chuck Jones.

As the mailman makes his rounds, he delivers a letter to one Bertram Bonny. But as he pulls away, the exhaust from his vehicle causes the letter to fly towards a different house. Namely, one that belongs to Bugs Bunny. Taking the letter, he finds out America wants him! (Despite the fact he already was the only toon to actually be part of our armies.) He arrives at boot camp and goes to take his physical. AUGH! Too much nude! I have no desire to see that much exposed man-flesh. It’s nasty. (The guy behind Bugs is so messed up, his hair changes colors.)

Bugs shocks the doctor who runs the x-ray, and scores perfect on the vision test, reading everything on it. (All those carrots really helped.) He gets his uniform and joins the ranks, introducing himself as Private Bugs Bunny to his superiors. The sergeant (who I think is voiced by John T. Smith, voice of the Crusher) sarcastically says he is Porky Pig. (Don’t flatter yourself pal.) Perhaps he should have done that out of earshot of HIS superior, Colonel Putty Tat. (Apparently General Tweety has been asking about him, too.)

He is forced to make Bugs go on a long hike. (And is down a stripe.) Returning to Camp Ono, (Laugh) Bugs takes a bath in a helmet. It belongs to the Colonel and when he puts it on, he takes another stripe from Smith. (Gasp! He’s smoking! We better edit that out because people are stupid enough to do exactly what cartoons do.) Smith tells Bugs to clean and dress the chickens for dinner tonight. (The army makes you do that?) Bugs takes him literally. (What classy Roosters. All hoping to be nominated for the year of the rooster, no doubt)

Bugs next uses a bomb to hammer up a poster, blowing up himself and launching the shell to the colonel. Down to his last stripe, Smith asks why Bugs won’t listen to him. He has ears… really long ears. Gasp! Private Bugs Bunny this whole time was really: Bugs Bunny! Bugs is told that rabbits just aren’t meant to join the army. (Species-ist.) But they do have a job Bugs can do: testing all the bombs for the duds. Only 30 more years til retirement!

Personal Rating: 4

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Hurdy-Gurdy Hare

“Ain’t I a devil?”

Directed by Robert McKimson

One day in the park, Bugs is reading the newspaper looking for job opportunities. He settles on buying a hurdy-gurdy and a monkey to earn money with. With his new purchase, Bugs happily plays music while the monkey collects coins from apartment dwellers. Coming back to Bugs, it’s shown that the tenets stiffed him. Or did they? Turns out the monkey, (who I will call Chim-chim) pocketed it all for himself. Bugs fires him on the spot and decides to play monkey himself. Using a ladder, he pounds on windows for cash, but only winds up with a bucket of water emptied on him.

Meanwhile, Chim-chim is at the zoo. Would you look at that! It’s Gruesome! Haven’t seen him since “Gorilla my Dreams” (Their eyes may be different, but I never forget a face.) He is apparently buddies with Chimmy, and is angered to hear of how Bugs treated him. He easily breaks out of his cage, and heads off to serve revenge. Bugs meanwhile accidentally sees a woman doing… something. (Personal, no doubt. She screams.) Gruesome appears and shows off his strength. Bugs shows he can stick his finger in his mouth, blow, and levitate for a brief second. Gruesome tries, and floats off the building. Taking his finger out at Bug’s suggestion, he plummets.

He comes back, and Bugs asks if he can jump off the building, bounce off the awning and land back where he started. Gruesome tries it, and crashes through the pavement to the underground. Dazed, he exits via an elevator and Bugs (disguised as a subway conductor) leads him back into the hole. Coming back, he gives chase once more. Bugs runs, but not before taking one more peek at that lady. (Naughty, naughty!) He climbs down his ladder, but Gruesome hoists it up, and Bugs climbs back into his clutches. So Bugs climbs it, and Gruesome lowers it, and Bugs climbs back into his clutches. This goes on for awhile until Bugs climbs to the next floor without the ladder.

He starts laying bricks in a window when Gruesome sticks his head in. Bugs finishes his wall anyway, and gives the ape an exploding cigar. He then tricks the gorilla into running out a door back to the ground. Gruesome returns (He has lots of stamina.) and Bugs seems to have run out of tricks. Spying a violin, he aims to see if music truly soothes the savage beast. It works, and Gruesome dances. Getting an idea, Bugs uses the dancing gorilla to rob the terrified populace of their money, while Chim-chim, (who I guess Bugs forgave) plays the hurdy-gurdy.

Personal Rating: 3

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Mississippi Hare

♪Camptown races sing this song, doo-dah, doo-dah…♪

Directed by Charles M. Jones

This short gets censored a lot because of scenes that apparently scream racism. It starts in a cotton field where Bugs is napping. Apparently this is bad, because those are African Americans harvesting it. Well, we don’t see any definitive proof that they aren’t being paid, so it might be relatively harmless, but I digress. He gets packed with the cotton on a riverboat and he climbs out of the hold to see where he is.

He notices that this boat throws off stowaways. Dashing into a cabin, Bugs dresses as a gentleman and shows off the ticket, that I guess was in the room. Secure, he takes a look around. He comes across a gentleman named Colonel Shuffle. (Jone’s take at directing a Yosemite Sam character.) He is voiced by Billy Bletcher and demands for someone to try and beat him in poker. Bugs takes the challenge and bets $100.00 in chips. (Which is half a chip. Ha) Fade out.

Fade in, and see that Bugs has all the chips, and Shuffle has the half chip. With A’s in his eyes, he shows his hand, but Bugs’s is better and he wins it all. He flat out calls Shuffle a jack@$$, (Well, Shuffle did ask for it) and the colonel declares a duel. Bugs walks with him and misses the shots. He shoves an exploding cigar in his mouth, and gives him a banjo to play. (“Racist” part 2. That is apparently blackface on Shuffle. Or you know, ASHface.) Bugs has him dance off the boat and he comes back up with the wheel.

He tries to fire his gun but liquid comes out. It must be a *dons shades* water pistol. Anyways, Bugs disguises as a barker and gets him to enter a show, which is really just a one way trip back into the drink. When he aims again Bugs tells him it’s still full of water and Shuffle checks by shooting himself. Bugs tricks him into the boiler and Shuffle desperately tries to buy a cup of water to put out the fire. He asks Bugs for change and Bugs takes his sweet time. Finally giving it, Shuffle gets the water, and begins firing again immdiately. (Smart. Elmer would’ve walked off before remembering his task at hand.)

Bugs relies on his drag routine and beats Shuffle with a parasol. His wig briefly comes off and Shuffle chases again. Bugs pleads with a much taller man to help him, and Shuffle is tossed off the boat for good. The man comes back to flirt with Bugs and sees his tail. He throws himself off too.

Personal Rating: 3

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Southern Fried Rabbit

“Gotta burn my boots. They tetched yankee soil.”

Directed by I. Freleng

The northern half of the country appears to be in some dry times as the whole area is desert. Since there is such little water, the carrots are thin and withered. Lucky for Bugs, he finds a paper that announces of a record crop in Alabama. He happily sets off. After his journey, he finds the border. (What contrast! Even the sky is different colors!) However, as soon he dares take one step across, he is chased off by general (Yosemite) Sam. Apparently, General Lee told him to guard the line and not allow any Yanks to cross. (He must be really old.)

Bug’s fact about the war being over for nearly 100 years does nothing to change Sam’smind, and Bugs runs off. Later Sam sees “one of his boys”: Bugs in a disgusting blackface disguise. (C’mon Bugs, you’re better than that!) When Sam asks him to play a catchy tune on his banjo, Bugs reveals himself by playing “Yankee Doodle.” Sam is angered and Bugs begins to plead not to be whipped. Now, it’s funny. (Because of Sam’s face, thank you. Bugs should really take the disguise off. I’m losing respect for him) He then appears as Lincoln and demands Sam put the whip away. (I’m no history buff, but wouldn’t a southern general just shoot Abe?)

Seeing Bugs’s tail, Sam chases again. (Also Sam is balding in this short.) Bugs hides in a tree and Sam tries to light a bomb to throw in. Bugs blows it out when he is near and when he is far. (Thanks to a straw.) When Sam gets far enough away, it blows before he can reach the tree. Bug’s somehow warps to a tent and exits as “Brickwall Jackson.” He has Sam march to the edge of a well. Then he says “fall in.” SPLASH! The chase leads to a mansion where Sam finds Bugs in drag. (I give him credit for not being seduced, but instead focusing on his mission.)

Looking behind the door that the dame says hides no Yankee, Sam is blasted by a cannon. Then Bugs rides up on a horse. (He is getting really good at this teleporting.) He tells Sam, that the Yankees are in Chattanooga. Sam leaves. We close on him holding the New York Yankees at gunpoint in the dugout.

Personal Rating: 3