Category: Cartoons from the 50’s

The 1950’s contain some of the most revered shorts Warner Bros. ever produced! Many of which now are considered some of animation’s greatest triumphs.

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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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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

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Knight-Mare Hare

“Surrender varlet! Thou art the prisoner of m’lance!”

Directed by Chuck Jones

While drying his ears, Bugs is reading a book about Knights and Gallantry. All of a sudden, an apple falls on his head. The scenery changes and suddenly Bugs is in the middle ages. He immediately runs into a knight. (Look at his horse, it’s like DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!) Said knight, has never heard of Bug’s friends. (Including Cab of Calloway and Satchmo of Armstrong) Angered, Bugs is willing to challenge him to a duel. The sword he is given is too heavy and the knight is getting closer. Bug’s blindfolds himself and wins by tripping the horse, sending the knight into a tower.

Next, a huge dragon appears. It seems really happy to breathe fire and tries to make roast rabbit. Bugs subdues him with a seltzer bottle and the dragon scampers off. Looking around, Bugs enters a wizard’s lair. His name is Merlin of Monroe. (That’s a great joke.) He demonstrates his magic prowess by turning Bugs into a pig. (I love pigs!) Bugs simply unzips the skin and challenges Merlin (who looks like a cross between Witch Hazel and Mugsy,) to click his thumb like a lighter. Angered at Bugs making a mockery of his spells, he tries but can’t seem to do it. This gives Bugs a chance to use magic powder to turn Merlin into an equine. (I can’t pinpoint what type.)

Seeing an apple, Bugs throws it on his head and wouldn’t you know it? It works and he goes back home. Relived to be back he spies an equine (Horse? Donkey? Mule? Hinny? I have no idea!) with Merlin’s hat. He shakes it off as a coincidence. Until he hears it’s name IS Merlin! What a twist! (Now that I’ve said that, I’m prominent online.)

Personal Rating:3

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Operation: Rabbit

“Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Wile E. Coyote. Genius.”

Directed by Charles M. Jones

I’m always amazed about how few people know that Wile E. appeared with Bugs and that he spoke. This is actually one of the first Looney Tune shorts I recall watching. Heck, this was Wile E’s second appearance, so he had no real standard yet. But his other role would catch on far more so, leaving the other in obscurity. (This is a phenomenon that I call “Zelda 2 syndrome”.) Wile E. starts the short by flat out telling Bugs he is going to eat him, and that since he is a genius, Bugs might as well give up. Bugs is not fazed and just leaves. Wile E. begins his plans. (It’s hard for us geniuses. No one wants to appreciate us while we’re alive.)

Plan 1 is a pressure cooker he puts over Bug’s hole. When Bugs tells him that there is no rabbit in there, Wile E. checks and Bugs traps him under it. Then he clubs him. Plan 2. Wile E. has a cannon with al ot of pipes to launch a cannonball right into Bug’s home. Bugs has more pipe and sends it right back. While working on plan 3, Wile E. finds Bugs at his door announcing his decision to give up. He just needs a witness to sign his will, and offers his predator a pen. (TNT) Wile E. is happy to oblige and just puts out the fuse. That proves he is a genius. Elmer and Sam would have fallen for that. And no one, not the first time anyway, sees the second fuse on the other end. BOOM!

Plan 3 involves an explosive rabbit decoy. Wile E. turns it on  in his house (for some reason) when there’s a knock at the door. It’s a female coyote. She’s a decoy, but Wile E. is too smitten to notice. (Tells her how lucky she is marrying a genius. Love his ego.) Bugs detonates her and before Wile E. can get rid of it, the bunny blows up too. Plan 4 has a UFO that homes in on targets and explodes. He sets it to rabbit, but Bugs wears a chicken mask to confuse it. He writes coyote on the side and sends it back. Now without his cave, Wile E. plans in an explosives shed. He fills carrots with nitroglycerin not realizing Bugs is towing him onto train tracks. Boom again! Giving up, he introduces himself to Bugs as mud. “And remember.” says Bugs. “Mud spelled backwards is dum.” (Well what do you know? It is!)

Personal Rating: 4

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Roman Legion-Hare

“I gotta find a victim to feed to the lions.”

Directed by Friz Freleng

In ancient Rome, (54 A.D. to be exact,) everyone is eagerly headed to the coliseum to watch people be devoured by lions. (Aren’t humans just wonderful?) Emperor Nero is angry to discover there are no more victims. He tells his captain of the guard (Sam) to get one or be one. Same calls his troops and they go hunting. Enter Bugs, who thinks their march is a parade. When he tells Sam that he’s the only one around, Sam orders his men to catch him.

Bugs easily trips the troops and they are never seen again. Sam chases Bugs in a chariot and passes him. (And flies out when the horse stops.) Grabbing a club, he chases Bugs into the lion holding area, luckily on the opposite of the bars. Sam is annoyed by a roaring lion, and clubs him to shut up. Bugs opens the gate between the two and Sam is pummeled. Chasing Bugs into another room, they find it’s the lions den. (So, why was that other one all alone?) They tiptoe through, but Bugs lowers an alarm clock while Sam is still down there. He’s mauled.

Sam finds Bugs on the other side of a lion pit and goes after him with stilts to be safe. Bugs hands the lions tools to dismantle the stilts. Sam is beaten and we actually see him lose his mask. Bugs tries to escape, but leaves through the door to the arena. Sam gleefully shows the victim and the lions are released. Bugs is terrified, but he shouldn’t be. The lions go straight for the people who forced them to live in tiny, unsanitary, cages. Sam and Nero climb atop a pillar, but the lions chop it down piece by piece. As they lower towards their doom, Nero plays taps on a violin. Desperately hoping that music can soothe several savage beasts.

Personal Rating: 3

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Gonzales’ Tamales

“All the pretty girls in love with Speedy Gonzales. What’s left are chihuahuas.”

Directed by Friz Freleng

In Mexico, two mice named Pedro and Manuel are chatting. They’d like to go out and have fun with the ladies but they only have eyes for Speedy. Even the few who are willing to give the men a chance are seduced by Speedy. (Which I have to say is a dick move. Can’t he let the others have some fun? Some of us can’t afford to lose anymore self esteem.) So yeah, Speedy’s the villain in this short.

They hold a meeting to discuss what to do, and eventually decide that they will get the “greengo poosycat” to chase Speedy out of town. (Or just keep him busy.) They send a phony threat to Sylvester that proclaims Speedy will tear his tail out. Livid, Sylvester goes and dares him to do it. Speedy easily accomplishes the task, and Sylvester declares war. He ties to lure him with cheese. (Speedy is well aware of the lure.) Using his speed, Speedy easily gets the (surprisingly shrunk) cheese. Sylvester tries a gun, and Speedy dismantles it piece by piece, leaving a bullet in midair. Shocked, Sylvester pulls the “trigger” and it blows up in his face.

After losing a game of “Hot Potato: Grenade Edition!”, he sends in a wind-up female mouse. Speedy apparently buys it, as when Sylvester comes out chasing, Speedy takes “her” with him. He hides behind a box of chili peppers and tells Sylvester he’s hiding in one of them. Sylvester (rather moronically) buys this story and begins to eat. They are extremely spicy but he’s able to chug some water to keep cool. (Hey, in 1957, they probably didn’t know water does nothing to help.) The second time he tries it, he finds that Speedy switched the water with tobacco sauce. Sylvester launches into the air and we see P. and M. again. (I guess they’re done with the girls. Or they never tried. Maybe they never went to the meeting?) They don’t seem too surprised to see the “gringo poosycat” flying by.

Personal Rating: 3