Category: Chuck Jones

Anything directed by the man who was responsible for directing the number one greatest cartoon.

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Going! Going! Gosh!

‘Road runner (acceleratti incrediblus)’

After the Roadrunner runs by, the coyote jumps from his hiding place to pounce…and misses. Time to use the old noggin! When launching a TNT arrow, only the bow gets fired. Using a large slingshot ends up with the coyote pinned against… err… some plant, and his cement just ends up covering himself.

He tries a grenade while under a manhole but the bird takes a different route and ends up pinning a rock on the manhole cover. BOOM! He dresses up as a female hitchhiker (the bird already has a date) and paints a fake road (only to have a real truck drive out of it.) After some more gags (including a genius hot air balloon) the coyote decides to jump and harpoon the bird. However he gets hit by another truck. This one driven by the bird himself.

Personal Rating: 3

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Beep Beep

“Last water for 300 miles”

After the title cards, the coyote notes that his prey is just too dang fast, and he will not be able to catch it on foot. This calls for stradegy. He rigs a boxing glove up to a boulder, but when he releases it, the boulder crashes into him. (So does the glove.) He tries dropping an anvil on the bird from a tightrope but the weight drags him down. (If you’re watching “Space Jam” this is where the short would end) He is not worried because he has a parachute…or not.

He tries a clever booby trapped glass of water, which the bird ignores and a chase through the mines ensures. (This breaks one of Chuck’s rules: “The Roadrunner must stay on the road”) The coyote later tries some rocket skates but he can’t control them. Battered and bruised he tries to get a drink, only to be blown up by his device. As a last resort he makes a fake railroad but gets clobbered by a real train. Need I say who is riding in it?

Personal Rating: 4

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The Bugs Bunny Show

“On with the show, this is it!”

During the sixties, “Looney Tunes” was on its last legs. Also during this time, Looney Tunes got its TV show. (Why not? It was the latest fad!) The premise was simple: Bugs showing us cartoons with various bridging sequences in between, such as Bugs feeding Taz carrots or Slowpoke coming to visit Speedy. The show was black and white which may have been odd today since all the shorts in the theaters were color, but color TV was only starting to get started. Lack of pigment  was a small price to pay for the convenience of watching animated masterpieces in your own living room.

Now for the bad news. This show is gone and you’re not liable to find any full episodes. (At least, as I’m originally writing this.) If you ever have seen, or have any somehow, you are quite lucky. Maybe you’d like to make the rest of the world feel as lucky as you?

Personal Rating: (From what little I’ve seen) 3

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Baby Buggy Bunny

“Dada.”

A stick up at a local bank is taking place and the thief is a tall, shadowy figure. Or so it would seem. In reality, it’s a pint-sized burglar known as Ant Hill Harry, alias: Baby Faced Finster. That comes from the fact that he is able to disguise himself as a baby so he will not get noticed. (Because babies left alone in alleys are not suspicious.) After the cops go past, his buggy with the loot inside rolls away. The money lands in Bugs’ rabbit hole and he laughs at his fortune.

Thinking it over, Finster decides to play orphan so he can get in, and the guise fools the rabbit. Once inside the crook makes it clear he wants the money and holds his breath so Bugs will comply. Once he gets it though, he tries to escape. The rabbit never gets wise. Later at bedtime, every time Bugs turns out the light he gets clobbered. He pretends to turn out the light and sure enough Finster is the one responsible. He plays innocent and Bugs is still deceived… that is until he turns on the tube and sees a news report about the robbery that took place earlier. Bugs gets his revenge and Finster is sent to prison.

Personal Rating: 3

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Hare Conditioned

“Hmm…taxadoimy.”

At a department store, there’s a smaller store that is having a sale on sporting goods. As a nice touch, they also have a rabbit hopping around. The bad news is that the sale is over and Bugs is going to be…stuffed! The manager (a caricature of an old radio person, the Great Gildersleeve) is yellow and has an annoying laugh. When Bugs realizes what’s to become of him, a chase starts.

Bugs dresses in drag and yellow guy becomes a pervert. Soon after he learns it’s a ruse, and they begin the chase again. Each time they run into a clothing section, they come out wearing the wares. Soon, Bugs has been cornered on the roof of the building (this reveals Bugs’ eye color to be blue) and running out of tricks, tells about a story he was reading.

There was a situation like this, but behind the big character was a “frankinsense” monster. Bugs leaps behind him and makes a face. This scares the manager, and he leaps off the building. Bugs makes the face to himself and is so scared he jumps too.

Finally: I wonder why Porky does the ending. I think that’s the only time he did that for a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

Personal Rating: 3

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Bunny Hugged

“Its a living.”

At the championships of wrestling, we have in one corner: the Crusher! An athlete who is literally one, big muscle. In the other corner Ravishing Ronald (a take on real wrestler, Gorgeous George) and his mascot Bugs Bunny. Ronald is quickly turned into a punching bag and Bugs, worrying about his job, steps in to take on the champ himself as the masked terror. (I don’t care what you say. That is a cool mask and if I had one, I would wear it everyday.)

Unfortunately, Bugs is almost as bad as Ronald was. Looks like its time to cheat. He rips his mask to make the Crusher think he ripped his shorts. Bugs disguises himself as a tailor and gives the champ a poke in the butt. After getting slammed into a safe door, Bugs is able to pin the dazed crusher to the mat.

Personal Rating: 3

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Broomstick Bunny

“Magic mirror on the wall, who is the ugliest one of all?”

Halloween night and our lovely Witch Hazel is preparing a brew. (I’ve always wondered why witches always do that. Is there nothing else to do on a Friday night?) One thing she prides herself on is being ugly, so it is a great stroke of luck that she has a genie’s head in a mirror who can tell who is the ugliest.

Enter Bugs who is trick or treating as a witch. When he comes to her door, she is aghast to find that “she” is uglier than her. She plans to make the witch pretty by drinking a special tea. Bugs takes off his mask and she realizes that not only is he a rabbit, but a rabbit’s clavicle is the final ingredient for her brew. The chase commences and she catches her prize.

She’s about to do him in when, Bugs gives the Bambi eyes. Reminding her of her late tarantula, she bursts into tears. Bugs gives her a cup of tea to calm down, and poof! She turns into June foray. (Or a caricature, anyhow) She runs to her mirror, with the faint hope that she might still be the ugliest. Instead of answering her however, the genie chases after the now sexy witch.

Personal Rating: 3

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Drafty, isn’t it?

“Have I got your attention?”

This is an army recruitment short. We see Ralph Phillips (who starred in “From A to ZZZZZ” and “Boyhood Daze”) now around 19 years old. His dreams are being haunted by an ominous shadow. While he sleeps, a little imp like creature named Willie comes and starts to talk to the young man. He tells him that he should join the army no matter what. It will help him throughout life and the horrible conditions are pretty much exaggerated in the cartoons, anyway. Ralph’s dog chases the creature, waking Ralph. They see the shadow again outside the window and now realize it is a join the army poster.

Personal Rating: 2

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So Much for So Little

“It’s up to you.”

Sorry for the lack of updates. I was on vacation and visiting relatives and seeing my baby second cousin made me think of my good picture of which to talk about. I decided on this Oscar winning short. That isn’t actually a Looney Tune or a Merrie Melody.

In it, we learn how to keep ones self healthy. (Made a while ago, as they mention smallpox as a viable threat.) We also learn that plenty of babies will die and it’s mostly our fault. However, if we remember that only 3 cents a week will save them, we can make a difference.

Personal Rating: 2 (Not bad, but plenty outdated as stories based on science tend to be.)

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Spies

“Full speed ahead!”

A thing I forgot to mention last time, is that some of these shorts were written by the great Dr. Seuss, such as this one.

We see Snafu bragging about a secret he knows and how he will never reveal it. Although unbeknowenst to him, he is being followed by his enemies. He walks through town and little by little, he leaks more and more. Eventually, he comes to a bar, and to the tune of powerhouse, he gets drunk. Now he could care less and he goes to a woman to tell her all about it. She is a Nazi and she lets all the others know what is going on. Then, when Snafu is sailing later, he is torpedoed and killed. In hell, he wonders who let his secret out. His answer comes to him in a mirror. Before the short ends, his reflection turns into a horses butt.

Personal Rating: 4