Category: Merrie Melodies

Cartoons that were labeled as such.

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Hare Remover

“All out of expewamentew animaws. I’ll have to twap a wabbit.”

So now that the site is two years old, I’m trying to improve it anyway I can. So now if I can’t find a clip, I’ll still try to find a picture for the short.

In this short, Elmer is a scientist. He never says what he is working on, but I assume it’s a standard Jekyll/Hyde formula. He gives some to his lab dog, who rushes out to eat grass. (I only assume it does not work, you don’t need to  invent something that makes dogs eat grass.) Since that was his last “guinea pig,” Fudd decides to trap a lagomorph. (To use Latin.)

He sets up a trap, and Bugs comes out, amazed such obvious traps still exist. Taking pity, he decides to play along and gets in. (Notice Elmer seems to have buck teeth in this short?) Back at the lab, the formula seems to have no effect on Bugs. Elmer gives up. (Scientists have to be used to failure, so I guess it’s true when he says he’s a horrible scientist.) To calm him down (or maybe to give him a taste of his own medicine,) Bugs gives him a drink of the concoction. I still don’t know if it works. Elmer freaks out, so does it only work on people? He runs to join his dog in grass eating but on the way he runs into a bear, leaving his hat behind.

The bear walks to the lab, and when Bugs sees the ursine wearing Fudd’s hat he assumes the potion did it. He whips up something to turn him back. The bear drinks it and hates the taste. Bugs flees for his life. The bear takes a bite out of Bug’s carrot to remove the taste in his mouth. Fudd comes back and seeing the bear with the carrot, also assumes the stuff worked. He whips up a potion to remove the effects, but the bear is not drinking that again. Bugs reappears and Elmer flees from what he now knows is 100% bear.

Bugs advises him to play dead, and just like in “Wabbit Twouble” it works. Fudd is relieved, but Bugs acts like a bear to torment him. Elmer continues to play dead while the real bear concludes that the two are insane.

Personal Rating: 3

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Hare Force

“Heavens to Betsy! A poor, little, rabbit out in the cold!”

It is a cold evening. Our setting is a house that is home to a Proto-Granny and a dog named Sylvester. (Proto putty-tat? I’ll leave that up to you. He looks more like Willoughby to me) Sylvester is happy to be in front of a toasty fire but is angered when Bugs is found at the door and he is instructed to take care of the rabbit. As soon as the old lady leaves, he throws Bugs out. Bugs makes a snowman in his likeness and when the guilt-ridden dog brings it in, he flips out when it melts.

Bugs tells him to hide outside, but when he hears the granny returning, he pretends the frozen dog is posing for a picture. After getting put out again, Sylvester jams a stick in the door frame to keep the door open, but Bugs closes the bottom half anyway. Later, Bugs feels guilty and when he goes to let the dog in, he gets put out. They continuously throw each other out until the woman gets fed up and decides to throw them both out. They form a truce and toss her out instead.

Personal Rating: 3

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What’s Opera, Doc?

“Oh mighty warrior of great fighting stoooock! Might I inquire to ask, ‘Ehh, What’s up Doooc?!'”

This is the greatest cartoon ever. (Or so says “The 50 Greatest Cartoons” I’d trust it.) While I don’t personally agree, I can agree this is some fine work.(In my opinion, it’s “Porky In Wackyland” which is also on the list.) This whole cartoon is an opera, and Elmer (as Siegfreid) sings that he is hunting wabbits. Bugs appears and Fudd tells him he will use his spear and magic helmet. (Which can control weather) Bugs runs away just as Elmer gets wise.

Bugs renters the picture in disguise as Brunhilde. (Riding the world’s fattest horse, I might add.) They dance and sing and proclaim their love just as Bug’s disguise falls off. In his fury, Elmer conjures up many forces of weather to kill da wabbit. (Blanc yells Elmer’s line of “SMOOOOOOG!” The man is a good yeller.) After this, Elmer sees Bugs is dead (Yes, really.) He feels remorse and carries Bugs into the sunset. As the cartoon ends, Bugs asks us if we honestly expected a happy ending.

Personal Rating: 5

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Stage Door Cartoon

“Bewieve it or not, I’m hunting a cewtain wascawwy wabbit.”

Elmer is hunting Bugs and has a genius idea of using a fishing pole. Bugs hooks it to Elmer’s pants and then offers to help reel him in. Finding him too small, Bugs throws him back and then Fudd chases him into the city. There, Bugs hides in a theater for cover and Elmer follows. He traps Bugs on stage where in order to please the crowd, he dances, and then plays a piano Elmer is hiding in.

When the curtain comes up again, Bugs gets Elmer to dive into a glass of water and then gets him to make faces at the audience. Bugs puts on a disguise and the next thing Elmer knows, he’s being arrested by a sheriff, (Pretty much a Proto-Yosemite Sam.) for his indecency. As they leave, a Bugs Bunny short comes on and the sheriff insists they watch.

It turns out to be the cartoon we are watching right now and when Elmer sees Bug’s putting on a disguise he pulls off the sheriff’s clothes to reveal… a sheriff in his underwear. As the sheriff takes Fudd away to be hung, Bugs reveals he disguised himself as the music conductor.

Personal Rating: 3

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Rhapsody Rabbit

“Franz Liszt?”

Cartoon network turned twenty this year, so I feel its my duty to talk about where it all started. The very first thing to air on this channel was this cartoon.

The plot is very simple. Bugs is going to play my favorite piece of music, but we all know that other things will happen. First things first! Bugs kills someone who won’t stop coughing. (Hey, this is off to a great start!) He begins to play and catches the attention of a mouse who joins in, to Bugs’s annoyance. Later the mouse tries to watch Bugs play despite the fact Bugs does not want it to watch.

With the first part of the piece done, the mouse gets Bugs to play something more modern. Bugs joins in but afterwards shoves a TNT stick in with the mouse. The piano plays taps, but there is no time for Bugs to grieve as it’s time for the final part and it looks to be a monster. Bugs prepares to play a piece that may kill him, but before he begins, the mouse, with his own piano beats him to the punch. At least he lets Bugs play the last three notes.

Personal Rating: 4

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One Froggy Evening

“*Ribbit*”

(Quick note: I forgot to mention in last week’s entry, that all the voices were done not by Mel Blanc but by Stan Freberg. A rare thing in the Looney Tunes world. At least while Mel was still under contract.)

I’m wearing my Michigan J. Frog shirt today, so it only seems natural that I talk about this cartoon. This Chuck Jones classic starts out at a demolition sight. A building is being torn down and one of the employees finds a box hidden in the ruins. Inside is a wondrous sight to behold! A frog who sings and dances to songs form the early 1900s! (And one that Warner Bros. made up themselves, “The Michigan Rag.” )

Seeing this wonder of nature firsthand, it doesn’t take long for the man’s thoughts to turn to greed. However, when he tries to show it to a talent agency, the frog acts like a normal frog. Croaking, lethargic, (ectotherms don’t do well in unheated boxes) and not about to sing anytime soon. The two get thrown out. So the man rents a theater to show off his new pet. Costing him pretty much everything he owes, so this better be worth it…

The grand opening has no audience until he promises free beer. (Some of those letters are coming off his sign. Couldn’t afford better quality paint) But by the time he gets the curtains open the frog is done, and the man is booed. Now out of money, he is living in the local park. Where someone else finally overhears the frog. Said person is a cop, and he only heard the frog. He didn’t see it. Therefore, he does not believe the man and takes him to a mental hospital.

Later, now having lost everything from his money, home, and sanity, the man sees that the building is getting rebuilt and he leaps at his chance to hide the frog. He finally manages to succeed. 100 years later, another person finds the frog and begins to think of how rich he will potentially be…

Now I have a theory as to why the frog does this. I believe he was created to show people greed is bad. He purposely stops to get them in trouble. Hes the ultimate troll. Or perhaps, it just makes for better comedy.

Personal Rating: 5

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Katnip Kollege

♪”Okay, Mr. Jones you may, recite your history for today.”♪

At the kollege for kats, all the other classes are clearly never in use. (No zoology? That’s unfair. However I guess they ARE animals) The only class that is in session is swingology. From whats going on, it seems that its just normal school but everything is sung. The class recites their history lesson, but one kat is struggling. His name is Johnny and he has no rhythm.

Rather than accepting the fact that everyone has a different talent, the professor makes him sit in a dunce cap until he learns. The rest of the class taunts him, save for the stereotypical hot chick, Kitty. She’s a bit kinder, and tells him that if he could sing then she’d find him attractive. (B*tch. Or whatever the cat version is.)

Later, everyone is having a great time, ‘cept for Johnathan who is still locked up. A ticking clock gives him the inspiration he needs and he runs to join his classmates. He sings a duet with Kitty about how falling in love with her is easier than falling off a log. Then they fall off the log they were on. Hey, at least he got the girl.

Personal Rating: 3

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I Love to Singa

“That’s mein… Pop!”

In the forest there lives a bird named Prof. Fritz the owl. He is a teacher of voice, piano, and violin, but the one thing he will not teach and can not tolerate is jazz. At the moment, he is awaiting the birth of his children. When the eggs hatch, one can sing, one can fiddle, and one can play the flute. (I guess it’s true what they say: you can’t fit a piano in an egg.) The last one hatches into our protagonist, Owl Jolson. (Get the reference?) One thing I don’t get is why his voice starts out different, and then changes right away.

His parents are not happy with his life choice, and try to force him to submit to the power of classical music. However, he refuses to give up jazz and his father pretty much disowns him. On his own, he sees many other birds auditioning for Jack Bunny. (A joke will never get old.) The rabbit thinks all of the birds suck, and lets them know with his trapdoor. Jolson’s music is just to his liking though, and he gets first prize ready.

His family hears him on the radio and rushes over. Seeing them, the young owlet switches back to classical, like he’s been conditioned to. The rabbit, no longer enjoying himself, is about to give him the door, when his father bursts in and tells him he can sing whatever he wants. The whole family joins in and Jolson gets his trophy. A happy ending for all!

Personal Rating: 4

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Hollywood Steps Out

“50 dollars!?”

It’s a cartoon caricaturing famous Hollywood stars! (And they look rather creepy, I might add. Good thing the impressions are spot on!) Carry Grant buys some cigarettes from Greta Garbo and she uses her shoe to light it. Panning to the right we see a Leon Scheslinger cameo as well as a table set for Blondie and Dagwood, and a fire hydrant for Daisy. (Odd choice.)

Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Geore Raft pitch pennies and Harpo Marx gives Garbo a hot foot. Bing Crosby introduces our musical act as Stokowski composes. Boris Karloff dances stiffly, the 3 stooges poke each other to the beat, and Olliver Hardy dances with 2 women at once. Sally Ran does a bubble dance (She even tosses the bubble up, but we don’t see any nudity, you pervs.) Peter Lorre comments on the beauty of the bubble, and Henry Fonda gets punished by his mother for watching.

The dance ends when Harpo pops the bubble. (Good thing she was wearing a barrel underneath.) This whole time, Clark Gable has been chasing a blonde. He catches her only to find out it was Groucho in drag.

Personal Rating: 3 (unless you are a real film buff who knows who the parodies are today, then it just might reach the 4 tier.)

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Have you got any Castles?

“Hear ye, Hear ye, Hear ye.”

In another of the “books coming to life” series of cartoons, we come across a bookshop at midnight. The town crier announces that we are in for a treat as 4 famous literary monsters do a cute little dance. All the characters applaud and cheer while “The Good Earth” prays. Everyone begins to dance and “Green Pastures” sings along with Cab Calloway. A thin man goes to fatten himself at the “white house cookbook”, and the “Little Women” and “Little Men” sing about Old King Cole.

They are joined by the house of “Seven (Clark) Gables” and “Bulldog Drummin.” Louis Pasteur blows himself to “Seventh Heaven” and all the while, Rip Van Winkle is annoyed by lack of sleep. The 3 musketeers sing our title song, but I guess they are the villains as they take “The Seven Keys of Baldpate” and free “The Prisoner of Zenda.” Everyone else starts shooting at them, until Rip, who’s had enough, opens up a hurricane on them all, thus making them “Gone with the Wind.”

Personal Rating: 3