Hyde and Hare

Friz Freleng, Hyde and Hare USA 1955

Thus we end another feature for the year. This time we see the 2nd time Friz Freleng took a stab at the Jekyll and Hyde story. 

Bugs is doing his thing at the park. An nice old fellow has been feeding, so Bugs figures he should do another 'cute bunny' bit if he wants some more carrots. He pushes things though, just straight asking the old fellow if he can come home with him. 

The man, a doctor by trade, is overjoyed. Taking Bugs back to his rooms, he leaves the rabbit in a room while slips into a lab and makes himself a drink. He tries to resist but he downs it. The changes are immediate and the now monstrous man skulks the floor, finding Bugs. 

Bugs, thinking the fellow is simply sick, tries to find the doc, unaware of the man's condition. From there, Bugs and the doc play a game of cat and mouse with a neat twist at the end. 

Overall good, the doc/Hyde bit was rather weak though; why does the doc take Bugs back home? The formula changes him when he drinks, except when it doesn't or when there's another cause for the change. Not very consistent.    

This is a Life?

Friz Freleng, This is a Life? USA 1955

This is Your Life ran on NBC from 1948 to 1961 (the first four on NBC radio) and yup, this is a parody.

If you know the show, then this is hilarious. 

Elmer Fudd, acting as host, talks about the show's special gust of honor, Bugs Bunny. Much to the annoyance of Daffy Duck, who's sitting in the crowd and generally being boorish; much to the irritation to Granny (June Foray). Elmer brings out a special guest for Bugs, namely Yosemite Sam.

From there we watch the highlights from A Hare Grows in Manhattan, Hare Do, and Buccaneer Bunny, and which we see Elmer and Sam are up to the something, but what is it and how can Daffy make it about himself?

Pretty good and the first time we had a short with three on one fight, and the first time Foray voiced Granny. The parody may fly over some viewer's heads today but the humor still holds up. 

Rabbit Rampage

 Charles M. Jones, Rabbit Rampage USA 1955

Sometimes a sequel isn't always a good thing. In 1953, Jones did Duck Amuck, considered one of Daffy Duck's best shorts (and a cameo by a certain rabbit, but June Bugs will be focusing on the staring roles). Why not revist it?

Bugs gets up for work on another Warner Bros. short, but when he sees the artist, he tries to quite. The artist isn't having this so for the next six minutes Bugs is forced to undergo a series of humiliations before he pulls down the ending credit. Elmer Fudd, at the drawing board, is happy he got some payback. 

Not awful, but Daffy is cruel enough to warrant some torment, by now Bugs getting this kind of treatment just comes across as mean but the whole meta thing feels played out as it's same joke as before. 

Disapointing from Jones and Selzer. 

Hare Brush

 Friz Freleng, Hare Brush USA 1955

We open with a board meeting of the Elmer J. Fudd Corporation. Things are grim and only looking worse; as evidenced by the man himself, Elmer J. Fudd, enters. 

He's convinced he's a rabbit. This is concerning for quite a few reasons and thus they have no choice but to commit the man to the Fruitcake Sanitarium. He's there for a while when he spots Bugs happening by. 

One switch later, and Elmer's running free and Bugs is relaxing in bed. The doctors see only a man with the worse case of rabbitistis they've ever seen. Thankful some intensive therapy later Mr. Fudd, millionaire, is cured. 

Just in time for hunting season too!

Not bad, but this was first time Elmer really got one over on Bugs. It never sat right with me, as Bugs seemed too dim and Elmer just comes across as a jerk near the end. 

Sahara Hare

 Friz Freleng, Sahara Hare, USA 1955

The first Sam short of 1955, and the first use of the "Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" as the theme. 

Bugs enters a sandy area. Assuming it's Miami Beach, he goes charging towards the surf. Sometime later, and now thoroughly beaten down by the sun and heat, he admits he may have gotten lost. That's when he runs into Rif-Raff Sam, who does not appreciate some long eared galoot getting footy prints all over his desert. 

Good, even if some of the gags were reused from earielr shorts. Funny enough this parts of this short would be get reused too, but we'll get to that later. 

Sam is in fine form and Bugs uses his stubborness against him perfectly. 

Beanstalk Bunny

Charles M. Jones, Beanstalk Bunny USA 1955

And we greet 1955 with a short from Chuck Jones. 

Daffy, having just traded his cow for some beans, curses his luck and tosses them aside. When they grow into a giant beanstalk stretching up into sky, he changes his mind. When he notices Bugs Bunny's bed tangled in the vines, Daffy kicks him away. On account on this being a 'Jack and the Beanstalk' picture and HE'S Jack.

Bugs opts to follow and where there is a giant beanstalk there's a giant. Elmer in this case, and he's looking for Jack. Bugs doesn't sweat it, and why should he? He's not Jack, pointing to Daffy. 

Jones, Maltesse plus Bugs and Daffy? Perfection. Bugs is at his heroic best, while Daffy and Elmer provide the best foes he can hope for. 

Baby Buggy Bunny

Charles M. Jones, Baby Buggy Bunny USA 1954

Another favorite of mine, and so good the Wayans opted to remake it as Little Man. 

Bugs is minding his own business when it rains pennies from heaven, or to be more accurate fat wads of cash. Bugs doesn't question and lo and behold, someone leaves a foundling baby on his doorstep! An adorable moppet named Finster, who's just overflowing with love. 

And greed, as Finster is also better known as Ant-Hill Harry, notorious bank robber. 

Bugs takes some licks before he figures it out, but when he does Finster is going to wish he stayed on the straight and narrow. 

Wonderful; Bugs is perfectly used here and Finster is a perfect foil. Honestly shocked he didn't get used more, but I suppose the whole 'short adult pretends to be tall baby' had a set shelf life. 

Yankee Doodle Bugs

Friz Freleng, Yankee Doodle Bugs, USA 1954

The return of Clyde! You know, Bugs' nephew? Last seen in 1951's His Hare-Raising Tale?

Clyde is having some trouble with his history homework. Thankfully dear old Uncle Bugs is at hand and more than willing to regale his nephew with tales of America's founding and history. 

Better than a clip show at least. The short breaks down into eight segments, each one focusing on a different part of America's history (Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment, Washington crossing the Delaware, etc.). 

Not bad, but Clyde is a bit too flat to really contribute anything, but the jokes are good; although this does suggest that Bugs has been kicking around this land since at least 1780's. 

Bewitched Bunny

Charles M. Jones, Bewitched Bunny USA, 1954

The first appearance of a particular favorite of mine, Witch Hazel.

Bugs is relaxing in the woods with a copy of Hansel and Gretel with two moppets who happen to resemble the titular twins. Declaring this is a job for the Masked Avenger, Bugs opts to act when the former isn't available. 

Witch Hazel is a great foe. She's smarter than Elmer but the magic gives her an advantage over Yosemite Sam. Magic being a pinch unpredictable. 

Devil May Hare

 Robert McKimson, Devil May Hare, USA 1954

The first appearance of the Tasmanian Devil.

Bugs is doing some spring cleaning when nearly every animal imaginable stampedes by. The reason? The Tasmanian Devil is on a rampage and his favorite food?

Rabbit

Bugs isn't going to let this go without a fight and proceeds to make the Devil regret his choice of snack. Darn good and the Devil is a pure powerhouse. True Bugs tricks him with his usual manner of slapstick but Tas manages to just power through the tricks, thus keeping Bugs on his feet. 

No Parking Hare

Robert McKimson, No Parking Hare, USA 1954

Bugs VS the Man

Seriously, the construction worker here has no name.

A construction crew is building a new freeway. The problem is the road is going directly through Bugs Bunny's living room. Naturally this isn't going to unchallenged.

Pretty good, but basic. The worker is a bland antagonist but his attempts to force Bugs out are met with the usual display of cunning. Good ending, but I think Wiley E. Coyote might have been a better sparing partner this time out. 

Bugs and Thugs

 Friz Freleng, Bugs and Thugs, USA 1954

Bugs tackles Rocky again, sort of. The gangster first showed up in 1946's Racketeer Rabbit and clearly based on Edward G. Robinson. Here he's redesigned and has a different sidekick, the dimwitted yes man Mugsy. 

Strolling towards the bank, Bugs mistakes a car for a taxi. Pity the car is being driven by Mugsy, who's waiting for his boss Rocky, who's in the bank making a massive withdrawal. A wonderback forth follows, with Rocky asking Bugs if he knows anything (meaning about the robbery) and Bugs proceeds to rattle random facts. 

"This guys knows too much!"

From there, well, Rocky thinks Bugs is trapped with them but what they fail to realize is they are trapped by Bugs, who proceeds to unleased hell in everyway. Wonderful bit, and Rocky and Mugsy could also carry a short by themselves. 

Captain Hareblower

 Friz Freleng, Captain Hareblower, USA 1954

Kicking off with the first Bugs Bunny short of 1954, and the last short to feature Yosemite Sam as a pirate. 

Captain Yosemite Sam is a pirate so rotten he can't even keep a crew, doing all the work himself. Spying a ship across the waters, he launches an attack. His reputation is such that the entire abandon ship, all save for a certain stowaway in a box of carrots. 

Wonderful use of Sam, and the interaction we see between Sam and Bugs really sells it. The ending gag is a bit silly, but I suppose that's the point. 

Robot Rabbit

Frex Freleng, Robot Rabbit, USA 1953

With this we end 1953.

Elmer is just trying to grow carrots on his farm when a certain rabbit arrives. Elmer tries to rid himself of this pesky rabbit, but when that fails he decides to go high-tech. Can a robot brain beat a rabbit?

Ok; certainly not the worst but not the best. Some of the gags and designs have been reused. Not the worse thing but it still stand out. Elmer doesn't do all that much, leaving the physical stuff to the machine but honestly he could have easily done most of the jokes himself. 

Still, the idea of someone trying to kill Bugs using higher tech does work on at least some level. 

Duck! Rabbit, Duck!

Charles M. Jones, Duck! Rabbit, Duck! USA 1953

The final part of the Hunting Trilogy. We open in the dead of winter. Daffy is busy tearing down the duck season signs and burning them for warmth. He replaced them though, but his signs say 'rabbit season'. Elmer doesn't notice and makes a line towards Bugs. 

Bugs easily counters Elmer and from there he and Daffy exchange wordplay and costumes. 

The weakest of the trilogy but still good. The whole 'fricasseeing rabbit' bit was genius as well as getting Daffy to call himself different animals. The final gag with Elmer is utterly brilliant and the payoff to Daffy is also good. Of the three I'd say Rabbit Fire was the best but this is still good. 

Lumber-Jack Rabbit

 Charles M. Jones, Lumber Jack-Rabbit, USA 1953

Bugs Bunny VS Paul Bunyan; well, Bunyan's dog Smidgen at any rate. The first Warner Bros. short released in 3D.

Bugs is tramping across the land when he stumbles across the vegetable garden of the titular lumberjack. He doesn't notice a thing until he reaches the carrot patch, and the enormous dog guarding said patch. 

Not bad, I recall watching it and not even noticing it was 3D. Smidgen is a bit weak, as he resembles Charlie Dog and thus the scare factor is toned down a bit. Bugs has no issue outwitting him, and that's part of the problem. 

Overall good but not great.

Bully for Bugs

Charles M. Jones, Bully for Bugs, USA 1953

If not the best short Jones ever did, certainly one of the best. Supposedly created when producer Eddie Selzer barged into the production offices and loudly declared that bullfighting wasn't funny. Figuring that Eddie hadn't been right yet, Michael Maltese fired off this yarn.

Bugs, in route to the Carrot Festival in Coachella Valley, takes a wrong turn and ends up in the middle of a bullfighting ring. He'd ask the matador, but the fancy dressed fellow split when facing down his opponent, Toro. 

Toro proceeds to mess with Bugs. This doesn't end well for him. 

Wonderful; seriously, if you can only watch one of Jones's shorts this should be considered. 

Hare Trimmed

 Friz Freleng, Hare Trimmed, USA 1953

Now this one is a bit better. The first time Bugs, Sam, and Granny teamed up too. 

Yosemite Sam is in a good mood. Seems local widow (Granny) just inherited a million bucks. He thinks it's a shame such a rich woman should be without companionship so vows to marry that money, er, woman. 

Bugs overhears this and vows to stop him. Scout's honor and all that. 

A classic, and for good reason. Bugs and Sam play off each other perfectly, and even Granny is no slouch.

Southern Fried Rabbit

 Friz Freleng, Southern Fried Rabbit, USA 1953

The first Sam cartoon of the 1953, and yeesh. 

Bugs is having a poor crop of carrots this year, but when reading of a bumper crop in Alabama he decides Dixie is the place he wants to be. Pity he's shot at by Colonel Sam. When reminded that the Civil War ended 90 years ago, Sam snaps back that "he ain't no clock watcher!"

Can Bugs outfit the gray and the bold? Can he do it without resorting to blackface?

Yeah, this one didn't age well. Even by the standards of 1953 this is asking a bit much. 

Upswept Hare

Robert McKimson, Upswept Hare, USA 1953

Much better, and the first Elmer showing of the year. 

 Bugs is napping in his lair when Elmer digs him up by accident. He was looking for a rare desert flower that happened to be growing nearby. Taking back to Elmer's penthouse, Bugs assumes it's a mirage, at last Elmer whips out the double barrel shotgun. 

A decent contrast with the previous episode, with Bugs and Elmer competing in various challenges although Bugs outclasses Elmer in every event. 

Forward March Hare

Charles M. Jones, Forward March Hare, USA 1953

We now enter 1953 and Bugs got his letter from the draft board. 

Well, technically he got B. Bonny but eh, close enough. So, heart filled with pride he saunters down to the induction center. Assigned to basic training, his sergeant quickly becomes the bane of his existence and likewise Bugs torments him equally, with the poor slob losing a stripe every time Bugs fouls up.  

It's...ok? For Jones this honestly feels like a letdown. Bugs is a bit dim. The mayhem he causes is pure accidental, which isn't nearly as funny as deliberate actions. Plus the sarge just doesn't stack up, coming across as more dim than menacing. Seriously, how does he not notice his new recruit is a rabbit? Bugs isn't exactly being subtle. 

Some gags work, but the ending one is just weak, with Bugs being even dumber than Elmer. No mean feat that. 

Hare Lift

 Friz Freleng, Hare Lift USA 1952

And thus we end 1952 with the return of Yosemite Sam.

Bugs is relaxing in his home when someone parks the world's biggest airplane over it. Bugs manages to escape and opts to take the nickel tour. While he sits at the controls, bank robber Sam (who just cleaned out the Last National Bank), mistakes him for a pilot and has him fly away. 

Can Bugs land? Will Sam get away with his ill gotten gain?

Darn good, even if the ending gag was reused from Falling Hare. 

Rabbit's Kin

 Robert McKimson, Rabbit's Kin, USA 1952

And now a new foe, and one that isn't voiced by Mel Blanc!

Yeah, here is the first appearance of Pete Puma. Voiced by Stan Freberg, more as a parody of Frank Fontaine's yokel character. 

Bugs is about and about the woods one day when he runs into Shorty (Mel Blanc again), a fellow rabbit who is in quite the jam. Seems the smaller rabbit is being pursued by the aforementioned Pete. 

Bugs proceeds to wreck Pete's day. 

Pretty darn good but Pete is a bit lacking in the menace of Sam or Elmer. He's dim, but not quite enough to be pitiable. The tea/coffee lumps gag is great though and has a good payoff too. 

Rabbit Seasoning

 Charles M. Jones, Rabbit Seasoning, USA 1952

Part 2 of the Hunting Trilogy, and Daffy is trying to convince Elmer that it's rabbit season when it's really duck season. A duck is entitled to some fun, after all. 

What else can be said? This is considered Jones's best short and I have to agree. Every single thing works. Bugs and Daffy play off each other perfectly and Elmer is the best stooge. 

Oily Hare

 Robert McKimson, Oily Hare, USA 1952

Bugs VS Texas. Devil Rich-TEXAN is driving across his property when he notices a hole that isn't producing any oil. Naturally he won't let this insult to his Texas pride stand, so he sets about to get the oil flowing one way or another, never mind that a rabbit hole won't produce anything other than a rabbit, but Devil Rich isn't going to let a thing like facts get in his way.

Okay? I mean, Devil Rich could very easily have been Yosemite Sam (even looks a bit like to further cement the point) but still a short-fused Texas oilman isn't the worse idea for a foe but I can see why he wasn't used again. 

The Hasty Hare

Charles M. Jones, the Hasty Hare, USA 1952

The return of an old favorite, Marvin the Martian, here called Commander of the X2. Marvin has been tasked to retrieve an Earth creature, so guess who gets picked?

Marvin proves to be a worthy foe here. This was only his second ever short and the character's motivation would remain set in stone for the rest of his tenure. He's smarter than Elmer but not as quick tempered as Sam. There aren't any schemes though; no, he's pretty straight dealing with what he wants and what he is going to do. 

A good short but one may find Marvin annoying or at least less memorable than Bugs' other stars. 

Water, Water Every Hare

 Charles M. Jones, Water, Water Every Hare, USA 1952

Chuck Jones strikes again, and well, it's not horrible but if you've seen or remember 1946's Hair-Raising Hare, then you'll remember this short. 

Bugs is napping in his rabbit hole when a flood flushes him out and towards the castle of a mad scientist, this time looking like Boris Karloff. The scientist is pleased. He needs a brain, you know. Bugs isn't having it, as he needs what little he has. 

This prompts the scientist to summon Rudolph (better known today as Gossamer) and a chase ensures, including a beautician gag from Hair-Raising Hare. 

Overall good, but if you saw the 1946 short then this is a rerun, although the final gag with the monster was rather nice.

14 Carrot Rabbit

Friz Freleng, 14 Carrot Rabbit, USA 1952

The return of Yosemite Sam! Or at least the debut of Chilkoot Sam since this is set in the Gold Rush.

Yeah, the Gold Rush. Sam's the meanest claim jumper this side of the Yukon, but pickings are getting so slim it just ain't worth the effort anymore, at least until he runs into Bugs and his amazing ability to sense gold. 

From there, he and Bugs are partners! At least until Sam thinks he's hit gold...

Darn good, and honestly this is why Sam is the perfect foil for Bugs. He's blustering, two timing, and just smart enough to be a danger to someone. Not Bugs, certainly, but someone. 

Foxy by Proxy

 Friz Freleng, Foxy by Proxy, USA 1952

And now we bid farewell to Willoughby. Who? A dopey dog, we last saw him in 1944's Hare Force (even if he was called Sylvester), he was step down from Wily E. Coyote and honestly not even the best dog character the Warner Bros. had at the time.

The short is even more basic. A foxhunt is called, but Bugs is annoyed by this; thus he unleashes his full fury on the dogs, with Willoughby being the ringleader. 

The short is fine, even if they reuse the same 'moving the log at the edge of the cliff' gag they did in All This and Rabbit Stew and the Bigs Snooze. This also one of the few shorts with Bugs losing, although he takes it in stride. 

Operation: Rabbit

 Charles M. Jones, Operation: Rabbit, USA 1952

New month and we're bringing this one back. 

With this, we have the 2nd ever appearance of Wily E. Coyote and his first time speaking.

We've seen the coyote being smart enough to work a catalog and build traps, but here he's sophisticated. He formerly introduces himself to Bugs and makes it clear he's going to eat him. Bugs disagrees and from there proceeds to wreck Wily's day.

Jones and Michael Maltese really hit every cylinder here. In Wily we have an urbane and drool antagonist going up against the streetwise Bunny. 

The formula is now pat at this point, but who Bugs faces is the key.