The Grey Hounded Hare

 Robert McKimson, The Grey Hounded Hare, USA 1949

Another famous one, and a slight sad one at that. This was the last Bugs Bunny short to air on network TV as the series finale of the Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show, which is a review for another day.

Bugs ends up at a racetrack, annoying the prize runner Gnawbone. While one would think it would be a 'Bugs annoys a bigger character' short, we get a twist. Yeah, the motive here is love. 

With a stuffed rabbit. 

For those not in the know, greyhounds chase a fake rabbit around the track. When Bugs spots this particular model, however, he falls head over heels and vows to protect his lady love from the beasts bothering her. 

Silly but Bugs really sells us on the idea that Bugs is in love with a stuff animal. 

Knights Must Fall

I. Freleng, Knights Must Fall, USA 1949

The first time Bugs was in medieval times, so there's that. Bugs ends up annoying Sir Pantsalot and they duel. That's about it.

Rule of 3 is in effect again, and the idea of Bugs beating a knight with steam engine is pretty funny. I suppose that's my biggest problem with the short. It's funny, but nothing we haven't seen before, and Sir Pantsalot is a fairly dull foil. 

Long-Haired Hare

 Charles M. Jones, Long-Haired Hare, USA 1949

And here's one of the best.

Now, I could leave it there but let's dig a bit. We open with Bugs plucking a banjo and singing "A Rainy Night in Rio". Which wouldn't be a problem, except opera singer Giovanni Jones is trying to rehearse for his show that night. He smashes the banjo. "Hmm, music hater" deduces Bugs. 

Jones continues, but again he is interrupted. This time Bugs is strumming "My Gal is a High-Born Lady" on a harp. This ends the same. "Hmm, rabbit hater"

Jones tries again, but this time it's a tuba that interrupts. He yanks Bugs through the instrument. At which point Bugs then declares war. 

From there Bugs utterly destroys Giovanni in the best way possible. You got a perfect snobs V slobs story with Jones being the snobby opera singer taking on the popular music singing rabbit. Of course, Bugs is kind of doing this right in Jones' backyard, so I can kind of see his point. Also a perfect use of the Rule of 3. 

Bowery Bugs

Arthur Davis, Bowery Bugs, USA 1949

Something different at least. We have the first and only Bugs Bunny short Arthur Davis directed, and I believe the first time Bugs tangled with a real person. 

Sort of

Bugs is chatting with an old man about the legend of Steve Brody, who jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886. We flashback to that time. Seems Brody was born with a mile wide luck streak, every bit of it bad. So he decides that the thing he needs is a rabbit's foot. Brody heads out to Flatbush to get himself a fresh foot, but Bugs directs him to a swami (himself) with much mayhem ensuring. 

Pretty good. Brody is a pretty much a dumb thug, but the way Bugs drives him crazy is hysterical. 

High Diving Hare

 I. Freleng, High Diving Hare, USA 1949

Bugs is doing a vaudeville show, with the main event being Fearless Freep. Freep gets waylaid by a storm though, so the show will go on without him.

That doesn't sit will with Freep's number one fan Yosemite Sam however, and he makes it clear he paid for the high diving act so he's going to get a high diving act. 

Bugs doesn't ague, although Sam ends up taking the dives instead. 

Yeah, this has one joke but it's a good one. The set ups are simple, but the punchlines are perfectly surreal which makes it work. 

Rebel Rabbit

Robert McKimson, Rebel Rabbit, USA 1949

AKA the gif you've seen a thousand times

Yeah, this one had a resurgence, didn't it? Bugs is checking out the bounties on various animals, but when he learns rabbits are only worth two cents, well, that is an insult that won't stand. 

Bugs unleashes hell upon the people, including the famed sequence of him sawing Florida away from the mainland. So he can't be all bad, can he?

A pretty basic story but the joy is watching Bugs start out with vandalism before moving onto wide scale devastation. Odd they move back to Bugs being a vengeful trickster character but a nice change of pace. 

Mississippi Hare

 Chuck Jones, Mississippi Hare, USA 1949

Continuing from last year, we're still in 1949.

Bugs, due to some misunderstanding, ends up on a South bound riverboat. Disguising himself as a gentleman, including a ticket, he runs afoul of riverboat gambler Colonel Shuffle.

Shuffle and Bugs square off over cards, with Bugs countering the Colonel's five aces with six aces. Naturally this leads to pistols and Bugs easily outmatches the Colonel. 

Pretty good and a running gag of Shuffle getting thrown off the boat is great, even if some of the racial jokes aged like milk. Shuffle didn't have much of a career, but I can see way. Even ignoring the racial aspects of the character, he comes across as a slowed down Yosemite Sam. .