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The Unruly Hare
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Wikipedia article
'The Unruly Hare' is a 1945 Warner Bros. cartoon in the 'Merrie Melodies' series directed by Frank Tashlin and written by Melvin Millar. The cartoon was released on February 10, 1945 and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The film was one of only two Bugs Bunny cartoons directed by Frank Tashlin at Warner Bros., the other being 1946's 'Hare Remover'.Sigall (2005), p. 73
Plot
The cartoon opens up on some railroad workers, who are singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad". Elmer is a surveyor for a railroad company, and the path of the new railroad goes directly over Bugs' current residence.Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 185-186 Elmer disturbs Bugs' rest by singing "I've Been Wowking on the Waiwwoad". Bugs comments, "Hey! That sounds like Frankey Sinatra, or an unreasonable facsimile", then, after holding up a "P.U." sign, plays tricks on Elmer by making him see lovely ladies from an Eksquire magazine. Elmer kisses him, and in response, Bugs asks, "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?". Elmer realizes he's been tricked, and Bugs runs to another hole in the ground and dives in. Elmer shoots down the hole. Bugs, unscathed, appears and asks him, "Eh, what's up, Doc?", to which Elmer replies, "I just put a scwewy wabbit out of his misewy." Bugs tells the audience, "It's murder, he says! How gruesome." As he peeks down rabbit hole with Elmer, he whispers, "Don't look now, Doc, but you missed me." Elmer realizes his mistake, and Bugs, doing a Joe Besser impression, taunts him, "Oh, you and your old gun, you craaazy!" Elmer has Bugs at gunpoint, the barrel of the shotgun poking his chest. Bugs says, "Only a rat would shoot a guy...in the back!" After taunting, "I reiterate: only a big, fat rat would shoot a guy in the back.", Elmer fires at point blank range, obscuring Bugs in a cloud of gunsmoke. Elmer turns and says, "So I'm a big fat wat!". Bugs suddenly appears through the cloud, unharmed, and effects a Jerry Colonna-like schtick ("Aaah! Have some cheese, rrrat!"), and stuffs a large wad of cheese into Elmer's mouth before scampering off. Elmer remarks, "I hate wittle, gway wabbits." Bugs lights a match, making him see a forest fire through his surveying telescope, causing Elmer to panic, then, dressed up as a fireman, deliberately squirts water from a seltzer bottle into his mouth, causing him to blow up into a bowling pin. Elmer gets riled, saying, "Thewe's something scwewy awound here!", to which Bugs replies, "Eh, could be you, Doc." He runs, and Elmer gives chase. Elmer shoots at him excessively with his shotgun. In between shooting rounds, Bugs pulls more annoying pranks on Elmer. When Elmer tries a stick of dynamite on Bugs, Bugs gets Elmer into a football game and a baseball game with the dynamite as the ball, until it literally follows Bugs, then sets off near a pile of railroad wood posts.
Bugs undermines his own efforts, since the explosion instantly lays the tracks and rails in their intended location. The creation of the railroad is followed immediately by the passing of an engine in full steam, Bugs riding in the back and waving goodbye to the cowering Elmer. The film ends with a reference to travel conditions in the United States home front during World War II. Bugs jumps off the train, and while "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"
plays softly on the underscore, he closes the cartoon telling the audience that "None of us civilians should be doing any unnecessary traveling these days." He decides to walk the tracks instead, to the tune of "Kingdom Coming" and seen in silhouette to iris-out.
Home media
*(1986) VHS - Viddy-Oh! For Kids Cartoon Festivals: Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd Cartoon Festival Featuring "Wabbit Twouble"
*(1988) VHS - Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs Vs. Elmer
*(1990) VHS - Bugs Bunny Collection: Here Comes Bugs
*(1992) LaserDisc - The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 1, Side 7: Bugs Bunny by Each Director
*(1992) VHS - The Golden Age of Looney Tunes: Vol. 7: Bugs Bunny by Each Director
*(2019) Boomerang Streaming Service - 1995 "NTSC" Dubbed Version print.
* 2020 HBO Max - Streaming
Notes
*This was the only Bugs Bunny short in which Frank Tashlin is credited, and one of two Bugs Bunny shorts directed by Frank Tashlin.
*Although Bugs did appear in one previous cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin, "Porky Pig's Feat", he wasn't in a starring role in that short.
*This is the final Bugs Bunny cartoon to use the 1941-45 rendition of "Merrily We Roll Along".
*This is also the final Bugs Bunny cartoon not to have expanded credits, simply only crediting Supervision, Musical Direction, Story, and Voice Characterizations.
*While this short has appeared on at least one public domain DVD release, the copyright was renewed on October 25, 1972.[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015084451114&view=image&seq=576&q1=the%20unruly%20hare R538954]
Sources
*
References
See also
*List of Bugs Bunny cartoons
*1945 in film
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