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The Grey Hounded Hare
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Wikipedia article
'The Grey Hounded Hare'Samerdyke, Michael.Cartoon Carnival: A Critical Guide to the Best Cartoons from Warner Brothers, MGM, Walter Lantz and DePatie-Freleng. Lulu Press. 28 August 2014. is a 1949 'Looney Tunes' short film made by Warner Bros. Pictures and starring the voice talent of Mel Blanc.Persons, Alisa and Lawson, Tim.The Magic Behind the Voices: A Who's Who of Cartoon Voice Actors.Univ. Press of Mississippi, Dec 9, 2004,367 page. P.61. The film stars Bugs Bunny. It was directed by Robert McKimson, and animated by John Carey, Phil DeLara, Manny Gould and Charles McKimson, with music scored by Carl Stalling. The title refers to the greyhounds of the plot as well as "hounded" meaning pestered or pursued relentlessly.
Along with 'Tugboat Granny' and 'Guided Muscle', 'The Grey Hounded Hare' was featured on the final episode of 'The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show', which aired on ABC on September 2, 2000. It was also the last Bugs Bunny cartoon to air on broadcast network television.
Plot
After a race at a greyhound track comes to a conclusion, Bugs Bunny pops out of a hole, wondering what all the 'racket' is. He quickly finds out where he is when the announcer says that the patrons have time to make their selections for the next dog race. Bugs, after picking up a programme, decides to check out the competing dogs in the kennels, commenting positively on dog #7, a large grey greyhound named Gnawbone, whom Bugs inadvertently angers.
Upon hearing the starting bugle, Bugs goes outside to watch the race from trackside. Before the race begins, the announcer announces some of the dogs that are racing, including "Bill's Bunion", "Pneumatic Tire", "Father's Moustache", "Motorman's Glove", "Bride's Biscuit" and "Grandpa's Folly" (the latter of which has been "scratched" from the race, as in uncontrollable itching), in an homage to Spike Jones' "William Tell Overture."
Bugs watches as a rabbit lure is led out. Not realizing the rabbit is a mechanical fake, Bugs instantly falls in love with it ("Wow! What a hunk of feminine pulchritoodee!"). Upon seeing the dogs being released from their starting boxes, declaring that "chivalry is 'not' dead", Bugs decides to "rescue" the lure and jumps into the track, taking down some of the dogs one at a time. During this sequence, the announcer, shocked at what he sees, kills himself off-screen. Bugs eventually teases the dogs enough that they start chasing him out of the track and into a taxi, which speeds off towards the Dog Pound. However, Gnawbone was not fooled and is waiting for Bugs.
Bugs then faces off with Gnawbone through trickery, first using a balloon decoy, then using a dynamite stick. Finally, Gnawbone has had it and starts to charge at Bugs "like a bull" in attempt to kill the rabbit once and for all, but Bugs plays matador and causes Gnawbone to charge into a fire hydrant, putting the dog out of commission, with a white flag of surrender on his tail.
After defeating Gnawbone, now free to pursue "Dreamboat" unhindered, Bugs gives the lure a kiss, getting a large electric shock, just before the lure goes back into its starting box. He goes for another kiss and gets electrocuted again.
Home media
This cartoon is available, uncensored and uncut, on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4 DVD set.
References
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