Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears 1944 (dir Chuck Jones)

The majority of the cartoons on Vol 1, Disc 3 consists of a good number of monumental shorts so despite the fact that Bugs Bunny features a lot, there is some historical reason.

This cartoon marks the first appearance of Chuck Jones' three bears series. The minisicule bad tempered father, the passive and whiney mother and the huge and blissfully stupid Junyer ( or in this cartoon Junior)

It's quite a simple cartoon as it echoes the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. Basically Pa Bear decides that if they follow the footsteps of the original story, then they'll find some food ready for them. Although they don't have porridge, they use carrot soup and then they go off for a walk in the woods.

Instead of goldilocks along comes Bugs Bunny, who is lured in by the smell of carrot soup. He eats a portion and then goes upstairs in order to take a nap. Yes he does try out all beds and then falls asleep.

When the bears return they are gleeful that their plan is working out and they rush upstairs and overjoyed to find a rabbit in their bed. Once Bugs wakes up the three bears start to chase him. After a couple of gags Bigs tries to flirt with Ma Bear and this works as she becomes smitten with him. From now onwards it is ma bear who is chasing Bugs.

Finally he escapes to his warren and finds Ma Bear there, who smothers him with kisses ( we dont see this) Bugs then emerges and runs away covered in lipstick marks.

As a cartoon it's nothing on the levels of greatness that would occur in Jones' later shorts but it works and it does entertain plus the character of Junyor bear has a lot of potential, something Jones exploited in later films, especially the brilliant 'A Bear for Punishment' (1950)

*edit*

A couple of hours later and after re watching 'A Bear for Punishment' I have come to the conclusion that the Three Bears are a proto type of American cartoon families such as The Simpsons or *shudder* Family guy. Think of it. Although this isn't that prominent in ...three Bears it comes to the forefront in later films.

Elmer's Candid Camera 1940 (dir Chuck Jones)

Vol 1 , Disc 3

This cartoon is quite pivitol in the Warner Bros canon as it is the first appearance of Elmer Fudd ( who evolved from the similar character Egghead) and a near definite version of Bugs Bunny. Characterwise both Bugs and Elmer are not fully developed. At this point Elmer is too thin and tall and his mannerisms are way too expressive but he still is a dimwit and his speech impediment is there. Bugs (but not called Bugs) is still pudgy and his voice is hoarse with a highly irritating laugh. He's more a prankster in the vein of Daffy Duck than the sly guy who is vengeful.

The plot of candid camera is very simple. Elmer buys a new camera and invades on Bug's territory. This allows Bugs to irritate and play tricks on Elmer. The final minute sees him booting Elemer into a lake - twice. It's not a spectacular cartoon but it's more one that protrays two major characters in a state of development.

Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century 1953 ( Dir Chuck Jones)

This is the last cartoon in Porky and Daffy disc. From tomorrow i will be focussing on the third disc which is titled Looney Tunes All Stars Party, which is basically a collection of various cartoons ( although Bugs Bunny dominates)

anyway

Duck Dodgers is an absolutely FANTASTIC cartoon and is also one of those must sees. Again, like most Chuck Jones cartoons at this stage, the plot is simple but the gags and dialogue is rich and punchy. Yes it does spoof Buck Rogers but it's satire on a whole new level.

Daffy is Duck Dodgers and he is on a mission to find the rare element Illudium Phosdex. Evidently this can only be found on Planet X. Daffy accepts his mission, along with his faithful sidekick Porky. Oh yeah every time Daffy bellows DUCK DODGERS OF THE 24 1/2th CENTURY. He leaps ten feet into the air and starts glowing. Hilarious

After Daffy works out a complicated route to planet X (well before he accidentally mixes up the gears to his rocket and goes straight into the ground), Porky then discovers that the planets are in alphabetical order A, B, C, D, etc and so the duo go to their destination.

Unfortunately Marvin the Martian intends to conquer Planet X in the name of Mars, which leads to Daffy and Marvin fighting it out. Gags here include a disentegrating ray ( which disentegrates) a bullet proof vest ( which is the only thing stays intact when someone is shot) and bullets that have messages inside them)

this leads to a sort of arms race and eventually Daffy and Marvin use the exact same weapons against each other. Thus blowing up planet x to the size of a ball. Daffy triumphantly the claims Planet X to be the territory of the Earth. By now he cant even stand on it and Porky nonchalantly stutters out 'big deal' ( with Marvin Scrabbling on Porkys legs for dear life)

If you do dig deeper into the cartoon you can also see that it is parodying the arms races that were happening at that time (although i admit Dr. Seuss did a better job in the butter Battle Book) . It can also be seen as man trying to play God. Also worth noting that it was one of the cartoon that was referenced and influenced during the space craze of the seventies, with George Lucas insisting that it be shown before the Star Wars films.

A cartoon so good that in the 00's Warner Bros decided to turn it into a sequel ( which sucks) and a television serial ( which sucks as well) .

Legendary!

Rabbit Fire 1950 (dir Chuck Jones)

Now this is one of the big ones. The cartoon that is a staple on every Looney Tunes compilation, one that is oft imitated and instantly recognisable to every one , fan or not.

yes it's the first part of 'hunting' triliogy ; Rabbit Fire.

What starts out as Bugs Bunny and Daffy trying to convince dimit Elmer Fudd that it is duck or rabbit season descends into a twisted spaghetti-like mess of cross dressing, verbal jokes, visual puns, deceit, a plot twist and loads of laughs.

probably what makes this cartoon stand out is the famous argument, where bugs manages to make Daffy yell out duck season constantly and get shot. Thanks to wikipedia I'll paste the dialogue.


Bugs: "Duck season!"
Daffy: "Rabbit season!"
Bugs: "Duck season!"
Daffy: "Rabbit season!"
Bugs: "Duck season!!"
Daffy: "Rabbit season!!"
Bugs: (reversing the flow) "Rabbit season!"
Daffy: "Duck season!!!"
Bugs: "Rabbit season!!!"
Daffy: "I say it's duck season, and I say, FIRE!"

and it happens again

Daffy: "Let's try that again."
Bugs: "Okay."
Daffy: "I'll start it this time."
Bugs: "Right."
Daffy: (grabs Elmer's rifle and points it to Bugs) "Rabbit season!"
Bugs: (pushing Elmer's rifle towards Daffy) "Duck season."
Daffy: (puts the rifle in front of Bugs again) "Rabbit season!!"
Bugs: (spins the rifle clockwise and aims it at himself, again reversing the flow) "Rabbit season."
Daffy: (grabs the rifle and pulls it toward himself) "Duck season!! FIRE!!!

and a third time
Daffy: "Okay, this time, you start it."
Bugs: "Whatever you say." (aims Elmer's rifle at himself) "Rabbit."
Daffy: (takes the rifle and points it at himself) "DUCK!! FIRE!!!"


Although not a wholly original concept, it works perfectly here mainly because Daffy has got a very distinct character. Yes he is trying to convince Elmer to shoot his friend Bugs but it backfires because of Daffy's character. Daffy is so overexcited that he will actually win against his friend/nemesis Bugs that in the end of the rabbit/duck season argument, he loses.

However during the course of the picture the couple make peace and that's when you see that when their minds are combined they work better. Bugs shrwedness and daffy's forwardness are a good combination. This is seen in the section where Bugs disguises himself as female hunter ( and aptly Daffy is the dog - the follower) in order to seduce elmer.

one interesting bit is when Bugs and Daffy start reading out duck and rabbit recipes so that Elmer will shoot the tastiest one. Fudd then confesses that he is a vegetarian. Again here's another point to think over. Fudd is actually causes a break in a friendship and he has no real purpose for his hunting. It then transpires that the evil is not Daffy, but Elmer and a little bit later he does get his comeuppance because Bugs and Daffy find out that it is Elmer season, Which leads to them collaborating and getting the person who split them up in the firsat place.

All I can say that this is a very strong cartoon that gets better with each viewing and hey if a dialogue cartoon gets on your nerves, there's always the satisfaction of seeing an elephant come out of nowhere and pummel Elmer to the ground!

Golden Yeggs 1950 (dir Friz Freleng)

Am I the only one who finds Freleng's cartoons a bit unimaginative. True they are solid but they tend to descend to repetition very easily. Sometimes the plot isn't strong enough.

Anyway the cartoon takes place on a farm and Porky, the farmer discovers that Daffy has laid a golden egg ( he is actually conned into doing so) This leads to a news furor and Rocky the ganagster ( it's one of his first appearances) kidnaps Daffy and forces him to lay another golden egg.

In order to stall the process Daffy starts to ask for luxurious demands, which Rocky complies. However after a while he gets fed up and gives Daffy five minutes to lay an egg. To Daffy's surprise he actually manages.

Then the camera pans and we see loads of empty egg cartons and Rocky tells Daffy to fill them up.

It's a typical Freleng cartoon. Good on the whole but no pizazz or anything really special. The version of Rocky presented here is the definite version. Daffy doesnt really have much of a character either. Funnily enough in researching this cartoon, most reviews were incredibly scant and on re watching the cartoon I have tried to plump it out a bit but it's very difficult to as there's no hidden meanings or anything like that. In other words it's Freleng all over.

Boobs in the Woods 1950 ( dir Robert McKimson)

As every avid Looney Tunes fan knows Daffy has had different character traits over his 80 year tenure at Warner Bros. Starting out as an off the wall insane creature utilised by Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Frank Tashlin and early Chuck Jones, A slightly naive and devious schemer which Chuck Jones used just before he improved his art techniques and the highly irritated, tempermental , coniving backstabber, which he as known as.

Veteran Director, Bob McKimson opts to use the original Daffy in this 1950 short i.e the nutty Daffy, but like most later McKimson shorts, seems a bit clumsy.

The cartoons begins with Daffy singing a song about how crazy he is, which seems rather forced, it's like McKimson is proving to us that once upon a time there was another type of Daffy Duck. When this song finishes we cut to the main plot. Porky is driving for a weekend's rest in the country. As soon as he arrives , he decides to paint the landscape and this is where Daffy comes in and starts acting in an irritating fashion. During the course of the cartoon he manages to ruin Porky's painting, ride an imaginary bicycle, dress up as a sheriff, indian and sabatoges Porky's attempts to fish.

Finally Porky packs up only to find that Daffy has removed the car's motor. As a form of revenge he makes daffy a permanent fixture in the car and drives off.

Although the cartoon is well animated, it's subject just doesn't come off a believable and watching this short can try out your patience. True it is admirable that McKimson wants to return to classic Daffy but it doesnt work out as the Jones one has a more distinctive personality. It's a sort of Boobs in the woods is a sort of proof that it is difficult to retrace the past on an ever evolving character.

Deduce you say 1956 dir (Chuck Jones)

Just as drip along Daffy spoofed the Western genre, Deduce... sets out to ;ampoon popular detective stories.

Like a detective film, the short opens with Porky narrating the scene - and now the verbal plays start coming thick and fast. The duo live on Beeker street ( Baker Street), Daffy is Dorlock Homes ( Sherlock Holmes) and Porfky is Watkins (Watson).
While Daffy is deducing he hears a knock on the door and when opening it a mailman falls down, not because he is dead but there is a doorstep he trips upon. Anyway he hands Daffy a telegram, which explains that the notorious Shropshire Slasher has escaped.
They track him down to a bar ( after some half baked and punny attempts at finding clues) and Daffy instantly tries to use violence against him. Since the Slasher is way taller and stronger than Daffy, this proves futile. Porky then uses the non violent approach and manages to get Slasher to apologize.

Daffy being who he is becomes jealous and decides to redeem himself by arresting an old woman selling flowers without a licence. It turns out that the old woman is The Slashers mother and Daffy gets a severe beating.

Porky then ends the cartoon by asking a bent out of shape Daffy where he learnt to be a detective. Daffy replies 'Elementary my dear Watkins, Elementary' and collapses.

As a parody Deduce... is excellent. Humour abounds and the viewer is entertained. Although there are similarities to the aforementioned Drip Along Daffy ( after all in this period Warner Bros cartoon studio was a few years shy of closing down so now the cartoons take a slight dip in originality ) but it holds itself nicely as a cartoon. Again it shows that although Daffy is a dominant character he still ends up a loser cause of his ineptitude at dealing with a situation rationally.

The Wearing of the Grin 1951 ( Dir Chuck Jones)

After a slog of rather uninspiring Porky cartoons, I finally am able to write about one that I like.

The Wearing of the grin is without doubt a product of Chuck Jones' mind. Who else would use a huge cliche, make it surreal and pull it off perfectly? Add that to Michael Maltese's witty script and you have a recipe for an enjoyable 7 minutes.

The cartoon kicks off with the typical classic horror opening. Huge storm and Porky is the weary traveller on his way to Dublin and stuck in the middle of nowhere. He comes across a creepy castle and asks the owner if he can stay for the night. The owner does warn him that the castle is inhabited by leprechauns. Porky laughs it off , shuts the castle door and gets hit by a mace.

while he is in a daze we find out that the owner actually consists of two leprechauns Pat and Mike. Both suspect that Porky is going to stel their gold. When our porcine friend regains consciousness , the leprechauns ( now again as one person) show Porky two his room. After a blunder he discovers that Leprechauns do exist and freaks out. He is arrested by the Leprechauns for trying to steal their pot of gold ( despite the fact that Porky is obviously innocent.) he is sentenced to wearing a pair of green loafers.

After a couple of seconds Porky starts to dance an Irish Jig and moves into a land filled with giant shamrocks, pipes and stereotypical Irish panephernelia. In one excellently animated sequence porky is ensnared into a harp and is falling off a cliff into a vat of gold.

and then he wakes up. Looks at the owner and dashes out of the castle.

the owner smirks , another two pairs of hands shoot out of his coat ( the other leprechaun) and they shake hands triumphantly.

Truest me lots of people use the dream sequence, but how many cartoon directors use the dream within a dream trick? AND then create an open ended conclusion? did the leprechauns infilatrate Porky's mind? was Porky really awake? Jones definitely had the knack of putting his viewers in his cartoons and wearing of the grin is definitely no exception

Porky Chops 1949 ( dir Arthur Davis)

Yeah I know I've been slacking - BIG TIME. I'm not going to promise consistency this time around. I will assure you that I will get this project finished before volume 6 comes out though.

Right.

Before we actually go on to the cartoon, it's better if we focus a bit on Arthur Davis.

Although the big directors at Warner Bros were Tashlin, McKimson, Clampett , Jones and Freleng , there were some other minor directors and Davis is one of them. His Warners career started as an animator under Tashlin's direction, then slowly replacing Clampett when he left. To tell the truth Davis did not really direct many cartoons, and to tell the truth not many of them are very good either. Animation is sloppy, plots are weak and gags are forced ( the notable exception being the fabulous dough-ray-mee-ow) Unfortunately Porky Chops is one of these.

The plot? , not much . Porky Pig decides to chop down a tree that is inhabited by a rather obnoxious Squirrel, who retaliates by wrapping a steel plate at the base of the tree. To add a bit more to the plot a bear is included in this chase.

and that's it. Obviously Porky loses and the Squirrel and bear win.

Yankee Doodle Daffy 1943 (dir Friz Freleng)

Say what you want but I've always hated Yankee Doodle Daffy from the day I say it as an 8 year old. It irritates the hell out of me. Banal plot, shallow and horribly animated.

Porky works as a talent scout and plans to take a half day, in order to play golf. In rushes Daffy announcing that his client, Sleepy la Goon is a star in the making. As Porky just wants to play golf, he ignores Daffy and runs away. No matter where Porky goes, Daffy is right behind talking about La Goons talents.

In the end Porky relents and know he'll get some rest if he sees what la Goon offers.

La Goon, a minature, version of Daffy with a huge lollipop and straw hat inhales and begins to sing in a rich voice. But then he stumbles halfway through in a coughing fit.

and that's it.

not funny
not clever
quite juvenile.

The Scarlet Pumpernickel 1950 ( dir Chuck Jones)

FINALLY, I've got some free time again so the blog will be updated four times a week ( Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) and things will go back to normal again.

Right

The Scarlet Pumpernickel is, as most will know, a spoof on the book/film The Scarlet Pimpernel and it features the transitional Daffy, which is my personal favourite phase. Jones protrays Daffy as slightly nuts with a touch of cunning. Not the evil schemer that Jones morphed him into.
The scene starts out with Daffy trying persuade a big time director to film an action flick instead of the usual comedy ones. To prove to the director that he is capable, Daffy wheels in a script.

it's a basic storyline, where a princess Melissa has to marry the evil Sylvester, even though she doesn't like him. Eventually, Daffy as the Scarlet Pumpernickel saves her from his clutches.There are some puns and gags. Nothing spectacular though.

The thing about this cartoon is that it features a whole slew of looney tunes characters - Porky Pig, Daffy, Melissa Duck,Mama Bear, Sylvester, Henery Hawk and Elmer Fudd something that wouldnt be seen again until Casablanca Bunny (i'm excluding who framed Roger Rabbit) and Jones gets all the chemistry between the chracters perfectly. In fact the reason why Bugs is left out is simply cause his attitude would clash.Clearly Daffy is the star and he needs this cartoon for himself.

It also proves who Looney tunes characters aren't faceless and have distinct personalities and can be given certain roles that suit them perfectly. Or really Jones knew what type of roles these guys would be good in.

Oh and Jones can DO action as well.

The Ducksters 1950 ( dir Chuck Jones)

The Ducksters is one of those cartoons which is good but requires more than one viewing to fully appreciate it.

The cartoon starts off with Porky bound to a conveyer belt, ready to be sliced up by a buzzsaw and then the whole thing stops and Daffy enters the scene and the audience finds out that we are on a radio gameshow called 'Truth or AHHHHHHHHHHH', where the contestant has to answer a question. If he gets it wrong Daffy springs some sort of punishment on the contestant. Dafyy obviously doesn't want to part with the cash prize so he asks a myriad of difficult or impossible to answer questions so Porky is subjected to many tortures. Probably my personal favourite scene is when a member of the studio audience tells Porky not to answer a question and Daffy whips out a pistol and promptly shoots him.

Finally Porky actually manages to win the prize and he buys the studio and then puts Daffy through all the tortures Porky went through in the cartoon. In other words it's a total role reversal short.

At first the picture seems empty, even lacking in adventure, but peel away the surface and you see a commentary on a censored looney tunes cartoon, and parodies of radio programs and entertainment industry. It's Chuck Jones being his anarchic self and that is what makes 'The Ducksters' a great cartoon.

Scaredy Cat 1948 ( dir Chuck Jones)

The Porky/Sylvester collaborations ( there are three to my knowledge) are quite unique as Sylvester doesn't talk and plays an incredibly cowardly cat. Throughout these cartoons, Sylvester's cowardice just places Porky into embarrassing or uncomfortable situations, and he replies my insulting Sylvester ( who doesn't talk at all)

Scaredy Cat is the first cartoon in this triliogy and by far the best one.

The scene begins with with Porky, with Sylvester in tow, moving into their new house. The audience already can feel that something is going to happen and so does Sylvester. The only one who is completely oblivious is Porky.

And yes there is something wrong with the house, it is inhabited with a bred of murderous mice (led by a mouse wearing an executioners hood). To make it worse, Sylvester stumles upon them executing the previous owner's cat. This heightens Sylvester's paranoia and to Porky's annoyance he clings onto him for a fair amount of the cartoon.

The mice are intent on killing their new inhabitants and flings axes and knives at them, even trying to push the bed out of the window. As Sylvester blocks all these actions, unbenowst to Porky, he achieves in irritating his master even more and finally he goes out to the kitchen to prove that nothing is wrong. As a result the mice kidnap him and prepare the chopping block.

Sylvester then escapes the house only to be stopped by his guardian angel, who reminds him that Porky looked after him as a kitten and that a cat his bigger than a mouse! Sylvester then plucks up courage and chases every mouse out of the house.

As Porky is thanking his pet for saving him the executioner mouse pops out of a cuckoo clock, whacks Sylvester with a mallet, pulls of his hood, puts on a Napoleon hat and states in a Lew Lehr ( a vaudeville actor) voice

Pussycats is the cwaziest people

and the cartoon ends.

To tell the truth this cartoon isn't funny - at all and as a kid it used to frighten me, especially the bit when Sylvester turns all white and enters Porky's room. However it is mesmerising and keeps you at the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Plus it's twisty ending gives you some sigh of relief At this point Jones' cartoons were flawless and this one in particular is a stand out as it is able to grab your attention from the first second and keep you stuck in your chair. Also there is chemistry between Sylvester and Porky, which all leads to an entertaining short.

Drip-Along Daffy 1951 ( dir Chuck Jones)

Drip-Along Daffy is one of those cartoons that never fails to provide laugh. It's just a non stop barrage of gags flowing thick and fast. I could also say it's the best western I've seen.

The opening minute sets the scene and the tone of the whole cartoon. Daffy is riding on a white modelesque mare with 'Western type hero' written on the screen and trailing after him is porky on a donkey and the words 'Comedy Relief' pop up.

on their travels they come across a town who's population is decreasing on account of the amount of gunfire and crime that goes on ( and there are tons of visual gags emphasising this). As soon as Daffy finds out that the town needs a Sherriff, he pulls out a badge from his waistcoat ( and there's a badge for every occaision) says that he is going to clean up the one horse town and zooms off on his horse tinfoil ( lone ranger parody) while Porky's donkey is trying to keep up the pace.

Daffy then bursts into a saloon in the typical Western cliche pose but as he's drawing his guns he pulls off his trousers as well and he hops out saying that he needs to arrange his 'acoutrements' ( that line makes me crack up)

Upon ordering a milkshake at the bar, the villain of the picture enters. Nasty Canasta. A brute who's ten times larger and stronger than Daffy. When daffy brandishes his gun, Canasta just bites it off ( and Daffy says offhandedly that he needed his dose of iron) .

Canasta then challenges Daffy to a drinking contest. The bartender whips up a drink so toxic and hot that the ice cubes jump out yelping. When Canasta drinks it nothing happens to him. Daffy being the foul fowl he is, tests his drink on Porky and when he finds out nothing happens he orders the drink and downs it.

then ensues both daffy and porky reciting mary had a little lamb and then pacing across the floor, skin green and tongues moving in and out like party toys.

when things reside Daffy challenges Canasta to a typical western duel at dawn. Canasta arrongantly knows he is going to win.

when the pacing starts, Porky winds up a toy soldier in Canasta's direction. Canasta picks it up and the bullet form the toy's gun floors him and Porky becomes sheriff.

the cartoon ends on a double joke. First it focuses on daffy and he said that he was going to clean up the one horse town and the camera moves back and we find out that Daffy is now the sanitation engineer.

we then focus at Porky, who looks at the camera and says 'lucky for him that it is a one horse town!'

and the cartoon ends.

Drip-Along Daffy, besides it's blink and you'll miss it humour also focuses on the underdog winning. In most Chuck Jones' Daffy/Porky collaborations you'll find this a common theme but it's at it's best in this cartoon. In other words Jones likes to protray Daffy as some type of Looney Tune version of Charlie Brown - a loser who tries to overcome his circumstance but falls prey to it. In this aspect one can compare Bugs to Lucy ( dominant and the winner, no matter the situation) and Porky is Linus ( the helper who comes up trumps through accidental means). Technically speaking the name Daffy is a total misnomer now as there is absolutely nothing eccentric or crazy about him . Despite this factor I find that the majority of the late Jones cartoons and depiction of Daffy have more depth and are more interestign in the long run.

Dough for the Do-Do 1948 ( dir Friz Freleng)

Oh dear it seemed that I slacked a bit on the updates. November has always been a busy month and there are loads of things happening now but it will all calm down and things will flow at a steady pace.

Don't you hate it when directors 'redo' perfectly good films? Well Dough for the Do-Do is sort of like that. I say sort of cause there is only one major change but lets go back in time a bit.

In the 30's Bob (genius) Clampett directed a film called Porky in Wackyland. In this short Porky goes to Africa in order to hunt the elusive Do-Do bird and has many surreal encounters. It's a typical Clampett cartoon. Off kilter, hugely entertaining and gets the laughs rolling from the first second.

Freleng's version is basically a colour update so Clampett's 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach is present. The visual puns are intact and the ending ( Porky captures the Do-do only to discover that there are millions more in hiding) is Clampettesque and makes the short a bit more well rounded.

but it still feels wrong.

Maybe some things that worked shouldnt be tampered with especially if it's a Clampett cartoon. Anyway watch the two cartoons back to back and see which one is slightly better.

Vol 1, Disc 2 : Duck Amuck 1953 ( dir Chuck Jones)

Disc 2 of Looney Tunes Golden Collection series starts with a bang with the all time classic Cartoon 'Duck Amuck' To summarise the plot briefly Daffy Duck is constantly sabatoged by a unknown artist. Throughout the short's seven minutes Daffy goes through many mutations, background changes, gets duplicated and in the end ( yes there's a false ending as well) gets blown up. Also there are experiments with close ups, sound effects and even silence being a major contributor. In the last few seconds we find out the the artist who has been putting Daffy through these tortures is none other than Bugs Bunny, who finishes off the cartoon winking at the audience and declaring.

Ain't I a stinker?

Just why is this cartoon so important. Most of the time if you read up on Duck Amuck you'll find out that it breaks the invisible border between audience and actor ( the fourth wall). Daffy is losing his temper, screaming and sometimes bargaining with the artist or animator. Thus Daffy is not just a artistic drawing but an actor yet he cannot quit as he is a slave to the pencil at the same time. Notice throughout the cartoon that whenever Daffy rebels the pencil crops up and makes him helpless and even more angry.

this is not the first time this has happened in cartoons. Disney's 1930 Alice movies, protrayed a non animated girl interacting with both the artist and her cartoon situation. For Warner brothers breaking the fourth wall was done from the very start as the first cartoon, Bosko the ink well kid had a character squirting ink at his animator and going through all types of mischief, tormenting his artist ( sort of the opposite of Duck Amuck). More famously the cartoon 'You Ought to be in Pictures (1940-Friz Freleng)' had Porky Pig jumping out of the drawing board and tearing up his contract ( incited by Daffy) and Tex Avery's 1941 short 'Tortoise Beats Hare' had bugs reading and mispronouncing all the credits.

but none of these achieved the inspired lunacy of Duck Amuck and here's the reason why

none of these characters had the extremist personalit that Daffy has. When Daffy loses his temper he goes all out. Funnily enough his other duck counterpart Donald is an extremist as well but Donald lacks wit and the evil streak that Daffy embodies. In fact if you notice Bugs is able to bully Daffy precisely because of his extremist behaviour, which makes it apt that it is Bugs who turns out to be the artist teasing Daffy. In other words Daffy's distinct personality makes this cartoon work so well. No matter how many changes he goes through, he still is the screaming, shifty eyed duck. So daffy, in this aspect is well and truly an actor in every sense of the word but a paradoxical one as he lacks the freedom of the actor and cannot interpret his lines in a unique fashion cause the pencil will come and change everything.

Duck Amuck is one of those cartoons that stick out, has different interpretations and will be under scrutiny for years to come. Already it's more than 50 years old and yet it's still way ahead of it's time and if you want to talk about influence, well wasn't Zemeckis' 1988 film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit all based on this idea of cartoons as distinct personalites? And how many times do we see cartoons and a pencil pops up and redesigns everything in one go? A amazing cartoon through and through

Rabbit of Seville 1950 ( dir Chuck Jones)

Vol One disc one's conclusion is a very strong one as Rabbit of Seville, despite the fact that it resembles Stage Door Cartoon in plot, is a very interesting cartoon.

The whole sheband starts off with Elmer hunting Bugs and chasing him until they reach a theatre. Bugs then tricks Elmer into performing Rossini's Barber of Seville with him. In Stage Door Cartoon Bugs lures Elmer into a theatre and tricks him into taking part in some silly antics. So this is where the resemblence ends and the cartoon starts to go on it's own tangents.

First of all, like the other operatic cartoon What's Opera Doc, there isn't any conversation. Just singing. However while What's Opera.... is quite serious, The Rabbit of Seville is bombastic and great surreal slapsticky moments.

second Obviously, as the title of the opera suggests, it all takes places in a babrbershop.

As soon as Elmer realises that he has stumbled in a theatre he becomes vunerable and confused as he's not in charge of the situation. Bugs, being the showman that he is dons a barber's costumes and violently shaves Elmer.

Elmer tries to escape but Bugs cuts off his braces and forces Elmer in the chair again and performs his next gag.

First he massages Elmer's scalp and then turns it into a Carmen Mirandesque fruit concoction. Elmer realises and there's a funny scene where Bugs pretends to be a snake charmer and persuades a shaver to chase Elmer, until he shoots it.

both characters then jump into identical barber chairs and Bugs pulls the chair's lever ( which raises the seat) to escape. His nemesis catches on and tries the same thing. Bugs sends him back to the bottom by cutting a sandbag and making sure it lands on Elmer.

after a little waltz Bugs gets Elmer on the chair one more time to perform his final trick.

He destroys elmer's shoes and pours red paint on them. Cakes his face in Beauty clay and then massages 'figaro fertilizer' in his scalp ( notice that there are 5 fingers not four) which causes some flowers to grow on his head.

Elmer gets fed up and chases bugs with an axe. Bugs returns with a bigger Axe. Then Elmer with a pistol. Bugs with a double barrelled shotgun. Elmer with a cannon. Bugs with a bigger canon. Elmer with a cannon that takes up the screen and then bugs returns with roses and chocolates.

Elmer likes this. Then Bugs offers a wedding ring and Elmer returns in a bride's dress ( at least Bugs isnt in drag ) then Bugs returns in a tuxedo. Both get married and the couple run to the top of the theatre and Bugs chucks Elmer in a cake. Bugs smirks and says 'next'

Rabbit of Seville is a very fun and joyous cartoon. Moving at a pace faster than Speedy Gonzales, it is a pleasure to watch. Yes Bugs resumes the role of the vengeful trickster who triumphs over stupidity but that cultural twist takes it to a new level. The combination of Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese always created faultless cartoons and this is another top notch one.

Ballot Box Bunny 1951 ( dir Friz Freleng)

Ballot Box Bunny is another one of those quirky Bugs Bunny films that I like. The fact that it has a false ending and one hell of a pun makes it more endearing.

It's election time in some village and Yosemite Sam is running for mayor. Bigs is not interested in the least, until Sam states that he will get rid of all the rabbits. This brings up Bugs' vengeful streak and he runs against Sam for Mayor ( and quotes teddy Roosevelt too!).

As one can guess Sam isn't going to settle for this so he tries his hardest to destroy Bug's reputation.Copying Bugs' campaign tricks ( which backfire) Sabotaging a picnic, creating a contraption that will blow up bugs when he opens a door, rigging up a piano ( something daffy did in Show biz Bugs)

Despite their fighting they find out that the election is won by a dark horse - A mare! A mare for mayor! ( what a pun!) so as a result they indulge in a game of russian roulette. Sam is first and misses. Bugs shoots and as there's the iris closing in we hear a bang. A 2 second pause and the iris opens again and we find out that Bugs missed and shot Sam instead. Sam's closing words are 'I hate that Rabbit' and the iris closes again.

I'm a huge sucker for trick endings so even if this cartoon was rubbish, i would gurantee that an ending like that makes up for everything. Fortunately the short is great so the end just brings the whole thing to another level.

tomorrow will be my last Bugs blog and then i'll be working on Daffy and Porky

Wabbit Twouble 1941 (dir Bob Clampett)

Now I adore Bob Clampett. He broke every rule in cartooning and you can still see the effects today. Zanyness , bizarre endings, puns littered about even vukgarity. Clampett started it all and he doesn't have one crap cartoon in his repetoire.

however he does have some weak ones and Wabbit Twouble, his first Bugs Bunny film is one of them.

Oh it starts promisingly enough - all the credits are in fudd-speak, that is every 'r' is replaced by a 'w' and elmers car enters the picture by moving to a samba like beat.

but it sort of goes downhill from there.

Elmer wants to go to the countryside for rest and relaxtion but gets none of it as Bugs decides to play tricks on him. ( the usual fare) For a Clampett cartoon this is absurdly normal. Things do pick up when Elmer plays dead cause he hits a bear but really this is Clampett restricting himself.

Eventually Fudd loses his temper cause he can't relax and starts to vandalise the park. As a result he is thrown in jail. Elmer sees the agvantage of this and starts to realx. After a couple of minutes though he finds out that his inmates are bugs and the bear, who is chewing a carrot as well.

the very last minute is typically Clampett but unfortunately the rest of the short doesn't really live up to his other cartoons. If you want to see Clampett firing on all cylinders check out the Great Piggy bank Robbery.

My Bunny lies over the Sea 1949 ( dir Chuck Jones)

Usually the average Chuck Jones cartoon is linear and knows exactly where it's heading but My Bunny... eschews that COMPLETELY, it almost harks back to the zany style that Bob Clampett perfected in his cartoons. Weird, bizarre and with some surprises, this cartoon is definitely an oddity.

Bugs is on his way Albuquerque but ends up in Scotland and the first thing he sees is a Scotsman playing the bagpipes. Bugs, having never seen such a sight thinks it's a lady being attacked by a monster and tries to help but ends up causing more problems. The Scotsman ( called McCrory) gets insulted and by means of revenge, challenges Bugs to a game of golf.

never has a golf game been treated weirdly. Misdirected golf balls, spontaneous golf pits, golf balls surreally disappearing in and out of holes. This is interesting stuff. Then when you think it can't get stranger McCrory then boasts that he is an expert bagpipe player. Thus from a golf contest it morphs into a music one in a the space of a few seconds.

the scotsman plays the bagpipes and then bugs enters playing the bagpipes as well, but with tons of other instruments attatched to it.

and the cartoon ends.

Now I love weird but this one just doesn't hold itself too well but because of the development, it makes compulsive viewing, there's a certain carefree spirit that's rare in a Jones flick ( or at least later Jones) . Watch, furrow your brow and then laugh.

Big Top Bunny 1951 (dir Bob McKimson)

Oh dear another Bob McKimson Bugs Bunny cartoon. Big Top Bunny is another weak cartoon in Bugs' hefty canon. Again it's unfunny,cliched and the villian is forgettable.

The cartoon starts out with Bruno the Slobakian Bear ( who's accent is on the point of being degrading) enjoying the high life. He is the star of the circus and is getting lots of accolades.

That is until the ringmaster introduces a new partner for his trapeze act who you is .... Bugs Bunny!. Bruno is instantly jealous and at first gets the upper hand by bullying Bugs but then the rabbit gets wiser and starts wising up to Bruno's antics.

the real and only highlight here is when Bugs challenges Bruno to a high diving contest. Knowing that Bruno desperately wants to outdo him, Bugs suggest some very silly diving heights and things to land in. Eventually Bruno announces that he will dive a 1,000 ft into a block of cement. Bugs further teases Bruno by trying to dive but Bruno's arrogance takes over his common sense and dives.

with the bear's skull cracked Bugs takes advantage and places Bruno in a cannon and blasts him off into the stratosphere.

I don't know why Bob McKimson's films bring out the worst in me. Could be the lack of wit. Sure he tried to play around with the formula ( not on this one though) but they just won't work. However his Foghorn Leghorn series are fantastic ( and there are some others) but his bugs is for the birds.

Big House Bunny 1948 ( dir Friz Freleng)

Big House Bunny is probably one of the few golden age era Friz Freleng Bugs Bunny cartoons which I don't like. Mind you in theory it has the elements of a great short. There's Yosemite Sam, an interesting plot and some eye opening cartoon violence. but it just falls flat.

Bugs accidentally burrows into a prison's backyard and is immediately arrested and put on duty by Yosemite Sam. After some failed attempts to escape Bugs then focuses on trying to get Sam in trouble with his superiors by sabatoging his plans. Sam gets fed up and kicks Bugs out. Sam's superior hears about this and Sam gets arrested proper.

true sam nearly dies by hanging on a noose and sitting on an electric chair. plus he tortures his boss quite a bit. However the cartoon is just not funny and surprisingly enough it drags a bit too.The botched escape scene is a bit interesting and Bugs does pull off a great switcheroo using his verbal skills but, no pun intentded Big House Bunny fails to get it's stripes - at least in my books.

Water, Water Every Hare 1952 ( dir Chuck Jones)

Water, Water every Hare is second cartoon to feature cult figure Gossamer, the red hairy heart shaped creature who wears sneakers. However it is a near by near replica of the 1945 cartoon 'Hair Raising Hare' so it doesn't get nay points on originality.

Like the previous cartoon Bugs finds himself in the castle of a mad scientist who wants his brain. In order to catch him, he sends gossamer to fulfill his duties. Bugs being who he is manages to play a few pranks on the monster. The grand finale is when bugs pours shrinking liquid ( or reducing oil to be more precise - and bugs is invisible while doing this) on Gossamer.

The scientist then tries to kill the rabbit himself by throwing an axe at him but misses and hits a jar of ether. Thus ensues a fantastic slow motion chase and Bugs finds himself in the real world again. Just as he's contemplating whther he was dreaming, minature Gossamer passes by.

Theres nothing really to say here. Timing is good, gags are ok but it doesn't have that punch that one would normally find in a chuck jones cartoon.Not even Gossamer is used fully and appears for a grand total of three minutes. Good but not great.

Rabbit's Kin 1952 ( dir Robert McKimson)

I stated previously that I'm not too fond of Bob McKimson's Bugs Bunny cartoons, well of course there are exceptions and Rabit's Kin is one of them. Here everything is perfect. A villian who's intelligence is disasterous, a running gag which involves verbal and physical actions and some great animation.

The whole thing starts off with a brown rabbit racing through the woods and diving into Bugs' warren. On asking what's the matter, the brown rabbit replies ( in a high sped up voice that's nearly incoherent) that pete puma is after him. Bugs, always willling to help his friend decides to subject Pete to a bunch of tricks.

At first we think that Pete is slightly intelligent ( despite his moronic voice) as he tries to trick Bugs into smoking an exploding cigar. Bugs simply hides it. Then he invites Pete for tea and the running gag starts here.

when Pete asks for sugar lumps in his tea Bugs pulls out a mallet and pounds Pete over the head according to the number of lumps he asks for. In the first sequence Petes asks for three or four lumps so Bugs hits him on the head and four lumps appear on his cranium ( well there's one extra but Bugs fixes that) - and then offers the exploding cigar that pete gave him in the beginnng of the cartoon.

Pete then dresses up as the brown rabbit's mother ( albeit extremly badly and he is caught out in a second) ( also take look at the animation in this part, fantastic) and bugs repeats the lumps gag, except this time with coffee instead of tea. When Pete removes his hat we find out that he has a stove lid on his head, however on removing it the head lumps pop out.

in the third and final scene bugs and the brown rabbit ( called shorty) go to Petes cave and bugs disguises himself as Pete's cousin ( although the disguise is obvious, Pete does not realise that it's a rabbit) and convinces him to light up the oven in order to cook the rabbit. When Bigs asks Pete the amount of coals he needs to heat the oven, he answers a 'whole lotta lumps' catches himself out and begins to beat himself over the head with a mallett. Bugs and the brown rabbit leave the cave while Pete is smashing is skull in.

This cartoon is well known and has a cult audience due to Pete puma. Yes he is an imbecile but a loveable one. Plus his speech patterns are recognisable and genuinely funny. Also his gait, gestures and facial movements are comical and add to his popularity.

Recently Warner Brothers have tried to resurrect him and cast him in Tiny Toons, as the guy who does his voice (stan Freberg) is still alive and is capable of doing his voice but it was a flop. Better to let one offs remain so!

What's up Doc ? 1950 (dir Robert McKimson)

I have some sort of aversion to Bob McKimson's cartoons, bar Foghorn Leghorn and some here and there, I get irritated by him. His jokes aren't funny, his characters look rubbery and the dialogue is of standard fare, oh and he overuses Raymond Scott's Power House WAY too much! Unfortunately I think his Bugs Bunny filns are rubbish bar the phenominal Rabbit's Kin ( more on that next time) and 'What's up Doc?' isnt one of my faves either but it has one gag which is great and saves the whole short.

Well the whole thing starts off with Bugs talking about his rise to fame. First he starts out as a 'rabbit in a human's world' ( a very memorable quote if there was one) and discovers that he has some musical talent.

then he tries out for vaudeville and gets stuck in a group of chorus boys singing the same song

Oh we're the boys of the chorus
We hope you like our show
We know you're rooting for us
but now we have to go

and this song/gag reappears a couple of times.

finally Bugs gets fed up and looks for better deals but fails miserably.

while he's with other 'failed hollywood Stars ( and thus some great caricatures of Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and eddie cantor) Elmer Fudd passes by and instantly hires Bugs for his vaudeville show.

togehter the duo bring the crowds, however bugs is the stooge and Elmer is the clever one. Bugs gets irritated and pies Elmer in the faces. When Elmer threatens him with a gun Bugs says 'Whats up Doc?' and basically the whole Elmer vs Bugs routine is born and it is a SUCCESS!

at the end of the cartoon Bugs is interupted by a phone call and he tells us that he has a big role. There's a 2 second pause then Bugs appears on stage singing

Oh we're the boys of the chorus
We hope you like our show
We know you're rooting for us
but now we have to go


And that makes me crack up everytime i watch this short.

'What's up Doc?' outstays it's 7 minute duration quite a bit but the build up to the chorusboy gag is worth it. Yes it does seem like McKimson (and writer Warren Foster) put everything as filler ( to be fair the song what's up Doc? is presented here in it's entirety and it works) but a good conclusion can make up for an average cartoon.

Bully for Bugs 1953 (dir Chuck Jones)

Bully for Bugs has got to be one of my top three 'Bugs revenge' cartoons, the other two being 1949's 'Long-Haired Hare' and 1951's simply brilliant 'Bunny Hugged' There are some more I like but it these ones I always return to. Not only is the humour and gags fast paced and flowing but each movement is practically memorable.

Bully... actually had a very interesting genesis. When Leon Schlesinger left the Warner Brother Studios, Eddie Selzer took over ( and that's when the best looney tunes were created - imo of course). Selzer had no sense of humour or a love for cartoons so when he said something Jones and co would do the opposite and it would lead to a great short.

ANYWAY

Jones wanted to do a short on bullfightin and Selzer refused, so Jones did it anyways and created one of the most well known Bugs Bunny cartoons. However originally the matador was going to be the baddie but when Jones actually attended proper bullfights ( and music director Carl Stalling recorded bull fight crowds - with great difficulty) he found out that he pitied the bullfighter and reversed roles.

The cartoon starts off with bugs accidentally tunneling into a bullring and facing a frightened matador. Perplexed at the matador's cowardness bugs stay pondering his predicament while the bull notices him and breathes on his tale. This irritates Bugs and he starts giving the bull a tongue lashing. The bull butts Bugs into the air and ..

'of course you that this means war'

as usual Bugs starts employing his little bag of tricks. An anvil hidden behind his cape, the famous nose slapping dance and a shotgun which the bull accidentally swallows.

Bugs is always one for great finales so when the bull runs out of the stadium for one super killing, bugs plans one of the biggest booby traps he's ever made.

As the bull charges he slips on some grease, goes flying into the air, goes over sandpaper covered in glue, passes over a match, the friction of the sandpaper causing it to light up, which sets off a barrell of TNT which explodes as the bull enters the area and makes hin crash into a wooden target.

Bugs then appears with the end written on his cape.


The astonishing thing about this short is how breathtaking it is. The audience is left in suspense for a full 7 minutes and not once will you take a breather. All the tricks here are true classics, the nose slapping dance being the most memorable.The best Bugs bunny cartoon ever? maybe?

HIgh Diving Hare 1949 (dir Friz Freleng)

High Diving hare is quite an interesting cartoon as it runs for a full seven minutes on one gag. That is Yosemite Sam running up a ladder and falling into a tank of water. It's as simple as that

basically Bugs is running a sideshow and his main act, a diver called fearless Freep, who Sam adores is sick. This leads Sam into some type of outrage and tries to force Bugs to jump off the diving board. This all backfires and it's Yosemite Sam who falls into the tank and it's the usual cliches which Bugs pulls off i.e. tricking Sam to cross over a line and sam falls off.

there is one shot which focuses entirely on the diving board ladder only and sam falling down and then climbing up the ladder and then falling down again. We don't see what happens above or below. I remembered reading Scott Mccloud's 'How to read Comics' and he says that the white trench between comic panels contain actions which the reader has to figure out. This falling scene is like that. Freleng shows you Sam falling but it's up to you to picture the methods.

other than that it's quite a weak cartoon, which doesnt really have a high humour level. Saying that though I personally think that the Yosemite Sam/Bugs pairings are way better than the Elmer Fudd ones, Sam's a more intelligent villain and exudes more character.

Long-Haired Hare 1948 (dir : Chuck Jones)

ahhh Long-Haired Hare, one of my favourite cartoons. Unfortunately it was heavily censored back then, so I never got to watch it properly until now. Although nearly every Chuck Jones/Michael Maltese ( as he wrote the scripts) Bugs Bunny cartoon deals with revenge, this one is pulled off in a spectacular manner.

The cartoon starts off with Bugs playing an old showtime tune, A rainy night in Rio on a banjo. Nearby an Opera Singer is practising for his big night, however Bug's singing is interrupting his rehearsal and he storms over to Bug's warren and destroys the banjo. Bugs then proceeds to annoy him further by playing a harp, in which the singer closes his head in it and then a third time with a tuba ( the opera singer then ties bugs' ears to a tree and pulls his body down causing bugs head to knock against the tree several times). After a pause Bugs states his Groucho Marx pilfered sentence

of course you know that this means war.

cue to the big opera night and the singer is confident and excited about his singing role. As usual if one notices the typical Bugs revenge films, he starts slowly and builds the revenge to a climax. Here the beginning prank is banging the opera room roof so that the singer moves about a bit.

now the pain starts seeping him.

bugs then sabatoages the singer's voice with alum ( and his head shrinks)

pretends to be a female fan ( Bugs in drag again!) and gives the singer a stick of dynamite instead of a pen. You can guess the results, and then as a finale, he dresses up as famous conductor Leopold Stokowski, who used his hand to conduct, (bugs does likewise) and keeps the singer on a high note ( including one highly inspired gag where Bugs keeps his glove in mid air while buying and recieving a pair of mail order earmuffs within 2.5 seconds) until the whole opera house crumbles and bruises the singer completely. When the final boulder falls on his head, Bugs whips out a banjo and strums 'Good Evening Friends'

It's a revenge cartoon, but one thing with bugs is that say unlike Daffy Duck who instigates, Bugs will only react when provoked and even here he shrugs off the opera singer's early bullyings in a very friendly manner.

but when he's riled he will pull off an act of revenge that's extremist and painful. There's one quote in what's up doc where Bugs says that he was a rabbit in a human's world. I think this phrase is excellent in summing up this cartoon as indeed he is one BUT he's always in control, never to be domesticated by us humans.

Rabbit Seasoning 1952 ( dir Chuck Jones)

I was afraid that I would be inconsistent in my updates so please do not expect this blog to be updated on a daily basis. Probably when I get into the routine of updating more frequently, things will improve. Bear with me :)

Rabbit Seasoning is the second part of the 'Rabbit Fire Triliogy' To sum up briefly. This is a series of three cartoons in where Daffy and Bugs try to outwit the rather dim hunter Elmer Fudd. The twist is that both Daffy and Bugs dont really work as a team and constantly betray each other. Usually it's daffy who instigates the trouble in the first place by trying to convince Elmer that it is Rabbit ( or Wabbit) season and that ducks should be left alone.

Each of the cartoons take place in the major hunting seasons - summer, fall and winter. Rabbit Seasoning takes place in the Fall.

The premise of Rabbit seasoning is simple. Daffy convinces Elmer to shoot Bugs, Bugs manages to get out of the situation using various means ( more a bit later) and Daffy gets shot ( well usually his bill is the only thing which suffers)

Rabbit Seasoning is more violent than the classic Rabbit Fire as there's more gun usage. It's also worth noticing on how Jones uses daffy's detatchable beak as a running gag all throughout the picture ( in fact it's more off his face than on) and again Bugs dresses like a female in order to trick elmer, and Jones does manage to make bugs genuinely sexy (im not joking) . However it's a zippy cartoon and has the famous pronoun argument. Thanks to wikipedia i'll be able to paste this conversation :


Bugs: It's true, Doc; I'm a rabbit alright. Would you like to shoot me now or wait 'til you get home?
Daffy: Shoot him now! Shoot him now!
Bugs: You keep outta this! He doesn't have to shoot you now!
Daffy: He does so have to shoot me now! [to Elmer] I demand that you shoot me now!
[Elmer raises his gun. As Daffy sticks his tongue out at Bugs, he is shot. Daffy walks back over to Bugs, gunsmoke pouring out of his nostrils]
Daffy: [to Bugs] Let's run through that again.
Bugs: Okay.
Bugs: [deadpan] Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home.
Daffy:[similarly] Shoot him now, shoot him now.
Bugs: [as before] You keep outta this, he doesn't have to shoot you now.
Daffy Duck: [re-animated] Hah! That’s it! Hold it right there! [to audience] Pronoun trouble. [to Bugs] It's not "he doesn't have to shoot you now", it's "he doesn't have to shoot me now"
[Pause]
Daffy: [angrily] Well, I say he does have to shoot me now!! [to Elmer] So shoot me now!
[Elmer shoots Daffy again]


See with this argument ( and the wabbit season/duck season one in Rabbit Fire) on really understands the Bugs/Daffy/Elmer relationship.
Bugs is always in charge
Daffy tries and fails due to his extremest personality
Elmer is a follower, who obeys without using reason.

If you check out other Jones directed bugs/daffy cartoons, you'll notice that Bugs will always win at the end of the day and Daffy will suffer due to the fact that he doesn't use his full potential in rationalising the situation, as he is perfectly capable of doing so.

Eventually it is this pronoun mix up which leads to Daffy being shot in the end and again, his bill is somewhere else and he uses his infamous ' you're despicable' statement against bugs.

As the second part of the triliogy, Rabbit Seasoning is an excellent follow up. Maybe not as funny or monumental as 'Rabbit Fire' but nonetheless entertaining.

Baseball Bugs (1946) Friz Freleng (Dir)

It's sort of funny that this cartoon is the one to kick off, on what can possibly be a ten volume series but anyways what's done is done.

The short starts out with a baseball game between the octogenarian (and older) team Tea Totallers ( and one makes a statement which harks back to Clampett's Baby Bottleneck, which is a refrence to radio star, Fanny Brice's similar quote) and the odious Gas House Gorillas, who cheat and win their way throughout the game.

However the Tea Totallers ( nice pun) have a fan in the form of bugs bunny, who vehemently talks badly against the G-H Gorillas. This results in him having to single handedly beat the team and take over where the tea totallers left off ( which isn't very good)

As usual brains will always win over brawn and Bugs uses his usual tricks.

Verbally confusing a team player who has sabatoged the 'fair' umpire.
Distracting team players with pin ups
And so on.
The game continues until there is one point remaining between Bugs and The Gorillas and the brutes are up (the player using a tree instead of a normal bat). Obviously the ball gets hit and literally soars out of the grounds. Bugs is determined to catch it, hails a taxi ( and one of the Gorillas is the driver) , hops on a bus and rushes to the Empire State Building and yes he catches the ball. As The Gorillas start arguing with Bugs, The Statue of Liberty concurs ( again another throwback to a radio star of that time) and it ends with Bugs imitating her.

Baseball Bugs isnt really one of my top Cartoons, Freleng has done much better and funnier Bugs ones but it is entertaining in its own way. However the batboy pun is great and the pinball imagery (when bugs throws a ball and it bounces against the Gorilla's heads) is executed well. It's good but not great.

Introduction

First of all this blog will be focusing on Looney Tunes ( and Merrie Melodies) since Warner Brothers are releasing every single cartoon (from their golden era roughly from the late 30's to early 60's) on the Golden Collection Series, I thought ( or rather a friend of mine suggested) that it would be a good idea so start a blog analyzing each cartoon.

If you do look up the cartoon titles on major sites like imdb or wikipedia, you'll get scant information and i'm sure that there are other sites doing the same thing but it's an experiment i'd like to try.

I will try update daily but I can't promise this, however i'll try my best. Plus I will not analyse each cartoon in chronological order but in the order they appear on the boxsets. So far I have vols 1 & 2, with 3 and 4 on the way ( 5 can wait a bit longer)

I will not include trivia regarding censoring or things like that. What you'll get is a brief summary of each cartoon and my impressions on this. One thing I do gurantee is that I will watch the cartoon before I comment. I won't be pasting youtube links or pics either as the former will be defunct after a couple of weeks and sometimes it can happen to the latter as well.

So as a last question - why did I choose Looney Tunes?

will first of all I've been watching them obsessively since the age of 8 and I'm showing no signs of stopping. Now that the Golden Collection sets have been appearing on the market, I am now able to have the whole collection.

So Let's Begin!