Cartoon a Day: Haredevil Hare

Haredevil Hare
1948
Directed by Chuck Jones (as Charles M. Jones)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1

"Haredevil Hare" marks the first appearance of that little guy from the red planet, Marvin the Martian. Like the Tasmanian Devil, Marvin is another character who only appeared in a handful of theatrical shorts (just five in this case) but he has become immensely popular and developed quite a following over the years.

In this short, Bugs Bunny is the unwilling passenger for a test flight to the moon, that is until he notices the rocket is loaded with carrots. Shortly after his arrival on the lunar surface another ship lands. This one is carrying the yet-unnamed martian who is, of course, out to destroy the Earth.

This short features some very funny animation. A standout sequence is Bugs' arrival on the moon where he jerks between several unusual poses as reacts to the crash landing. Check out a few examples...

Many of the shorts featuring Marvin are known for the wonderful design elements. The look of the moon, the spaceships, and even the desert where the rocket is launched from have a simple yet unique look. I wonder if some of that may be driven by the look of Marvin himself.

Look at him, he's a basketball on a skinny body with legs. His look is simple, but also somewhat extreme. He comes across more dorky than evil in this first short. He would become much nastier in later appearances, but he makes a great nemesis for Bugs never the less.