Cartoon a Day: Buckaroo Bugs

Buckaroo Bugs
1944
Directed by Robert Clampett
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol 5

There is no mistaking a Bob Clampett cartoon. Everything is taken to the extreme, and "Buckaroo Bugs" is no exception. In this short, Bugs Bunny is cast as the Masked Marauder who has been stealing carrots from an old west town. To catch him, the locals call in Red Hot Ryder, who could be considered an early version of Yosemite Sam. So, Bugs Bunny is actually the villain.

DVD's are great for viewing Clampett cartoons. Being able to freeze frame the images can give you a real appreciation for the various poses used in the animation. This is perhaps best demonstrated in Red Hot Ryder's horse. He's a minor character in the cartoon, but from an animation standpoint he's the highlight. The character combines modern elements along with qualities of a rubber band like character right out of the early days of animation. This one sequence where Red Hot Ryder and the horse jump off the edge of the Grand Canyon is evidence enough. When the horse realizes what he's done, he actually turns back through himself to turn around. It's brilliant animation!




Animation at it's best when it explores the limits of what the art form is capable of. This cartoon is a great example of that.

Cartoon a Day: Mississippi Hare

Mississippi Hare
1949
Directed by Chuck Jones (as Charles M. Jones)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 4

I've been away from "Cartoon a Day" for awhile, but let's get back on track with a cartoon that isn't in the TV rotation much anymore, "Mississippi Hare."

The very first scene is the primary reason this cartoon isn't shown much. We begin by seeing workers in a southern cotton field. Bugs' tail is mistaken for some cotton, and he's picked and bailed. He then ends up on a paddle boat where he faces a riverboat gambler called Colonel Shuffle.

Shuffle is pretty much Yosemite Sam. The voice is different, but the look, and certainly his stature, is similar. Part of me thinks that the short would've been even better with Sam as the bad guy, but it's still a great cartoon.


The pacing of this short is one of the most interesting parts. Some of the gags are very quick, while others build and build. The sequence in which Shuffle chases Bugs through the ship and they take turns opening doors for each other has a great payoff when Bugs opens the door of the furnace for the Colonel. But then, it keeps going as the short gambler tries to douse his burning pants with water. Watching Bugs slowly counting out change so that Shuffle can get water from a coin operated cooler as his pants burn is hilarious.


It's a shame that this one is out of the TV rotation. It's pretty tame compared to some.

Cartoon a Day: The Hare-Brained Hypnotist

The Hare Brained-Hypnotist
1942
Directed by Friz Freleng (As I. Freleng)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2

"The Hare-Brained Hypnotist" is a Bugs Bunny / Elmer Fudd hunting picture, but one with a bit a of a twist. It begins with Elmer reading a book on hypnosis. He plans on trying to hypnotize the animals he is hunting.

As the short moves along, Bugs hypnotizes Elmer and convinces him that he's a rabbit. So for half of this short Elmer plays the Bugs Bunny part. Bugs doesn't know what to make of it and it's very funny watching him get frustrated with this.

Freleng was an expert when it comes to timing, and he may have been best suited for having a well known character suddenly take on the traits and mannerisms of another. This short is a great moment for Elmer, as he actually comes out on top.

Cartoon a Day: Hare Ribbin'

Hare Ribbin'
1944
Directed by Bob Clampett (as Robert Clampett)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 5

Well everyone, sorry that I completely blew off a week of "Cartoon a Day" posts. So much of last week was spent driving across the country that I didn't even try. So let's get back on track with a Bob Clampett directed Bugs Bunny short, "Hare Ribbin'."

This is a strange cartoon, and that's saying a lot when talking about Bob Clampett. Ultimately, only some of it works. In this one a dog, with strange hair and a voice that just doesn't fit, is after Bugs. Bugs gets in a few good jabs before being chased underwater, where he impersonates a mermaid with fun results, but then the short never leaves the underwater environment and we're left wondering why.

It's not that the gags aren't funny underwater, there are still some fun bits, but the underwater setting becomes distracting. There is an odd distortion effect put over the animation to make it look like we're looking through water. It just ends up being headache inducing and many gags, and great animation, is lost because we're trying to look past this goofy effect. All in all, the short is only mildly amusing. Guess you can't win 'em all.

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.

Cartoon a Day: Hare Trigger

Hare Trigger
1945
Directed by Friz Freleng (as I. Freleng)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 6

Yesterday we took a look at the first of the Superman series of cartoons, so I decided to continue on that course this week and look at other first appearances of famous characters. Let's start with one of my favorite Looney Tunes characters, Yosemite Sam in his first appearance, "Hare Trigger."

In this short, Sam is a train robber who chooses to rob a train that happens to have Bugs Bunny hanging out in the mail car. Of course, that turns out to be the worst choice he could've made.

It's always a little strange to see the debut of a famous character because they are never quite the characters we've come to know and love when they first appear. It takes times for characters to develop. One of the things that is so great about Yosemite Sam is that he is a character of pure rage, but he's not quite there yet in this cartoon.

There are plenty of great moments in this short, the scene where Bugs fills in for Sam's hat is one great scene in particular, but Sam's reactions just aren't quite what we think they should be yet. This is a great cartoon and a wonderful introduction for Sam, but I love it when Sam is just so angry that his little body shakes so much he levitates, I love how he gets so steamed that he creates his own vocabulary...the animators and writers hadn't quite hit on those things yet in "Hare Trigger."

Cartoon a Day: The Hunter Trilogy

I really fell behind on my cartoons this weekend. Missed Friday and Saturday, but I was determined to catch up with three cartoons today. What better way to do that than to take in Chuck Jones' "Hunter Trilogy."

Rabbit Fire

1951

Directed by Chuck Jones (as Charles M. Jones)

Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1

Rabbit Seasoning

1952

Directed by Chuck Jones (as Charles M. Jones)

Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1

Duck! Rabbit, Duck!

1953

Directed by Chuck Jones (as Charles M. Jones)

Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 3

Some might say that all three of these cartoons are pretty much the same. They do pretty much has the same basic plot...Daffy tries to get Elmer to believe it's rabbit season (when it's really duck season), Bugs does everything he can to turn it around on Daffy, and Elmer blows Daffy away in various ways. But each of these cartoons has their own special moments.

"Rabbit Fire" pretty much establishes the relationship of the three characters that will continue throughout the other films. It begins the running gag of figuring out how many different ways we can blow Daffy's beak off and also features the obligatory Bugs in drag moment.

"Rabbit Seasoning," which is my favorite of the three (middle chapters are the best folks, look at "The Empire Strikes Back") features much more creative, and gruesome, mangled beaks for Daffy and features the classic "pronoun trouble."

There's also another sequence with Bugs as a girl which not only improves on the previous film but also has Daffy pretty much admitting that the bit has been used before by screaming, "you're not going to fall for that old bit!"

"Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" takes things to a winter setting. It continues the tradition of blowing Daffy's beak off but also adds a highly original sequence in which Daffy gets called different animal names (such as "Dirty Skunk") and then Bugs produces a sign announcing that it's the appropriate season ("Dirty Skunk Season"). Elmer then, of course, shoots.

All three shorts feature incredible animation, especially on Daffy. Likewise, Mel Blanc's vocal performances, especially as Daffy, are some of his best. To sum it all up, probably the best movie trilogy ever that didn't have George Lucas' name attached.

Cartoon a Day: What's Opera Doc?

What's Opera Doc?
1957
Directed by Chuck Jones
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2

OK, I admit it, I've been behind on my cartoons this weekend. Between small group, birthday parties, and trying to get in some extra work...it's been busy. So, what better way to get back on track than to look at one of the greatest cartoons ever made, "What's Opera Doc?"



Where do you start? The animation is fantastic! From the opening animation of Elmer Fudd's shadow, a possible jab at Disney's "A Night on Bald Mountain" from "Fantasia," you know you're in for something special. The animation of Bugs and Elmer is wonderful, but it's the animation of the fat horse that is the highlight of this short for me.

Being that this is a "opera" the music is very important and may be the best example of the excellent scoring that was so often present in the Looney Tunes shorts. But the real star of this short is the incredible backgrounds. They create a whole other world, completely unlike anything we've seen in any other cartoon.

I think the backgrounds are what really bring out the emotion of this short. The colors and the angles just intensify everything. When Elmer supposedly kills Bugs, it's sad. I can remember watching this as a kid and hating that part. Bugs is dead, Elmer is crying over what he's done, that's the stuff kids' nightmares are made of. But, of course, Bugs has the final say in things, delivering probably the best closing line of any of his cartoons.

If told I could only watch one cartoon for the rest of my life...well, this would probably be the one I would choose.

Cartoon a Day: Herr Meets Hare

Herr Meets Hare
1945
Directed by Friz Freleng (as I. Freleng)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 6

"Herr Meets Hare" is a cartoon that has been rarely seen until it's recent release on DVD. It is essentially a Bugs Bunny / Elmer Fudd hunting picture. But here's the catch, instead of Fudd as Bugs' nemesis we have Hitler's second in command Hermann Goring.

Bugs ends up near Goring's hunting lodge in Germany's black forest having, of course, forgotten to make a left turn at Albuquerque. By the way, this is actually the first film that features that line. The gags that follow are pretty much in line with what you would see if Fudd were in the picture, though customized a bit to make jabs at the Nazis. The sequence in which Bugs impersonates the fuhrer features some great poses for Bugs.

One segment of the film that is particularly interesting is essentially an early version of the classic cartoon "What's Opera Doc?" which was still 12 years away at this point. Just like in that more famous film, you have Bugs in the Brunehilde role and Herman Goring (Fudd) in the Siegfried role. The scene is very funny, particularly the animation of Goring who looks like a giant baby with a viking hat.

I realize some of these wartime cartoons often have some elements that are uncomfortable to watch in this day and age, but it so great to see the studios interested in not just preserving the history of these cartoons but sharing them in a major DVD release. This one is real classic.

Cartood a Day: The Abominable Snow Rabbit

The Abominable Snow Rabbit
1961
Directed by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 5

In "The Abominable Snow Rabbit," Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are on their way to Palm Springs but end up in the Himalayas (having failed to head West at East St. Louis). There they run into an abominable snow man who wants nothing more than a pet rabbit. So Bugs and Daffy spend the rest of the short trying to convince the monster that the other is a rabbit.



This short was made in 1961, so it has a very different feel than earlier Warner Brothers short. Though it has a different look, the art is still great. The backgrounds are more extreme than ever, and there are some slight changes in the character design, especially for Daffy. What's hard to get used to is that the comedy is driven more by dialogue than by action. The late Looney Tunes films always seem a bit talky to me, and sometimes the comedy works and sometimes it doesn't.



The Abominable Snow Man character is fun and has a great design. The character is clearly based on the Lenny character from "Of Mice and Men." Most of the film's funnier moments are driven by the snowman. Though this is a funny short, it just doesn't quite have the manic edge of the earlier Looney Tunes.

Cartoon a Day: Hare Force

Hare Force
1944
Directed by Friz Freleng (as I. Freleng)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 3

The title "Hare Force" has absolutely nothing to do with the plot of this cartoon. You'd think it had something to do with the military, but it's just an unrelated pun. The plot concerns Bugs Bunny battling with a dog named Sylvester over who gets locked outside on a cold winter night.


You kind of feel sorry for Sylvester as Bugs tricks him out of his spot by the fire. Maybe that's why he wasn't used as an ongoing nemesis for Bugs. However, Sylvester does get a few jabs in himself.

The best sequence comes toward the end of the film...the "oh no, out you go once and for all" sequence. The two characters go back and forth trying to push the other out the door. There are some great poses if you freeze frame when the two switch places.

Though this short takes a little while to find it's rhythm, it is pretty funny and ends strong.

Cartoon A Day: A Corny Concerto

A Corny Concerto
1943
Directed by Bob Clampett (as Robert Clampett)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2

"A Corny Concerto" can be summed up like this: Bob Clampett does "Fantasia." That's worth the price of admission right there. Who better of Warner's directors to take a jab at Walt Disney's epic.

Elmer Fudd introduces two segments set to classical music. The first segment is a Bugs Bunny / Elmer Fudd story, only Elmer is played by Porky Pig. The segment moves at a dizzying pace. Whereas "Fantasia" could be considered graceful, this is manic and it makes for a great parody.

The backgrounds have a unique color scheme, as well, which pokes more fun at Disney's masterpiece. There's also a wide range of crazy reactions and poses, which Clampett is famous for.

The second segment almost defies description. It begins looking as if it could've come right out of "Fantasia," with it's graceful swans swimming about. But you know that won't last long. It think this series of shots from one reaction illustrate the turn this segment takes better than I could describe it.

Just look at the extremes on that last shot! It's amazing to look at single frames of quick movements on a Clampett cartoon.

Though this is a wild "Fantasia" parody, it's done with great affection for the original. I think both films rank as masterpieces.