Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Hare-um Scare-um (1939)

2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.  

Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.

Hare-um Scare-um (1939)
Directed by:
Ben Hardaway, Cal Dalton
Produced by: Leon Schlesinger
Music by: Carl W. Stalling
Animation by: Gil Turner

We’re back once again with Happy Rabbit making his evolution in to Bugs Bunny, We’re reaching the point where he’s officially Bugs in “Hare-Um Scare-Um” as he’s in Technicolor once again, and yet again the hero of the piece fighting against a wicked hunter and his loyal dog. What’s interesting about “Hare-um Scare-um” is that the hunter also seems to be a proto-Elmer Fudd (apparently named John Sourpuss) who spends his time doing battle with Happy Rabbit.

The set up for this short revolves around the announcement of rising meat prices in the local newspaper. Our villain is angered about having to pay such ridiculous prices, so he decides to go out and hunt for their meat. Of course Happy Rabbit is waiting for them, stamping fake paw prints along the ground leading them to nowhere. Sourpuss has about as much dimension as the other Bugs Bunny villains, spending his time on a small motivation that keeps Happy Rabbit fighting for his survival. Of course he uses his wits to get ahead and takes time out to humiliate his nemeses while dashing for his life.

Happy Rabbit still maintains his Woody Woodpecker cackle, even twiddling his toes before running as Daffy often did in his early animated shorts. The animation by Gil Turner looks a lot like Chuck Jones in his prime, with some keen comic timing, along with the same soft character models that Merrie Melodies so signature. The Happy Rabbit shorts are also still mildly adventurous, slowly phasing out the cutesiness that the Merrie Melodies celebrated. Happy Rabbit is much more resembling Bugs Bunny (thanks to a redesign by animator Charlie Thorson), going from a white rabbit with a black nose, now to a gray rabbit with white ears, a more pronounced black nose, pink cheeks and his soon-to-be signature buck teeth.

He’s also now wearing yellow gloves for hands throughout the picture. John Sourpuss looks a tad like Happy Rabbit in his early incarnation, even with the pin shaped head. “Hare-Um Scare-Um” also features the debut of Bugs Bunny’s penchant for cross dressing and costumes, as he evades the hunting dog by donning the outfit of a female dog and distracts him by wooing him. Like typical Looney Tunes, the short ends on an ironic note as John Sourpuss challenges Happy and his whole family, causing dozens of them to dash out from the forest with their dukes up.

“Hare-Um Scare-Um” is so much more in line with what we’d see in future Bugs Bunny cartoons, as he’s being molded in to a genuinely likable character that doesn’t feel like a direct copy of early Daffy Duck. You can apparently find this with two versions, one of which features a longer resolution with Happy’s family beating up Sourpuss, Happy handing Sourpuss his gun and bouncing off cackling with Sourpuss following after. It’s a better, funnier closer than the sudden dissolve on the rabbits.

Find out what we think are the BEST and WORST Bugs Bunny shorts of all time!