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.
The Old Grey Hare (1944)
Directed by Bob Clampett
Written by Michael Sasanoff
Music by Lou Lilly
Animation by Bob McKimson
I’m surprisingly not a fan of “The Old Grey Hare” as it always came off as so random and bizarre. I’m so used to the Looney Tunes shorts setting up everything so expertly with three act structures in spite of the short run time. So it’s disappointing to see “The Old Grey Hare” which garners a lackluster first act, and a pretty abrupt third act. Plus the whole idea behind the return of skinny Elmer Fudd is kind of depressing, all things considered. The whole back and forth between Elmer and Bugs was always so much fun and hilarious, that for the writers to paint this dynamic as something of a inescapable circle of insanity kind of defeats the purpose of being labeled a comedy.
The set up involves Elmer Fudd who is sitting in the middle of the woods bawling over the fact that he can’t catch Bugs Bunny. In spite of his best efforts, he just can’t catch him. Suddenly the voice of God appears to him telling him that he’s destined to chase Bugs Bunny forever. He then warps him through time to the futuristic period of the year 2000 (gasp!) where they’re both old. Elmer is still trying to capture Bugs Bunny and he finally manages to nail him with his futuristic rifle. As elderly Bugs lies dying, they flash back now to when Bugs and Elmer were babies. Inexplicably Elmer’s been hunting Bugs since he was a small fry and they give chase to one another but—you know—as babies.
So it’s different?
Truth be told, “The Old Grey Hare” is like the other shorts featuring Bugs and Elmer going back and forth with one another, except Bob Clampett frames the movie with flashbacks and flash forwards. This doesn’t make the ensuing chaos any funnier or more unique, except it’s a bit darker than normal shorts. One scene finds Bugs dying and deciding to dig his own grave. In the midst of the wallowing and bawling, Bugs obviously tricks Elmer in to the freshly dug grave, burying him in the plot. I don’t know it’s just a gag that really never works for me. Elmer then celebrates escaping Bugs forever, and Bugs turns the final screw by handing him a stick of dynamite.
There isn’t a lot of resolution to “The Old Grey Hare” nor is there much of a revelation on Elmer’s part. There’s just a wacky scenario of Bugs and Elmer chasing one another until they’re old and grey and still going at it apparently until the end of their days. What ever the intent for the whole short was is lost on me, I have to admit. Also the short segment with Elmer and Bugs as babies is a huge swing and a miss, if only because it’s so brief and hurts the momentum of the short. The animation is great, though. and it’s fun to see Elmer Fudd back and sparring with Bugs Bunny (it’s also great to hear Arthur Q. Bryan reprise the role of Elmer Fudd once more), but the short feels so random and sloppily written.
Why does God show up to Elmer? What happened to make Elmer garner such an existential crisis? Where was Bugs before he was warped in to the futuristic year 2000? Also despite wanting to show Elmer what he’s doomed to be doing forever, what else was God trying to get across to Elmer? Could Elmer have broken out of this cycle? Aw hell, I know I’m over thinking this, but the whole premise just sets up so many ideas that are never even touched on. There’s not a ton of justification for anything including the flash forward (or the flash back to them being babies) save for I guess just wanting to mess with the formula a bit.
In any case, it’s good to see “Skinny” Elmer Fudd back and sparring with Bugs Bunny after the last few shorts gave us dog enemies. They were very good shorts in their own right, but Bugs is much more fun when working off of Elmer Fudd and any of his other established foes.
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