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.
Stage Door Cartoon (1944)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Michael Maltese
Music by Lou Lilly
Animation by Jack Bradbury
I love “Stage Door Cartoon” as this is one of the prime shorts featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd with their antics spilling over in to a pubic setting. Every single moment of “Stage Door Cartoon” is pure comedy gold, right down to the writers transforming Bugs’ signature catchphrase “What’s Up, Doc?” in to a bonafide show tune. I didn’t get to see this short until I was able to watch to Cartoon Network back in the nineties, but it’s remained one of my absolute favorites. It’s not only proof that Bugs and Elmer have possibly the best dynamic of the whole Looney Tunes gallery (Yeah, I said it), but when they’re at their best, they can produce some really laugh out loud material.
“Stage Door Cartoon” revels in the chaos and sheer insanity that is the Bugs and Elmer dynamic, propping scenarios in stage and performance settings. This would later be repeated in offerings just as good like “The Rabbit of Seville” and “Hare Do.” That’s fine by me because watching Bugs and Elmer in such an interesting setting amounts to some bonafide laughs, and the writers are able to concoct enough gags to where the similar premises are easy to forget. The whole of Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes’ background is established very much in theater and Vaudeville and they’re allowed to really cut loose here.
The animation featuring a lot of Bugs and Elmer pursing each other while playing to an audience is just hysterical. The set up involves Elmer Fudd walking through the woods with a fishing pole and sack prompting him to break the fourth wall and address the audience. “I’ll bet you think I’m going fishing. No. I’m hunting a certain wascawwy wabbit!” Elmer’s line of thinking this time is to fish Bugs out of his hole. But Bugs catches on right away hooking him with his own pole. A chase begins where the pair ends up at a theater in the city where a Vaudeville performance is occurring. There, the two give chase and Bugs and Elmer are pushed in to performing for the audience.
Along with Bugs hiding as a can can dancer, he also engages in a neat soft shoe dance routine for the audience, and when Elmer stalks him in a grand piano, Bugs uses the piano to torment the hapless hunter. This is probably the funniest moment in the short as Bugs uses the keys to thump Elmer in the face and then uses the momentum of the piano to launch him in to the air. That’s followed by a hilarious gag where Bugs convinces Elmer to perform Shakespeare for the audience, which then oddly enough devolves in to an awkward strip tease. If that’s not enough Bugs persuades Elmer to take a high dive off of a large ladder in to a small cup of water, much to the audience’s horror.
As is typical with a lot of the Bugs Bunny shorts, he doesn’t just pull a fast one on his enemy, but sometimes on the audience. Interestingly enough we get to see Proto-Yosemite Sam once again but this time in another stage of his development. Notably he has his signature Southern drawl, as well as his large hat, bulbous nose, and large mustache, but he’s older, slightly taller, donning a black coat, black hat, and garners white hair. He makes a brief appearance in what’s intended as a final gag that lands pretty well.
It establishes Bugs as just a devious little prankster who doesn’t mind putting one over on us when he gets the chance. The added benefit is getting to see Proto-Yosemite Sam interact with the characters before his inevitable official introduction. All things considered, “Stage Door Cartoon” doesn’t have a weak moment in its entire run time, and I’ve always loved the musical aspect of Warner Bros. cartoons. They did, after all, cultivate my love for classical music, as well as folk music.
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