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.
Herr Meets Hare (1945)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Michael Maltese
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Gerry Chiniquy
So the Warner Propaganda machine comes full circle finally with Bugs Bunny finally taking on the Germans and Hitler. Bugs is one in a long line of characters that did battle with Hitler including Superman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, and the Ninja Turtles. Sure, “Herr Meets Hare” is pure propaganda but it at least has a good time making a mockery of Hitler and lampooning he and his followers big time. I’m not a big fan of the Looney Tunes being used as tools for war or political ideologies, but “Herr Meets Hare” at least punches up and works very hard in having a good laugh and taking the air out of the whole Nazi anxiety.
“Herr Meets Hare” is timed during the end of the World War II where the Nazis surrendered and the Third Reich fell, prompting the narration from Walter Winchell to explain “Germany has been battered into a fare-thee-well”, and mocking the high leadership, and where “Fatso” Goering in particular has gone. It’s here where we meet Hermann Goering, a proud German and Nazi who is covered in medals, and wearing small lederhosen. He’s also very fat, loud, and obnoxious. The writers also don’t even bother to really try for actual German, allowing for a lot of gibberish and sharp vowels that mostly resemble German, in a sense.
It’s a mostly hit or miss joke, used way too much. Here Hermann introduced to the audience marching while on a hunt with his trust Schnauser (The schnauser is surprisingly never seen again), and fates collide when a burrowing Bugs Bunny accidentally winds up in Black Forest, Germany. This prompts Hermann to attack him at will, firing his shotgun at him as Bugs attempts to evade him. After a few failed attempts to divert the attention of Hermann, Bugs takes some mud from the ground and dons the appearance of Adolf Hitler. Hermann in shock greets Hitler and switches in to his Nazi uniform with Swastikas and even gives him a joyous “Sieg Heil.” While the intentions are clear, the jokes are mostly hit or miss.
And while it’s good to see Bugs mocking the self importance of the Nazis in Germany (even making a gag out of the way they hand each other medals for doing seemingly nothing), Hermann is a mostly forgettable villain. Bugs obviously is just messing with Hermann to mess with him, as he could easily just flee leaving the idiot behind. That’s not a bad thing at all, but Bugs works better when he’s using his wits as a means of survival. The majority of the gags revolve around “Look at these Nazi idiots. What buffoons. What morons.” And again, I’m all for that. I just wish “Herr Meets Hare” had funnier gags, is all.
One thing that is very notable about “Herr Meets Hare” is that there is one fun sequence where Bugs comes riding in on a white stallion, dressed as a blond buxom valkyrie set to “the Overture to Tannhäuser” by Richard Wagner, which makes Hermann swoon and pursue him. This familiar scene would later be reworked and retooled by Chuck Jones quite well in the hilarious “What’s Opera, Doc?” While the scene here is fine enough, it’s used to so much better effect within the context of Jones’ animated short. “Herr Meets Hare” is also notable for being the first time Bugs ever mutters one of his many famous catchphrases, “I shoulda made a left toin at Albukoykee.” This would be one of his many one-liners that would set the stage for the events of the short.
The really good outcome from “Herr Meets Hare” is that it was often shown to German prisoners of war, many of whom were forced to watch it. Allegedly, they didn’t like it at all with Hans Goebler cited as explaining, “You saw Hermann Goering standing there full of decorations, then all of a sudden a rabbit showed up and took all the decorations off, and stuff like that. And we didn’t care for that.” Such a shame. “Herr Meets Hare” is thankfully one of the last war time cartoons from Warner with shorts like “Draftee Daffy” being the last. I’m all for Warner taking a shot at Hitler and the Nazis, and I appreciate its intentions more than I do the final product, to be honest.
It’s very good as a mocking of the Third Reich, but as a Bugs Bunny short (sans the Nazi junk), it’s only serviceable.
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