From Hare to Heir (1960)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Friz Freleng
Animation by Gerry Chiniquy, Art Davis, Virgil Ross
Music by Milt Franklyn
In Merry Olde England, things are anything but merry at Bedlam Manor where Sam, Duke of Yosemite, discovers he is penniless after his uncle, the King, discontinued his allowance. Sam takes out his anger on his accountant-servant by slamming the man’s nose in a large book.
But financial salvation comes through a mysterious stranger (Bugs Bunny) who has an intriguing offer: Sam will receive £1 million provided he does not lose his temper. Any lapse in decorum results in a deduction of the sum. Bugs stays at the manor and tests Sam with multiple displays of annoying behavior. These provocations sets Sam off into violent temper tantrums, resulting in physical and financial humiliation for the irascible nobleman.
“From Hare to Heir” is mostly multiple variations of a single gag: an obnoxious Bugs causes Sam to go ballistic. But the cartoon works thanks to Mel Blanc’s brilliant voice performance as Sam. Whether bellowing his unhappiness at high-decibel fury, trying to camouflage his agitation in unctuously congenial tones, or letting loose with a stream of mock-obscenities consisting of unintelligible cursing, Sam is always hilarious whenever he is in a foul mood. And the highlight comes with Sam falling down an absurdly steep staircase while stuffed in a suit of armor – the endless cursing amid the metallic clunks of him banging across each step is laugh-out-loud funny, especially when Bugs notes each angry phrase as another deduction from his £1 million treasure.