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.
Fresh Hare (1942)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Michael Maltese
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Manuel Perez
“Fresh Hare” is a triple layer kind of Bugs Bunny short. For one thing it is the last of the “Fat Elmer” Fudd shorts. Secondly, it bears immense nostalgic value for me, and number three is that it garners an ending that has been censored for decades. It’s a finale that once again includes Bugs Bunny celebrating a victory in none other than the dreaded black face. “Fresh Hare” is one of the many public domain animated Bugs Bunny shorts that I fondly recall watching as a kid on VHS as a child.
“Fresh Hare” includes “Fat Elmer” Fudd as a Canadian Mounty, it’s one of the few times in his state of character that he’s not only a villain, but—well—a Canadian Mounty! Elmer Fudd from hereon in is mainly just a bad guy who is either a mean boss, or evil waiter, and most of the time a hunter who is hunting Wabbit.
The premise for this one involves Bugs who is Wanted by local Mounted Police Officers for crimes not quite verified to the audience. All we know is that his Wanted posters are plastered all across the forest and Elmer is making chase with his loaded rifle. He eventually tries to lure Bugs out of his hole with a carrot, and the pair begins tussling with Elmer intent on arresting Bugs and bringing him in to authorities. But not before Bugs has a good time tormenting Elmer at every turn, of course.
There are some good gags here, especially when you consider that the central setting is the snow. This allows Bugs and the animators to be as creative as they can, including Bugs confronting a snowman version of Elmer, a chase scene with the pair submerged in snow, and their smashing through snow leaving behind a variety of shaped holes. There is of course the subtle raunch with a cut away to a poster of an Adult magazine advertised to local Mounties. And at one point Bugs leaves behind a hole shaped like a curvaceous woman.
I’ve always been a big fan of the gag involving the keys, as that is a general staple of a lot of these animated comedies. Elmer is cuffed to a bomb, Bugs has the keys, and as time is running out, Bugs is sorting out the keys looking for the right one. It’s classic. “Fresh Hare” is easily one of my most watched Bugs Bunny shorts mainly because I watched it so much on my old VHS compilation tape as a kid. It’s one of the few public domain Bugs Bunny shorts that are really good, despite its unfortunate…um… epilogue.
I spent most of my life watching the censored “Fresh Hare” where Bugs ends the short at the mercy of a firing squad, and as his last wish he wishes he was in Dixie. Cue the singing of the chorus “I Wish I was in Dixie! Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray…!” This is always where the short would dissolve in to the Looney Tunes theme song, and it’s a pretty funny cue to end the short on. And I had little to no knowledge of songs about the Confederacy when I was eight years old. Very few eight year olds do.
The uncut, uncensored “Fresh Hare” features Bugs singing “Dixie” with the baffled firing squad, which then cuts to Bugs and other soldiers in black face dressed as Minstrel performers singing “Camptown Races,” ad cringe.
Even in the context of its 1940’s time period, this scene isn’t just gross, but it kind of destroys the comic timing of the original dissolve. I probably say that since I grew up on that dissolve (i.e. the censored version), but the joke lands so much better for me with Bugs singing “Dixie” to the shock of the firing squad. The uncensored version is a joke that just never really knows how to end, so it just kind of lingers there.
I get that it’s meant to assure us that Bugs doesn’t actually die from the firing squad, but nevertheless. That said, it doesn’t thankfully hinder the majority of “Fresh Hare” which is by all intents and purpose a solid, and very funny Elmer and Bugs adventure. It’s fascinating how it took some time before Warner and the Termite Terrace would hit on the right formula for Bugs and Elmer, as they’re often considered the quintessential villain and hero pairing for a lot of pop culture.
Oddly enough their dynamic is similar to Lex Luthor and Superman.
Maybe it’s just me.
Let’s pour one out for the saga of “Fat Elmer” Fudd, a baffling choice made in the screen life of one of cartoon’s most iconic super villains of all time. It was an unusual shift in character model that literally added nothing of substance, but it’s an interesting foot note in the legacy of Looney Tunes.
Find out what we think are the BEST and WORST Bugs Bunny shorts of all time!