The Million Hare (1963)
Directed by Robert McKimson
Story by Dave Detiege
Animation by Warren Batchelder, Ted Bonnicksen, George Grandpre, Keith Darling
Music by Bill Lava
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck unexpectedly find themselves as competitors on “Beat Your Buddy,” a TV game show that challenges viewers to race each other to the broadcast studio for a grand prize. Daffy repeatedly attempts to sabotage Bugs’ progress but inevitably causes problems for himself. Daffy’s treachery gets out of control and the pair wind up hospitalized. But despite their injuries, they keep the competition going and frantically race to the studio.
“The Million Hare” is the weakest of the Bugs-Daffy frenemy films, with Daffy doing Wile E. Coyote-worthy nonsense to stop Bugs, who is mostly an indifferent observer to his comrade’s tricks. Daffy is extremely unlikeable in this short, beginning with his obnoxious television addiction that launches the story through his sour and nasty comments while trying to prevent Bugs from winning
The only bright spot in this dreary cartoon is the twist ending regarding the grand prize – what they thought was “the million bucks” turns out to be “the million box” containing a million little boxes. That sign-off is genuinely funny but it is a pain having to sit through the dismal mayhem to reach it.