Every Bugs Bunny Ever: What’s Opera, Doc? (1957)

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Phil Hall

What’s Opera, Doc? (1957)
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Michael Maltese
Animation by Ken Harris, Richard Thompson, Abe Levitow
Music by Richard Wagner, arranged by Milt Franklyn

There are many people who believe “What’s Opera, Doc?” is the greatest cartoon of all time. I am not one of them. That’s not say I hate the film – I don’t. But at the same time, I don’t share the opinion that this represents the apex of animation. In fact, I wouldn’t even list it in the top 20 of all Bugs Bunny cartoons.
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Monkeyshines No. 1 (c. 1889-1890)

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Phil Hall

People seek out movie reviews to learn about the latest cinematic offering. But did you ever stop and ask yourself about where and when movies were first made?
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And Another 10 Best Musical Numbers You May Not Have Seen (But Need to See)

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Phil Hall

Yes, we’re back with yet another slate of fun musical numbers from films that you may not have seen or even heard about. So, pay close attention as we set the Wayback Machine to a time when the big screen was routinely filled with song and dance.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Piker’s Peak (1957)

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Phil Hall

Piker’s Peak (1957)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Music by Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn
Animation by Gerry Chiniquy, Arthur Davis, and Virgil Ross

In a small Swiss village, a competition is announced where a prize of 50,000 kronkites will be given to the first one who can climb the Schmatterhorn mountain. Yosemite Sam, dressed in Alpine mountain-climbing gear rather than his usual cowboy attire, agrees to the challenge. To Sam’s unhappiness, Bugs Bunny decides to try his luck at conquering the Schmatterhorn. Sam engages in outlandish chicanery designed to throw his competitor from the mountain, but inevitably winds up the victim of his deranged schemes
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October 7: Bearing Witness to the Massacre (2025)

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Phil Hall

The massacre perpetrated by Hamas against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the kidnapping of over 250 men, women, and children – the worst single assault on Jews since the Holocaust.
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The Bootleg Files: The Deer’s Bell

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 919: “The Deer’s Bell” (1982 Chinese animated short).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe as part of a collection of Chinese animation.

One of the great joys of being a film writer is accidentally discovering a film that you never knew existed, then falling in love with it, and then being able to share that newfound love with anyone who will listen. I am now experiencing that sensation by sharing “The Deer’s Bell” with you via this column.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Bedevilled Rabbit (1957)

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Phil Hall

Bedevilled Rabbit (1957)
Directed by Robert McKimson
Story by Tedd Pierce
Animation by Ted Bonnicksen, Keith Darling, George Grandpré
Music by Milt Franklyn

When the Tasmanian Devil – or Taz, as his friends know him – debuted in the 1954 “Devil May Hare,” producer Edward Selzer took a dislike to the character and ordered director Robert McKimson not to use him again. However, studio chief Jack L. Warner later intervened by pointing to the surplus number of fan letters asking when Taz would be in another cartoon. Three years passed after “Devil May Hare” before he returned in “Bedevilled Rabbit,” which was the best of the Bugs-Taz pairings.
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