Author Archives: Phil Hall

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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: The Hasty Hare (1952)

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The Hasty Hare (1952)

Directed by Charles M. Jones
Story by Michael Maltese
Animation by Ken Harris, Lloyd Vaughan, Ben Washam
Music by Carl W. Stalling

In the early 1950s, flying saucers could be found in newspaper headlines and movie screens. The Termite Terrace gang tapped into that environment by bringing back the extra-terrestrial characters of 1948’s “Haredevil Hare” – but whereas Bugs Bunny went into the space to encounter those otherworldly characters for that film, the 1952 short “The Hasty Hare” has the beings from out there land their flying saucer on Earth to meet the rascally rabbit.
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Deep Throat (1972)

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Back in 1972, Bob Hope inserted this unlikely joke into an opening monologue for one of his television specials: “I went to see ‘Deep Throat’ because I’m fond of animal pictures. I thought it was about giraffes.”

For those of you who were not around in the early 1970s, it might be difficult to comprehend the pop culture sensation created by “Deep Throat,” a cheaply-made ($25,000) little X-rated movie. It wasn’t the first pornographic film to gain mainstream attention, and Lord knows it wasn’t the best of the skin flick orbit. But “Deep Throat” was the ultimate anomaly – a charming porn flick with a silly sense of humor, and its off-beat personality enabled the film’s reputation to grow so quickly that even Bob Hope referenced it.
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The Bootleg Files: Chu Chu and the Philly Flash

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BOOTLEG FILES 892: “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash” (1981 comedy feature starring Alan Arkin and Carol Burnett).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Only available on VHS.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope.

While viewing this 1981 comedy film, a nagging thought kept cycling through my mind: Did anyone during the creation of this work genuinely believe they were making a funny movie? Granted, there is a surplus number of unfunny comedy films – but “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash” is such an astonishing misfire that it could inspire an academic consideration of how not to make a comedy film.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Water, Water Every Hare (1952)

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Water, Water Every Hare (1952)
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Michael Maltese
Animation by Ben Washam, Ken Harris, Phil Monroe, Lloyd Vaughan, Richard Thompson, Harry Love
Music by Carl Stalling

Comedy horror movies rarely work, if only because they devolve into the obvious buffoonery of having the funnymen go into unamusing spasms of anxiety when confronted by ghouls, ghosts, creepy beings, and other unpleasant entities. The 1952 cartoon “Water, Water Every Hare” clicks because it doesn’t sink into the standard nonsense of the comic (in this case, Bugs Bunny) being endlessly frightened by the stock villains. Instead, it offers some brilliantly inventive segments that take the comedy horror genre to a new dimension.
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The Bootleg Files – Computability: How to Make the Most of Your Home Computer

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BOOTLEG FILES 891: “Computability: How to Make the Most of Your Home Computer” (1984 educational home video starring Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube and Internet Archive.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Only available on VHS.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Woefully outdated production with no reissue value.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope.

Forty years ago, many Americans were spending the holidays getting acquainted with a remarkable gift: their first home computer. But for those at the dawn of the digital age who only knew about computers from science-fiction films, the machines posed a complex challenge.

In 1983, comedian and talk show host Steve Allen teamed with his wife, actress Jayne Meadows, on a record album called “Everything You Wanted to Know About Home Computers,” which provided a pleasant introduction to how home computers work and how people can get these machines to work for them. The record, which was produced by Casablanca/Polygram Records, received a Grammy Award nomination and it inspired the creative talent involved to adapt the material into an educational video with an accompanying glossary.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: 14 Carrot Rabbit

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14 Carrot Rabbit (1952)

Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Animation by Virgil Ross, Arthur Davis, Manuel Perez, Ken Champin
Music by Carl Stalling

This cartoon is set during the Klondike Gold Rush, with claim jumper Chillicothe Sam (actually, our old pal Yosemite Sam) shooting his guns to chase an elderly prospector away from his meager findings. Sam is unhappy that his thievery is producing dismal results, and he is dumbfounded when he discovers Bugs Bunny has a knack for discovering huge gold deposits – whenever he’s over the precious metal, Bugs going into wild convulsions. Sam tries to trick Bugs into a partnership, but (as usual) is constantly outsmarted by his prey.
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