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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Foxy by Proxy (1952)

Foxy by Proxy (1952)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Animation by Virgil Ross, Arthur Davis, Manuel Perez, Ken Champin
Music by Carl Stalling

This minor, mild cartoon is a rough remake of the 1940 Tex Avery-directed “Of Fox and Hounds,” with a dimwitted dog participating in a fox hunt. In that film, the poor dumb dog has trouble comprehending that his sly new friend is a fox. In this 1952 go-round, Bugs Bunny plays tricks on the dense canine by dressing up as a fox and leading him into frustration.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever – Operation: Rabbit (1952)

Operation: Rabbit (1952)

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

Prior to the 1952 “Operation: Rabbit,” Bugs Bunny’s foes could be classified in one of four categories: the dimwitted hunter, the hotheaded loudmouth, the pompous authority figure, and the smart-ass who consistently played Bugs for a chump – Cecil Turtle and the gremlin in “Falling Hare” were among the rare detractors who kept getting the best of him.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Big Top Bunny (1951)

Big Top Bunny (1951)
Directed by Robert McKimson
Story by Tedd Pierce
Animation by Charles McKimson, Rod Scribner, Phil DeLara, Bob Wickersham
Music by Carl Stalling

The reigning animal star of Col. Korny’s Circus is Bruno the Slobokian Acrobatic Bear – the ursine star is a burly biped with a tan body, a chalk white face and a green and red derby, as well as a heavy accent that sounds like it comes from any country behind the Iron Curtain. Bruno’s spotlight reign is threatened when he is given a new performing partner with Bugs Bunny. Bruno is furious at this arrangement and tries to sabotage Bugs during their premiere engagement. Bugs quickly realizes Bruno’s intentions and deftly turns the tables on the arrogant acrobat, ultimately resulting in a big top ejection via a cannon.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Ballot Box Bunny (1951)

Ballot Box Bunny (1951)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Animation by Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Arthur Davis,Manuel Perez
Music by Carl Stalling

Yosemite Sam is running for mayor of an unnamed town, and part of his platform is the promise “to rid this country of every last rabbit.” Needless to say, this doesn’t sit well with Bugs Bunny, who starts a rival campaign. Sam repeatedly tries to sabotage Bugs’ electioneering, but his tricks inevitably backfire badly on him. However, neither candidate prevails as the race goes to a dark horse candidate, literally – a car carrying a sign that reads “Our New Mare” features a large horse as its passenger that is cheered as the election victor by off-screen crowds. Shocked by their respective loses, Bugs and Sam opt to extinguish their disappointment with a game of Russian roulette.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: His Hare-Raising Tale (1951)

His Hare-Raising Tale (1951)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Animation by Virgil Ross
Music by Carl Stalling

One of the relatively few Warner Bros. cartoons that mainly consisted of recycled footage from older shorts, “His Hare-Raising Tale” is an amusing endeavor that pointed to a potential scenario shift that, sadly, was never explored in depth.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: French Rarebit (1951)

French Rarebit (1951)
Directed by Robert McKimson
Story by Tedd Pierce
Animation by Phil DeLara, Emery Hawkins, Charles McKimson, Rod Scribner
Music by Eugene Poddany; orchestrations by Milt Franklyn

A flatbed truck emerges out of the Arc de Triomphe carrying a large crate marked “Carrots from U.S.A.” The vehicle hits a pothole, causing the crate to fall off and crack open in the street. Bugs Bunny emerges, unaware of his surroundings, though a quick glimpse of the Eiffel Tower and a street sign for the Champs Elysees alerts him to his Parisian location. While strolling the city’s streets, he attracts the attention of rival restaurateurs Louis and Francois – each wants to capture and cook Bugs. Not surprisingly, Bugs quickly outwits his new foes and winds up cooking them.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Rabbit Fire (1951)

Rabbit Fire (1951)
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Michael Maltese
Animation by Ken Harris, Phil Monroe, Lloyd Vaughan and Ben Washam
Music by Carl W. Stalling

In the realm of the Bugs Bunny cartoons, “Rabbit Fire” is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing, of course, is the film’s contents – a fast, inventive serving of classic dialogue and innovative visual comedy that resulted in an animated masterpiece. The curse, however, involved the same issues that make it a blessing. “Rabbit Fire” is so remarkable that it created a lightning-in-a-bottle moment that could never be repeated with the same level of style and substance. And Lord knows the Termite Terrace gang tried endlessly to duplicate its brilliance, with results that ranged from almost perfect to dreadful.
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