One month after “Bugs Bunny in Space” premiered on CBS, another prime-time special with the Looney Tunes crew turned up: “Bugs Bunny’s Howl-O-Ween Special.” I was 13 when it premiered on October 26, 1977, and at the time I was appalled by the haphazard sloppiness of the presentation. I just watched it again for the first time since that initial viewing and my negative opinion has not changed.
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A Witch’s Tangled Hare (1959)
Directed by Abe Levitow
Story by Michael Maltese
Animation by Keith Darling, Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Richard Thompson
Music by Milt Franklyn
“A Witch’s Tangled Hare” incorporates bits and pieces of William Shakespeare’s plays – along with a character who resembles Shakespeare – into a Bugs Bunny romp that brings back the zany Witch Hazel as the predator. It’s a cute idea for a cartoon, but the execution is off and it quickly becomes a bore.
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Broom-Stick Bunny (1956)
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Tedd Pierce
Animation by Richard Thompson, Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Abe Levitow
Music by Milt Franklyn
The character of Witch Hazel only co-starred as a Bugs Bunny adversary in three Golden Age cartoons: “Bewitched Bunny” (1954), which was strictly okay; “A Witch’s Tangled Hare” (1959), which was among the weakest of the series; and in today’s cartoon, “Broom-Stick Bunny,” which is not only the best of the trio but, IMHO, is among the very best of the Bugs Bunny canon.
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Bewitched Bunny (1954)
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Michael Maltese
Animation by Lloyd Vaughan, Ken Harris, Ben Washam
Music by Carl Stalling
“Bewitched Bunny” is notable for introducing Witch Hazel as Bugs Bunny’s first female adversary. A large, lumpy, green-hued character, she levitates to click her heels in merriment over her sorcery, cackling with glee over what she perceives to be a superiority over her long-eared foe.
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