Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Sahara Hare (1955)

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Phil Hall

Sahara Hare (1955)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Music by Milt Franklyn
Animation by Gerry Chiniquy, Ted Bonnicksen, Arthur Davis

“Sahara Hare” gets off to a great start when Bugs Bunny burrows his way into the middle of the Sahara Desert and mistakenly believes he is in Miami Beach. Bugs happily runs across the desert to take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean, but the endless hot sands confuse and exhaust him. “Man, dig this crazy beach,” he exhales before hitting upon a tiny oasis. Mistaking the oasis pond for the ocean, he dives in headfirst, but winds up with a headful of mud from the pond’s shallow bottom.
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The Bootleg Files: Rabbit Habit

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 908: “Rabbit Habit” (1975 parody of the Warner Bros. cartoons).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube and Internet Archive.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A wildly unauthorized use of copyright protected material.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

Over the years, this column has occasionally featured underground cartoons that wickedly parodied beloved animated characters – “Apocalypse Pooh,” “Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown,” “A Charlie Brown Kwanzaa” and “Mickey Mouse in Vietnam” were among best titles that I’ve celebrated. However, I must apologize for taking so long to highlight a true masterpiece of this micro-genre: the 1975 “Rabbit Habit,” which imagines the Looney Tunes icons as drug dealers and addicts.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Captain Hareblower (1954)

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Phil Hall

Captain Hareblower (1954)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Animation by Manuel Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Arthur Davis
Music by Carl W. Stalling

Yosemite Sam returns to 18th century oceanic miscreancy, this time as Pirate Sam with a schooner that he sails all by himself. Just the thought of encountering him creates panic on well-manned ship – the crew abandons their vessel when Sam approaches, leaving only Bugs Bunny, a stowaway in a carrot crate who never heard of Pirate Sam and has no fear of what he can create. Sam bellows for Bugs to surrender, reminding him that “I’ve got you outnumbered one to one.” However, Sam quickly discovers his new long-eared foe is no pushover.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Hare Trimmed (1953)

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Phil Hall

Hare Trimmed (1953)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Animation by Manuel Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Arthur Davis
Music by Carl Stalling

“Hare Trimmed” is notable as being the only Bugs Bunny cartoon where Granny plays a prominent role in the story. It is a shame that she wasn’t a more frequent presence, since she was an endearing and lively character – Granny turned up briefly two years later in “This is a Life?”, but that was more of a gag appearance.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Southern Fried Rabbit (1953)

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Phil Hall

Southern Fried Rabbit (1953)
Directed by I. Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Animation by Ken Champin, Arthur Davis, Manuel Perez, Virgil Ross
Music by Carl W. Stalling

“Southern Fried Rabbit” might have the most preposterous plot of any Bugs Bunny cartoon. When Bugs’ carrot field in an unnamed Northern state is withered into nothingness by a drought, he finds a newspaper declaring Alabama is enjoying a record carrot crop harvest. Bugs walks to the South, but is stopped at the Mason-Dixon line by Confederate soldier Yosemite Sam, who declares that he’s under orders from General Robert E. Lee to repel Yankees from setting foot on Southern soil. Bugs notes that the War Between the States ended some 90 years earlier, but Sam angrily responds “I ain’t no clock watcher” and tries to keep Bugs out of Dixie.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Hare Lift (1952)

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Phil Hall

Hare Lift (1952)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Animation by Ken Champin, Arthur Davis, Manuel Perez, Virgil Ross
Music by Carl W. Stalling

Bank robber Yosemite Sam makes a gun-toting withdrawal from the Last National Bank, warning those inside the bank to “keep a-reachin’ for the ceilin’ till ya’ reach it!” But the sound of approaching police sirens forces him to flee and drives to the airport where the world’s largest airplane has arrived for public exhibition. Bugs Bunny is alone in the airplane, sitting in the cockpit while pretending he’s a pilot. Sam mistakes him for the real pilot and forces Bugs to take off – even though Bugs knows nothing about flying. Nonetheless, Bugs starts the airplane and begins to drive it down a main street before abruptly taking it on a wild ride up to the moon and then back in a dizzying plummet to Earth.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: 14 Carrot Rabbit

Posted on December 25, 2024 by Phil Hall

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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