{"id":40905,"date":"2023-09-12T00:03:23","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T04:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=40905"},"modified":"2023-09-03T17:00:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-03T21:00:38","slug":"every-bugs-bunny-ever-hare-trigger-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/12\/every-bugs-bunny-ever-hare-trigger-1945\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Hare Trigger (1945)"},"content":{"rendered":"

2023 marks the 85th<\/sup> Anniversary of Bug Bunny\u2019s first animated appearance in 1938’s \u201cPorky\u2019s Hare Hunt.\u201d Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we\u2019re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We\u2019re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too. <\/em><\/p>\n

Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Hare Trigger (1945)
\n<\/u><\/strong>Directed by Friz Freleng
\nWritten by Michael Maltese
\nMusic by Carl W. Stalling
\nAnimation by Manuel Perez<\/p>\n

Friz Freleng\u2019s \u201cHare Trigger\u201d marks the very first<\/strong><\/em> appearance of Yosemite Sam.<\/p>\n

As many know, Yosemite Sam is one of the biggest animated icons ever produced from Warner Animation. He wouldn\u2019t just become a famed Bugs Bunny villain, but he\u2019d also become a mascot for Looney Tunes alongside characters like Bugs, Porky, and Daffy. It\u2019s funny that Yosemite Sam finally makes his fully formed appearance after showing up in prototypical form in the previous shorts (\u201cStage Door Cartoon<\/a>\u201d). \u201cHare Trigger\u201d lays down the ground work for all the basic elements that we know and love about Yosemite Sam. He\u2019s pint sized, has the signature gruff voice, the Southern twang, the relentless greed, the red moustache, the bandit mask, and the big hat.<\/p>\n

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Over the years Warner animation would alter the design here and there depending on the animated short he was appearing in, but generally the basic design has remained the same. Yosemite Sam is a great villain to Bugs Bunny, and \u201cHare Trigger\u201d is a genuinely great animated short in the Friz Freleng library that brings the best out of everyone. Everyone in the production is just at their best, from Manuel Perez\u2019s animation, to the wonderful comedy, to Mel Blanc. Blanc voices Bugs and Yosemite Sam and really injects an interesting and distinct personality within Sam. When we first meet Yosemite Sam, he\u2019s not about the chatter and wasting time, and more about robbing the train he\u2019s on.<\/p>\n

Bugs is a great talent at distracting his nemeses, and Yosemite Sam just happens to be unlucky enough to be on the same train as the wascally wabbit. The gags come at almost a rapid fire pace which adds to the instant rewatchability of \u201cHare Trigger.\u201d I\u2019ve seen this a thousand times and almost always pick up something new. On the train the Super Chief (the mascot is a Native American Chief dressed as Superman), Bugs is stowing away in the mail kart singing the hilarious folk song \u201cGo Get the Axe.\u201d The song makes no sense but you have to love the lyrics. The short sets up Yosemite Sam by flashing on a Wanted Poster of him, which then cuts to him greeting the Super Chief with guns drawn.<\/p>\n

It rides right over him since he\u2019s pint sized, prompting him to jump on a horse and catch up to it. He inevitably sticks up the mail kart, and while looting it happens upon Bugs. Yosemite introduces himself as \u201cthe meanest, toughest, rip-roarin’-est, Edward Everett Horton-est hombre what ever packed a six-shooter!\u201d Bugs then explains that there\u2019s another person who claims to be the \u201csame etc. etc.\u201d which leads Sam to the next Cart. The subtle but slick homage to Gary Cooper is great here, as Bugs is drawn in Cooper\u2019s trademark stance, with his hat, gun belt, and even his sullen facial expression. Bugs is already a caricature of Clark Gable, but his ability to transform in to Cooper is just genius.<\/p>\n

The two then literally do battle, as Sam challenges him to draw a gun. Here Bugs literally<\/em><\/strong> draws a gun. I love the twist on this gag, and I fondly remember the first time watching \u201cHare Trigger\u201d where I burst out laughing at the \u201cdrawing a gun\u201d gag. Sam\u2019s response to draw his own gun is also great icing on the cake as Bugs examines it and mutters \u201cIt stinks!\u201d The animators once again take from Tex Avery\u2019s play book by integrating a lot of his famous screwy humor. Whether it\u2019s the trains muttering \u201cBread and butter\u201d as they pass each other, right down to the integration of live action footage to help deliver a gag. This time the animators use \u201cDodge City\u201d from 1939 where Sam accidentally runs in to a wild bar fight, allowing Bugs to get one up on him.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not particularly criticizing them on how they borrow from Tex Avery, but the influence is obvious. Avery isn\u2019t the first to integrate live action footage in his shorts, but he very much popularized it, and wasn\u2019t shy on tacking on live action scenes in most of his animated films from MGM. In either case, in the usual twisted Bugs Bunny way, the short ends on a classic movie serial finisher as our narrator asks what will happen to Bugs next. Bugs then slides in with reward money and Sam tied up announcing in Blanc\u2019s Tweety Bird cadence \u201cHe don\u2019t know me vewwy well, do he?!\u201d<\/p>\n

I love \u201cHare Trigger.\u201d It\u2019s not only hilarious, and garners some of the best animation in a Bugs Bunny short, but it sets the groundwork for future Yosemite Sam appearances. I\u2019m very glad Warner continued bringing Yosemite Sam back, as he works so well off of Bugs Bunny. Surprisingly he can also be a great villain in other settings, as we\u2019ll come to learn in future Bugs Bunny shorts.<\/p>\n

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