The 1976 made-for-television special \u201cBugs and Daffy\u2019s Carnival of the Animals\u201d marked the first time since \u201cFalse Hare\u201d in 1964 that an original production starring Bugs Bunny was created by Warner Bros. Why did it take 12 years for Warner Bros. to bring Bugs back? And why did Warner Bros. wait until 1976 to produce an original prime time special featuring its animated characters?
\n<\/p>\n
In retrospect, it is too bad that Bugs\u2019 return wasn\u2019t in a more invigorating presentation. \u201cBugs and Daffy\u2019s Carnival of the Animals\u201d feels like three different films sharing the same half-hour format involving the visualization of Camille Saint-Sa\u00ebns’ musical \u201cThe Carnival of the Animals.” There is a live-action symphonic performance conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, then there is Bugs and Daffy Duck as rival pianists reciting Ogden Nash\u2019s poetry inspired by the Saint-Sa\u00ebns music, and there is fanciful animation designed to bring the music to cartoonish life.<\/p>\n
The Bugs and Daffy segments get off to a good start when the characters are introduced by their voices \u2013 they are bickering off-camera on the proper pronunciation Saint-Sa\u00ebns, and it is to Mel Blanc\u2019s credit that these distinctive voices sound like they are coming from separate entities. There is also the now-standard joke of Bugs going on stage to rapturous applause while Daffyenters to dead silence \u2013 a cute closing gag (no spoilers, sorry) explains why this happens. (Porky Pig is in a blink-and-you-miss-him cameo but has little amusement to offer).<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Nash\u2019s fey poetry doesn\u2019t quite fit the Bugs and Daffy personas, even if it is positioned for Bugs to constantly one-up Daffy with cute puns. Even worse, the animation for this special was directed by Chuck Jones at a time when he insisted on presenting clearly defined characters in soft, cutesy visualizations. <\/p>\n
The stylized animation to illustrate the Saint-Sa\u00ebns feels like it was plucked out of a \u201cSesame Street\u201d episode \u2013 it is a far cry from the nihilist exuberance of \u201cA Corny Concerto\u201d or \u201cRabbit of Seville.\u201d Oddly, the best part of \u201cBugs and Daffy\u2019s Carnival of the Animals\u201d had nothing to do with the animation \u2013 the live-action segments were genuinely invigorating, and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas was endearing and entertaining.<\/p>\n
I can recall watching \u201cBugs and Daffy\u2019s Carnival of the Animals\u201d when it premiered on CBS on November 22, 1976, and thinking that it wasn\u2019t that remarkable. Viewing it again for the first time in 50 years, I am surprised that my childhood diagnosis still holds up.<\/p>\n
\u201cBugs and Daffy\u2019s Carnival of the Animals\u201d sparked good news and bad news. The good news was that more original Warner Bros. animation would follow this production. The bad news was that it was a hit-and-miss run, with too many misses along the way.<\/p>\n