A Wild Hare

A Wild Hare
A Wild Hare
	Lobby card
Directed by	Fred Avery
Story by	Rich Hogan
Produced by	Leon Schlesinger
Starring	Mel Blanc; Arthur Q. Bryan; Marion Darlington
Music by	Carl W. Stalling
Animation by	Virgil Ross
Color process	Technicolor
Production; company	Leon Schlesinger Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures; The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date	July 27, 1940;
Running time	8 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

A Wild Hare is a 1940 American animated comedy short film directed by Tex Avery, produced by Leon Schlesinger, and distributed by Warner Bros. as part of the Merrie Melodies series. The film was released on July 27, 1940, and features Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny, the latter making what is considered his first official appearance.^[2]^[3]

Plot

Elmer Fudd is stealthily maneuvering, reciting his iconic mantra, "Shh. Be very, very quiet. I'm hunting wabbits." Positioned near one of Bugs' warrens, he lays a carrot as bait and conceals himself behind foliage. Bugs, in a witty exchange, retrieves the carrot and engages in a playful tussle with Fudd's firearm, resulting in a whimsical transformation of the barrel into a contorted bow.

As Elmer persistently pursues Bugs, the rabbit emerges nonchalantly, brandishing another carrot, and humorously toys with Fudd's perception of rabbit characteristics. This culminates in Bugs revealing his true identity, playfully interacting with Elmer before darting away. Elmer's attempts to ensnare Bugs backfire comically, including mistaking a skunk for his elusive target, leading to a humorous encounter that leaves Elmer red-faced and humbled. Bugs orchestrates an elaborate ruse, feigning demise to toy with Elmer's emotions, before delivering a whimsical comeuppance, leaving the hapless Fudd bewildered and defeated. Elmer storms off, humiliated and lamenting his misadventures hysterically. As Bugs reflects on Elmer's antics, he whimsically serenades with a carrot-turned-fife, marching towards his burrow reminiscent of patriotic imagery.

Wild Hare on the radio

In a rare promotional broadcast, A Wild Hare was loosely adapted for the radio as a sketch performed by Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan on the April 11, 1941, edition of The Al Pearce Show. The sketch was followed by a scripted interview with Leon Schlesinger.^[4]

What's up, Doc?

Bob Clampett claimed that his inspiration for "creating" Bugs in the interview with Michael Barrier and Bugs Bunny Superstar that he was inspired by the film It Happened One Night, with Clark Gable's character chewing a carrot in a non-chalant stance while talking to Claudette Colbert's character about hitchhiking, however Avery denied this in the Avery-Jones letter, outright questioning it. However, this was the inspiration for the prototypical version that is seen in Porky's Hare Hunt, according to Friz Freleng. Also, Freleng says that Gable's character was not the inspiration, but Roscoe Karns's character, Oscar Shapeley, was the partial inspiration for the version created by Avery.^[5]^[6]
The line "What's up, Doc?" was added by director Tex Avery for this film. Avery explained later that it was a common expression in Texas where he was from, and he did not think much of the phrase.^[7]

Home media

"A Wild Hare" is available on many home video releases.

VHS - Bugs Bunny Collection: Here Comes Bugs (Blue Ribbon)
Laserdisc - The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 1 (Blue Ribbon title) and Volume 4, (Recreation Rings, same as Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3)^[8]
VHS - The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 2: Firsts (Blue Ribbon)
DVD - Torrid Zone (Blue Ribbon, USA 1995 Turner print added as a bonus)
DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, What's Up Doc? A Salute to Bugs Bunny documentary (unrestored, borrowed title card from "A Gander at Mother Goose" with edited production No., original titles)
DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, through Bugs Bunny Superstar (same as Torrid Zone)
DVD - Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection (restored)
DVD - The Essential Bugs Bunny (restored)^[9]
DVD - Bugs Bunny Superstar (USA 1995 Turner print added as a bonus)
Blu-ray, DVD - Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2 (restored)^[10]
Blu-ray - Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection (restored)
Streaming - HBO Max (restored)

Notes

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons^[11] but lost to "The Milky Way", another MGM Rudolf Ising production.
When the film was reissued as a Blue Ribbon release on June 17, 1944, four years after its original release, it was retitled The Wild Hare. Also, during the "guess who" sequence, the name Cawole Wombard was redubbed, since Lombard died in a plane crash, and was replaced by Bawbawa Stanwyck.

References

^ Scott, Keith (3 October 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. BearManor Media. p. 84.
^ Barrier, Michael (2003). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 361. ISBN 9780195167290.
^ Adamson, Joe (1990). Bugs Bunny: 50 Years and Only One Grey Hare. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 978-0-8050-1190-6
^ "Original script". Al Pearce Show. tobaccodocuments.org. April 11, 1942. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
^ It Happened One Night film review by Tim Dirks, Filmsite.org.
^ Letters of Note: UNADULTERATED HOGWASH
^ Adamson, Joe (1975). Tex Avery: King of Cartoons, New York: Da Capo Press. OCLC 59807115
^ "Merrie Melodies - A Wild Hare (1940) - Video Dailymotion". Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
^ "The Essential Bugs Bunny". Animatedviews.com. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
^ ""Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 2" Available on DVD and Blu-ray October 16, 2012". Cartoonbrew.com. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
^ "1940 Academy Awards". Infoplease.com. Retrieved 2007-09-20.

External links

A Wild Hare at IMDb

Preceded by None - first short	Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1940	Succeeded by Elmer's Pet Rabbit

[CartoonVoices-1] Scott, Keith (3 October 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. BearManor Media. p. 84.

[2] Barrier, Michael (2003). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 361. ISBN 9780195167290.

[Bugs_Bunny_1990-3] Adamson, Joe (1990). Bugs Bunny: 50 Years and Only One Grey Hare. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 978-0-8050-1190-6

[4] "Original script". Al Pearce Show. tobaccodocuments.org. April 11, 1942. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.

[filmsite-5] It Happened One Night film review by Tim Dirks, Filmsite.org.

[6] Letters of Note: UNADULTERATED HOGWASH

[7] Adamson, Joe (1975). Tex Avery: King of Cartoons, New York: Da Capo Press. OCLC 59807115

[8] "Merrie Melodies - A Wild Hare (1940) - Video Dailymotion". Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2015-02-24.

[9] "The Essential Bugs Bunny". Animatedviews.com. Retrieved 20 December 2021.

[10] ""Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 2" Available on DVD and Blu-ray October 16, 2012". Cartoonbrew.com. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2021.

[11] "1940 Academy Awards". Infoplease.com. Retrieved 2007-09-20.

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