Release Date:

February 7, 1948

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny

Summary:

An Ed Wynn lookalike of an Indian attempts to catch Bugs Bunny.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1023 and was released as a Looney Tune.

This one has a very interesting production history as this was the cartoon that was delayed during production in order to allow “Rhapsody Rabbit” to be completed and released first during the whole kerfuffle with MGM’s “The Cat Concerto”. Obviously, the biggest tell this cartoon was delayed is the production number.

This is also the last Jones cartoon to have animation by Basil Davidovich and the first Jones cartoon in production order to have animation by Phil Monroe.

Although the Indian looks like Ed Wynn, the voice is not the same.

The cartoon no longer airs on television due to racial stereotyping. This also makes it the rarest of all Bugs Bunny cartoons directed by Jones.

Michael Maltese voices the Indian.

This is a rare instance where Bugs and his antagonist both lose.

The title is a play on words for the Indian custom of Warriors earning feathers to wear in their hair for a courageous act.

What I Like About This One:

Sneaking along through the forest, the Indian warns us through body movements and subtitles: “Sh-You Be-Um Quiet. Me Hunt-Um Rabbit!” (animated by Lloyd Vaughan)

Bugs’ ears come out of his hole sense the Indian’s presence when the Indian looks through a bush to which they immediately zoom back down into the hole. The Indian then sets a mousetrap with a carrot as bait. Bugs takes it down with him, but when the Indian reaches down into it, he gets the mousetrap on his hand. To add insult to injury, Bugs has another mousetrap snap on the Indian’s foot (animated by Basil Davidovich).

As the Indian jumps around in pain while holding his foot, Bugs imitates him minus the yelling noises and asks “What’s up, doc?” The Indian explains to him, “Me try catch-um rabbit. Me no catch-um rabbit. Me catch-um ME!” (animated by Phil Monroe). Bugs removes the mousetraps and tells the Indian he at least has no bones broken before directing him to a hole with several signs pointing out where Bugs apparently is (animated by Davidovich).

The Indian races a long way back to his teepee to get his arrows (animated by Ken Harris) but before he can shoot down into the hole, he notices some footprints and follows them. Bugs pops up from his arrow bag and tricks the Indian into shooting arrows in the wrong directions before bending a third arrow so that the Indian ends up shooting it into his rear. Bugs then tricks the Indian into firing him as an arrow, but this backfires when Bugs hits a tree (animated by Monroe).

Finding himself tied up to a stake while the Indian is fixing a stew, Bugs manages to pull the stake free from the ground and move to a different location. The Indian follows him with his pot every time Bugs moves to a new spot. Bugs eventually stops but the Indian still continues putting his pot down in different places (animated by Harris).

Bugs gets an idea of more deviltry (animated by Ben Washam). Meanwhile, the Indian is still placing his pot down in different places before he is hit with a snowball. It turns out to be from Bugs, which the Indian is confused as to how Bugs is able to make snowballs in the summertime. Bugs explains that it’s too cold to make them in the winter. The Indian sees that as a good point before he realizes this doesn’t make sense and goes in after Bugs. Bugs comes out wearing the Indian’s glasses and clothes and with his ears tied down like a braid. The Indian is seen wearing only a bow in his hair and with an annoyed expression, he decides he can be smart too and “fool him plenty” (animated by Vaughan).

Skipping along while singing “This Is the Way We Go to School” to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”, Bugs finds the Indian has set up a “Hare Cut and Scalp Treatment” in his teepee. He decides to play along and changes the lyrics to “This Is the Way We Cut Our Hair” (animated by Vaughan) while entering. The Indian is revealed to have set up a barbershop in there as Bugs goes in pretending to wait his turn for a haircut while reading the paper. When the Indian calls “Next”, Bugs tricks him into believing he was ahead and that it’s his turn (animated by Harris). The Indian goes to sit in the chair while Bugs gives him his way of a scalp treatment- striking him on the head with a razor that has a rock on its shaving end instead of a blade (animated by Vaughan). Bugs leaves and continues skipping and singing “This Is the Way We Go to School” (animated by Harris).

The Indian follows Bugs’ footprints in the same way he skipped. Seeing him approach, Bugs uses his tail like an outboard motor to fly away to a water pump which he uses to create mud and use said mud to mold into a vase. After molding, hardening, and painting the vase, Bugs throws it into the air where it smashes against the Indian’s head (animated by Washam).

Bugs questions who the Indian thinks he is to be chasing him. He gets his answer when he sees the Indian pointing his arrow at him and answering, “Me? Me Last Mohican!” Bugs reveals the contrary by pointing up to where storks are bringing several infant Mohicans. Realizing he’s now the father of a bunch of kids, the Indian passes out. Bugs’ laughs over this only to stop laughing once he sees more storks bringing several baby bunnies who all ask in unison, “Eh, what’s up, pop?” Bugs too can’t handle fatherhood and passes out atop the Indian (animated by Washam).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕