Release Date:

June 29, 1946

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny

Summary:

A circus is built over Bugs Bunny’s hole with Nero the lion’s cage placed above him. Bugs proves that even a fearsome lion can’t outsmart him.

That’s Not All, Folks:

Despite the production number being 3-15 (the 3rd Merrie Melodie in the 15th release season), the cartoon was released as a Looney Tune.

This is McKimson’s first Bugs Bunny cartoon. Up until “Hurdy Gurdy Hare” (1950), all of McKimson’s Bugs cartoons had Bugs a lot chubbier than how the other directors would have him drawn. This chubby Bugs would also appear in Arthur Davis’ sole Bugs Bunny cartoon, “Bowery Bugs” (1949).

You can find out who animated what scene here.

McKimson would do another circus-themed cartoon with Bugs five years later with “Big Top Bunny” where Bugs is a talented acrobat who is put in the same act as a selfish Russian-accented bear named Bruno the Magnificent who wants the spotlight all to himself.

McKimson would usually pit Bugs against a lot more dangerous foes such as a ferocious gorilla in “Gorilla My Dreams” (1948) and another ferocious gorilla in the aforementioned “Hurdy Gurdy Hare”, as well as an aggresive Aborigine in “Bushy Hare” (1950). The most memorable of all of these, was without question, the Tasmanian Devil, otherwise known as Taz, who was introduced in “Devil May Hare” (1954).

This is the last cartoon to use the 1945-1946 Looney Tunes opening theme. This cartoon also uses the closing theme that was heard in the Porky drum closings without Porky saying “Th-th-th-That’s all folks!”

This is the first McKimson cartoon to have layouts by Cornett Wood, who would be layout artist up until the end of 1951.

The cartoon is in the 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons book.

This is one of Jerry Beck’s all-time favorite cartoons.

“The Penguin” plays when Nero sniffs down Bugs’ hole and when he tries to figure out what animal is down there.

What I Like About This One:

The rendition of “Sing You Son of a Gun” that plays over the opening credits and continues into the start of the cartoon with circus construction being worked on and men pounding a stake into the ground being perfectly timed to the music (animated by Anatolle Kirsanoff).

Woken up by the noise (animated by Arthur Davis), Bugs is bounced out of bed with the noise and movement of circus wagon wheels and elephants overhead (Don Williams animated all shots of Bugs while Kirsanoff animated all of the outside shots).

As Nero’s cage is placed over Bugs’ hole, Nero puts his whole nose in Bugs’ hole and sniffs loudly in time to breathing, which causes Bugs’ covers and then Bugs himself to fly back and forth (animated by Williams).

Nero then tries to figure out what animal is in the hole with animals illustrated in a thought bubble and crossed out when he decides this isn’t it. It isn’t a dog, a camel, or a hen and when a skunk appears in Nero’s thoughts, he growls “no” in rapid succession as the skunk in the thought bubble is scribbled out. He then decides “Ok” when Bugs appears in his thoughts, with “Ok” being written out as well (animated by Cal Dalton).

Fed up, Bugs decides to “fix the wise guy finagling around up there”. He ascends his elevator (animated by Davis) right up into Nero’s open mouth. Flicking one of Nero’s teeth, Bugs shouts down his throat, “PINOCCHIO!” (animated by Kirsanoff)

When Nero roars at him after Bugs asks, “What’s up, doc?”, Bugs angrily replies to Nero that he’s the tenant from downstairs and that there’s entirely too much noise. But Nero roars again so Bugs imitates his roar. Nero roars even louder, so Bugs decides to let him make all the noise he wants (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

Angered, Nero chases Bugs across the cage. Bugs gets out of the cage, but Nero is too wide and he slams into the bars (animated by Bickenbach). Bugs chuckles, “Iron bars do not a prison make, but they sure help, eh, doc?” and then taunts Nero by running a wooden plank across the bars and “Nyah, Nyah, Nyah” -ing. He discovers however that the cage is open when he eventually runs the plank across Nero’s teeth. Nero jumps out of the cage with an “Ah-ha!” Bugs jumps into the cage himself and says “Ah-ha!” in turn (animated by Williams).

After it looks like Nero has given up trying to break into the cage (animated by Dalton), Bugs mocks him, “He couldn’t take it! ‘King of the Beasts’! Nero the Chicken-Hearted!” (animated by Davis), only for him to see Nero using an elephant to try to break into the cage (animated by Dalton). Bugs counters this with a wind-up toy mouse (animated by Williams). The frightened pachyderm then uses Nero to swat at the wind-up mouse! (animated by Dalton)

Chasing Bugs into a clown wagon, Nero encounters Bugs disguised as a clown and singing “Laugh Clown Laugh”. Encouraging Nero to laugh with him, Bugs succeeds in getting Nero to laugh before hitting him with a mallet (animated by Davis). He then tries to hit Nero from the behind with a plank, but Nero gets wise, forcing Bugs to flee, but not before hitting Nero in the face with the plank (animated by Dalton).

Nero then chases Bugs into the circus tent (animated by Kirsanoff) with both using the trapeze. Encountering Nero, Bugs lets himself fall but then bounces up thanks to the net. Nero swings after him (animated by Bickenbach), but falls with a crash due to there now being no net (animated by Dalton).

Bugs makes his way to the diving platform and jumps off (animated by Bickenbach) just as Nero regains his senses (animated by Williams). Seeing Bugs coming down (animated by Kirsanoff), Nero removes the bottom of the empty tank, and puts said tank on his mouth. Bugs instead bounces out of Nero’s mouth due to wearing rubber heels (animated by Williams).

Bugs gets Nero to bounce after him (animated by Kirsanoff), and tricks him into jumping into the barrel of a cannon (animated by Dalton). Since Nero can’t be stuffed all the way in the cannon’s barrel, it explodes with part of the cannon’s barrel on Nero forming a Hawaiian grass skirt. Bugs uses this to present a new act: “Bugs Bunny and His Hula-Hula Lion” with Bugs singing a nonsensical Hawaiian tune on the ukulele, with one of the only intelligible lyrics being “a little grass shack” (animated by Davis). Bugs ends the act with an advertisement: “We’re also available for picnics, lodge meetings, children’s parties and smokers!” (animated by Bickenbach)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕