Release Date:

March 10, 1951

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny

Summary:

A wrestling competition is held with the muscular champion, the Crusher, against the handsome challenger, Ravishing Ronald. After the Crusher converts Ronald into a punching bag, Ronald’s mascot, Bugs Bunny, decides to substitute for him as the “Masked Terror” and heckle the Crusher.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1154 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue.

The cartoon is a sequel of sorts to “Rabbit Punch”, only with wrestling as the subject rather than boxing. The Crusher also reuses the same design as the Champ in that cartoon. They are different characters however, in that the Crusher is voiced by John T. Smith rather than Billy Bletcher, and is a lot less intelligent than the Champ.

Ravishing Ronald is a parody of Gorgeous George.

The cartoon was referenced in real life twice by the American Wrestling Association. In the late 1950’s, wrestler Reginald Lisowski used “the Crusher” as his title. A few years later in 1963 and 1964, a competitor used “The Masked Terror” as his title.

The title is a play on words for “bunny hug”.

“Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals” plays during the scene where Ronald is brought out up to the point where the lid off of the platter Bugs is relaxing on is lifted.

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

Other than playing under the opening credits, “What’s Up Doc” also plays during the scene where the Crusher whispers to Bugs disguised as the tailor, “Stychen Tyme” about his supposed predicament of his shorts being ripped (after Bugs has ripped apart his mask to make the Crusher believe he ripped his own shorts).

Peter Alvarado does the layouts for this cartoon rather than Robert Gribbroek.

What I Like About This One:

After the announcer first introduces the Crusher, the growling Crusher makes his entrance by bursting out of his locker room. He’s also shown to be unpopular with the crowd as they do nothing but boo him from the moment he’s announced up to when all of his large muscles all over his body sprout up (animated by Phil Monroe).

Ravishing Ronald is given a much grander entrance as a large gong is banged, two men blow trumpets like royal subjects, and Ronald himself is carried out onto the ring in a platter where after the lid is lifted up, he is described as the “de-natured boy” as he is shown eating grapes while several women in the audience wolf-whistle. Two harem-like women walk across the ring as one puts several roses next to Ronald while another sprays perfume near him and also sprays the platter reading “Mascot”. The Mascot platter is lifted up, revealing Bugs relaxing while eating a carrot. He’s shown to be rather fine with this occupation: “It’s a living” (animated by Monroe).

Once the first round starts, the Crusher races towards Ronald while roaring as Ronald just daintily dances up to him. The Crusher lets out another roar before pulling Ronald’s hairnet down around his body before compressing him into a punching bag and repeatedly punching him. As his head moves around like the punching, Bugs is dismayed at Ronald being easily beaten: “Oh, brother! There goes me bread and butter! I gotta do somethin’!” He asks the announcer, “Hey, mac, uh, do me a favor, will ya? Listen” and whispers something to him (animated by Ben Washam).

The Crusher is shown to still be using Ronald as a punching bag before the bell rings as the announcer informs, “Ladies and gentlemen, a special announcement!” Ronald holds up various signs that read, “Help!”, “S.O.S!” and “Foul!” The announcer continues, “A new contestant has offered to substitute for Ravishing Ronald. I give you…. the Masked TERROR!”, revealing Bugs wearing a large ski-mask. Although the audience gets amusement out of it, they applaud him. The Crusher is delighted too as he says, “Fresh meat!” and punches Ronald away (animated by Washam).

Bugs and the Crusher both run towards each other, snarling and growling respectively. However, Bugs unknowingly runs past the Crusher and ends up headlocking one of the ring’s poles instead. The Crusher whistles to get his attention, and upon realizing where the Crusher actually is, Bugs gets a good running start and uses the ropes to launch himself towards the Crusher. On top of his head, Bugs attempts to headlock him as he strains, “Had enough?” after the Crusher yawns. The Crusher simply does an offstage dance to his left in tune to “Shuffle Off to Buffalo”, using Bugs as a hat, and then having him roll towards the same pole he mistakenly headlocked earlier (animated by Washam).

Dazed from the hit, Bugs regains his senses and fumes, “Hey, what are you anyway!? A WISE guy!?” Running back (animated by Washam) up to the Crusher’s head in an attempt to headlock him again, Bugs gets blown by the Crusher into his clutches where he spins Bugs’ ears like an airplane propeller. This results in Bugs flying into the audience before flying back to the ring and getting trapped between the Crusher’s legs (animated by Monroe).

As the Crusher attempts to squeeze him with his legs, Bugs decides, “Hey! It’s about time- for me to employ- a little stragety!” He takes his mask off and rips it in half. Thinking his shorts have been ripped, the Crusher gives an embarrassed look before nervously standing up as Bugs runs off. Bugs returns ringing a bell and disguised as the tailor “Stychen Tyme” and wearing a sign, “Mending Done While U Wait”. The Crusher whispers to him, “Hey, psst” and after Bugs asks, “Meh, what’s up, doc?”, the Crusher whispers to him about his supposed predicament. “No kiddin’?”, Bugs asks. After the Crusher nods, Bugs has the Crusher step aside to seemingly gets his shorts sewed back up as Bugs sings in tune to “The Little Brown Jug”: “A-Stychen Tyme will save nine especially with a needle fine” but then jabs the Crusher in the behind with said needle, causing the Crusher to fly up into the audience screaming in pain (animated by Lloyd Vaughan).

As Bugs triumphantly walks across the ring flexing both arms, the Crusher is now back and running towards him growling (animated by Vaughan). Bugs simply opens a large safe door in front of the ropes which causes the Crusher to run into the ropes and slingshot forward into the safe door that Bugs shuts on him (animated by Ken Harris).

Bugs opens the safe door and finds the Crusher has become very dopey from the blow. “Why, Crusher, it’s good to see you!” The Crusher only responds, “Yeah, well, I was just passin’ by, duh, uh, uh, just pass-,oh ya, just passin’ by…” Bugs walks him “in”: “Well, come in, come in, come in, come in. Don’t stand out there in the cold” as the Crusher replies, “Thought I’d drop in to say hello… dyuh…just passin’ by”. Bugs then puts a hat and coat on him, “Sorry ya think you gotta go, Crusher. Been nice seein’ ya”. After the Crusher lets out another dopey “Dyuh….”, Bugs tells him, “Aw, you look tired, Crusher. Why don’t you rest up on this nice, soft floor for a few minutes before ya go? Attaboy”. After getting the Crusher to lie down on his back on the mat, Bugs literally “pins” his “little old shoulders to the little old mat” with safety pins (animated by Harris).

The announcer is seen with Bugs at the microphone as he announces, “The winner and new world’s champion, the TERROR!” (animated by Washam) Hearing that he’s lost, the Crusher furiously snaps out of his daze and tears out of his coat with a “WHAT!?” Sneaking up behind Bugs, who’s wearing a new robe, the Crusher then acts like he wants a friendly handshake when Bugs turns around. Bugs seemingly agrees, “No hard feelings, doc”, but the audience shouts to him not to do it. The Crusher shuts them up by roaring at them, and then sticks his hand out. Shrugging, Bugs seemingly holds out his hand, as the Crusher attempts to bite down on his “arm”. The Crusher doesn’t realize until too late that the “arm” is actually a dynamite stick with one of Bugs’s gloves attached to it. After the explosion, the Crusher reverts back to his dazed dopey persona and sinks down into a hole in the mat caused by the explosion: “Just passin’ by, dyyyyyuuuuhhh…” (animated by Harris). Having officially won, Bugs flexes his arm, only for his muscle to droop, so he just simply pets it in the manner of a swing for the iris-out (animated by Washam)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½