Release Date:

October 30, 1943

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny

Summary:

Bugs Bunny laughs over the thought of gremlins who delight in wrecking planes but ends up going against one who has the ability to outwit him!

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 8-13, the eighth Merrie Melodie in the 13th season. What’s strange about this is that this production number signifies this was intended to be released sometime in 1944, so it was likely finished early.

This is a rare instance where someone repeatedly gets the better of Bugs. In this case, it’s the gremlin.

Bugs would tangle with the gremlin again in the Looney Tunes Cartoons episode, “High Speed Hare” (2021).

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

The storyboards for this cartoon can be seen as a bonus feature on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3 DVD set.

The cartoon is in the public domain.

The cartoon was originally titled “Bugs Bunny and the Gremlin”.

This would serve as the inspiration for the 1984 movie “Gremlins”.

A brief clip from this cartoon appears in the 1996 movie “House Arrest”.

“Powerhouse” plays when Bugs chases the gremlin into the plane up until the point where the gremlin gets the plane going.

The cartoon’s premise would be reworked for Freleng’s “Hare Lift” (1952), a superior cartoon where bank robber Yosemite Sam forces Bugs to fly a plane he’s fooling around in, only to realize his mistake when he finds out Bugs isn’t a pilot.

What I Like About This One:

The cartoon opens on a sign outside the airfield: “Location: Censored”, “Number of Planes: Censored”, Number of Men: Censored”, “What Men Think of Top Sergeant: CENSORED!!” The instrumental of “We’re in to Win” is also great.

Bugs sitting on a blockbuster bomb and reading “Victory Through Hare Power” while laughing at the thought of gremlins. “Hey! Get a load of this, folks. It says here “A constant menace to pilots are the gremlins who wreck planes with their dia-bo-lical sa-bo-taygee!” (perfectly animated by Robert McKimson).

Failing to see the gremlin pass him, Bugs is still laughing until he feels a vibration. Seeing the gremlin whack at the bomb with a mallet to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”, he asks, “What’s all the hubbub, bub?” (animated by Robert) The gremlin tells him, “Shh, these blockbuster bombs don’t go off unless you hit them JUST right.” Bugs gets in his face and asks “Yeah?” The gremlin responds in the same tone “Yeah” (animated by Rod Scribner) and continues malleting the bomb. Bugs asks to take a whack at it, gives the gremlin his carrot, and pushes him away with his foot. He’s about to take a good swing at the bomb before suddenly coming to his senses and skidding to a stop. “WHAT AM I DOING!?” Angry at being tricked, Bugs turns to the gremlin only to see no one holding the carrot! (animated by Robert)

Talking incoherently in bewilderment at what just happened, Bugs wonders, “Hey, could that have been a…. gremlin?” The gremlin shouts in his ear, “IT AIN’T VENDEL VILKILE!” (animated by Scribner). He then pulls down Bugs’ ears and hits his foot with a monkey wrench. Angered even further, Bugs sees the gremlin on one of the plane’s wings but the gremlin hits him with the wrench again. Imitating Lennie from “Of Mice and Men”, Bugs asks “Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?” The gremlin points in both directions answering, “Um, that way”. Bugs shakes his hands saying, “Thanks a lot, George. Thanks a lot” before collapsing (animated by Virgil Ross). After the gremlin pulls back Bugs’ tongue like a lampshade, Bugs regains his senses and angrily chases the gremlin into the plane (animated by Scribner), where he gets his foot hit with the wrench again (animated by Ross).

After the gremlin gets the plane going, he kicks Bugs in the rear and taunts him through the plane’s door. Bugs attempts to attack him with the wrench but only succeeds in shattering the glass (animated by Phil Monroe). So he attempts to charge at the door instead by starting up from the other side but the gremlin opens the door causing Bugs to run out into mid-air. He briefly morphs into a “jack-ass” before zooming back into the plane (animated by Thomas McKimson).

Getting back into the plane, Bugs slips out the other door due to the gremlin placing banana peels all over the floor. Bugs lets out a hilarious sounding yell as he flies out the door. He immediately comes back terrified and clinging to the door, with the words “4F” labeled on his beating heart (animated by Thomas).

The gremlin prying Bugs off the door, and then attempting to drop him out of the bombay. Bugs only ends up hanging by his toes, and luckily realizes in time that the gremlin is attempting to steer the plane into a skyscraper (animated by Thomas). Quickly grabbing the gremlin and taking control of the plane, Bugs maneuvers the plane to go sideways through the narrow space between the two buildings (animated by Ross).

The plane then goes into a dive with the gremlin acting nonchalant and Bugs getting very airsick. The plane starts coming apart as it loses its wings and it’s going down so fast that the speedometer increases so rapidly that it says in red letters, “Incredible, ain’t it?” (animated by Thomas) Bugs at one point screams in desperation, “HEE HI HO! HEE HI HO! HEE HI HO!” However, just a few inches before hitting the ground, the plane suddenly sputters to a stop! The gremlin apologizes, “Sorry, folks! We ran out of gas!” Now in complete control again, Bugs confides, “Eh, you know how it is with these A-cards!” (animated by Robert)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½