Release Date:

July 22, 1944

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny

Summary:

On a snowy night, a frozen Bugs Bunny is brought into the house of a kindly old woman to warm himself up. Her dog, Sylvester, sees him as competition and attempts to throw him out, but Bugs isn’t easy to beat.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 9-13, the 9th Merrie Melodie in the 13th release season.

It’s rather interesting that the dog in this cartoon is named Sylvester as that would of course be the name of a certain cat who debuted eight months later in Freleng’s “Life with Feathers” (1945), although Sylvester the cat would not be named until Jones’ “Scaredy Cat” (1948).

Freleng would use this plot again four years later in “Kit for Cat” (1948) with Sylvester, an unnamed orange kitten, and Elmer.

The lady in this cartoon resembles the one in “Hiss and Make Up”.

“The Penguin” plays during the scene where Bugs gets Sylvester to put up his dukes up to the point where he tricks him into going outside.

The title is an obvious pun for “air force”. Oddly, the cartoon has nothing to do with the military even though it was made during World War ll.

This is one of the few cartoons where Bugs makes peace with his antagonist in the end.

Tedd Pierce voices Sylvester.

What I Like About This One:

After being brought in and put by the fire, Bugs gives an annoyed look when the lady pats him on the head and endearingly says, “There, you dear little bunny” (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

Bugs getting thrown out by Sylvester after he asks him “What’s up, doc?” Sylvester’s answer after putting him out the door is “THAT’S what’s up!” (animated by Jack Bradbury) Demanding to be let in, Bugs acts out a dramatic death claiming that he’s catching pneumonia and builds a snow-shaped rabbit (animated by Manuel Perez).

Horrified upon realizing what the lady will think, Sylvester brings in the snow rabbit, begging “Please don’t let it be goodbye!” When it melts, he cries in horror and Bugs tells him “it’s the hot seat for you, sure!” The lady shouts as to what’s going on downstairs so Bugs tricks the panicked Sylvester into going outside. “Good night, Sylvester! Don’t forget your rubbers!”, Bugs taunts as he throws out some slippers. When Sylvester runs back to the door, Bugs slams it on him, causing snow from the roof to fall on Sylvester (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

The lady wonders where Sylvester is so Bugs brings inside the frozen Sylvester and makes the scene look like he’s having Sylvester pose as frozen for a sketch (where he’s actually sketching a picture of his thumb). Finding this endearing, she goes back upstairs (animated by Bradbury). Once Sylvester thaws out, he kicks Bugs in the behind but then immediately apologizes. Bugs acts like he accepts it but then abuses Sylvester when claiming he’s not really mad at all: “Ah, don’t mention it. It was nothing. All you did was this! (kicks Sylvester in the behind) Now if you had done THIS (slaps Sylvester down to the ground via the muzzle) or THIS (picks Sylvester up by the legs and throws him on to the ground), I’d have gotten sore and done THIS! (punches Sylvester in the chin so hard that his head flings up into the ceiling) But you didn’t. All you did was THIS! (kicks Sylvester in behind harder than how Sylvester did the same to him) So there’s no need for apologies, doc!” (animated by Virgil Ross)

When Sylvester gets wise, Bugs claims he’s a spoilsport and gets him to put up his dukes (animated by Ross). He then tricks him into going outside and once Sylvester is out there, Bugs asks, “How’s the weather out there, John L.?”, which is a reference to champion bare-knuckle boxer John L. Sullivan. Sylvester puts a stick in the doorway to avoid it slamming in his face again but Bugs slams the lower half revealing the door to be a Dutch door. Trying to avoid getting more snow dumped on him, Sylvester steps out of the way but gets pummeled with snow anyway (animated by Chiniquy).

Bugs roasting a carrot by the fire and singing “As Time Goes By” before hearing Sylvester moaning outside. He tries to ignore him by putting earmuffs on but then sees the picture above the mantle, which just so happens to be a picture of Sylvester with a sad expression. Bugs decides, “Well, I can’t leave him out there to freeze, can I!?” and finds Sylvester seemingly buried under a snowdrift. Digging it up, he instead finds a handwritten note that says, “Don’t you wish you were inside- like me?” Bugs turns to see Sylvester singing the same tune and standing in the doorway (animated by Bickenbach).

Bugs then gets back in by disguising as a mailman delivering a telegram for Sylvester. It reads “Psst! Look behind you” and Sylvester turns to see Bugs standing behind him (animated by Perez). Fed up, Sylvester starts to drag Bugs back outside declaring, “Out you go once and for all!” Bugs switches places with him and retorts, “On the contrary, out YOU go once and for all!” They take turns throwing each other out and coming back in. Seeing what they’re doing, the lady orders them both out but they toss HER out instead. “Well, I NEVER!”, she says in an offended tone (animated by Ken Champin).

In the end, Bugs and Sylvester are both resting by the fireplace having made amends. Bugs asks, “Gee, ain’t I a stinker?” (animated by Ross)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½