Release Date:

September 20, 1952

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd

Summary:

During duck season, Daffy Duck attempts to mislead Elmer Fudd into believing it’s rabbit season, but Bugs Bunny always manages to get Daffy shot in numerous ways.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1218 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

This is the second cartoon of the Hunting Trilogy.

This is the first cartoon to have layouts by Maurice Noble, who would end up becoming the most influential layout artist of them all, since his were always so unique and abstract. Along with Michael Maltese, Ken Harris, and Ben Washam, Noble was another figure in why Jones is rightfully considered to be the best cartoon director.

The title is a play on words for rabbit season.

The cartoon was ranked number 30 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons and is also in the 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons book.

The cartoon contains an adult joke that proves these cartoons are not made for children. When Bugs-in-drag kisses Elmer, his hat stiffens and makes a “boing”-like sound effect!

This is one of three cartoons released in 1952 to use the 1953 green rings with the red background. The other two are “Rabbit’s Kin” and “Hare Lift”, which are coincidentally, the next two Bugs Bunny cartoons.

The scene of Bugs coming out of his other hole and walking up to Elmer who’s counting to ten before blasting into the hole was used in the 1979 compilation movie, “The Bugs Bunny-Roadrunner Movie”.

The cartoon was released a day before Jones’ 40th birthday (he was born on September 21, 1912).

Favorite Scene:

Daffy: “This time we’ll try it from the other end. Look. You’re a hunter, right?”

Elmer: “Wight!”

Daffy: “And this is rabbit season, right?”

Elmer: “Wight!”

Bugs: “And if he was a rabbit, what would ya do?”

Daffy: “Yeah, you’re-so-smart. If I was a rabbit, what WOULD ya do!?”

Elmer: “Well, I’d-” (points gun at Daffy)

Daffy (meekly): “Not again”

What Happens in This One:

Various signs along a trail are shown via camera pans with the music being timed to one reading them, “If Youre Looking for Fun-”; “You Don’t Need a Reason”; “All You Need is a Gun-”; “It’s Rabbit Season!”. Numerous rabbit season banners are then seen all over the forest. Some more signs are shown through more camera pans. One points, “Rabbit 150 Ft. Strait Ahead”, an arrow-shaped one on a tree reads, “Rabbit 75 Ft. Ahead”, and then another one points, “Rabbit 25 Ft.” The camera then pans over to Daffy finishing up with nailing another pointing sign, “Rabbit 7 ½ Ft. Ahead”, revealing that he’s the one responsible for having set all the signs up. He then takes out a stamp pad and stamps phony rabbit tracks up to Bugs’ hole before sneaking away. As he does, he confides, “Awfully unsporting of me, I know, but what the hey, I gotta have SOME fun!” before sneaking behind a large rock. He pops his head back up to add, “And besides, it’s REALLY duck season!” before ducking back down (animated by Ken Harris).

Elmer is walking along, oblivious to the trick. “It’s wabbit season! (laughs)” (animated by Ben Washam) He then sees, “Oh, boy! Wabbit twacks! (laughs)” At Bugs’ hole, Elmer points his gun down into Bugs’ hole, “Alwight, wabbit, I know you’re there. If you’re not out in 10 seconds, I’ll bwast you out!” As he counts to 10, Bugs comes out of another hole and walks up to him. After Elmer shoots, he leans down into Bugs’ hole, “Okay, wabbit. Now I gotcha!” Bugs leans down into the hole as well and asks, “Eh, what’s up, doc?” Both come back up as Elmer answers, “I’m hunting wabbits. It’s wabbit season”. Bugs replies, “Hmm, rabbit season, ah? Having any luck?” Oblivious of who he’s talking to, Elmer answers, “Well, no. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even SEEN a wabbit yet!”, much to Daffy’s shocked bewilderment (animated by Lloyd Vaughan).

Daffy storms up to Elmer, exclaiming, “This is preposterous!” before getting into his personal space, “Say, what’s the matter with you anyway!? Don’t you even know a rabbit when ya see one!? Hmm!?”, while batting his eyeballs into Elmer’s before holding his arm around him while pointing to Bugs, and then handing him his gun. Bugs confirms, “It’s true, doc. I’m a rabbit alright. Would you like to shoot me now or wait til you get home?” Daffy shouts, “Shoot him now! Shoot him now!” Bugs tells Daffy indignantly, “You keep out of this! He doesn’t have to shoot you now!” Daffy replies, “I say he DOES have to shoot me now! I demand that you shoot me now!” Elmer gives the audience a confused look before aiming at Daffy, who sticks his tongue out at Bugs, giving him an audible “Nyah!” After the smoke clears, Daffy’s beak with his tongue still sticking out is shown to be on the left side of his head before he moves it back (animated by Harris).

Daffy goes back up to Bugs (animated by Harris) and calmly demands, “Let’s run through that again” to which Bugs confirms with an “Okay”. They then stand next to each other and repeat their earlier dialogue as if they’re reading lines directly off a script with no enthusiasm. Bugs: “Would you like to shoot me now or wait til you get home?” Daffy: “Shoot him now. Shoot him now”. Bugs: “You keep out of this. He doesn’t have to shoot you now”. Daffy suddenly yells, “Ha! That’s it! Hold it right there!” After referring to this as “pronoun trouble”, Daffy attempts to correct Bugs, “It’s not, ‘He doesn’t have to shoot YOU now’, it’s ‘He doesn’t have to shoot ME now’”, before yelling again, “Well, I say he DOES have to shoot me now!” and zooms up to Elmer, “So shoot me now!”, to which he gets shot again, with his beak all the way open and engulfing his whole face before he shuts it back properly (animated by Vaughan).

Daffy appears in front of Bugs with his finger raised and mouth open as if he’s about to say something, to which Bugs asks, “Yes?” (pronounces it as “Yaas?”) Daffy looks at the camera awkwardly and moves his pointed finger down all the while still having his mouth dangling open before shutting it. Shaking his head several times, Daffy refuses to fall for Bugs’ word tricks again, “Oh no you don’t. Not again. Sorry”, before walking up to Elmer, “This time, we’ll try it from the other end”, asking him questions like “Look. You’re a hunter, right?” and “And this is rabbit season, right?” with Elmer answering “Wight!” to both. Bugs butts in after the second one and asks one of his own, “And if he was a rabbit, what would ya do?” Without thinking, Daffy asks, “Yeah, you’re-so-smart! If I was a rabbit, what WOULD ya do!?” Elmer immediately answers, “Well, I’d-” and points his gun at Daffy, who lets out a meek “Not again”. This time, the blast results in his beak hanging upside down on his mouth area. After adjusting it back, Daffy walks up to Bugs and laughs sarcastically, “Ha ha. Very funny. Ha ha ha ha” (animated by Washam).

Elmer informs them, “I’m sowwy, fewwas, but I can’t wait any wonger” and pursues them both while shooting at them. Bugs and Daffy both hide in Bugs’ hole as Elmer runs past. Bugs whispers to Daffy, “Take a peek up and see if he’s still around”, to which Daffy agrees to, “Right-o!” The second Daffy looks out, he gets shot causing his beak to appear bent and him acting like a drunk. Bugs: “Is he still there?” Daffy: “Still lurking about!” Bugs: “I tell you what. You go up and act as a decoy and lure him away”. Daffy: “No more for me, thanks! I’m drivin’!” (faints) Bugs decides, “Ah, well. Like they say, never send a duck to do a rabbit’s job!” as he puts a sweater on (animated by Washam).

Elmer is at the hole as he demands, “Okay. Come on out. I got ya covered. I-” Bugs suddenly rises out of the hole in drag as a sexy blonde female who Elmer is immediately smitten with. As Bugs sits down on a log acting like he’s reading, Elmer tries to get “her” attention with an “Ahem”. Having regained his senses, Daffy watches this in disgust and makes a very annoyed tongue clicking noise. He goes up to Elmer and asks in a “seriously!?” tone, “Surely, you’re not gonna be taken in by THAT old gag!”, only for Elmer to ask him, “Isn’t she wovewy?” Daffy then looks at the audience and makes a subtle pig-like snort. Going up to Bugs, he demands, “Out of sheer honesty, I demand that you tell him who you are!” After getting no response, he continues, “Well? Haven’t you anything to say!? Anything!? Out of sheer honesty!? Hmm!?” Bugs answers in a feminine Southern voice, “Yes. I would just love a duck dinner!”, and kisses Elmer, whose pupils are replaced with stars as his hat stiffens in response to the kiss. He becomes so mindlessly happy that he walks up to Daffy and shoots him again (animated by Harris).

Holding his detached beak in his hand, Daffy puts it back on and walks up to Bugs, talking politely, “Oh, I-I apologize, madam, for suspecting your integrity”, before kissing his hand and deliberately pulling his blonde wig off while yelling, “Ah ha!” Daffy goes back to Elmer, screaming, “Now’s your chance, Hawkeye! Shoot him! SHOOT HIM!” After Bugs wipes the lipstick from his disguise off of his mouth, he seemingly accepts defeat, “He’s got me dead to rights, doc. Would you like to shoot him here or wait til ya get home?” Daffy stops him, “Oh no ya don’t. Not THIS time” and tells Elmer, “Wait til ya get home”. After Elmer agrees, “Alwight”, Daffy walks back with him, holding his arm, sticking his tongue out at Bugs with an audible “Nyah!” Sure enough, Elmer escorts Daffy all the way back to his log cabin, and shoots him inside offscreen. Daffy marches back out to a drum roll, with his beak backwards on the back of his head. He stops in front of Bugs, repositions his beak, and utters, “You’re despicable”, to which Bugs shrugs for the iris out (animated by Harris).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕