Release Date:

April 9, 1949

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny

Summary:

Bugs Bunny is outraged to find out that the bounty for rabbits is a measly 2 cents, while foxes and bears are $50 and $75 respectively. When informed by the game commissioner that the reason for bounties on rabbits being so low is because they are sweet, harmless creatures, Bugs decides to prove that a rabbit can be more obnoxious than anybody by causing major destruction and vandalism to various places across the US.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1074 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue.

This is inarguably one of the biggest standouts of all Bugs Bunny cartoons in that he is an outright antagonist here, this time against the whole country. What makes this ironic is that he was a mascot for the army during World War ll, yet in this postwar cartoon, Bugs is more than willing to commit damage and vandalism. Unlike other cartoons where Bugs is the antagonist like “Fresh Hare” and “Buckaroo Bugs”, he is punished in the end for his misdeeds. However, this being such a different cartoon is what makes it special.

The scene where Bugs saws Florida away became a meme.

The radio character that served as the inspiration for Foghorn Leghorn, Senator Claghorn, is parodied as the Congressman has his voice.

The animator draft for the cartoon can be viewed here.

Oddly, Bugs doesn’t seem to realize that rabbits being only worth two cents makes them very safe from harm, because hunters wouldn’t bother to shoot them if they only get two cents. But here, his ego is clearly larger than his brain and is only triumphant with having a million dollar bounty for himself after all the destruction he’s caused for about two seconds before the US Army hunts him down.

This is the last cartoon to have animation by Fred Abranz.

“The Toy Trumpet” plays under the opening credits.

This cartoon is actually the first instance where I had seen the word “rebel” not referring to football, as prior to first seeing this cartoon in 2015, I had only known “rebels” as being the mascot for the high school that my maternal grandfather was the head football coach at from 1972 to 2020 (Vestavia Hills High School in Vestavia Hills, Alabama; a suburb of Birmingham).

Live action stock footage is used in New York (the same footage used in “Lights Fantastic”) just before Bugs rewires Times Square and also when the Army goes after Bugs and all shots of the Army where Bugs is fleeing them.

What I Like About This One:

Bugs walks along looking at the bounty signs: $50 for a fox, $75 for a bear, and only 2 cents for a rabbit. Incensed, Bugs declares that “rabbits is worth more than mangy old foxes and bears and stuff!” and decides to go to the post office to mail himself to Washington D.C. (animated by John Carey).

Heading up to the post office (animated by Carey), Bugs goes into the post office window and tells the clerk he would like to mail himself to the capitol. He also stops the clerk from licking the stamp telling him it’s unsanitary as said stamp is going on him. Bugs pastes it on his armpit and asks the clerk to, “Cancel me, kid”, so Bugs’ stamp is cancelled (animated by Charles McKimson).

Bugs walks up to the Capitol building and is still ranting about the bounties of mangy old foxes and moth-eating old bears (animated by Carey), and is about to enter the game commissioner’s office in a furious manner (animated by Phil DeLara) before deciding he should try a different approach by acting “non-cha-lent” (animated by Charles).

The game commissioner is on the phone saying, “I’m game. Count me in”. Bugs walks up to him in a calm manner before suddenly shouting, “Eh, WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA OF RABBITS BEIN’ ONLY WORTH TWO CENTS!?” The commissioner shouts back at him, “STOP STEAMING UP MY GLASSES!” Bugs gets down from his desk (animated by Manny Gould) and changes the subject back: “Never mind that. How come rabbits are only two cents, huh!?” (animated by Charles)

The game commissioner explains that other animals are destructive, harmful, obnoxious to people, and do damage as Bugs listens. He continues that rabbits wouldn’t harm a hair on one’s head as Bugs laughs, “Eh, get him. (laughs) He don’t know me vewwy well, do he?” (Gould animated all shots of the game commissioner with Charles animating all shots of Bugs) The game commissioner concludes, “Rabbits are perfectly harmless, and the bounty stands at two cents!” Bugs angrily retaliates by smearing blue ink from a pen all over the game commissioner’s face: “Oh, yeah!? Well, I’ll show you a rabbit can be more obnoxious than anybody! You can’t get away with it! You’ll be hearin’ from me!” and walks out slamming the door so hard, it shatters the glass (animated by Gould).

Bugs does his first rebelling act before he even leaves the Capitol by stealing a guard’s billy club and hitting him in the shins with it. As the guard shouts in pain holding his knee, Bugs announces, “Bugs Bunny was here!” (animated by DeLara) He also changes Barney Baruch’s private bench by crossing out Baruch’s name and replacing it with his own (animated by Carey) and paints red barbershop-like stripes on the Washington Monument, also painting the message at the bottom, “Bugs Bunny was here!” (animated by Charles)

Moving across a US map (all shots of this being animated by Fred Abranz), Bugs rewires the lights in Times Square to say “Bugs Bunny Wuz Here” (animated by DeLara), shuts off Niagara Falls, gives Manhattan back to the Indians, and confides, “Eh, they wouldn’t take it until I threw in a set of dishes!” (animated by Charles), and saws Florida away from the country. After setting Florida adrift by pushing it with his foot, Bugs shouts, “South America, take it away!” (animated by DeLara)

Other deviltry Bugs causes includes swiping the locks off of Panama Canal, where he is seen with all the locks and jumping up and down happily, saying, “I got ‘em! I got ‘em!”, filling up the entirety of the Grand Canyon with sand (animated by DeLara), and using a crane to tie all the railroads in a bow (animated by Carey).

Back in Washington DC, a Senator Claghorn-voiced congressman announces, “I demands I say, I demands a price on Bugs Bunny’s head! Noggin, that is! That lowdown miserable good-for-nothing hare must die!” Bugs pops out of his hat and heckles him with, “Hare! Die! Hair dye! That’s a joke, son! Ya missed it! Admit it, son! I’m too fast for ya!” before giving him a wacky kiss and running off (animated by Gould).

A war department notifies the Army in Morse code to go after Bugs (animated by Charles) and in live-action stock footage, the Army goes out to hunt him down.

Bugs sees a sign announcing a million dollar bounty for himself. “A million bucks!? That’s more like it! Bugs Bunny, king of the beasts!” He gives a triumphant Tarzan yell for about two seconds and sees to his horror that the live-action Army is coming after him. Bugs makes a run for it into a small hole and is soon surrounded by bombs. Realizing he’s screwed, Bugs realizes, “Eh, could it be that I carried this thing too far?” (animated by DeLara, excluding the shots of the live-action Army) The explosion happens and Bugs is soon in a cell at Alcatraz as he answers his own question, “Eh, could be!” (animated by Charles)

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

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