Release Date:

November 1, 1947

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd

Summary:

At the Hollywood restaurant the “Mocrumbo”, Humphrey Bogart orders fried rabbit from waiter Elmer Fudd and won’t take no for an answer. Elmer attempts to serve Bugs Bunny as the course.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1033 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

This is one of the last Warner cartoons centered around Hollywood caricatures.

This is also the second time Dave Barry does the voice for Humphrey Bogart, with the first being in “Bacall to Arms”. Barry would voice a Bogart caricature again in Jones’ “8 Ball Bunny” (1950).

The cartoon was originally titled “The Time, The Chase, and the Rabbit”.

Other than Bogart, caricatures in this cartoon include Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Leopold Stokowski, Gregory Peck, Ray Milland, Frank Sinatra, the Marx brothers, Sidney Greenstreet, Carmen Miranda, and Lauren Bacall.

Storyboards for this cartoon can be viewed here.

Speaking of which, the storyboards show three scenes that were cut from the final cartoon. These include Red Skelton being depicted as “Mr. Red Skeleton” (Tex Avery used this gag in his 1943 MGM cartoon, “Who Killed Who”), a “Horror Corner” being seen in the club, and Elmer disguising as a garland of flowers to ambush Bugs after his samba dance.

Bugs’ tough guy attitude was mostly inspired by Groucho Marx. In one scene, he actually imitates Groucho and would do so again in McKimson’s “Wideo Wabbit” (1956).

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

This is the first Freleng cartoon since the previous year’s “Racketeer Rabbit” to have backgrounds by Paul Julian, who would be Freleng’s background artist up until the end of 1951.

Although this cartoon uses the 1947-1948 red rings with the blue background in the intro, the outro uses the 1946-1947 blue rings with the red background.

According to audio from Michael Maltese in the commentary for this cartoon on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2 DVD set, Maltese nearly got his “a— in a sling” as he went to the actual Mocambo restaurant (which this cartoon parodies) and drew what he saw such as grease dripping from refrigerators and boxes of vegetables being seen around the floor.

The full cartoon was included in the original theatrical release of the 1975 documentary, “Bugs Bunny Superstar” but was inexplicably cut out from all home media releases of the documentary.

What I Like About This One:

Before we get to the plot, we have a few Hollywood caricature gags: Leopold Stokowski conducts a jukebox playing “Nagasaki”, Gregory Peck uses a razor to cut his steak, Ray Milland pays his check with a cash register and gets several mini-cash registers as change before telling the waiter to keep it, and Frank Sinatra gets sucked into his soda straw (animated by Ken Champin).

Bogart calls Elmer over and before Elmer can explain what they have, Bogart tells him to “cut the gab and bring me an order of fried rabbit”. Elmer tells him they’re fresh out of rabbit, but have some very nice crepe suzette. Bogart grabs Elmer by the bow tie and threatens, “I said I want rabbit, and I’ll give you just 20 minutes to bring it. Or else”, and brings out a tommy gun. Seeing that Bogart won’t take no for an answer, Elmer replies that the customer is always right (animated by Champin).

Elmer finds Bugs in the kitchen in a box of carrots. Upon learning that Mr. Humphrey Bogart would love to have him for dinner, Bugs tells Elmer, “You tell Bogey that if he wants me, all he has to do is just whistle” before ducking back down into the carrots, getting a kettle to whistle, and reappearing in a top hat and tuxedo (animated by Manuel Perez).

In an elegant voice, Bugs asks, “Eh, good evening, maitre’d. Am I the first to arrive? What’s on the menu for tonight? In other words…” before shouting in Elmer’s ear in his normal voice, “EH, WHAT’S COOKIN’ DOC?” When Elmer tells him it’s fried rabbit, Bugs requests to have a peek at it so Elmer puts a mirror in the pot. Bugs looks into it and sees himself: “Now, there’s a delicious-looking rabbit!” before getting wise and trying to make an excuse that he has another engagement. Elmer appears at the door sharpening his knife and meat cleaver (animated by Champin).

Bugs disguises as Groucho Marx only to see Elmer sitting next to him disguised as Harpo and chopping up his cigar. Bugs shakes his hand very fast and also talks very fast, “Eh, I hope you won’t mind waiting while I remove these wet things, and slip into a dry martini”. Running away results in Bugs crashing into Sidney Greenstreet’s enormous stomach (animated by Virgil Ross).

Elmer then chases Bugs into the dressing room of Carmen Miranda. Miranda herself comes out as Bugs hides in her fruity hat as she performs. After Miranda’s performance, Elmer chases Bugs out into the open. With a very catchy Samba beat playing, Bugs dances to it and one point strums a guitar in tune to the music while only his feet move, and also dances on his ears. Not surprisingly, Bugs’ dance receives tremendous applause (brilliantly animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

Back in the kitchen, Bugs imitates a waiter asking Elmer for a lemon meringue pie. Elmer preps it and calls, “Pick up pie!” Bugs goes back into the doors to answer “Roger” and then to pie Elmer in the face with said pie, “Your pie, sir!” The same thing happens when Bugs asks for a banana cream pie. When Bugs asks for a coconut custard pie with whipped cream, Elmer gets wise and decides to pie Bugs with this next one. Unfortunately, for him, Bugs ducks and the pie hits Bogart instead, much to Elmer’s horror. Bogart comes in and asks Elmer in an annoyed tone, “Why did you hit me in the face with a coconut custard pie with whipped cream?” and then warns Elmer that he has five minutes left (animated by Ross).

They quickly pass by and Bogart tells him, “Well, time’s up, shorty. Where’s my rabbit?” A panicked Elmer explains, “Pwease, Mr. Bogart. I couldn’t get a wabbit. I twied and I twied”. Bogart says there’s only one thing left for him to do. Thinking it means killing him, Elmer begs for him not to, but Bogart simply mops his forehead and laments, “Baby will just have to have a ham sandwich instead” (animated by Ross). Hearing about “Baby” (Lauren Bacall), Bugs pops out of the clock (animated by Perez) and runs over to Bacall’s table, deciding to be the main course for her. “Remember, garcon, the customer is always right. If it’s rabbit Baby wants, rabbit Baby gets!” (animated by Chiniquy)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕