Release Date:

May 2, 1953

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam

Summary:

Tired of all the shriveled-up carrots up North, Bugs Bunny reads of a record carrot crop in Alabama and decides to head south of the Mason-Dixon line. However, Colonel Yosemite Sam of the Confederate Army is guarding the line, and not caring that the Civil War ended nearly a century ago, is determined to not let any Yankee enter the South.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1263 and was released as a Looney Tune.

The cartoon no longer airs on television due to controversial content and a very infamous scene of Bugs dressing up as a slave, complete in blackface. Surprisingly, this one wasn’t one of the 12 Bugs Bunny cartoons that were omitted from the old “June Bugs” marathon in the early 2000’s. The cartoon itself is available restored on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 4 DVD set (and interestingly enough, is presented right before “Mississippi Hare”, another cartoon banned from airing on television due to controversial and racial content).

This is Freleng’s second of three Civil War-themed cartoons with the first being “Confederate Honey” (which was also his first cartoon upon returning to Warner Bros. after an unhappy year at MGM) and the final being “The Rebel Without Claws” (1961).

The scene where the slave-disguised Bugs gives Sam a whip and begs him not to beat him, before he soon returns disguised as Abraham Lincoln is a reuse of the ending gag from “Wise Quackers” (although Daffy never disguised as a slave in that one).

“Are You from Dixie” plays under the opening credits instead of “What’s Up Doc”.

Bugs’ line, “Why, the war between the states ended almost 90 years ago!” refers to the fact that the Civil War had in fact ended almost 90 years prior to this cartoon’s release.

Whenever Bugs sings “Yankee Doodle”, he replaces the word “feather” with “carrot”.

Favorite Scene:

The ending scene where Bugs disguises as a wounded Confederate soldier, explaining that the Yankees are up in Chattanooga. Sam rides off to there, and the cartoon ends with him holding up the New York Yankees at an exhibition game against the Chattanooga Lookouts!

What Happens in This One:

At a Northern field, Bugs is disgusted with all of the carrots being shriveled up and inedible, “Eh! What carrots! Look at THIS tired specimen! I haven't seen a decent carrot for MONTHS around these parts!” He then spots a newspaper on the ground and reads the headline, “Record Carrot Crop in Alabama”. Bugs becomes ecstatic about this news, “Alabama?” and says in Southern drawl, “Well, I’m Ala-bamy bound!” before starting his way down the trail towards the South, enthusiastically singing, “I Wish I Was in Dixie” (animated by Virgil Ross).

A while later, Bugs is exhausted from the long walk and is panting while still singing the same tune. “I wonder why they… put the South so far south”. His tiredness disappears when he sees the beautiful landscape of the South from the Mason-Dixon line. Bugs remarks in the same Southern drawl, “Well, shut my mouth and call me corn-pone! If it ain’t the little ol’ South!” He marches towards the South while singing “Old Black Joe”, only to duck a bullet, “I’s coming, I’s coming, but my head is bending… low” (animated by Ross). Standing atop a mound of dirt with a cannon and a Confederate flag sticking out, Sam yells “Charge!” and runs towards Bugs while holding a sword and a pistol. Bugs runs off and ducks behind a large rock. “Get back there, ya dang Yankee!”, Sam yells as he fires a shot before skidding to a stop once he realizes he’s on North ground. “Great horny toads! I’m up North!” Sam runs quickly back down South and remarks, “Gonna burn my boots! They touched Yankee soil!” (animated by Arthur Davis)

Bugs waves a white flag as Sam orders, “Lay down your arms and step forward, Yankee!” (animated by Davis) Bugs does so while still waving the white flag and asks Sam, “What’s the hassle, schmassle?” Sam explains, “My orders from General Lee is to hold the Maisie-Dixie line and no Yankee’s a-crossin’ it”. Bugs becomes confused at this order, “General Lee? Why, the war between the states ended almost 90 years ago!” Sam, however, doesn’t care, “I’m no clock watcher! And until I hears from General Lee official, I’m a-blastin’ any Yankee that sets foot on Southern soil! So scram, Yankee!” and chases Bugs away by firing his gun (animated by Manuel Perez).

Marching back and forth while guarding the line, Sam stops upon noticing, “Well! It’s one of OUR boys!” It’s Bugs disguised as a slave singing in a Southern accent, “Oh, the sun shines bright in my old Kentucky home!” while playing the banjo. Sam requests, “Hey there, boy! Uh, how about giving out with something peppy on that there skin-box, huh?” Bugs complies in Southern drawl, “Yes sir” but then begins to sing “Yankee Doodle” in his normal voice. Outraged, Sam exclaims, “Yankee Doodle!?” and runs up to him, “You traitor!” Bugs hands Sam a whip and pleads, “Don’t beat me, massah! Please don’t beat me, massah! Don’t beat this tired old body, no! Don’t!” before running off. He soon returns disguised as Abraham Lincoln who demands, “What’s this I hear about you whipping slaves?” Sam attempts to explain, but only comes out sounding like an outboard motor saying, “But-” over and over again, to which Bugs replies, “Never mind the ‘buts’! Here’s my card! Look me up at my Gettysburg Address!” Upon seeing Bugs’ tail sticking out of his Lincoln disguise, Sam’s pupils shrink in bewilderment before he angrily exclaims, “Oh!” and then yells, “Charge!” (animated by Ken Champin)

Bugs runs off while taking off his Lincoln disguise and takes refuge in a hollow tree. Sam threatens, “Okay, ya carpetbagger! I’m a-givin’ ya one second to come out or I’ll blow ya out! Time’s up!” He attempts to light a bomb to put in the tree but Bugs blows it out. Sam goes a good distance away from the tree to light the bomb, only for Bugs to use an extension pipe to blow it out. Sam then goes an even further distance to light it, but the bomb explodes on him as he begins walking back to the tree. “Oooh! I hate that rabbit!” (animated by Davis)

Bugs marches out of a tent disguised as Stonewall Jackson. Sam sees him and believes he is indeed the very general, saluting him, “General Brickwall Jackson! Sir!” Bugs starts giving orders, “Ten-shun! Forward march!” as Sam begins marching to Bugs’ instructions. Bugs soon has him marching faster. He is then seen without the hat, cigar, and mustache and filing his nails as he orders, “Company halt!” just before Sam can fall into a well. Sam sweats at the long drop below, before Bugs orders, “Fall in!”, to which Sam does (animated by Davis).

Sam comes out of the well as Bugs marches off again singing, “Yankee Doodle”. Upon hearing Sam yell, “Charge!”, Bugs runs off once more and takes refuge in a Southern mansion. By the time Sam gets up to the door and knocks on it, he is greeted by Bugs disguised as Scarlett O’Hara (animated by Perez), who comments in a feminine voice, “Oh! It’s one of our boys!” Sam removes his hat and politely informs, “Sorry, Scarlett, ma’am. Uh, sorry to have to intrude, but there’s a Yankee about!” Bugs feigns shock, “Oh, A Yankee!? How terrible!” Sam enters as he continues, “I’m afraid I’ll have to search your premises”. Quickly running up against a closet door, Bugs exclaims, “He’s not in here! He’s not in here!”, only for this to arouse Sam’s suspicions. “Ah ha! So THAT’S where he’s hidin’!” He then politely moves Bugs out of the way, “Uh, sorry, Scarlett, ma’am, but I have to do my duty” before running up to the door, “Okay, Yankee! Stick ‘em-”, only to open the door and find a cannon behind it before it blasts him, “-up”. Bugs runs to another set of doors and again says, “He’s not in here! He’s not in here!” Dazed, Sam agrees, “Huh, yeah. I-I’ll take your word for it, eh, ma’am (chuckles weakly)” (animated by Champin).

Bugs rides in on a horse, disguised as a wounded Confederate soldier. He crawls up to the door, gasping, “Colonel! The Yankees! The Yankees, they’re in- Chattanooga”, before groaning in exhaust and then falling right-side down. “Chattanoogee!?”, Sam exclaims, before once more yelling, “Charge!” while riding off to there on the horse. It turns out that the “Yankees” Bugs was referring to are the New York Yankees who are scheduled for an exhibition game against the Chattanooga Lookouts, but are being held at gunpoint by Sam standing in front of their dugout and threatening, “The first dang Yankee that steps out of that dugout gets his head blasted off!” (animated by Champin)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½