Release Date:

April 3, 1943

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny

Summary:

Bugs Bunny becomes “Super Rabbit- the rabbit of tomorrow” when he is given super carrots by a kindly scientist, Professor Canafrazz. Once the super carrot used for the experiment gives Bugs his Superman abilities, he goes off to heckle a notorious rabbit hater from Texas called “Cottontail Smith”.

That’s Not All, Folks:

This is a parody of the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons.

Robert McKimson would later direct a Superman parody thirteen years later called “Stupor Duck” where Daffy portrays an incompetent version of Superman.

Kent Rogers uses his Richard Haydn imitation for Canafrazz.

Cottontail Smith would later appear as one of Yosemite Sam’s assistants in the 2003 movie “Looney Tunes Back in Action”.

At the end of the cartoon, Bugs decides to become a real “Superman”- a US Marine. The actual Marines felt honored with the ending and insisted that Bugs be inducted into the Marines as a private.

What I Like About This One:

The typical “able to leap the tallest buildings” intro ending with Bugs tripping over the top.

In Canafrazz’s lab, the liquid going through his tubes spells out “Eat at Joe’s” (animated by Ben Washam).

After Bugs asks “What’s cookin’ doc?” (animated by Washam), Canafrazz gives a specific description over the experimental super carrot: “I’m cooking, as you so quaintly put it, my great- my great- my greatest experiment. A super vitamized, locked-in flavorized, idiomized, modern designized super carrot!” (animated by Robert Cannon)

Bugs asking Canafrazz: “Yeah, what’re you gonna do with it, Burbank? As if I didn't hope” Canafrazz answers, “It’s for you, my little fuzzy-tailed woodland creature” to which Bugs replies, “Aw, you shouldn’t have ought to done it, Edison!” before consuming the super carrot like a shishkebob (animated by Cannon).

After reading the article on Cottontail Smith’s plan to rub out all rabbits, Bugs goes into the phone booth to change, only to initially emerge as Mary and her little lamb before changing into the right outfit (animated by Rudy Larriva).

Bugs flying past a horse walking in mid-air and getting him with “Hiya, doc”. The horse responds, “Hello, Mr. Rabbit” before realizing, “A RABBIT!? UP HERE!?”, unaware that HE’S the one who’s defying gravity! (animated by Ken Harris)

Flying into “Deepinaharta”, Texas, Bugs comes across several rabbits silently running for their lives, with one stopping to warn him, “Run for your lives! It’s Cottontail Smith and he’s gone plum loco!” (animated by Harris)

Bugs then disguises as a mild-mannered forest creature (removing his Superman outfit and putting on a golf hat and glasses) where Cottontail and his horse appear hopping along the desert. With every hop, Bugs, Cottontail, and the horse all switch positions as this conversation follows: “Eh, what are you shooting at, doc?” “Rabbits. I HATE rabbits. If there’s anything I hate more than a rabbit, it’s TWO rabbits!” The last hop has Cottontail in the horse’s original position, ending with Bugs having Cottontail eat from a grazing muzzle! (animated by Phil DeLara)

Realizing he’s doing something not fit for humans, Cottontail realizes that who he was speaking to was a rabbit and plans to “drill you good” (animated by DeLara). Bugs goes into a phone booth to change back into his super outfit before Cottontail fires at him. But the bullets only form Bugs’ shape and drop to the ground much to Cottontail’s bewilderment (animated by Larriva).

Now giving Cottontail a cannon (animated by Lloyd Vaughan), Bugs turns this into a one-man basketball game with the cannonball as the ball (animated by Cannon).

Bugs then has Cottontail and his horse pose as cheerleaders and do a hilariously nonsensical chant: “Bricka-bracka-firecracker-sis-boom-bah! Bugs Bunny! Bugs Bunny! Rah! Rah! Rah!” After doing the cheer with Bugs, Cottontail and the horse start doing the cheer a lot faster, while Bugs zooms into the air and strips them of most of their clothes (animated by Harris).

Now going after Bugs in a plane, Cottontail and his horse end up having their plane grabbed by Bugs, leaving only the cockpit over them as they fly around with only air under them. It’s only when they realize they’re in mid-air do they fall (animated by Washam).

Having to recharge with more super carrots, Bugs accidentally drops them all! He gives out a quiet “Yipe” before falling and landing on his feet and collapsing (animated by Harris).

Bugs then sees that Cottontail and the horse have eaten all the super carrots and have become Supermen themselves. Realizing this is a job for a “real Superman”, Bugs goes back into the phone booth. Cottontail and the horse are ready to attack, but they salute instead as Bugs comes out dressed as a Marine, and singing “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli”. As he goes off marching into the distance, Bugs tells them, “Sorry, fellas. I can’t play with ya anymore; I got some IMPORTANT work to do!” (animated by DeLara)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕