Release Date:

October 27, 1956

Main Character(s):

Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd

Summary:

Bugs Bunny answers a want ad for a career in television for station Q.T.T.V. Upon finding out that this career is to be the victim on Elmer Fudd’s hunting program, “The Sportsman’s Hour”, Bugs leads Elmer on a chase throughout the studio.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1425 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

This is the first cartoon to use the new “Bugs Bunny in” card which would be used on almost all remaining Bugs Bunny cartoons from the Golden Age.

This is the final cartoon to use “What’s Up Doc” in any way (it plays under the opening credits) and the only post-1954 cartoon to fully use it.

The cartoon’s plot would be slightly reworked in 1959’s “People are Bunny” (also directed by McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce).

The cartoon was originally titled “Omni-Bunny”, a pun for “omnipresent”.

“Wideo” is presumably Elmer’s way of saying “video” even though he’s never heard saying it.

TV shows parodied in this one include “You Bet Your Life” (1950) as “You Beat Your Wife”, “The Liberace Show” (1952), and “You Are There” (1953) as “You Were There”.

When Bugs disguises as Groucho and also at the end as Ed Norton (Art Carney), he is voiced by Daws Butler, marking the very first time someone other than Mel Blanc voiced him at any point (and the only time in the Golden Age to do so). Blanc still voices Bugs when he’s not disguised as them, however.

Carl Stalling scored this one.

This is one of two cartoons to give film editor credit to Irvin Jay (and interestingly, the other is McKimson’s next cartoon and one of his most notable, “The Honey Mousers”).

The gag of Bugs getting his fingers tied from playing fast on the piano is reused (and also retraced) animation from “Rhapsody Rabbit”.

There was an actual parody of “You Bet Your Life” as “Do You Trust Your Wife” (1956-1957).

The producer is a caricature of Frank Nelson.

The animator draft for the cartoon can be viewed here.

Bugs’ reason for answering the want ad was wanting to make his television debut. Ironically, he would actually do so a few years later via “The Bugs Bunny Show”.

Another instance of something being added in after the scene was animated is Elmer grumbling angrily after Bugs pies him in the face.

Favorite Scene:

Bugs, disguised as an usher, misleads Elmer into the room of “You Were There” which is reenacting “Custer’s Last Stand”.

What Happens in This One:

Bugs is heard from his hole singing “Lucky Day” before he pulls down a box of carrot juice and a newspaper. Noticing something from the newspaper, “Huh? What’s this?”, he pops out to look at the article that caught his attention and reads it aloud, “Wanted: Rabbit for Personal Appearance on TV. Opportunity for Career in Television” (animated by Russ Dyson). Bugs decides, “Hmm, about time television discovered my talents. Station Q.T.T.V, here I come!” (animated by George Grandpre).

At Q.T.T.V, Bugs has gone into the rehearsal room, “Studio K” as the producer is heard telling him, “Splendid, splendid. You’re just the type we’re looking for”. He then has Bugs climb all the way to the top of a tall ladder and sit down on the cushion atop it (animated by Dyson). Finding this strange, Bugs asks down to him, “Hey! Just a cotton-pickin’ minute! What’s sitting here on this cushion got to do with my television career?”, oblivious that the cushion is connected to 10,000 volts (animated by Grandpre). Producer: “Well, you see, most people have to start at the bottom of the ladder. But we’re starting you at the top. We LIKE you!” (animated by Dyson) Bugs: “Oh! Well, say, that’s swell! Uh, where do I go from here?” (animated by Grandpre) About to walk up to the stage, the producer answers, “Ooh, you’ll find out!” before walking up the stairs (animated by Dyson). Unaware of the ceiling area above him opening up like a sunroof, Bugs says to himself, “Well! Looks like I’m due for a rapid rise in THIS medium!” (animated by Grandpre)

It turns out Bugs is sitting directly under a makeshift hole on the stage that he’s supposed to pop out of for “The Sportsman’s Hour with Elmer Fudd”. When he gets the signal that he’s on the air (animated by Dyson), Elmer greets the audience, “Hewwo, TV fwiends evewywhere. Once again, Fwench Fwied Fwesh Fwozen Wabbit Company bwings you the Sportsman’s Hour. With handy hunting hints by yours twuwy, Elmer Fudd (laughs). And today I have a WEAL surpwise for you. I’m going to show you the pwoper pwocedure for twacking down, fwushing out, and bwasting to smitheweens, a weal-wive wabbit! When I give the signal, the wabbit will pop up out of that hole and I’ll pop HIM! (laughs)” (animated by Keith Darling)

Elmer continues as he follows the makeshift rabbit footprints on the stage, “Now, be vewy, vewy quiet. First, I twack him by his footpwints. Then I stop at the pwoper distance fwom the hole, waise my hand, and give the signal” (animated by Darling). The signal is for the producer to press the button that causes Bugs to jump out of the hole from the 10,000 volts shocking him. Once on stage, he looks around in confusion, “Hey! What’s going- who’s the- eh, what’s up, doc?” (animated by Dyson) Elmer then shoots (animated by Darling), with Bugs jumping up to avoid the bullets. “Hey! Cut it out! What’s the big idea!? When I’m supposed to-” Elmer zips up to him and shushes before whispering in annoyance, “Be quiet, you cwazy dumb wabbit! You’re wuining my show! (nervously waves to audience) Evewybody’s wooking at you!” Bugs: “They are!? Well, wet ‘em wook, mac! After all, they came here to see me make my television day-bute!” (animated by Ted Bonnicksen)

After Bugs walks off, Elmer (animated by Bonnicksen) shoots at Bugs, who dodges it, leaving a bullet-shaped outline of the pose he was in. Bugs begins to scold, “Hey, just a cotton-pickin’-!”, before Elmer shoots again, leaving a bullet-shaped outline of Bugs scolding. Elmer goes after him, shouting, “Come back here, you wetched wabbit! You’re wecking my pwogwam!” (animated by Dyson) The worried producer puts a sign in front of a TV camera, “Program Temporarily Interrupted. Please Stand By” (animated by Grandpre).

In the hallway, Bugs remarks, “Gee, what a sorehead! I’ve heard about professional jealousy among actors but that dope has got it real bad!” Elmer then enters the hall running. “Hey! You come back here!” Bugs refuses in a sassy tone, “Oh, no! You hurt my feelings!” before walking into a room and shutting the door. Elmer opens it and follows (animated by Grandpre), only to find Bugs disguised as Groucho as the host of “You Beat Your Wife”. Bugs, also imitating Groucho’s voice, greets Elmer, “Welcome welcome to ‘You Beat Your Wife’! Say the magic word and win a hundred dollars. Now, what is your name, sir, and uh, what do you do?” Elmer replies, “Elmer Fudd. I’m a hunter. I’m hunting for a wabbit. A cwazy, fwesh wabbit”. Bugs continues, “Oh, a fresh hare fade, huh?” before fluttering the eyebrows in his disguise at the audience. He then acts as the host of the program, “Well, Mr. Fudd, for 50 dollars, have you stopped beating your wife? Answer yes or no”. Elmer has a rather difficult time answering, “Why, uh, uh, yes! I mean no! Well, uh, uh, that is, I never-w-well, y-y-you-I-”. Bugs informs him, “Well, uh, while you’re making up your mind, I’ll go slip out of these wet clothes and into a dry martini, huh?” As Bugs walks away in the manner of Groucho, Elmer notices his cottontail not covered up by the disguise and realizes, “Hey! You’re that wabbit!”, before running up to him. Removing the glasses, mustache, and eyebrows in his disguise with the cigar, Bugs replies in his normal voice, “Aw, you’ve been peeking!” and then gives Elmer a wacky kiss before running off and leaving the outfit in his disguise behind (animated by Bonnicksen).

Bugs runs into “Studio L: You’re Asking For It” and whistles to Elmer before entering (animated by Dyson). When Elmer opens the door, he is greeted by Bugs telling him, “Remember! You’re Asking For It!” as he pies Elmer in the face. As Elmer wipes off his face with his hat, Bugs walks away daintily. No longer having pie remains on his face, Elmer grumbles in frustration before resuming the chase (animated by Darling).

Bugs goes into “Studio T: Liverace” (rather than Liberace) with Elmer opening the door to find Bugs in a tuxedo playing Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” on the piano (animated by Dyson). After getting his fingers tied in a knot, Bugs frees them before noticing Elmer and addressing him as “George!” in a Liberace voice. He explains to the audience, “That’s my brother George!” Bugs then tells him, “Come over here, George!” as he begins playing a piano instrumental of “Pop Goes the Weasel” and instructs, “Take this candelabra over to Mother!”, with the candles actually being dynamite sticks. After Bugs lights them, Elmer begins walking away with it, before realizing they’re dynamite and frantically trying to put them out. After the explosion, Bugs explains, “I did that because I want my program to go over with a bang!” before chuckling modestly. A slightly disheveled Elmer realizes this was Bugs as he throws down the ruined candelabra and runs after Bugs once more, “Come back, you double-cwosser!” (animated by Bonnicksen)

Running out into the hallway, Elmer continues, “I pwomised to bwast you on my pwogwam!” He comes up to Bugs disguised as an usher and doesn’t recognize him, “Usher, have you seen a wong-eared wabbit awound here?” Bugs silently points to the open room to his right. Elmer replies, “In there? Thank you!” before laughing evilly while walking in. Bugs then shuts the door to reveal that he misled Elmer into “Crispy Crunchy Crumpets Presents ‘You Were There’ Re-Enacting ‘Custer’s Last Stand’”, with Elmer getting caught in the violence from inside the room offscreen. When Elmer comes out, Bugs points to his left in his normal voice, “Studio C for the medic!” Elmer groans, “Oh, much obwiged!”, with a tomahawk stuck in the back of his hat and four arrows in his back (animated by Dyson).

Still looking for Bugs, Elmer laments, “Oh, dear, I’ve gotta find that wabbit or my caweer will be wuined!” He is then confronted by Bugs dressed as a fussy director, “Oh, THERE you are! Where have you been!? You’re on in three minutes, ya know! Come on, come on, hurry!” Elmer attempts to explain to no avail, “But-but I’m not-” before the door is shut after they walk in with these being revealed to be the “Fancy Dress Party”. From inside, Bugs is heard hustling, “Oh, come on, come on. Now, here’s your costume. Hurry, hurry, hurry!” (animated by Dyson) Bugs is then shown pressuring Elmer while he’s behind the wardrobe changing into the costume, “Oh, hurry up!” When Elmer steps out of the wardrobe, it turns out he’s been tricked into putting on a pink rabbit suit. Seeing it as cute, Bugs comments, “Oh, how darling!” as Elmer again attempts to explain, “But I-” Bugs then grabs him by the arm and pushes him out the door, “Quick now! Right in there!” before he goes to the wardrobe himself and the scene fades out before he puts on Elmer’s clothes (animated by Grandpre).

The “Sportsman’s Hour” resumes its broadcast but now with Bugs as the hunter and imitating Elmer’s voice, “I twack him to his hole. I waise my arm and give the signal!” (animated by Darling) The producer presses the button and Elmer comes out, having been shocked from the 10,000 volts. Now realizing what’s going on, Elmer lets out an irritated “Oh, no!” (animated by Dyson) Bugs shoots at Elmer backwards while looking in a mirror. A blasted and beyond angry Elmer begins fuming, “Oh, you-you-if I-could-why-!” Bugs comes in disguised as Ed Norton and imitating his voice, “Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy! Have a cigar!” and puts the same Groucho eyebrows, glasses, mustache, and cigar on Elmer’s face before commenting, “Gee, what a Groucho! Va-va-va-voom!” (animated by Darling)

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½