Rabbit Seasoning

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Rabbit Seasoning
series = Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck)


caption = The title card from "Rabbit Seasoning".
director = Charles M. Jones
story_artist = Michael Maltese
animator = Ken Harris
Lloyd Vaughan
Ben Washam
voice_actor = Mel Blanc
Arthur Q. Bryan
musician = Carl W. Stalling
producer = Eddie Selzer
studio = Warner Bros. Cartoons
The Vitaphone Corporation
distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures
release_date = September 20 1952 (USA)
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 7 min (one reel)
movie_language = English
preceded_by = "Rabbit Fire" (1951)
followed_by = "Duck! Rabbit! Duck!" (1953)
imdb_id = 0045062

"Rabbit Seasoning" is a 1952 "Merrie Melodies" cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Bugs Bunny. It is the sequel to "Rabbit Fire", and the second entry in the "Hunting trilogy" directed by Jones and written by Michael Maltese. (The only major difference in format between "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning" is that the former takes place during the springtime, while the latter takes place in autumn. The third cartoon, "Duck! Rabbit! Duck!", takes place in the winter.) Produced by Edward Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc., the short was released to theaters on September 20 1952 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is widely considered among Jones' best and most important films. In Jerry Beck's 1994 book "The 50 Greatest Cartoons", "Rabbit Seasoning" is listed at number thirty.

Overview

ynopsis

The cartoon finds Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck again arguing over which of them is “in season” (it is really Duck Season as Daffy says in the beginning), while a befuddled Elmer Fudd tries to figure out which animal is telling the truth. Between using sneaky plays-on-words, and dressing himself in women's clothing (including a Lana Turner-style sweater), Bugs manages to escape unscathed, while Daffy repeatedly has his beak blown: off, upside-down, or sideways, by Mr. Fudd.

"Pronoun trouble"

"Rabbit Seasoning" is most noted for an extended dialogue sequence in which Bugs' plays-on-words cause Daffy "pronoun trouble":

:Bugs: It's true, Doc; I'm a rabbit alright. Would you like to shoot me now or wait 'til you get home?:Daffy: Shoot him now! Shoot him now!:Bugs: You keep outta this! He doesn't have to shoot you now!:Daffy: He "does so" have to shoot me now! " [to Elmer] " I "demand" that you shoot me now!

:" [Elmer looks at the camera, unsure if Daffy knows what he's talking about. As Daffy sticks his tongue out at Bugs, he is shot. Daffy walks back over to Bugs, gunsmoke pouring out of his nostrils] "

:Daffy: " [to Bugs] " Let's run through that again.:Bugs: Okay.:Bugs: " [deadpan] " Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home.:Daffy: " [similarly] " Shoot him now; shoot him now.:Bugs: " [as before] " You keep outta this, he doesn't have to shoot you now.:Daffy: " [re-animated] " Hah! That’s it! Hold it right there! " [to audience] " Pronoun trouble. " [to Bugs] " It's not "he doesn't have to shoot "you" now", it's "he doesn't have to shoot "me" now":" [Pause] ":Daffy: " [angrily] " Well, I say he "does" have to shoot me now!! " [to Elmer] " So shoot me now!:" [Elmer obliges and lets him have it] "

After another series of gags and tricks, the cartoon ends as Daffy exposes Bugs' attempt at distracting Elmer by cross-dressing, and Bugs asks Elmer if he would like to "shoot him here, or wait 'til you get home." Daffy, catching the argument before it starts (but missing the "him" referring to himself), tells Elmer to wait until he gets home, and the two go off to Elmer's lodge. One gunshot later, Daffy storms out the door back to Bugs, re-aligns his beak, and says his signature line: "You're de"th"picable".

Censorship

*See "Rabbit Fire" for information about this cartoon's cut scenes.

External links

*imdb title|0045062