Broom-Stick Bunny

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Broom-Stick Bunny
series = Looney Tunes/Bugs Bunny


caption = Witch Hazel, about to make Bugs Bunny the final ingredient in her witch's brew
director = Chuck Jones
story_artist = Tedd Pierce
animator = Richard Thompson
Ken Harris
Ben Washam
Abe Levitow
voice_actor = Mel Blanc
June Foray "(uncredited)"
musician = Milt Franklyn
producer = Eddie Selzer
distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
release_date = February 25, 1956 (USA)
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 7 min (one reel)
movie_language = English
imdb_id = 0049032

"Broom-Stick Bunny" is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes short released in 1956 and directed by Chuck Jones.

Plot

It is Hallowe'en, and Witch Hazel is busy brewing a magic potion. As she goes about her business, she pauses at her magic mirror and asks of it who is the ugliest of all. The genie in the mirror replies that she, Witch Hazel, is the ugliest (as an aside to the audience, Witch Hazel says that she is "deathly afraid of growing pretty", a fear which will be fully justified at the end of the short).

Meanwhile, Bugs Bunny is out trick-or-treating dressed as a witch, his face hidden by an ugly green mask. He calls on Witch Hazel who, seeing his disguise, mistakes him for a real witch. She dashes to her magic mirror and asks it again who is the ugliest, to which the mirror-genie replies he finds Bugs far uglier. The jealous Witch Hazel hatches a plot.

She invites the disguised Bugs in for tea, and prepares a brew containing various beauty ointments and treatments. Bugs is about to drink the tea when he remembers he is still wearing the mask, and removes it. Seeing her "rival" is in fact a rabbit, Witch Hazel dashes off to consult her potion book. Sure enough, the last ingredient for the potion she was brewing earlier is a rabbit's clavicle (a bone in the shoulder). While she is gone, Bugs begins to suspect trouble is afoot and makes to leave, but he is stopped at the door by Witch Hazel brandishing a meat cleaver. Bugs flees, with the cackling witch chasing him through the house, she even gets to her magic broom closet to get her flying broomstick, but she comes out with her sweeping broom, "Crazy me. That was my sweeping broom!". Witch Hazel finally traps Bugs using a carrot on a fishing line.

Back at her cauldron, Witch Hazel prepares to kill Bugs and use him in her potion. She is about to bring her cleaver down on the trussed-up rabbit, but Bugs tries to play to her sympathies, gazing back at her with tear-filled doe eyes. Witch Hazel bursts into tears, claiming Bugs' innocent face reminds her of Paul, her dear departed pet tarantula. Bugs tries to comfort her by bringing her the cup of beauty potion/tea, which she drinks. She instantly changes into a young and shapely woman, which of course horrifies her. She dashes to the magic mirror once again to ask who is the ugliest one of all (her voice is also softer and sexier now.) The genie in the mirror, seeing her sexy new appearance, gives a Bob Hope-like "ROWR, ROWR" and lunges to grab her. Witch Hazel flees on her flying broomstick, with the genie chasing her on a magic carpet. Bugs is left at the house, and promptly telephones the local air raid headquarters to report "a genie with light brown hair chasing a flying sorceress"!

Witch Hazel

This is the first Warner Bros. short for which June Foray provides the voice of Witch Hazel. Jones had wanted Foray to replicate the voice she had provided for a different Witch Hazel in Disney films when he directed the earlier "Bewitched Bunny". However, Foray initially refused, fearing that it would bother Disney producers and put her in danger of losing future jobs. Jones was forced to substitute Bea Benaderet. Foray finally relented with this picture after Jones assured her she wouldn't be sued for replicating her own character. Similarly, when Hazel becomes all beautiful near the end, she is a caricature of June Foray herself. This idea was carried over to an episode of Duck Dodgers.