Carrotblanca

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Carrotblanca
series = Looney Tunes


director = Douglas McCarthy
producer = Timothy Cahill & Julie McNally
distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures
release_date = August 25, 1995
runtime = 8 min.
movie_language = English

"Carrotblanca" is a 1995 8-minute Looney Tunes cartoon. It was originally shown in cinemas alongside "The Amazing Panda Adventure" (in the US) and "The Pebble and the Penguin" (outside the US). It was subsequently released on video packaged with older "Looney Tunes" cartoons and was included in the special edition DVD release of "Casablanca", the film to which it is both a parody and a homage. It should be noted that at the time of release, WB did not own the rights to "Casablanca" (such rights were with Turner Entertainment - they still technically hold the film today, but now WB is responsible for distribution).

Unlike the previous modern Looney Tunes shorts, this short was not made by the Greg Ford/Terry Lennon team nor Chuck Jones Film Productions. It was produced by the "Animaniacs" writing team at Warner Bros. Feature Animation (it is possible this film served as a test for animating the characters for "Space Jam"). "Carrotblanca" was the only Looney Tunes short produced by that group of writers and the Feature Animation division.

The short involves nearly all the major "Looney Tunes" characters in roles from the film, including Bugs Bunny as Rick, Daffy Duck as Sam and Pepe Le Pew as Captain Renault. Some characters use their real names, others the names of the characters in the original film, or parodic versions. Several minor "Looney Tunes" characters can be seen in the background (such as Pete Puma as a waiter wearing a kaftan and kufi, and The Crusher as a doorman).

A German secret document is stolen and Usmarte (Tweety Bird as Ugarte, depicted unnervingly like Peter Lorre), the actual thief, lures Bugs Bunny into taking it. General Pandemonium (Yosemite Sam as Major Strasser) gets a frantic call from Foghorn Leghorn saying the secret document has been stolen, and immediately heads for the CarrotBlanca hotel.

Meanwhile Sylvester (as Victor Lazlo) and his wife Kitty Ketty (Penelope Pussycat as Ilsa) arrive at the hotel. Ketty attracts the attention of Louis (Pepe le Pew). Ketty also happens to be an old crush of Bugs. General Pandemonium suspects Sylvester may know about the document and binds him in his office. Ketty pleads with Bugs to help Sylvester out of this. Though Bugs initially refuses, he goes to the General's office nevertheless and confuses the General himself into jail.

The story climaxes, like the original, with Sylvester and Ketty escaping on a plane as Bugs watches them go... except Ketty finds Louis on the plane and jumps off using a parachute, landing right in front of Bugs, while Sylvester still is on the plane to New York City. The parachute cloth closes on them and the film ends.

Cast

*Joe Alaskey as Daffy Duck and Sylvester Pussycat
*Bob Bergen as Tweety
*Greg Burson as Bugs Bunny, Pepe Le Pew and Foghorn Leghorn
*Maurice LaMarche as Yosemite Sam and The Crusher
*Tress MacNeille as Penelope Pussycat

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112638/ Carrotblanca] at the Internet Movie Database
* [http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/36499-Carrotblanca.html Carrotblanca] at the Big Cartoon Database
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/ Casablanca] at the Internet Movie Database