Rabbit Transit

"Rabbit Transit" is an 8-minute "Looney Tunes" cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng, released in 1947, and starring Bugs Bunny and Cecil Turtle. The title is a play on "Rapid Transit".

Cecil and Bugs had previously raced each other in 1941's "Tortoise Beats Hare" and 1943's "Tortoise Wins By a Hare". The two had a final match up in Friz Freleng's cartoon, "Rabbit Transit", released on May 10, 1947. Unlike "Tortoise Wins by a Hare", this cartoon presumes that Bugs and Cecil have never met before now.

While relaxing in a steam bath, Bugs reads about the original fable and, as he did reading the credits of "Tortoise Beats Hare", becomes incensed at the idea of a turtle outrunning a rabbit. Cecil, also in the steam bath, claims that he could outrun Bugs, prompting Bugs to challenge him to a race (again, as in "Tortoise Beats Hare", although at least here Bugs receives some provocation). This time, Bugs and Cecil agree to no cheating. Cecil, however, quickly reveals that his shell is now rocket propelled, allowing him to go a surprising combination between fast "and" slow. Bugs does his best to steal, dismantle, and destroy the device, but all to little effect. In the end, however, Bugs does manage to top the turtle and crosses the finish line first. Nevertheless, it is Cecil who has the last laugh when he rooks the rabbit into confessing to "doing 100 easy"—in a 30-miles-per-hour zone. Bugs is taken away by the police to enjoy his victory—behind bars. Cecil closes out the cartoon by saying Bugs' famous line, "Ain't I a...um...stinker?".

References in popular culture

In the 2008 film "Alvin and the Chipmunks," the world-wide tour is called "Rabit Transit Tour."