Rabbit Romeo

Rabbit Romeo
Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny) series
title card
Directed by	Robert McKimson
Produced by	Eddie Selzer
Story by	Michael Maltese
Voices by	Mel Blanc June Foray (unc.) Arthur Q. Bryan (unc.)
Music by	Milt Franklyn
Animation by	Ted Bonnicksen George Grandpre
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	December 14, 1957 (USA)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	6:54
Language	English

Rabbit Romeo is a Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The film is notable as one of the few parings of Bugs and Elmer in which Bugs is not hunted throughout the entire picture (despite Elmer using his hunting rifle every time Bugs tries to escape throughout the entire cartoon), and also notable as a cartoon in which Bugs has a romantic encounter.

Plot

Elmer receives a large package, accompanied by a letter from his Uncle Judd. In the letter, Elmer is asked to take care of the enclosed rare Slobbovian rabbit (named Millicent) until he arrives, and is promised $500 for his efforts. When he opens the box he discovers that Millicent is a huge, unattractive, female rabbit with an Eastern European/Slavic accent. When Elmer shows Millicent her room, she trashes the room and cries uncontrollably on a couch.

Elmer calls a doctor that says that Slobovian rabbits get lonely and need another rabbit to talk to. He goes out to lure a rabbit with a carrot, and catches Bugs.

When Elmer introduces Bugs to Millicent, her demeanor quickly switches from melancholic to amorous; she asks for a "laaarge keess", as she calls it. Most of the rest of the plot deals with Bugs' humorous attempts to evade Millicent's romantic advances; Bugs is often thwarted by a gun-wielding Elmer. At one point, Bugs declares that they should elope. Bugs takes a rolled up sheet and holds it out the window for Milly to slide down, but lets go of the sheet as she is doing so ("Butterfingers!").

As Millicent pounds on the door, Bugs goes and tells Elmer that Uncle Judd is at the door. Bugs offers a "bathrobe" for Elmer to slip into; as he steps into the hall, the "bathrobe" is revealed to be a bunny costume. When Elmer opens the door, Millicent becomes interested in Elmer instead, and chases after him off into the countryside. The cartoon concludes with Bugs at the door, saying "Ain't I the little matchmaker?"

Censorship

• On CBS and the syndicated Merrie Melodies show, the part where Bugs uses a goldfish to shield himself from Millicent's kisses was cut to remove the part where the goldfish is put back in the fishbowl, the goldfish takes out a pistol, returns inside his toy castle, and shoots himself (implied by the bubbles surfacing and making a gunshot sound when popped).
• On The WB!, the part where Bugs uses an electric fan to protect himself from Millicent's kisses, but her mouth destroys the fan, and then Millicent says, "Mmm, not bad for a beginner!" was cut.

Notes

• Millicent next appeared in the 1978 TV special Bugs Bunny's Thanksgiving Diet; to date, she hasn't made a third appearance.

Preceded by Show Biz Bugs

Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1957

Succeeded by Hare-Less Wolf