Long-Haired Hare
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| Long-Haired Hare | |
| Looney Tunes series | |
 Bugs Bunny disguised as a fan asking for Giovanni Jones' autograph... with a dynamite "pen". |
|
| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
|---|---|
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Animation by | Ken Harris Phil Monroe Lloyd Vaughan Ben Washam |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl Stalling |
| Produced by | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date | June 25, 1949 (USA premiere) |
| Format | Technicolor, 8 min (one reel) |
| Language | English |
| IMDb page | |
Long-Haired Hare is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released in 1949, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Opera singer Giovanni Jones gets annoyed at Bugs for playing his banjo (and other instruments) and therefore distracting him from his singing practice. However, rather than ask Bugs to stop playing during his rehearsals, he uses the instruments as weapons to clobber the critter. Bugs is, at first, tolerant of the singer's apparent rudeness, taking the first two attacks in stride, but after a third instance of such brutality, Bugs declares "Of course you know, this means war!"
Bugs exacts his revenge against Jones first by hammering the roof of the "acoustically perfect" concert hall (presumably the Hollywood Bowl, due to its shape) to disrupt the singer's vocals, then by spraying his throat with "liquid alum" which shrinks his head. Next, Bugs dresses up as an adoring female fan and asks Jones for an autograph, only the pen is a stick of dynamite. Finally, for the coup de grâce, Bugs poses as the highly respected "Leopold" (clearly modeled on Leopold Stokowski) to take over the conducting duties and by use of hand gestures. Bugs has Jones hold a note well past the point of endurance (at one point, Bugs leaves his glove hovering in the air and steps outside to order a pair of ear muffs). Giovanni's face turns different colors as his tuxedo unravels under the pressure (collar detaches, vestee bursts off, dickey rolls into face, suspenders give and slacks fall around ankles). Bugs returns to his glove to find Jones on the floor banging his fists in what's left of his torn apart tuxedo and flowered boxer shorts. Eventually the concert roof comes crumbling down on top of the unfortunate singer. When Jones climbs out of the rubble, he takes a bow in shreds that were once a tuxedo. His face is beaten in and bruised purple and blue. Bugs again cues Jones to sing the same note so that a boulder, precariously balanced on a steel girder, falls and crushes the singer's head. To add insult to injury, Bugs removes his wig and closes out the performance by strumming "Good Evening Friends" on a banjo.
[edit] Music
The film's musical score includes original music by Carl Stalling, but a significant proportion of the score is pre-existing music, including several operatic pieces. The following pieces are used in the film:
- Gioacchino Rossini - "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville - Opening titles, Giovanni Jones' rehearsal scenes and second piece at concert
- Arthur Schwartz - "A Rainy Night in Rio" - played by Bugs on a banjo
- Barney Fagan - "My Gal is a High Born Lady" - played by Bugs on a harp (melody only). The original subject and lyrics depicting racism in this popular 1896 song were not used. Instead, Bugs' song lyrics were re-written as an enjoyable testament to his gal's dancing prowess. The author of the re-written lyrics is unverified, but possibilites include Carl Stalling or Michael Maltese.
- Herman Hupfeld - "When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba" - played by Bugs on a tuba
- Gaetano Donizetti - "Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento" from Lucia di Lammermoor - first piece at Giovanni Jones' concert. (This makes no sense, since the piece in question is a sextet, with a tenor (Edgardo) and a baritone (Enrico) making the joint first entry and four other character to join the sextet shortly thereafter; no one else but Giovanni Jones is on stage, so how he's going to sing a sextet by himself is unclear).
- Richard Wagner - Prelude, 2nd theme from Act III of Lohengrin - autograph scene
- Franz von Suppé - Overture from Die schöne Galathee - Bugs enters in 'Leopold' disguise
[edit] Trivia
- Giovanni Jones' singing voice remained uncredited and unknown for many years. It was since revealed to have been provided by opera singer Nicolai Shutorov.
- Bugs Bunny's conducting performance as "Leopold" is a send-up of conductor Leopold Stokowski's energetic style, including his shunning the baton. Indeed, Stokowski conducted many performances at the Hollywood Bowl, where the second half of this film supposedly takes place.
- Another trick used on Giovanni Jones was Bugs mixing liquid alum in his breath freshener. Every time Giovanni tried to sing his head shrunk and his voice grew high pitched.
- An edited version of Long-Haired Hare was included in The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979).
