Hot Cross Bunny

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Hot Cross Bunny is a 1948 Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies theatrical animated short, starring Bugs Bunny. It was directed by Robert McKimson, and written by Warren Foster.

[edit] Summary

Bugs is "Experimental Rabbit #46" in the Paul Revere Foundation (which sports the unlikely slogan 'Hardly a man is still alive'). Bugs lives a pampered life, oblivious to the fact that a scientist plans on switching his brain (or at least his personality, since no surgery is involved) with that of a chicken. The scientist brings Bugs out to the operating theater, in front of an audience of fellow doctors. Bugs, of course, thinks he's been brought out to perform. He pulls out all the stops, singing, dancing, scatting, comedy routines, and magic acts. Upon finishing each act, he looks around to see the stern-faced doctors in the exact same frame position each time ("What a tough audience! It ain't like Saint Joe!"). The scientist attempts to retrieve Bugs but is pushed away. He strikes Bugs with a hammer while the rabbit is in the middle of a scat routine, but Bugs quickly revives and, having failed as the entertainment, becomes a vendor instead, selling hot dogs to the scientists, only to be hammered again. Learning the scientist's intentions, Bugs runs and a chase ensues. Finally, Bugs is rendered helpless with laughing gas and placed on the table, metallic mind-switching caps on him and the rather disinterested-looking chicken. But at the last minute, he switches the electrodes and the scientist ends up clucking like a chicken, while the chicken states in plain English his hope that the experiment can be reversed.