Slick Hare
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Slick Hare is a 1947 Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. It's famous for its parodying of the Mocambo club in Los Angeles — in the cartoon referred to as 'The Mocrumbo'. Mel Blanc plays Bugs, Arthur Q. Bryan is Elmer, and impressionist Dave Barry provides the voice of Bogart.
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[edit] Plot
The cartoon opens with various shots of famous 1940s celebrities dining or hanging out at the Mocrumbo club - including such personalities as Frank Sinatra (depicted as long and skinny, so much so that he slips into his straw while trying to take a sip from his drink) and Ray Milland (in a play on The Lost Weekend, where he pays for his drink with a typewriter and receives little typewriters as change). Elmer Fudd is a waiter at the Mocrumbo and comes out to find that his next customer is none other than Humphrey Bogart!
Bogart lets Elmer know that he wants fried rabbit, and he wants it within the next 20 minutes - or else! This puts Elmer in a bind, as they're "fwesh out of wabbit." However, as he's scouring the kitchen, Elmer hears the familiar sound of Bugs munching on some carrots in a corner of the kitchen. Elmer lets Bugs know that Bogart wants to 'have' him for dinner. Bugs immediately dresses in a tuxedo and wants to have a peek at what's cooking. Elmer quickly puts a mirror into a pot. Bugs takes a look inside, soon realizes that HE'S the main course, and makes a quick getaway.
Bugs eventually manages to get out of the kitchen, dressing like Groucho Marx in an attempt to fool Elmer - but Elmer is dressed as Harpo! Bugs tries to make a getaway, but is stopped by the large stomach of Sydney Greenstreet. He runs into Carmen Miranda's dressing room and hides in her famous fruit hat. Carmen then does a song and as she walks on the stage. Elmer starts chasing Bugs. Elmer runs away from the audience leaving Bugs to dance to the same song Carmen did.
Bugs then makes his way back to the kitchen, where he enjoys the audience loving his performance. He then pretends to be a pie chef and continues splattering Elmer in the face. When Elmer manages to duck one of the pies, it hits Bogart right in the face! Bogey then warns Elmer that he has just 5 minutes to come up with his fried rabbit. Elmer searches frantically, but can't find one in time. Bogart comes in, and Elmer thinks this is it - Bogey sticks his hand in his jacket... only to pull out a handkerchief and dab his forehead as he resigns, "Baby will just have to have a ham sandwich instead." Upon hearing of "Baby", Bugs jumps out of his hiding place and takes his place as the main course (Lauren Bacall being "Baby"), noting "Remember, Garcon, the customer is always right!", before howiling and wolf whistling at Baby.
[edit] Trivia
- Besides playing up many of the famous celebrities of the 1940s, this cartoon is also noted for giving viewers an 'inside look' at the kitchen of the Mocambo. The problem is, the view wasn't that flattering. According to a DVD commentary for this cartoon, one of the writers, Michael Maltese, managed to get a look at the kitchen of the Mocambo, and wound up drawing what he saw - including grease dripping from the refrigerators and vegetables lying around on the ground. Needless to say, as Michael put it in the DVD commentary, "I almost got my ass in a sling!" for this.
- It should also be noted that while the cartoon plays off of Bogart's famous 'tough guy' image, it also pays homage to the fact that Bogart was a softer man in real life, as he was more interested in Lauren Bacall's needs than resorting to violence.
