Rabbitson Crusoe

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Rabbitson Crusoe Looney Tunes/Bugs Bunny series
Directed by	Friz Freleng
Produced by	Eddie Selzer
Story by	Irving Wyner
Voices by	Mel Blanc
Music by	Milt Franklyn
Animation by	Gerry Chiniquy Arthur Davis Virgil Ross
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	April 28, 1956 (USA)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7 min (one reel)
IMDb profile

Rabbitson Crusoe is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short released in 1956 and directed by Friz Freleng. The name and part of the story is a direct parody of Robinson Crusoe.

[edit] Plot

Yosemite Sam narrates that a low tide and high rocks caused his shipwreck on a small island. The only source of food is from a coconut tree on an adjacent island. Crossing between the islands, however, is always difficult because of a man-eating shark called Dopey Dick (another parody, this time based on Moby-Dick). Sam manages to get rid of the shark, who jumps after him on land, only by having a mallet ready on the tree with which to whack the shark back. On his way back to his island, he's chased again by the shark, but this time has a baseball bat ready to whack the shark. Sam mutters that the shark has tried getting him for 20 years, and each time he misses.

Sam then uses a book, "1000 ways to prepare coconuts" to make a series of coconut dishes, but then grows sick of coconuts, banging his head against a tree in frustration. Suddenly he hears Bugs Bunny in the distance, singing the song "Tradewinds" (a song Bugs apparently likes to sing while lost at sea - see also Gorilla My Dreams). Sam calls out to Bugs, who starts paddling towards the island. A high tide causes Bugs to fall into Sam's arms. Just as Bugs celebrates being on dry land, Sam tosses him in a stewing pot to cook. However, Bugs douses the flame with water from the pot. Sam then has to go back to his ship to get another match.

The shark nearly gets Sam on his way to the ship, but Sam distracts the shark with a bone (as if the shark was a dog), goes back to the ship and gets back to land. However, Bugs is not in the pot. When he checks the pot, the shark jumps out and starts eating Sam, but Sam manages to whack the shark with a mallet - soon whacking himself, when the shark jumps off. Bugs is then shown to be on the ship itself (calling out to Sam as "Mister Robinson", making direct reference to the story). Sam decides to outsmart both Bugs and the shark by tying a balloon around his waist and floating to the ship. However, Bugs is ready for this as well - when Sam floats down to the ship, Bugs opens a hatch that Sam floats into, with the shark waiting for him. Sam then manages to beat the shark back again.

Sam catches Bugs again and throws him into the pot, lighting the fire again. However, Bugs points out that a tidal wave is heading for the island. Before Sam can do anything, the tidal wave sweeps across the island, leaving Bugs safe in his pot, but the island gone. Sam then swims to the pot, yelling for Bugs to pull him in. Bugs uses a staff with a hook to start pulling Sam in, but then tells Sam that he'll only keep him up if they make a deal. After a quick "No deal!", Sam eventually relents. The deal is that Bugs will keep Sam on the end of the hook to keep Sam above water, while Sam paddles. Sam looks back and sees the shark behind them and starts paddling faster, eventually going in the direction of San Francisco - which is only 2,736 miles away.