Roman Legion-Hare

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Roman Legion-Hare Looney Tunes series
Directed by	Friz Freleng
Produced by	Edward Selzer
Story by	Warren Foster
Voices by	Mel Blanc
Music by	Milt Franklyn
Animation by	Virgil Ross Art Davis Gerry Chiniquy
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	November 12, 1955 (USA premiere)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7 min (one reel)
IMDb profile

Roman Legion-Hare is a Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng and written by Warren Foster.

After being ordered by Emperor Nero to find a victim to be tossed to the lions, Yosemite Sam tries to capture Bugs Bunny. It was released theatrically on November 12, 1955.

1 Synopsis
2 History
3 Trivia
4 Censorship
5 Availability
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Synopsis

The setting is Rome, 54 A. D.; the camera pans past a billboard announcing "Another Appian Freeway for Your Safety (Slow Chariots Keep Right)" before settling on an exterior view of the Coliseum. As spectators file into the Coliseum, their shadows fall on a poster describing the day's sporting event:

"Detroit Lions in Season Opener--Undefeated Lions out for First Taste of Victory"

A radio-style sportscaster describes the scene for his audience and the entrance of Emperor Nero into the arena (in a chariot with tail fins from a 1950s Cadillac).

The announcer reports that Nero has "consented to throw out the first victim". When it turns out they are all out of victims, Nero commands Captain of the Guard Sam to take his legion out to get one (informing Sam that if he fails to provide a victim for the lions, Sam will be the victim).

Along the way, Sam and the legion (which looks more like a squad) cross paths with Bugs Bunny who is looking at them expecting a parade. Sam sends his troops after Bugs but he trips them with his foot.

Sam then chases after Bugs in a chariot where he once again is victim of the "giddyap! horse/whoa! horse" routine.

Through the rest of the picture, Sam and Bugs are running through the labyrinth of the Coliseum where the lions seem to be lurking behind every other door. Bugs finally escapes but accidentally gets himself in the middle of the arena. Sam victoriously joins Nero in his box as the lions are released. The lions run by Bugs and straight to Sam and Nero who must take refuge atop a column. Bugs puts on a Roman crown and says, "Well, as the Romans say, E Pluribus Uranium". As the enraged lions slowly chop down the column, Nero plays "Taps" on his fiddle as he and Sam await their fate.

[edit] History

This cartoon represents the eighteenth time Bugs Bunny was pitted against Yosemite Sam. As with Sahara Hare released earlier the same year, it was an attempt to move Sam and Bugs Bunny out of he contexts of westerns or pirate movies where most of their previous pairings had occurred. The 1950s were the golden age of Peplum and Roman Epic movies which provided a good new locale for the two characters.

[edit] Trivia

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Emperor Nero is represented as a caricature of actor Charles Laughton who had played the character in The Sign of the Cross in 1932.
This is the first film where the director is credited as Friz Freleng instead of Isadore or I. Freleng.
Parts of this film were re-used in the Friz Freleng short film Devil's Feud Cake in 1963
The title is a play on the words Roman Legionnaire.
The Roman Coliseum and Nero did not coexist. Following Nero's suicide in 68 AD, his famous Domus Aurea (public gardens and artificial lake) was destroyed and the Roman Coliseum (Flavian Amphitheatre) was built in its place circa 72 AD.
The sign that says "Detroit Lions in season open, undefeated lions out for the first taste of victory" is a reference to the the NFL team with the same name.

[edit] Censorship

For reasons unknown, the Cartoon Network airing edits out Bugs's line (after Nero and Sam are chased to the top of the column by the lions), "Well, like the Romans say, E. Pluribus Uranium" (a spin on the Latin phrase, "e pluribus unum" ["From many, one"]). It is likely that this is a legacy of the former ownership of the Warner Brothers cartoon catalog by Turner Broadcasting and Ted Turner's anti-nuclear political views.
When aired on ABC, the part where Yosemite Sam beats the lion before realizing that there are no cage bars separating him from the lion was shortened from eight beatings to one and a half.

[edit] Availability

After its initial theatre release, Roman Legion Hare was released on home-video on the Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures VHS which was issued in 1985.

The film is also part of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4 DVD box-set.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Beck, Jerry and Friedwald, Will (1989): Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Company.