| Duck! Rabbit, Duck! | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd) series | |
Daffy Duck thinks he is writing a fricasseing rabbit license, but Bugs spells "F-R-I-C-A-S-S-E-E-I-N-G D-U-C-K" instead. |
|
| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Produced by | Eddie Selzer |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan (unc.) |
| Music by | Carl Stalling |
| Animation by | Ken Harris Abe Levitow Richard Thompson Lloyd Vaughan Ben Washam |
| Layouts by | Maurice Noble |
| Backgrounds by | Philip DeGuard |
| Studio | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Release date(s) | October 3, 1953 (USA) |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 6:49 |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Bully for Bugs (Bugs) Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (Daffy) |
| Followed by | Robot Rabbit (Bugs) Design For Leaving (Daffy) |
Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is a 1953 Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. It is the sequel to Rabbit Seasoning, and the third (along with Rabbit Fire) and final entry in Jones' "hunting trilogy" (the only major difference in format between this film and the others is that it takes place during the middle of winter). Produced by Eddie Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc., the short was released to theaters in 1953 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is widely considered among Jones' best and most important films. This is the only film in the trilogy where Bugs does not crossdress.[1] It is featured in a small clip on the movie Space Jam, on Moron Mountain's computer monitor.
Contents |
The cartoon, set in winter, finds Daffy Duck removing and burning every "Duck Season Open" sign he finds (while humming the tune "La Vie en rose") in order to warm himself in the winter ("I am a duck bent on self preservationum..munum", he tells the audience). Elmer is out hunting and Daffy uses several signs to convince Elmer that it's rabbit season, making Elmer excited about "Fwesh Wabbit Stew!" just before Elmer follows the trail to Bugs' rabbit hole. Daffy lures Bugs Bunny out by asking for a cup of blackstrap molasses. Just as Bugs Bunny comes out of his rabbit hole, Elmer points the gun at him and declares that he got his "Wabbit Stew". However, bugs immediately sees through Daffy's trick and is prepared to convince Elmer not to shoot him because he is obviously an endangered species:
This enrages Daffy, who attempts to convince Elmer Fudd that Bugs Bunny is actually trying to trick Elmer and orders Elmer to shoot Bugs Bunny, prompting Elmer to regretfully point out that he doesn't have a license, and this is an obvious idea for bugs Bunny to use his wits to keep Elmer from shooting him. After each shot, irritated Daffy is forced to put his beak back in place.
One extended routine in this short has Bugs holding up various "animal season" signs to correspond with every figurative expression involving an animal that Daffy gets called. This begins when Bugs tricks Daffy into making a hunting license that allows Elmer to shoot him. Annoyed, he grabs the license:
Each presentation of the sign was accompanied by a brass fanfare of a fox hunting call, and was, of course, followed by a gunshot. Bugs then puts on a duck disguise. Daffy sees him, but forgets himself and shouts "Shoot the duck!" to which Elmer obliges by shooting the nearest duck— Daffy. Daffy finally goes completely insane, demanding Elmer keep shooting him, bounding around on all fours like an elk, and scuttling around sideways like a crab:
The antics become truly confusing at the end when Elmer Fudd encounters Bugs disguised as a game warden:
Elmer then completely loses his sanity and starts shooting at a baseball as he runs off into the distance. While he's gone, Bugs asks Daffy what hunting season is it really. Daffy casually answers that it's duck season and ends up getting blasted by many hunters hiding behind rocks. Daffy crawls back, seething and smoldering from being shot, and tells Bugs "You're desthpicable!"
| Preceded by Bully for Bugs |
Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1953 |
Succeeded by Robot Rabbit |