| The Grey Hounded Hare | |
|---|---|
| Looney Tunes/Bugs Bunny series | |
Title card for The Grey Hounded Hare |
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| Directed by | Robert McKimson |
| Produced by | Eddie Selzer |
| Story by | Warren Foster |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | John Carey Phil DeLara Manny Gould Charles McKimson |
| Layouts by | Cornett Wood |
| Backgrounds by | Richard H. Thomas |
| Studio | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 6, 1949 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 6:40 |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Knights Must Fall |
| Followed by | The Windblown Hare |
The Grey Hounded Hare is a 1948-produced, 1949-released Looney Tunes short film made by Warner Bros. Pictures and starring the voice talent of Mel Blanc. It was directed by Robert McKimson, and animated by John Carey, Phil DeLara, Manny Gould and Charles McKimson, with music scored by Carl Stalling. The title refers to the greyhounds of the plot as well as "hounded" meaning pestered or pursued relentlessly. This cartoon is found on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4
Along with Tugboat Granny and Guided Muscle, The Grey Hounded Hare was featured on the final episode of The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show, which aired on ABC on September 2, 2000.
Contents |
Bugs Bunny pops out of a hole, wondering what all the 'racket' is. He quickly finds out that he is at a greyhound track. Bugs decides to check out the dogs, commenting positively on #7, a large grey greyhound named Gnawbone, then angering him.
After this, Bugs goes outside to see the race from the sides. The announcer announces some of the dogs racing in the race, including "Bill's Bunion", "Pneumatic Tire", "Father's Moustache", "Motorman's Glove", "Bride's Biscuit" and "Grandpa's Folly", the latter of which has been "scratched" from the race (as in uncontrolable itching).
Bugs watches as a rabbit lure is led out. Not realizing the rabbit is a mechanical fake, Bugs instantly falls in love with it. Upon seeing the dogs being released from their starting boxes, declaring that "chivalry is not dead!", Bugs decides to "rescue" the lure and jumps into the track, taking down some of the dogs one at a time. During this sequence, the announcer, shocked at what he sees, kills himself off-screen. Bugs eventually teases the dogs enough that they start chasing him out of the track and into a taxi, which speeds off towards the Dog Pound. However, Gnawbone #7 was not fooled and is waiting for Bugs.
Bugs then faces off with #7 through trickery, first using a balloon decoy, then using a dynamite stick. Finally, #7 has done it and starts to charge at Bugs "like a bull", but Bugs plays matador and causes #7 to charge into a fire hydrant, putting the dog out of commission.
After defeating #7, now free to pursue "Dreamboat" unhindered, Bugs gives the lure a kiss, getting a large shock, just before the lure goes back into its starting box. He goes for another kiss and gets electrocuted again.
On the ABC airing of this cartoon, the part after the dog falls from the sky after chasing the balloon rabbit, where the greyhound goes to punch Bugs, but gets distracted by the electric rabbit on the track and Bugs sidetracking the dog by using a dynamite stick to play fetch with him (resulting in the dog getting blown up), was cut, making the cut seem like the dog blew up after he fell from the sky.[1]
| Preceded by Knights Must Fall |
Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1949 |
Succeeded by The Windblown Hare |