Knights Must Fall

Knights Must Fall is a 1949 Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Friz Freleng that spoofs King Arthur. The title of the cartoon itself is a pun on the 1937 film Night Must Fall. This is the seventh Bugs Bunny cartoon where the title does not refer to "hare", "rabbit", or "bunny".

Plot

Bugs (as a knave) stands in line with several knights, chewing a carrot. As Bugs finishes eating, he disposes of the carrot in the suit of "Sir Pantsalot of Drop Seat Manor" (a pun on Sir Lancelot), angering Pantsalot. After they exchange glove blows to each other (with Bugs using one of Pantsalot's gauntlets), the two agree to settle their feud with a joust. The joust begins with Pantsalot introduced to great fanfare, and Bugs being booed. Pantsalot beats Bugs back twice, and destroys Bugs' lance on his third attempt with his shield, earning Bugs the derision of the crowd ("Hey! That cast-iron palooka's making a chump outta me!"). Half-time is signaled with the entertainment consisting of a band playing music (used prior in Porky in Wackyland).

The second half begins with Bugs and Pantsalot trading head blows until Bugs tickles Pantsalot using a pneumatic drill on Pantsalot's armor. Pantsalot responds by attempting to swing a cast-iron ball at Bugs, who uses a spring to cause the ball recoil and slam Pantsalot in the head. Bugs then tricks Pantsalot into opening his helmet and peeking out so that he can punch Pantsalot's head back in. Pantsalot chases Bugs into a rabbit hole on the field. Bugs comes up from an adjacent hole while Pantsalot looks for him. Bugs hits Pantsalot on the head again, angering Pantsalot, who smashes what he thinks is Bugs in armor. He finds Bugs hiding in his armor as Bugs evades yet another bat to the head (making Pantsalot strike his own head). Bugs applies a pin to Pantsalot 's posterior, causing him to jump and smash into an arch before smashing back into his armor. Bugs unscrews the helmet and remarks "Look at the new Dick Tracy character, Accordion Head!". Bugs is then chased into a manhole, and before Pantsalot can dive in, Bugs puts the lid on, causing yet another head blow to Pantsalot.

Bugs, thinking he has won, prepares to leave ("I guess I'd better go phone Lady Windermere not to expect her spouse home for dinner"), but the knights, lead by Pantsalot, reappear in formation to joust together against Bugs. Bugs calls timeout and builds a glass and cast-iron steam case resembling a tank and a bomber in a nearby blacksmith shop to house himself, his pony, and lance. After emerging, Bugs and the knights charge to each other and end up (off-screen) crashing into each other, rattling the crowd.

The cartoon ends with Bugs as "The Smiling Rabbit", selling all of the armor and disposing of another carrot in what was Pantsalot's suit ("Ehh, So it shouldn't be a total loss.").

Censorship

• The ABC version of this cartoon cuts the scene where Bugs hits the Black Knight on the head with a mallet after unscrewing his helmet.

External links

• Knights Must Fall at the Internet Movie Database