Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare
| Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies/Bugs Bunny/Taz series | |
 | |
| Directed by | Robert McKimson |
| Produced by | David H. DePatie (uncredited) |
| Story by | John Dunn |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Bill Lava |
| Animation by |
Ted Bonnicksen Warren Batchelder George Grandpré |
| Layouts by | Robert Gribbroek |
| Backgrounds by | Robert Gribbroek |
| Studio | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 28, 1964 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 7:00 |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Dumb Patrol |
| Followed by | The Iceman Ducketh |
Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare is a Warner Bros., Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon short released on March 28, 1964, starring Bugs Bunny and the Tasmanian Devil. It was directed by Robert McKimson. It was produced by David H. DePatie. The cartoon was animated by Ted Bonnicksen, Warren Batchelder, and George Grandpré. The cartoon was written by John Dunn. This was the final Bugs Bunny cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series.
Plot
The Tasmanian Devil approaches the Jungle. A woodpecker sees the Tasmanian Devil approaching and taps a warning on a tree which we see as a subtitle on the bottom on the screen: "Warning! Tasmanian Devil approaching at 9 o'clock!" Two giraffes hear this and end up running. Some beavers use their tails to beat out the message on the log that translates as "Take Cover! Devil is Coming! Take Cover! Repeat - Take Cover!". A bear and a moose fighting hear this and end up running. As a stampede of animals leave the jungle, Bugs is bathing in a nearby pond unaware that Taz has spotted him.
Disliking the taste of Bugs' soap, Taz washes it off and puts ketchup on Bugs. Bugs thinks it is blood and freaks out, telling Taz to find a doctor. Taz runs to an infirmary, only to find Bugs dressed as a doctor instead. After a few checkup procedures, Bugs puts spotted glasses on Taz and asks him if he sees spots on his eyes and Taz says he does. Then Bugs gives him nitroglycerine and puts an electric belly firmer vibrating belt on Taz and Taz explodes.
Then Bugs dressed as Sigmund Freud makes Taz lie on a couch and talk about his childhood. Taz talks about how he was a bad boy. Bugs declares closing time and folds Taz and the couch into a suitcase and puts it in a mailbox, which gets picked up by a mail truck. It comes back by a mail truck covered with stickers from all the countries he's been to. Taz chases Bugs and then end up in a hospital zone. Bugs rolls himself by on a gurney. Inside the hospital. Bugs is a nurse and congratulates Taz and gives Taz a bundle presumably a baby boy. Taz gives Bugs a cigar and unwraps the baby which is actually a bomb. As Bugs walks away, the cigar that Taz gave him turns out to be an exploding cigar.
As Taz spins in, Bugs dressed as a surgeon calls Taz as his assistant. Bugs leaves the room and Taz looks at the patient. It ends up being a robotic Frankenstein's monster which then grabs Taz and beats up Taz offstage. Then in a backfiring moment, the robot heads for Bugs as the monster goes out of control. It ends with Bugs being beaten up by the monster, also off stage, and both the dazed Bugs and Taz staggering back onscreen, bruised and bandaged. Bugs then asks if there is a doctor in the house.
Edited versions
- On CBS, the part where Bugs feeds Taz nitroglycerin and straps him to an exercise belt was cut to remove the close-up shot of the bottle of nitroglycerin and Bugs spoon-feeding it to Taz, but keeps in Bugs' line about "a wonder drug that will make you as good as new" and Bugs strapping Taz to the exercise machine, making it look as if the exercise belt exploded because it was faulty. Also cut was Bugs as a maternity nurse giving Taz a bomb wrapped in baby blankets and Taz giving "Nurse" Bugs an exploding cigar.
- On ABC, the nitroglycerin/exercise belt part wasn't edited, but the baby bomb/exploding cigar part was cut.
Availability
"Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare" is available, uncensored and uncut, on the Bugs Bunny: Hare Extraordinare DVD. However, it was cropped to widescreen. It is also being shown uncensored, fully screened and uncut, on the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 Blu-ray box-set. And it soon be available on the DVD version of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection.
External links
| Preceded by Dumb Patrol |
Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1964 |
Succeeded by The Iceman Ducketh |