To Hare Is Human

To Hare is Human
Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny) series
Title card
Directed by	Chuck Jones
Produced by	Edward Selzer
Story by	Michael Maltese
Voices by	Mel Blanc
Music by	Milt Franklyn
Animation by	Abe Levitow Richard Thompson Ken Harris Ben Washam
Layouts by	Maurice Noble
Backgrounds by	Philip DeGuard
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s)	December 15, 1956
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	6:59
Language	English

"To Hare is Human" is a 1956 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. It stars Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote. The title is a play on the expression, "To err is human; to forgive, divine." This was also the final cartoon to be made at "Termite Terrace" before the studio moved to the Burbank lot.

Plot

The cartoon starts with Wile E. Coyote carrying a portable elevator to Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole. After Wile E. reaches the hole, he assembles the elevator, enters it, and descends. When he reappears again, he carries a sack containing Bugs, shown afterwards by punching two holes on it - one hole to bring out his arm, and the other one to bring out his ears. Bugs pulls on his ears to bring out his head, and starts munching on his carrot while asking Wile E., "Ehhh... what's humpin' back, doc?". Wile E. responds by putting the sack down, shows Bugs an identification card that says: "Wile E. Coyote, Genius, Have Brain, Will Travel", and sarcastically apologizes to Bugs, calling him a breakfast. Bugs replies, "Have brain, eh? Then it must be very handy in times.". The coyote agrees and gives an example to the rabbit on how handy the brain is. Meanwhile, Bugs lets go of himself from the sack, and, by the time he is free, Wile E. says: "...well by this time, we both know that there is nothing left in the bag." (referring to the sack). Bugs refuses to acknowledge in a polite manner (although sarcastically) that there is nothing left in the bag. He lets the coyote take a look inside a bag, but the inside of the bag explodes on the coyote's face, buying the rabbit some time to escape to his rabbit hole. The coyote follows him though, but Wile E. did not notice that Bugs set up some explosives on the elevator. Another explosion occurs once the coyote presses a button on the elevator, leaving his body all grayed out because of the explosion. He then says: "Poor chap, he had his chance, now he must take the consequences.".

And so, Wile E. resorts to capture Bugs once and for all by using a supercomputer called the "Univac".

ATTEMPT 1: Wile E. spies on Bugs going down his rabbit hole that is secured with a rotating combination lock. The coyote then presses three buttons on the UNIVAC in the following order: Rabbit -> Hole -> Combination Lock, and pulls on a lever. The computer then spits out a small piece of paper that reveals the code to the combination lock. Thus, at nighttime, he wears a burglar suit and uses a portable window pane for some "stealth". However, the sound that the combination lock makes gives away the coyote's position to Bugs, who is reading a book before going to sleep. Bugs then breaks a glass that says "In case of coyote, break glass" using a mallet. The content of the box with the broken glass cover is revealed to be a banana peeling, and Bugs throws the peeling just before the ladder. Wile E. successfully breaks the lock's code and he descends down the ladder, but the banana peeling slips him away into a "coyote disposal" chute.

ATTEMPT 2: On the next day, Bugs is preparing his breakfast using a juice extractor and a toaster, and this movement is once again spied by Wile E. The coyote uses the UNIVAC once again resorts to the UNIVAC for a solution in order to catch the rabbit. He describes the scenario to the computer by pressing three buttons in the following order: Breakfast -> Toaster -> Carrots. The computer spits out a paper, saying that the coyote may try to substitute hand grenades for the carrots in the toaster. Wile E. promptly does this, although of course, he removes the carrots from the toaster first. Meanwhile, Bugs comes to check out on his supposed toasted carrots, but a malfunctioning spring inside the toaster causes the grenades to be thrown up and blown up beside Wile E., who is caught by surprise. Bugs then comments: "One of these days, I'm gonna have to have that spring fixed."

ATTEMPT 3: "What now?", the coyote asks the computer. The computer replies on a small piece of paper on the next scheme: try to suck up the rabbit using a toilet plunger, but the rabbit anticipates this, and he installs another chute, using another hole to bring this out. This causes a butterfly to be sucked in, followed by the coyote! Wile E., stuck inside the plunger (except his feet), then walks out of the scene in frustration.

ATTEMPT 4: This time, Bugs is cleaning his house using a vacuum cleaner. Wile E. tries another attempt to catch Bugs by slipping a dynamite (TNT stick) into the vacuum cleaner. He slips the stick successfully, and he hides inside a nearby trash can, but there was no explosion. Bugs then surfaces, carrying a bag containing some dust (and the TNT stick!) and throws the contents of the bag into the trash can. The dynamite explodes, warping the can and leaving the coyote dazed. The lid of the trash can, thrown up because of the explosion, falls in a quick manner, knocking the coyote out.

ATTEMPT 5: The coyote's last attempt to catch the rabbit is to set up a booby trap in a carrot patch, because the rabbit is going to harvest some carrots in the patch. Before Bugs surfaces, Wile E. sets up the trap comprising a pulley and a boulder. The trap shall be expected to activate once the carrot that Bugs is pulled out. The rabbit then happily sings while collecting the carrots. The rabbit pulls on the carrot rigged to the trap, but the trap does not activate, which of course, frustrates the coyote. When the rabbit is away, the coyote tries the trap, and it sets off! Wile E. then frantically scurries back to the UNIVAC, asking in desperation, "Rock, falling, what do I do?!". The computer promptly replies on paper: "Go back and take your medicine.". The coyote then returns to the carrot patch, and is crushed by the boulder afterwards.

Epilogue: It is then revealed that the artificial intelligence of the UNIVAC is controlled by Bugs, who then says: "Of course, the real beauty of this machine is that it has only one moving part.".

Availability

• Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc One

External links

• To Hare Is Human at the Internet Movie Database