Rabbit's Kin

Rabbit's Kin
Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny) series
Directed by	Robert McKimson
Produced by	Eddie Selzer
Story by	Tedd Pierce
Voices by	Mel Blanc Stan Freberg (uncredited)
Music by	Carl Stalling
Animation by	Charles McKimson Herman Cohen Rod Scribner Phil DeLara Keith Darling (uncr.)[1]
Layouts by	Robert Givens
Backgrounds by	Richard H. Thomas
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s)	November 15, 1952 (USA)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	6:54
Language	English

Rabbit's Kin is a Merrie Melodies animated short released on November 15, 1952. It was directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce. The cartoon was animated by Charles McKimson, Herman Cohen, Rod Scribner, Phil DeLara and Keith Darling. The music was scored by Carl Stalling while the layouts and backgrounds were done by Robert Givens and Richard H. Thomas, respectively. Mel Blanc performs the voice of Bugs Bunny and Shorty Rabbit,^[2] while Stan Freberg voiced Bugs' new enemy Pete Puma, doing an imitation of the character Frank Fontaine introduced on The Jack Benny Show named John L. C. Silvoney, and later performed on The Jackie Gleason Show as Crazy Guggenheim. The title is a play on "rabbit skin", but is also a literal term in that Bugs is caring for a "kin", here, another rabbit.

Plot

A rabbit named Shorty with a fast high pitched voice is running from Pete Puma, until he stumbles down Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole. Shorty tells Bugs his problem ("My heart pounded, my legs trembled, I was frozen with fear"), and Bugs agrees to help him out. Bugs then proceeds to play various tricks on Pete who is now outside of Bugs' hole feeling around inside for the little rabbit. Bugs leaves a fake rabbit dynamite decoy which Pete grabs and pulls out of the hole, then BOOM! Bugs goes outside and engages in some small talk with Pete who offers him a cigar ("El Explodo"). After Bugs accepts it (and wisely puts it away before Pete can light it), he asks Pete to stay for tea. He pours tea into two cups, holds up the sugar bowl and asks Pete how many lumps he wants, to which Pete replies "Oh, three or four". Bugs repeatedly hits Pete Puma on the head with a wooden mallet, producing five lumps on his head which is "one too many". Bugs flattens the extra lump with a reflex hammer, then shoves the explosive cigar into Pete's mouth, lights it and runs off before the explosion.

Later that day, Pete tries to disguise himself as the little rabbit's mother, prompting Bugs to start the "cup of tea" shtick again. Here, Pete tries to outsmart Bugs twice but fails both times, first by suggesting they have coffee instead of tea (the "lumps" gag is predictably repeated) then by showing Bugs he has protected his head with an "Acme Stovelid" which Bugs removes with his "Acme Stovelid Lifter", revealing more lumps from Pete's cranium.

Shorty enjoys the shenanigans so much that he wants to get involved. As he hops down the road alone, Pete grabs him and runs home to his cave, intending to cook him. Bugs shows up in a costume disguised as Pete's second cousin, Paul Puma. He insists on helping his "cuz" get the fricasseeing off to a good start and asks how many lumps of coal Pete wants for the stove. When Pete decides that he better give him a lotta lumps ("A whoooooooole lotta lumps"), he gets "wise" right away, grabs the mallet from Bugs and insists: "I'll help myself". As Pete repeatedly conks himself over the head with the mallet, Bugs & Shorty leave the cave with Bugs commenting that "he's too smart for them" and imitating Pete's laugh.

Availability

Rabbit's Kin is available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1.

References

External links

• Rabbit's Kin at Internet Movie Database
• Entry at dcbd.com