His Hare-Raising Tale
Encyclopedia
His Hare-Raising Tale is a 1951 Warner Bros.
Merrie Melodies
short, directed by Friz Freleng
and written by Warren Foster
. This cartoon consists primarily of clips from five previous cartoons: Baseball Bugs
(1946); Stage Door Cartoon
(1944); Rabbit Punch
(1948); Falling Hare
(1943); and Haredevil Hare
(1948).
All five cartoons excerpted would end up under the ownership of Associated Artists Productions
(a.a.p.) in 1956, whereas His Hare-Raising Tale itself would not. In fact, Falling Hare is one of several a.a.p.-owned cartoons to fall into the public domain
, but thanks to its appearance in this cartoon, part of Falling Hare, to a certain degree, remains under copyright today.
sitting on a couch looking at a scrap book depicting various photographs and newspaper clippings of Bugs. In this episode the nephew is unnamed. However, the plot was later recycled in the 1954 cartoon Yankee Doodle Bugs
, where Bugs is again with his nephew, who is named Clyde, and attempts to help Clyde learn history.
The plot features Bugs telling his nephew of various accomplishments and achievements as illustrated through a series of flashbacks.
Segment one has the nephew asking if Uncle Bugs was a baseball
pitcher
and Bugs replying that he was "the best". This segment uses clips from Baseball Bugs
where Bugs is a relief pitcher in the World Series
and promptly strikes out three opposition batters. Bugs is then batting where he hits a "screaming liner" into left field with an opponent yelling "I got it, I got it", catching the ball and then getting buried under a grave with a headstone caption that reads "He got it". Bugs then is pitching in the last inning when the other team's "heavy hitter" is up and knocks the ball out of the stadium. Bugs does not reveal the conclusion of the hit but when his nephew asks what happened, Bugs replies that he went into Vaudeville
.
Segment two uses a clip from Stage Door Cartoon
where Bugs tricks Elmer Fudd
into a stage act that involves Elmer climbing up a tall ladder in order to dive into a tank of water, which Bugs then replaces with a glass of water. As Bugs announces the act from the stage Elmer accidentally falls from the high platform into the glass. Bugs' nephew then asks what happened with the act and Bugs says he broke it up because "my partner demanded equal billing" and then adds that "there was more money in boxing anyway".
Segment three has Bugs telling his nephew that he fought "The Champ" at "Madison Round Garden". Two clips from Rabbit Punch
are used. The first shows the fight in Round 73 where Bugs gets the champ to hold a sling shot while Bugs stretches it out a puts a large boulder in it. Bugs then releases the boulder and it hits the Champ, knocking him out. The second part shows Round 98 where Bugs fires himself like an arrow at the Champ and the Champ fires himself out of a cannon at Bugs, which results in both knocking into each other head first. The card for Round 110 is briefly shown but Bugs says the fight ended because "along came the war".
In segment four, a brief clip from Falling Hare
is shown as Bugs explains that he was a test pilot assigned to a supersonic
aircraft (an anachronism since it wasn't until 1947 that genuinely supersonic aircraft were developed). He further explains that while flying the aircraft something went wrong and it heads toward the ground, nose first, then stops a few inches from impact because the plane "ran out of gas".
In the last segment, Bugs' nephew looks at him with admiration and says "Gosh, Uncle Bugs, you've been everyplace, I guess...except the moon
", when Bugs replies that he's been there too, and points to newspaper clipping in the scrapbook. Then a clip from Haredevil Hare
is shown where Bugs blasts off toward the moon in a rocket that was packed with carrots as supplies. His rocket is shown making a crash landing, and Bugs then communicates via walkie-talkie
to say that he is on the moon. A transmission comes back to ask if Bugs has prepared a statement for the press, to which Bugs, shown hanging on the bottom of a crescent shaped moon, replies "Yes, I have prepared a statement....Get me out of here!!". Bugs then begins to explain that he was lucky that he had plenty of carrots, because it took scientists 22 years to build a ladder to reach him.
After the moon story Bugs' nephew looks at him with doubt, prompty Bugs to reply: "Don't you believe me? Why if every word I've said isn't true, I hope I'm run over by a streetcar!", and suddenly a streetcar appears in the room and runs over Bugs. He then looks at his alarmed nephew and says: "I suppose you don't believe I was run over by a streetcar!"
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
short, directed by Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
and written by Warren Foster
Warren Foster
Warren Foster , was a writer, cartoonist and composer for the animation division of Warner Brothers and later with Hanna-Barbera....
. This cartoon consists primarily of clips from five previous cartoons: Baseball Bugs
Baseball Bugs
Baseball Bugs is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released on February 2, 1946 starring Bugs Bunny. It had a similar theme to MGM's 1944 Batty Baseball, which was directed by former WB cartoon director Tex Avery.-Overview:...
(1946); Stage Door Cartoon
Stage Door Cartoon
Stage Door Cartoon is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Friz Freleng and featuring Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and a predecessor to Yosemite Sam...
(1944); Rabbit Punch
Rabbit Punch
- Plot :The World's Championship Fight is about to begin in a gigantic boxing stadium near Bugs Bunny's hole. Tonight's fight features the battle between the Champ, "Battling McGook" , and his challenger "Dyspectic McPlaster". During the fight, Crusher does not even give his challenger a sporting...
(1948); Falling Hare
Falling Hare
Falling Hare is a 1943 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert Clampett, starring Bugs Bunny. The title is another play on words. The word "hair" and "hare". As "falling hair" refers to impending baldness, while in this cartoon's climax, the title turns out to be descriptive of Bugs' situation....
(1943); and Haredevil Hare
Haredevil Hare
Haredevil Hare is a 1948 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. It stars Bugs Bunny and it is the debut for Marvin the Martian — although he is unnamed in this film — along with his Martian dog, K-9. All the voices are done by Mel Blanc...
(1948).
All five cartoons excerpted would end up under the ownership of Associated Artists Productions
Associated Artists Productions
Associated Artists Productions was a distributor of theatrical feature films and short subjects for television. It existed from 1953 to 1958. It was later folded into United Artists. The former a.a.p. library was later owned by MGM/UA Entertainment and then Turner Entertainment. Turner continues...
(a.a.p.) in 1956, whereas His Hare-Raising Tale itself would not. In fact, Falling Hare is one of several a.a.p.-owned cartoons to fall into the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, but thanks to its appearance in this cartoon, part of Falling Hare, to a certain degree, remains under copyright today.
Plot
The cartoon opens with Bugs Bunny and his nephewClyde Rabbit
Clyde Rabbit is a Looney Tunes character who appeared in two shorts. He is the nephew of Bugs Bunny.- Appearances :Clyde Rabbit made his first appearance in His Hare-Raising Tale. Clyde visits his Uncle Bugs and Bugs narrates about playing baseball , going to the moon , and being in the military....
sitting on a couch looking at a scrap book depicting various photographs and newspaper clippings of Bugs. In this episode the nephew is unnamed. However, the plot was later recycled in the 1954 cartoon Yankee Doodle Bugs
Yankee Doodle Bugs
Yankee Doodle Bugs is a Looney Tunes cartoon short, released in 1954, which was written by Warren Foster and directed by Friz Freleng. Bugs Bunny's nephew, Clyde, has trouble remembering important dates and events in history in preparation for an exam, so Bugs offers to help.-Story:Clyde is lying...
, where Bugs is again with his nephew, who is named Clyde, and attempts to help Clyde learn history.
The plot features Bugs telling his nephew of various accomplishments and achievements as illustrated through a series of flashbacks.
Segment one has the nephew asking if Uncle Bugs was a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and Bugs replying that he was "the best". This segment uses clips from Baseball Bugs
Baseball Bugs
Baseball Bugs is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released on February 2, 1946 starring Bugs Bunny. It had a similar theme to MGM's 1944 Batty Baseball, which was directed by former WB cartoon director Tex Avery.-Overview:...
where Bugs is a relief pitcher in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
and promptly strikes out three opposition batters. Bugs is then batting where he hits a "screaming liner" into left field with an opponent yelling "I got it, I got it", catching the ball and then getting buried under a grave with a headstone caption that reads "He got it". Bugs then is pitching in the last inning when the other team's "heavy hitter" is up and knocks the ball out of the stadium. Bugs does not reveal the conclusion of the hit but when his nephew asks what happened, Bugs replies that he went into Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
.
Segment two uses a clip from Stage Door Cartoon
Stage Door Cartoon
Stage Door Cartoon is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Friz Freleng and featuring Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and a predecessor to Yosemite Sam...
where Bugs tricks Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
into a stage act that involves Elmer climbing up a tall ladder in order to dive into a tank of water, which Bugs then replaces with a glass of water. As Bugs announces the act from the stage Elmer accidentally falls from the high platform into the glass. Bugs' nephew then asks what happened with the act and Bugs says he broke it up because "my partner demanded equal billing" and then adds that "there was more money in boxing anyway".
Segment three has Bugs telling his nephew that he fought "The Champ" at "Madison Round Garden". Two clips from Rabbit Punch
Rabbit Punch
- Plot :The World's Championship Fight is about to begin in a gigantic boxing stadium near Bugs Bunny's hole. Tonight's fight features the battle between the Champ, "Battling McGook" , and his challenger "Dyspectic McPlaster". During the fight, Crusher does not even give his challenger a sporting...
are used. The first shows the fight in Round 73 where Bugs gets the champ to hold a sling shot while Bugs stretches it out a puts a large boulder in it. Bugs then releases the boulder and it hits the Champ, knocking him out. The second part shows Round 98 where Bugs fires himself like an arrow at the Champ and the Champ fires himself out of a cannon at Bugs, which results in both knocking into each other head first. The card for Round 110 is briefly shown but Bugs says the fight ended because "along came the war".
In segment four, a brief clip from Falling Hare
Falling Hare
Falling Hare is a 1943 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert Clampett, starring Bugs Bunny. The title is another play on words. The word "hair" and "hare". As "falling hair" refers to impending baldness, while in this cartoon's climax, the title turns out to be descriptive of Bugs' situation....
is shown as Bugs explains that he was a test pilot assigned to a supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
aircraft (an anachronism since it wasn't until 1947 that genuinely supersonic aircraft were developed). He further explains that while flying the aircraft something went wrong and it heads toward the ground, nose first, then stops a few inches from impact because the plane "ran out of gas".
In the last segment, Bugs' nephew looks at him with admiration and says "Gosh, Uncle Bugs, you've been everyplace, I guess...except the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
", when Bugs replies that he's been there too, and points to newspaper clipping in the scrapbook. Then a clip from Haredevil Hare
Haredevil Hare
Haredevil Hare is a 1948 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. It stars Bugs Bunny and it is the debut for Marvin the Martian — although he is unnamed in this film — along with his Martian dog, K-9. All the voices are done by Mel Blanc...
is shown where Bugs blasts off toward the moon in a rocket that was packed with carrots as supplies. His rocket is shown making a crash landing, and Bugs then communicates via walkie-talkie
Walkie-talkie
A walkie-talkie is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald L. Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, and engineering teams at Motorola...
to say that he is on the moon. A transmission comes back to ask if Bugs has prepared a statement for the press, to which Bugs, shown hanging on the bottom of a crescent shaped moon, replies "Yes, I have prepared a statement....Get me out of here!!". Bugs then begins to explain that he was lucky that he had plenty of carrots, because it took scientists 22 years to build a ladder to reach him.
After the moon story Bugs' nephew looks at him with doubt, prompty Bugs to reply: "Don't you believe me? Why if every word I've said isn't true, I hope I'm run over by a streetcar!", and suddenly a streetcar appears in the room and runs over Bugs. He then looks at his alarmed nephew and says: "I suppose you don't believe I was run over by a streetcar!"
Censorship
- On the ABC version of this cartoon, the entire clip from "Rabbit Punch" where Bugs gets the Crusher to hold a giant slingshot and propels a giant boulder at the Crusher's face was cut.