Directed by Bob McKimson, "Hillbilly Hare" is a lively and funny Bugs Bunny cartoon involving square dancing, which was quite a favorite pastime among the staff at the Warner Bros. cartoon department. Director Chuck Jones was probably the most notorious square dancer of them all! (Don't read the next few paragraphs if you haven't seen this cartoon.)
The funniest highlight of "Hillbilly Hare" involves the climactic (and hectic) square dance sequence in which Bugs, disguised as a slinky female, entices two hillbilly brothers to actively participate. (As usual, Bugs minds his own business until someone comes along and tries to give him a hard time. In this case, these two "persistenant little cusses" try to shoot him.) After briefly dancing in drag with the two brothers, Bugs very quickly changes his disguise and becomes the square dance caller, with a violin to boot. Taking full advantage of his new role, Bugs has the brothers literally bending over backwards in order to adhere to his calls. Before the final iris-out, these two hillbillies promenade out of the dance hall, pull each other's beards, splash into the brook, wallow into a pigpen, bash each other with fence posts, get themselves baled into squares of hay, run like crazy, and finally fall off a cliff.
Other highlights involve a couple of other tricks that Bugs pulls on these two men before the square dance. As one of the brothers aims a rifle at Bugs, Bugs switches the position of the gunstock so that the gentleman actually blasts himself instead! And Bugs allows the two men to chase him into a powder shack, where it is completely dark inside; Bugs offers them his lighter as he quietly slips out!
All you avid square dancers out there will love "Hillbilly Hare." Lesson learned: if you pick on Bugs Bunny and afterwards follow his square dance calls, you will be in big trouble!
The funniest highlight of "Hillbilly Hare" involves the climactic (and hectic) square dance sequence in which Bugs, disguised as a slinky female, entices two hillbilly brothers to actively participate. (As usual, Bugs minds his own business until someone comes along and tries to give him a hard time. In this case, these two "persistenant little cusses" try to shoot him.) After briefly dancing in drag with the two brothers, Bugs very quickly changes his disguise and becomes the square dance caller, with a violin to boot. Taking full advantage of his new role, Bugs has the brothers literally bending over backwards in order to adhere to his calls. Before the final iris-out, these two hillbillies promenade out of the dance hall, pull each other's beards, splash into the brook, wallow into a pigpen, bash each other with fence posts, get themselves baled into squares of hay, run like crazy, and finally fall off a cliff.
Other highlights involve a couple of other tricks that Bugs pulls on these two men before the square dance. As one of the brothers aims a rifle at Bugs, Bugs switches the position of the gunstock so that the gentleman actually blasts himself instead! And Bugs allows the two men to chase him into a powder shack, where it is completely dark inside; Bugs offers them his lighter as he quietly slips out!
All you avid square dancers out there will love "Hillbilly Hare." Lesson learned: if you pick on Bugs Bunny and afterwards follow his square dance calls, you will be in big trouble!