Elmer's Candid Camera (1940)

Director:

Chuck Jones

Writer:

Rich Hogan (story)
(more)

Release Date:

2 March 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation | Short | Comedy

Plot:

Elmer takes up wildlife photography, but finds his subject, a rabbit similar to the later Bugs Bunny character, much too wild.

Plot Keywords:

Rabbit | Photography | Wild Life | Apple Tree | Breaking The Fourth Wall

Cast

Mel Blanc	...	Rabbit (voice) (uncredited)
Arthur Q. Bryan	...	Elmer Fudd (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Chuck Jones		(as Charles Jones)

Writing credits
Rich Hogan		(story)
Tedd Pierce		uncredited

Produced by
Leon Schlesinger	....	producer
Henry Binder	....	assistant producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Carl W. Stalling		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Treg Brown		(uncredited)

Sound Department
Treg Brown	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Animation Department
Robert McKimson	....	animator (as Bob McKimson)
Ken Harris	....	animator (uncredited)
Paul Julian	....	background artist (uncredited)
John McGrew	....	layout artist (uncredited)
Charles Thorson	....	character designer (uncredited)

Music Department
Carl W. Stalling	....	musical director
Milt Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (as Warner Bros.)
• Vitaphone Corporation, The (copyright owners) (as The Vitaphone Corp.)
• Leon Schlesinger Studios (uncredited)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

8 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5513) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) | UK:U

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Elmer Fudd's first appearance.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Elmer Fudd:[reading a book called "How to Photograph Wildlife"] "Then all you do is click the shutter, and presto! You have a fine picture of wildlife, suitable for framing." Golly, that sounds simple enough.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.95" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Sticks and Stones

Some good things but Elmer's done better

I am a great fan of Looney Tunes, so I was all for seeing Elmer's Candid Camera. It is one of Elmer Fudd's first cartoons, but sadly it is not one of his best. It is not completely terrible, the animation is very beautifully coloured and detailed and the music is wonderfully orchestrated and lively in tempo which helps to give Elmer's Candid Camera some energy. Mel Blanc and Arthur Q Bryan are great, though they is even better in later cartoons, and Elmer is still rather likable. However, the rabbit character that looks like Bugs but doesn't act like Bugs is not very likable, he lacks verve and he is too sadistic at times as well. The humour also feels flabby rather than funny, the dialogue is not as fresh or as witty and the gags not as clever or imaginative. The story was a good idea but drags badly in the middle that the cartoon lacks momentum. There was the sense that everything was trying to find its feet. Overall, could have been much more, it's not a complete disgrace but it is towards the "my least favourite" end of the Looney Tunes spectrum. 5/10 Bethany Cox