Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (1944)

Bugs fights stereotyped Japanese during World War II.

Director:

Friz Freleng

Writer:

Tedd Pierce (story)

Stars:

Mel Blanc

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mel Blanc	...	Bugs Bunny / Japanese soldiers / Sumo wrestler (voice)

Storyline

Bugs lands on a Japanese-held island. He tries to outsmart one Japanese soldier by dressing as Emperor Hirohito, but the soldier isn't fooled. He recognizes Bugs from his Warner Brothers films produced by Leon Schlesinger. Bugs has trouble with a tough sumo wrestler but is able to outwit him by dressing as a geisha. Bugs finally rids the island of Japanese by driving up in his ice cream truck (which plays music from The Magic Flute!) and selling each one an ice cream with a secret grenade surprise.

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Plot Keywords:

japanese | sumo wrestler | geisha | ice cream truck | racist remark | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1944 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

8 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to pressure from Warner Bros., this cartoon was one of 11 pulled from rotation by the Cartoon Network for its 2001 "June Bugs" marathon, which was to show the complete chronology of Bugs Bunny cartoons. This is in addition to the "Censored 11" that have been withheld from distribution since 1968. This was most likely because the stereotypical portrayal of Japanese people.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bugs Bunny: [singing] Someone's rocking my dreamboat...

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Connections

Featured in The Cinema Snob: The Devil with Hitler (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Die Walküre"
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Wagner

User Reviews

It should be seen as a document of its time

We are in a time now in which it is socially correct to "sweep under the rug" any material which may be uncomfortable. "Bugs Bunny Nips The Nips" certainly fits this bill. The stereotypes of Imperial Japanese soldiers are vicious, with depictions of Japanese as coke-bottle-glasses-wearing "Mr. Motos." It goes without saying that in this day and age this treatment is by no means pleasant, proper, called for, or tolerable from anyone calling themselves a thinking person. That having been said, We shouldn't discard this document as casually as we would anti-foreigner canards from the far right today. "Bugs Bunny..." was produced during the Second World War, at a time in which the United States was battling against Japan. It should be shown in classes to foster discussion on the origins and dissemination of racial stereotypes during a time of war.