What's Cookin' Doc? (1944)

When James Cagney wins the Oscar Bugs shows a clip from "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" (1941) and demands a recount of the voting.

Director:

Robert Clampett

Writer:

Michael Sasanoff (story)

Stars:

Mel Blanc, Robert C. Bruce

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Mel Blanc	...	Bugs Bunny / Emcee / Hiawatha / Audience Member / Hollywood Wolf (voice) (uncredited)
Robert C. Bruce	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Storyline

Hollywood; Oscar night. After a live-action introduction establishing these points, Bugs Bunny says hi and begins blatantly lobbying for the Oscar that goes instead to James Cagney. Miffed, Bugs shows the audience a clip from Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt, and the crowd gives it to him but not the Oscar.

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Plot Keywords:

hollywood | question in title | academy awards ceremony | oscar statuette | merrie melodies | 

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Short | Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 January 1944 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

9 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Bugs tosses the reels of his best scenes to the projectionist, he calls out "Okay, Smokey. Roll 'em." This is most likely a reference to Henry "Smokey" Garner, the cameraman and projectionist for the Leon Schlesinger studio.

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Connections

Featured in Behind the Tunes: Looney Tunes Go Hollywood (2004)

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Soundtracks

"They're Either Too Young or Too Old"
(uncredited)
Music by Arthur Schwartz
Played briefly when the Oscar is given to James Cagney

User Reviews

I've seen other things just as racist as this and they are not banned.

This is a very good Bugs Bunny episode which is banned because it has some racial references to Native Americans. I have seen this in other things which have not been banned, so I personally think it was rather silly to ban this. And anyway, in those days, people did not realise it was racist, they thought it was all right, but now we realize that shorts like this (which include a great deal of others which are way more racist) can insult other cultures. Personally I am very much agaisnt rascism, but I can watch it in an old cartoon.

Aside from all this chatter, "What's Cookin' Doc" is a clever, hilarious and well-animated episode. It also includes some old live-action clips of Hollywood (because of this I recommend this short to people who are interested in history). A voice announces the viewers to enter the place where Oscars will be awarded. We go in and the scene turns to cartoon. Bugs Bunny waits excitedly behind a curtain, absolutely certain that he will win the Oscar. When it is awarded to James Cagney, Bugs Bunny is shocked and insulted. He immediately shows the watching crowd something he has starred in, which is a short short film about him and Hiawatha (the racist part). What I find very interesting is that the rabbit we meet first has more modern animation, the type in Robert Clampett Bugs Bunny shorts and in the short film with Hiawatha, Bugs Bunny is done in his older animation. Personally I prefer the first style of animation to Bugs. Will Bugs win the Oscar..?

I recommend this to anyone who does not mind rascism (at all) in a cartoon and people who love Bugs Bunny. Enjoy "What's Cookin' Doc?"! :-)