Bully for Bugs (1953)

Director:

Chuck Jones

Writer:

Michael Maltese (story)

Release Date:

8 August 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation | Comedy | Short

Plot:

Bugs Bunny takes a wrong turn at Albuquerque and winds up in a Mexican bullring fighting one heck of a big bullying bull.

Plot Keywords:

Bull | Bugs Bunny | Bullring | This Means War | Slingshot

Cast

Mel Blanc

...

Bugs Bunny / Bull Gulping (voice)

Directed by
Chuck Jones		(as Charles M. Jones)

Writing credits
Michael Maltese		(story)

Produced by
Edward Selzer	....	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
Philip DeGuard	....	background artist
Ken Harris	....	animator
Maurice Noble	....	layout artist
Lloyd Vaughan	....	animator
Ben Washam	....	animator

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

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

7 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #15579) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) | UK:U

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The sounds of the crowd were recorded from a genuine bull-fighting crowd in Barcelona.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bugs Bunny: Well, here I am. Hey, just a cotton-picking minute. This don't look like the Coachella Valley to me.
[picks up map]
Bugs Bunny: Hmm, I knew I should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque. Oh well, I'll just ask this gent in the fancy knickerbockers. Eh, I beg your par...
[the matador runs right past Bugs; Bugs chases him]
Bugs Bunny: Eh, pardon me, sir, but could you direct me to the shortest route to the Coachella Valley and the big carrot festival therein?
[the matador climbs the fence]
Bugs Bunny: Eh, what's up, Doc?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary (1986) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Las Chiapanecas

Bugs Bunny makes his own "Blood and Sand" with TNT and axle grease for a delightful picture that the boss never wanted made.

Bugs Bunny finds fun and hi-jinks at the big Carrot Festival in the Coachella Valley—or he would have had he not taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Instead, he ends up in a Mexican bullring during what can only be described as a bull-flight: the matador is a coward and the bull is one mean machine. Bugs is less impressed, but when he slaps the bull's face for steaming up his tail, the bull butts him out of the ring. "Of course you realize this means war." It will be a war of wits fought with such tools as an anvil; a slingshot; a rifle, elephant bullets; axle grease; and a crude Rube Goldberg device that employs TNT. Think the bull's brawn is a match for Bugs's brain? "What an ultra maroon!"

Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese made a bullfighting picture because their boss told them never to make bullfighting pictures; and we end up with this funny, memorable short that gives Bugs one heck of an intimidating opponent. This huge black bull is scary; and he seems to be forever posing for a toro edition of Muscle Magazine. Bugs has more nerve than I do. Give me Elmer Fudd as an adversary any day.

This short is available on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume One," Disc 1.