Porky's Hare Hunt

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

While not one of my favourite cartoons of all time and never will be, 'Porky's Hare Hunt' is nonetheless very well made and very entertaining. It is interesting to see a proto-version of Bugs Bunny before Bugs Bunny became famous and Porky Pig paired with a character that wasn't primarily Daffy Duck. There's not much wrong actually in 'Porky's Hare Hunt', it is very slight on story and there's not much original in it.

Porky is a lot of fun and very likable in a type of role that suits him, but he makes more of an impression as a supporting character later on, he sometimes was a little bland in early lead roles. Having said that, there is so much to recommend.

However, the animation is very good. It's beautifully drawn, very detailed and it's done in a crisp black and white, complete with some great expressions for particularly the rabbit.

Carl Stalling's music score is typically lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms, it's also beautifully synchronised with the action and gestures/expressions and even enhances the impact. All of those things Stalling was an unparalleled master at in animation, or at least in my view.

The rabbit is no Bugs, not as interesting in personality, but the character drives the action to fun effect. There are a lot of very funny and cute moments. Zero is the same. Timing is lively. Mel Blanc's versatility as ever shines impeccably.

Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The little white nameless rabbit with the bulbous black nose is considered by many as the very first version of what would later become Bugs Bunny. An early Porky goes rabbit hunting with his dog and is outwitted again and again by this "granddaddy" of Bugsy!!!

In June 2001, Cartoon Network ran an almost entire filmography of Mr. Bunny, beginning with Porky's Hare Hunt. The second cartoon in this "filmography" featured this same pinkish-white bunny with a big black nose in a haunted house with 2 dogs.

As the weekend marathon, known as "June Bugs" progressed from this 1938 cartoon to the very latest of Bugs' works, we saw the little pinkish white rabbit who was kind of daffy and hyper metamorphose into the wise cracking, brazen hare of Tex Avery and Robert Clampett fame, and then into an older, kinder, more mature Bugs that Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, and Robert McKimson preferred. As a lifelong fan of Bugs and the Looney Tunes, I could not ignore the need for this little cartoon to be mentioned.

Some people disagree on whether this episode is Bugs Bunny's first appearance. The rabbit/ hare here is incredibly different from the Bugs we know today. However, I like to think that this is Bugs Bunny and in ways I prefer him to the later Bugs. I just slightly prefer what he looks like in this to his nowadays state (and his size). Bugs Bunny's original name was Happy Rabbit, which I think suits him here.

I like this episode because of the personality of the old Bugs Bunny, the gags (which are a little like Disney gags) and Zero (Porky's dog) is sweet. It may have little plot, but this is hardly a flaw. Indeed, it could have been better with a plot, but it was not necessary.

What happens, is that (like in Porky's Duck Hunt) Porky is hunting, but this time for rabbits. With his dog Zero Porky Pig tries to catch the wild and Houdini-like Bugs Bunny, but is not seeming to be managing...

Recommended for people who enjoy old Looney Tunes and who would like to see the most charming Bugs Bunny ever! Enjoy "Porky's Hare Hunt"! :-)

And thus is born the earliest version of Bugs Bunny (informally called Happy Rabbit). Though anonymous in "Porky's Hare Hunt" and hardly resembling the rascal famous today, the screwball rabbit is one of the funniest characters whom I've ever seen. Sporting a Woody Woodpecker voice, he does pretty much the same sorts of things that the early Daffy Duck did in "Porky's Duck Hunt".

So at the very least, this cartoon should be required viewing for animation historians. The hooligan hare utters Groucho Marx's "Of course you realize this means war!" for the first time. It would still be two years before audiences would hear "What's up, doc?" spoken by the rabbit's more familiar form, but there's a sense that this bunny has some really cool tricks up his sleeve. You gotta love it.

All in all, definitely a cartoon milestone. Available on YouTube.

This black & white cartoon short looks in many ways like a 1940s cartoon with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. However, this short stars Happy Bunny (an early Bugs-like rabbit) and Porky. During the course of the cartoon, the annoying rabbit pretty much does what Bugs does to Elmer...prevents the hunter from catching anything while bothering him constantly.

I am glad Happy evolved into Bugs, as Happy is more annoying with his Woody Woodpecker-style laugh. Otherwise, despite looking very different, Hoppy is like Bugs on crack and the cartoon is fun to watch. Not nearly as good as the later Bugs/Elmer cartoons but for a Looney Tunes release from 1938, it's awfully good....with plenty of zaniness and nice animation.