The Old Grey Hare (1944)

Elmer Fudd is taken far into the future (past 1990) and Bugs thinks back to when they first met as little babies.

Director:

Robert Clampett

Writer:

Michael Sasanoff (story)

Stars:

Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mel Blanc	...	Bugs Bunny / God (voice)

Storyline

Elmer is in tears over his inability to catch a rabbit. A heavenly voice intervenes however and gives him a glimpse into the future, the year 2000 to be precise. Now old, he's armed with a ray gun, the Buck Rogers Lightning quick rabbit killer. Bugs has also moved on in years but he's still a few steps ahead of his old nemesis. He evokes old memories and once again Elmer let's his prey get the upper hand.

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Plot Keywords:

baby | year 2000 | year 1944 | rabbit | anthropomorphic animal | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Musical Director Carl W. Stalling's name appears in a newspaper article Elmer Fudd reads at the beginning of this cartoon. The headline reads, "Smellevision Replaces Television" followed by the byline, "Carl Stalling sez, 'It Will Never Work!'"

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Goofs

As Bugs digs "his" grave, he shovels the dirt to his left, but in the next shot, as he buries Elmer he shovels from the right.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elmer J. Fudd: [crying] I twied and I twied, but I just simpwy can't seem to catch that old wabbit!
God: If at first you don't succeed, Elmer, try, try again.
Elmer J. Fudd: Twy, twy again? Yeah, but how wong will it take?
God: Come, Elmer. Let us look far into the future.
Elmer J. Fudd: Will I eventually catch the wabbit?
God: Come, Elmer. Come past the years 1950, 1960, past 1970, '80, '90... When you hear the sound of the gong, it will be exactly 2000 A.D.

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Crazy Credits

After Bugs hands Elmer the lit stick of dynamite, the cartoon ends, but you can still hear the fuse burning. As the dynamite explodes, the "That's All Folks!" card shakes wildly.

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Alternate Versions

The new Standard dubbed ending title card on Cartoon Network has replaced the original one which shook in reaction to a dynamite blast incurred by Elmer Fudd. But the explosion sound can still be heard on the audio track portion.

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Connections

Edited into Bugs Bunny Superstar (1975)

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Soundtracks

Memories
(uncredited)
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne
Lyrics by Gus Kahn

User Reviews

When Clampett was good, he was vewy vewy good.

I have gone on record as not being the biggest fan of Robert Clampett. He repeats a lot of corny gags that didn't really bear repeating, some of his animation had the tendency to become too rubbery, but what I most objected to was actually not a failing of his own, but a sort of tribute, as dozens of animators that followed trying to emulate him most often accentuated his bad traits at the expense of his genius. Ah, that's the rub! How can you copy genius?

This cartoon was one of those masterpieces Clampett created while he was at Warner Bros. We've all seen a hundred cartoons (my exaggerate - he he) where they show characters in infancy to old age, but never has anyone captured the brilliance of this one. As Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd go to the year 2000, the chase is on with a space age type rifle, and when we see them as infants, the chase was on even then with a popgun.

Like I said, I'm not a huge fan of Clampett's, but all animation lovers have to be indebted to those works he directed at WB that even today (especially today) are high water marks for anyone in this medium.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 October 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bugs Bunny Specials #6 (1943-1944 Season): The Old Grey Hare

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leon Schlesinger Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

8 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1