Easter Yeggs (1947) User Reviews

It's Not Every Day That You See A Holiday Like Easter Given Such A Cynical Portrayal

[MartyD82-1 · 8/10 · 14 April 2006]

Bugs is happily reading when he spots the Easter Rabbit (notice he's deliberately referred to as "Rabbit" rather than "Bunny"), worn out from his many years of egg delivery, crying. Bugs happily offers to deliver the eggs for him only to find out the hard way why delivering Easter Eggs has become such a chore for the Easter Rabbit.

Being a late-1940s holiday-themed Bugs Bunny short, and a Bob McKimson one no less, we can logically expect that the holiday will be anything but "happy" for our favorite gray rabbit. As a matter of fact, this is probably one of Bugs's angriest and most cynical performances yet (again, this can be attributed to the cartoon's aforementioned director, who often portrayed Bugs as a blunt, impatient and almost mean-spirited character). Bugs's interaction with his two main antagonists, namely a redheaded bully and an angry Elmer Fudd, is great; as is his growing frustration with the lazy and selfish Easter Rabbit. What really makes this cartoon stand out, however, is its dialog. Particularly, Elmer Fudd's opening scene/line (which is quoted here for your viewing pleasure). Excellent punchline at the end, too (although just HOW that "bomb" got there is beyond me).

Overall, despite some inconsistencies (which can probably be attributed to McKimson's inexperience directing Bugs Bunny cartoons), this is a great holiday themed short that every WB fan must see. The perfect escape from a sometimes overly joyous occasion.

Inconsistent characterization my ass

[eusebius123 · 8/10 · 19 April 2011]

The people complaining about Elmer Fudd hunting for food clearly haven't watched many Bugs Bunny cartoons. "Wabbit stew" was always what Elmer was after when he went hunting — it was one of his catchphrases well before this cartoon was made (example: "Hare Tonic" from 1945, directed by Chuck Jones). It's part of what makes that line so funny in this cartoon! Jones didn't ret-con Elmer into being a vegetarian until "Rabbit Fire" in 1951, so it's hard to understand how McKimson should have been able to foresee that four years earlier. And the mention of Elmer as a vegetarian was just for the sake of a gag anyway, not to establish a running character trait — after all, in 1953, Jones was back to having Elmer hunt for "wabbit stew" in "Duck! Rabbit! Duck!".

As for Bugs being mean-spirited, the same comment applies — Bugs was always somewhat of an amoral character in the 1940s cartoons, even going so far as to be an outright jerk sometimes (particularly in his earliest appearances, such as "Elmer's Pet Rabbit" and the Cecil the Turtle shorts). Jones didn't make him into a goody-two-shoes type character until later in the 1950s.

And of course it's not like the WB cartoons ever cared much about canon or continuity anyway. Next thing you know, someone will be complaining about inconsistency in "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century" because Daffy Duck usually isn't a space marine.

of course rabbits want to know how to multiply; that's why they're associated with Easter

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 1 April 2007]

This time, Bugs Bunny substitutes for the infirm Easter Bunny, only to deliver eggs to a malevolent infant - named the Dead End Kid - and then to Elmer Fudd (who plans to make Easter Bunny stew). I noticed that at the beginning of "Easter Yeggs", Bugs is reading a book called "How to Multiply". No doubt that refers to one of the traits most associated with leporids*: having lots of offspring very quickly. In fact, rabbits' extreme fertility is precisely why they're associated with Easter: Easter is one of the major holidays in spring, which of course is associated with rebirth.

But I digress. I didn't think that this was the greatest Bugs Bunny cartoon, but it's still a pretty funny one. I kinda predicted what was going to happen with the log, but that didn't really weaken the cartoon.

*Leporids are rabbits and hares. The family is called Leporidae.

Not a Happy Easter for Bugs

[slymusic · 17 April 2006]

Directed by the capable Robert McKimson, "Easter Yeggs" is the definitive Easter rabbit cartoon made at Warner Bros. The Easter rabbit in this case is quite shallow, always finding a sucker to deliver his Easter eggs for him every year. The sucker he found THIS time is - who else? - Bugs Bunny! As Bugs takes over the Easter rabbit's job, he skips merrily down the road and sings, "I am getting looney tooney, dashed in the head. This whole thing is gooney, I should've stood in bed!"

The following are my favorite highlights from "Easter Yeggs." Without any doubt, the most hilarious scene in this cartoon is that of Bugs trying to show Elmer Fudd a magic trick by covering Elmer's watch with a handkerchief and then quickly smashing the watch with a hammer. Earlier, Bugs meets the brattiest of brats ("I want an Easter egg! I want an Easter egg! I want an Easter egg!" and "He bwoke my wittle arm! He bwoke my wittle arm!"), who terrorizes Bugs with all his might, starting with splatting an Easter egg in Bugs' face. After Bugs' painful episode with the kid, he does some more skipping down the road, but his happy singing voice is now angry and sneering! And when Elmer chases Bugs into the Tunnel of Love, they both emerge in a clinch.

"Easter Yeggs" is a super cartoon, and Bugs finally decides at the end that enough is enough, that the REAL Easter rabbit must pay the penalty for his lack of character.

Rarely seen gem

[jcoons · 7/10 · 18 June 2001]

I grew up on Warner Bros. cartoons, and thought I had seen them all. Somehow I missed this one until I found it on a laserdisc collection. It is now one of my favorites because it contains two of the funniest lines in all of the WB cartoons (see quotes).

It Makes Me Smile.

[Son_of_Mansfield · 9/10 · 9 November 2005]

There is this need to be overly jovial during the holidays and this cartoon takes aim at that need. Bugs Bunny is the perfect character to have in this cartoon. He never minds doing a good deed, but he never stands for being used or abused. The image of Bugs getting beat up by that red headed devil child and then singing stiffly through his teeth, "Here comes the Easter rabbit, hooray!" is classic. Then there is Bugs' fist singing of the Easter rabbit song, his comeback to the Easter bunny, the repeated cries of said red headed devil, Elmer's polka dot head, and Bugs' revenge on the Easter bunny. Elmer Fudd also gets to perform his signature laugh, which is never a bad thing. A must for any Bugs Bunny fan.

even an above average Bugs short for McKimson means a below standard one for everyone else

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 3 November 2005]

Th Easter Bunny comes down with a bout of the sickness so Bugs Bunny (no relation) offers to deliver the eggs to an ungrateful brat of a kid, as well as Elmer Fudd in disguise. As those who know me can attest to, I'm not a big fan of McKimson directed Bugs shorts (to put it mildly( And for good reason as most of said shorts were sub-par and not nearly as good as any of the rest of the Bugs cartoons. I would've been happy if McKimson just stayed making Foghorn Leghorn films, but being a Looney Tunes fad, it's just a sad matter of life that you'll going to have to sit through these sooner or later. For a Mckimson short it's good but it's still nothing compared to other non-McKimson directed ones. This animated short can be found on Disk 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3 set.

My Grade: C+

An McKimson and Bugs classic

[stephen0684 · 9/10 · 9 November 2005]

Bugs has to fill in for an brown easter rabbit who don't want to deliver the eggs and talks Bugs into deliver them. In his first stop he pays an spoiled brat an visit and he gets the best of Bugs. Although Bugs wants to quit, he tries once more. His next stop was at Elmer's house who wants an Easter Rabbit Stew to eat. He tries to trap Bugs by drowning him but it failed. Instead, Bugs has an raft and goes into an log that was oddly enough the Tunnel Of Love. After they leave the log, Bugs tries out an couple of tricks but, they failed. After an brief chase, that includes the brat, Bugs paints Elmer's head to look like an easter egg and the brat attack Elmer. With one egg left, the lazy rabbit carries it unknowing is was an bomb that Bugs had made. How did Bugs made an bomb, I don't know but it works and Bugs laughs as the film fades.

Overall, the cartoon was good .I recommend it as an McKimson classic as well as an Bugs Bunny classic as well. It's not perfect but it's still an classic. Final Score: an 9 out of 10

Overstuffed but bright and inventive nonetheless

[phantom_tollbooth · 6/10 · 3 November 2008]

Robert McKimson's 'Easter Yeggs' is an up and down cartoon that works in fits and starts. Crammed with ideas (perhaps too many), 'Easter Yeggs' pits Bugs against a lazy Easter Bunny, an annoying young child and his gangster family and a gun-toting Elmer Fudd. These threads are all drawn together with pleasing smoothness at the end but the jumping between them makes the cartoon seem a little lumpy and overstuffed. Another problem is the character of the Easter Bunny, who is whiney and entirely unappealing. Nevertheless, he gets the best moment in the cartoon when he makes an unexpected cameo in the middle of one of Bugs's heckles. Despite all it's flaws, I do like 'Easter Yeggs'. It's never going to be considered a classic by anyone but it is at least bright, colourful and inventive and there are enough decent jokes to counterbalance the dull spots.

Dearest Mightyzebra:

[ijustlovemy · 10/10 · 4 April 2021]

To Mightyzebra: You obviously have no appreciation for the finer things in life. Happy Easter.

After emerging from a "Tunnel of Love" . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 29 October 2016]

. . . in the arms of Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd is quickly shown cramming the long shaft of his fun gun down the mouthy hare's throat. As EASTER YEGGS begins, a skeptical Bugs is shown Tsk-Tsking as a reads a book entitled HOW TO MULTIPLY. Warner Bros.' animators make it abundantly clear that Bugs is studying up on advanced math in a Biblical sense, as in "One plus one equals Baby." But carefree bachelor Bugs' resistance to what can only be regarded as a Sex Education tome suggests that America's favorite bunny has no interest in being a link in a Multi-generational chain in the Disney sense. In lieu of Intersexual Hanky Panky, Bugs fools around with Elmer Fudd, despite the latter's strong desire for (as he puts it himself) "Some nice, juicy Easter Bunny stew." Before Wisconsin ordered Jeffrey Dahmer to be executed Shish-Kabob style with a mop handle, many hours of post-conviction interviews were recorded with America's most infamous Gay Young Cannibal. It's not surprising that during one session J.D. named EASTER YEGGS as his favorite Looney Tune.

The Easter Rabbit, Elmer and the "Dead End" kid from Hell make it hard for Bugs to just "Keep smiling"!

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 5 April 2015]

This is a Bugs Bunny Easter-themed short from Warner Brothers. There will be spoilers ahead:

This is a fairly interesting Bugs Bunny. Here, Bugs is once again minding his own business, reading "How To Multiply", when he hears crying and investigates. He sees the Easter Bunny, who tells Bugs a sob story and cons him into delivering the Easter eggs this year. Bugs makes his first stop, which sets the tone for the short, as he meets a kid whose "pacifier" is a revolver! The kid screams, "I wanna Easter egg!" and proceeds to injure our hero. when Bugs tries to discipline the monster, the little Damian in training sets up an alarm, bringing three massive and well-armed adults who aim to perforate a certain rabbit, fleeing stage left!

The stage is set for Elmer to make an entrance. Once again, Elmer is bent on shooting Bugs, which is what he tries to do in most of their shorts together. He's waiting to shoot the Easter Rabbit and make "Eastew wabbit stew"! Bugs gets the drop on him and the race is on.

Most of the remainder of the short consists of Bugs outwitting Elmer and fending off a very pushy Easter rabbit nagging him to deliver more eggs in a whiny voice. The best gag here is Bugs playing magician with Elmer's pocket watch.

Bugs gets the best of both Elmer and the Easter rabbit in the end, though what happens to poor Elmer shouldn't happen to anyone! The Easter rabbit gets what he deserves.

This short is available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 3 and is well worth watching. Recommended.

It's Hard To Be Happy When Someone Is Waiting For You With A Shotgun

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 21 May 2007]

We see a funny sight right off the bat: Bugs Bunny reading a book titled, "How To Multiply." He seems to be enjoying it. Nearby someone is sobbing out loud. Bugs checks it out and finds it's the "Easter Bunny," who is worried about delivering his colored eggs on this day because his feet are killing him. Bugs volunteers to deliver the "Technicolor hen fruit."

His first stop is a house that says "Dead End Kid" on it. If you've seen any of the Dead End Kids movies you'll know what to expect.

After narrowly escaping with his life, Bugs quits, but get talked into trying one more delivery. It turns out to be Elmer Fudd's house. Bugs tries to get into the spirit of the holiday but it's knda tough when the recipient is waiting inside with a shotgun to blow your head off! Most of the rest of the story has Bugs and Elmer going back and forth with each other. It's okay, but nothing worth noting.

The ending was a bit of a shock, but knowing the "Ain't I A Stinker?" Bugs Bunny attitude, maybe it wasn't.

Keep smiling, Bugs!

[Petey-10 · 27 October 2011]

The lazy Easter Rabbit gives the basket of Easter eggs to Bugs Bunny.All he has to do is keep smiling, as he delivers those Easter eggs for kids.But it's all easier said than done, when one kid is a sadistic brat and the other is Elmer Fudd in a baby buggy.But it's Bugs who turns out to be the toughest egg.Easter Yeggs (1947) is a Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.It was the 500th cartoon released by Warner Bros.They would release 500 more after this.Mel Blanc does the voice of all Bugs Bunny, Easter Rabbit and Bratty Kid.Arthur Q. Bryan is Elmer Fudd.It's quite hilarious to watch Bugs Bunny cheerily going with that basket of Easter eggs and singing.And the second time, not so cheerily.Also Bugs showing his magic trick to Elmer is quite amazing.How does he do it?!

If you ignore the inconsistency to Elmer's character, it is quite fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 13 March 2011]

Easter Yeggs isn't among the best, but it is very funny and a pleasant enough themed cartoon. I can understand why people mayn't like it, although I was personally satisfied by the ending it is very shocking all the same, and Elmer's character here has an inconsistency that he hunts for food here.If you ignore the inconsistency or at least try to, Easter Yeggs is quite fun. The story is simple but engaging enough, and there are many funny and quotable lines in the dialogue. The animation is crisp and smooth with beautiful colours and the music is lively. I feel this is an instance when the dialogue is better than the sight gags, but most of the sight gags do work, and the voice work is terrific as per usual.Overall, a nice cartoon. 8/10 Bethany Cox

If I do not watch this for ten years, I will not remember the good parts of this - as there were not very many.

[Mightyzebra · 5/10 · 7 June 2008]

Interesting story: I had seen the very end of this short WAY before I saw the actual short. It is a very shocking ending (and I am not giving too much of a spoiler here) and I was very scared by it. When I saw the whole episode on YouTube, it calmed me down a bit to know what happened before the end, but I still didn't like the episode very much.

The only things I really liked about this episode were the animation and Bugs Bunny - most of the time. Oh yes - Elmer Fudd was quite good as well and some of the quotes are worth remembering.

What I did not like about this episode was the violence and the fact that there was only one really funny joke.

I recommend this to people who like very fast, rather mean Looney Tunes episodes. I hope you enjoy this more than I did - and if you did not, welcome to the crowd.

Elmer Fudd contradicts his character and offends comic logic in wanting to kill the Easter Bunny for food; many funny gags make up for it

[J. Spurlin · 14 March 2007]

The lazy Easter Bunny tricks our redoubtable Bugs into delivering his eggs for him. Bugs Bunny is happy to do it until he encounters a nasty little toddler who sucks a pistol for a pacifier. After nearly getting killed by the boy's hillbilly family, Bugs tries to give the eggs back to the Easter Bunny, who whines some more and gets Bugs to continue with the job. Elmer Fudd is eagerly awaiting the Easter Bunny: he wants "Easter Wabbit stew." Bugs will thwart Elmer by cuddling him in the Tunnel of Love, performing a magic act on his watch, and sending the sadistic brat to beat him on the head. Then Bugs will realize it's time to take revenge on the Easter Bunny.

Elmer Fudd wants to kill the Easter Bunny just to get some food? This contradicts his character and offends comic logic. One, Elmer is too childlike to plot such an act without being manipulated into it. Think of the Elmer Fudd from "Rabbit Seasoning." Two, we already have the main premise: the Easter Bunny tricks another rabbit into doing his work. We don't need a second idea competing with the first—especially when the second idea is so weird.

Still, the gags in this short are so funny it's hard to complain too much. Mel Blanc borrows his characterization of Mr. Beasley the mailman (from the Burns and Allen radio program) to use for the Easter Bunny. He even uses the mailman's catchphrase, "And remember: keep smiling!" Unlike the mailman, the Easter Bunny is a jerk, which makes the ending highly satisfying.

This cartoon is available on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume Three," Disc 1.

Not good enough to keep me smiling

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 21 December 2014]

This 7-minute Warner Bros Looney Tunes short film from 1947 features Bugs Bunny once again, their probably biggest star and he is voiced like almost everybody else in here by the great late Mel Blanc. Director and writer are Robert McKimson and Warren Foster who were both also very prolific with Warner Bros. Here, Bugs has to fill in for a fat, lazy and scheming Easter Bunny. First of all he meets a feisty hillbilly baby and his trigger-happy family (They could teach Bugs' usual enemies a lesson or two), then afterward it's Elmer Fudd again, who plans to have rabbit for dinner this Easter. Of course he doesn't get it, but gets it from the baby near the end as well. And the Easter Bunny celebrates with some nice and uncommon-for-that-time-of-the-year fireworks explosion.

I was not too impressed by this cartoon. It had 1 or 2 funny moments, but all in all I hoped for more.