What's Opera, Doc? (1957)

Elmer Fudd is again hunting rabbits - only this time it's an opera. Wagner's Siegfried with Elmer as the titular hero and Bugs as Brunnhilde. They sing, they dance, they eat the scenery.

Director:

Chuck Jones

Writer:

Michael Maltese (story)

Stars:

Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mel Blanc	...	Bugs Bunny as Brunhilde / Elmer Fudd as Siegfried (screaming) (voice)

Storyline

"What's Opera, Doc?" lampoons classic opera by using its elements to set up the latest chapter in Elmer Fudd's hapless pursuit of Bugs Bunny. We open with a silhouette of a mighty Viking arousing ferocious lightning storms ... only to find it's Elmer -- this time as the demigod Siegfried. Elmer admonishes the audience (in classical verse) to "be vewwy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits!" It's not long before Elmer comes upon Bugs' hole and sings out "Kill the wabbit!" not realizing that the hare has already climbed out and is viewing Elmer spearing fruitlessly in said hole. Bugs joins in the fun, querying his tagline in operatic verse and leaving Elmer in his dust (but not before "Siegfried" shows us an example of supposed "mighty powers" from his spear and magic helmet). Elmer goes after the wascally wabbit, but his pursuit is ended when he sets his eyes on the stunningly and awesomely beautiful Valkyrie Brunhilde (Bugs in disguise). After a "hard-to-get" pursuit" (brought on by Elmer's ...

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Plot Keywords:

bugs bunny | warner bros | national film registry | opera | storm | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 July 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cane all'Opera

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

7 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Elmer is summoning the various forces of nature ("North Wind bwow! South Wind bwow!" etc.), Mel Blanc does the summoning on the final incantation ("Smog!") because Arthur Q. Bryan's reading was not strong enough. Bryan's reading of the line can be heard on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2 DVD vocal only audio track.

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Quotes

Elmer Fudd: I will do it with my spear and magic helmet!
Bugs Bunny: Your spear and magic helmet?
Elmer Fudd: Spear and magic helmet!
Bugs Bunny: Magic helmet?
Elmer Fudd: Magic helmet!
Bugs Bunny: [aside to audience, cynical] Magic helmet.

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Crazy Credits

The opera music continues and concludes over the "That's All Folks!" logo, substituting the usual exit music. The "That's All Folks" text doesn't go through its usual animation.

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Connections

Referenced in Drawn Together: A Very Special Drawn Together After School Special (2006)

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Soundtracks

Overture from 'The Flying Dutchman'
Composed by Richard Wagner (uncredited)

User Reviews

Bugs and Elmer, for the ages

This may not be the funniest Bugs Bunny cartoon; it relies on your knowledge of the dozens of Bugs-vs.-Elmer cartoons that precede it (if you're new to WB cartoons, start with "A Wild Hare") and a smidgen of Wagner knowledge doesn't hurt. But for an animation fan, "What's Opera, Doc?" may be the best seven minutes you're liable to spend. It'll take you several viewings to take in the vast attention to detail by Chuck Jones, Maurice Noble and their team. The singing by Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan is first-rate, and the character animation yields some great moments, including a surprisingly touching death scene from the wabbit. If you haven't watched this cartoon since you were a kid, take another look.