Alles fauler Zauber

This is pretty much one of those cartoons where someone crosses our famous rabbit. This is a mistake because once you confront this guy, he'll get ya! Here a famous magician wants to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but that rabbit is Bugs, and he's not interested. What happens is a series of events that drive the magician crazy. It's not bad, but there is nothing that stands out.

Case of the Missing Hare (1942)

*** (out of 4)

Magician Ala Bahma is in the forest hanging up posters for his upcoming show and he crosses paths with Bugs Bunny. After throwing a pie into his face, Bugs decides to go to the show and cause the magician some trouble.

While this film is far from a classic it still contains enough good moments to where fans of Bugs will enjoy watching it. As you'd expect the animation quality is extremely high and that beautiful color is on full display throughout. Ala Bahma appeared in several shorts and I honestly never found him to be the greatest of villains. The entertainment factor certainly comes from Bugs with one of the highlights dealing with swords.

When a magician desecrates Bugs Bunny's tree home (yea I know Bugs doesn't usually live in a tree, but just go with it), the rabbit decides to go to the magician's show to heckle him unmercifully, making him look quite the fool in front of his audience. If you can get over the whole tree thing, you'll find that this IS a truly funny short, and worthy to be more widely known than it appears to be. This animated short can be found on Disk 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3 and includes an optional commentary by Greg Ford which is quite informative by itself and is worth at least one listen.

My Grade: B+

Bugs Bunny starts a war with a magician called Ala Bahma.When Ala is on stage, it's Bugs who comes out of his hat.Case of the Missing Hare (1942) is a Chuck Jones short.Mel Blanc is the voice of both Bugs Bunny and Ala Bahma.This short has a lot of hilarious stuff.Ever since Bugs gets a pie in the face and uses the Groucho Marx catchphrase: Of course you realize this means war! One funny moment is where Ala tries to lure Bugs out of the hat with a carrot, and Bugs hits Ala with a mallet that was meant for Bugs.And what about when Bugs pretends to be a little boy from the audience, assisting the magician.Bugs goes in the basket, and the magician sticks swords through it.Bugs screams inside the basket, as if the swords penetrate him.And that causes excessive sweating to Ali.Also the use of colors brings a stylish touch to this short.

Ala Bahma, the world renown magician is performing at Bijou Theater, amidst a lot of fanfare. (Billboards announcing this event are everywhere.) It turns out the slob magician is the one posting all the notices. He makes the mistake of posting on on a tree in which Bugs is occupying. (That's the first time I've seen Bugs living in a tree. What's with that?)

Anyway, Bugs gives the guy lip and the portly one throws a blackberry pie in the rabbit's face. It is then we hear the famous words, outside of "What's up, doc?" of a BB cartoon: "Of course, this means war!"

Unfortunately, the war isn't much. It would have been 5-10 years later in the Looney Tunes cartoons but these early 1940s ones weren't very wild. They were very tame - too tame - compared to the 1950s editions. In other words, not a lot happens here.

Also, what's with all the big kisses on the lips? It seems to be another trait of the period, along with the corny humor. I see it here several times and in other cartoons of the early '40s? Kissing your opponent on the lips.....was that supposed to be funny?