Bewitched Bunny

Anyhow, what I liked about this Bugs Bunny cartoon were the following things: the witch (who also appears in "Broomstick Bunny"), Bugs Bunny, the fairytale theme and quite a few of the jokes. The animation is also worth noting, it is done in a quite "comfortable" style and it fits the fairytale theme in the episode.

In this Looney Tunes short, Bugs Bunny is walking in a forest, reading aloud the tale of Hansel and Gretel (who have very noticeable German accents). By pure coincidence, he spots a little cottage and a witch outside it welcoming a little boy and girl, who she invites in. Bugs Bunny realizes that the fairytale he is reading is beginning to come true and he is ready to rescue...

I do not understand why the makers of this cartoon added an anti-feminist joke at the end. It was very annoying. The rest of the cartoon was good - a little too farcey - but good.

I recommend this amusing episode to people who like fairy tales, to people who like Witch Hazel (if the people have watched "Broomstick Bunny") and to people who just love Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes in general. Enjoy "Bewitched Bunny"! :-)

I always like it when someone accompanies voice genius Mel Blanc in one of these Looney Tunes cartoons. It gives us a little more variation of the characters since Mel's voice - even with different characters - is pretty easy to spot. Here, Bea Benaderet of "Petticoat Junction" TV fame, adds to the fun with several voices of her own in this offbeat tale of "Hansel And Gretel."

The story involves Bugs rescuing some kids from the mean old "Witch Hazel," who plans to eat them for dinner.....but then later decides a nice rabbit might be a better meal!

There are some clever, dark comedy humor in this cartoon, such as the witch reading a book of recipes for eating children ("waif waffles," "urchin pie," "smorgas boy," etc.)

If you have the opportunity, check out this cartoon on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5 because the restoration on it makes this a real visual feast. The colors in here are spectacular!

As he's reading the book "Hansel and Gretel", Bugs Bunny is walking to that very house in which the story is taking place. So he disguises himself as a truant officer to warn the kids but then Witch Hazel has another idea what she wants for her supper...Directed by Chuck Jones this cartoon has all the visual touches you expect from his works during this period in the '50s. And, of course, all the visual and verbal gags that could only come from the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies gang at Warner Bros. Nice voice work from Bea Benaderet as Hazel and, of course, Mel Blanc as Bugs. This one has the original closing line that got some complaints. Personally, I found nothing wrong with it even though it may not hold water today. So that's a recommendation of Bewitched Bunny.

The very first cartoon featuring Witch Hazel, a hilarious character who appeared in several Bugs Bunny shorts. This one begins with Bugs reading the story of Hansel and Gretel when he happens upon the real thing as Witch Hazel is luring two little fat kids inside her house to eat them. Bugs decides to save the kids, which puts him in the crosshairs of kooky old Hazel. A funny short with great characters, directed by the always-amazing Chuck Jones. Superior voice work from Mel Blanc and Bea Benaderet. Fun music from Carl Stalling. The animation is colorful and crisp, although the backgrounds are that sketchy style Jones seemed to prefer sometimes. Creatively I suppose there's nothing wrong with it but it just seems a little lazy to me. Anyway it's a terrific cartoon with many funny gags and lines. Love the bit where Prince Charming wanders into the wrong cartoon. Gotta appreciate the non-PC ending.

I liked the cartoons that featured Bugs and Witch Hazel--in this case she is voiced by Bea Benaderet while in others she's voiced by June Foray. I think that I actually liked this one best because of its depiction of Hansel and Gretel. They are pretty much simple-minded nincompoops that are completely oblivious to the impending danger. All they want to do is eat and they are just plain silly fun to watch. They are only saved by the intervention of Bugs who FINALLY convinces them to run away while he does battle with the evil witch. While the animation of this cartoon isn't the best, the story is a delight and it's a wonderful version of the old Grimm fairy tale.