Rabbit Hood

You know, the world of movies was different before the late fifties. Once you released a film, it had a run, hopefully a long one. Then it was gone, as if it never existed. Then we had TeeVee that started to show just-out-of-release movies, then Ted Turner showing old movies from collections he purchased, and then tapes and DVDs. Now movies can be seen by anyone at any time.

But not then, and if it was big, the studios could rerelease it, and get a second round of return. Such was the case with "Robin Hood." And to increase the buzz, they commissioned this, essentially an ad and featuring a publicity still of Errol Flynn.

There's something a bit wonderful about how Bugs grew up as a character, and its pretty sophisticated what happens here. Bugs is treated as if he were an actor hired to play a part, a Robin Hood part. Its highly introspective humor this. No joke is funny, but the very idea is miraculous.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

In "Rabbit Hood", Bugs Bunny makes mincemeat of a guard after trying to steal some of Prince John's royal carrots while Little John idiotically claims that Robin Hood is coming. Knowing that this is Bugs Bunny, you can probably guess what sorts of tricks he has up his sleeve (or wherever he keeps them).

Cartoons like this just go to show that the creators really reached their apex in the late '40s and early '50s. I learned from "Bugs Bunny Superstar" that Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, and that whole crowd liked to act out their cartoons during lunch breaks. I can imagine how much fun they must have had acting this one out! All in all, a great cartoon. It shows that entertainment just needs to be clever.

Of all the many Robin Hood based cartoons that came out in the wake of the wonderful Errol Flynn epic 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', 'Robin Hood Daffy' remains the most famous and best. Chuck Jones's 'Rabbit Hood', however, runs a very close second. A lesser known classic, 'Rabbit Hood' has an absolutely superb script by Michael Maltese. Chock full of literate dialogue and extremely unexpected and elaborate gags (the house building gag is one of my all-time favourites), 'Rabbit Hood' is hysterically funny. The Sheriff of Nottingham is a great foil for Bugs, displaying a natural tendency towards being duped rivalled only by Elmer Fudd but which is offset by his exaggerated olde timey British style lines. Bugs is great in this cartoon too, an example of the character at his most innately likable as was typical of Jones's most common depiction of Bugs. The ending, which I won't spoil here, is a wonderful surprise. All in all, 'Rabbit Hood' is an absolutely terrific piece of work and deserves more praise than it usually gets. I highly recommend the spectacularly beautiful 2 disc special edition DVD of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' which not only features the classic feature film but also offers both 'Rabbit Hood' and 'Robin Hood Daffy' as extras.

This clever cartoon has Bugs Bunny playing both Robin Hood and the king, as he plots to steal the carrots from the Royal garden. A one-joke film, perhaps, but it does have as its crowning glory a snippet from the 1938 'Adventures of Robin Hood'.

Is it any good? Most of the early Bugs Bunny films (of which this is one) were sharp - relying on the genius of Mel Blanc and Chuck Jones to deliver the laughs and the situations their audience were looking for. 'Rabbit Hood' is no exception. Bugs is at his usual foolish and arrogant best, with his spluttering catchphrases and his withering looks at the hapless people he cons (the Sheriff of Nottingham, of course, here).

Rabbit Hood (1949)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

The master Chuck Jones directed this hilarious spoof on the Robin Hood tale. The film starts off in the King's carrot garden where we're told that there's to be no trespassing. Flash over to a hairy arm coming out from behind a sign and it's Bugs Bunny trying to get a carrot, which sets off an alarm and soon he's doing battle with one of the King's men. This here is without question one of the best Looney Tunes out there as we get all sorts of great action as well as some funny twists throughout the film. The action includes Bugs constantly trying to outsmart this guy with all sorts of good violence including a very funny bit where he dresses as the King and beats the man over the head. Another great scene takes place in the King's rose garden where Bugs convinces his chaser to buy it from him. There's a nice twist at the end with Errol Flynn doing a cameo and it's pretty priceless and especially Bugs response.