Half-Fare Hare

Bugs Bunny hops a train bound for Chattanooga because it's too cold for carrots to grow in whatever state he's in. In one of the train cars there are two hobos based on Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton from The Honeymooners. When they spot Bugs, the two starving bums think he would make a delicious meal. Bugs, of course, has something to say about that. An amusing if never hilarious short that probably plays better to people who have a familiarity with The Honeymooners. Great voice work by Mel Blanc as Bugs and Daws Butler as Ralph and Ed. The animation is nice with lovely colors. The music is lively and cheerful. It's a fun cartoon but not one of Bugs' best.

This one is hilarious! ...Especially Ralph ....."dont steam me,alligators..don't steam me I said! "Where did he go,where did he go" (Ralph mocking Norton sarcastically) then bellows..."HOW DO I KNOW WHERE HE WENT!!" Ralph losing his temper in this one is actully funnier than Jackie Gleason himself.

I'd see anything in regard to Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny as I love them with all my heart. Half-Fare Hare may not be one of my all-time favourites from either, but it is still absolutely hilarious. The animation is well-drawn and detailed if not as vibrantly coloured as other Looney Tunes cartoons. The music however is really beautiful and characterful, with a couple of delightful tunes that some will recognise and lively orchestration from especially the strings. The pacing is crisp and energetic and makes the already well-told story all the more enjoyable. The gags are imaginative and clever, but it is the dialogue and characters that really make Half-Fare Hare so worth watching. Bugs' closing line, the exchange in regard to looking like boiled lobster and "Say! We must be going through Los Ann-Gull-lees" raised a number of chuckles from me, but the best parts for me were "Hey, Ralph. You want to know something? I'm hungry./You're hungry? Why, I'm so hungry my stomach thinks my throat's cut. If I don't get something to eat soon, I'll go nuts!" and "Where is he, Ralph? Where'd the rabbit go?/Where'd he go? where'd he go? How do I know where he went!?" Bugs is crafty, arrogant yet still very identifiable to the audience, and Ed and especially Ralph are great foils. Mel Blanc's voice work is stellar as is Daws Butler's, in Yogi Bear-sounding mode for Ed and a more aggressive tone for Ralph. In conclusion, a hilarious short that is helped enormously by the writing and characters. 9/10 Bethany Cox