Behind the Tunes: Forever Befuddled

This short three and a half minute featurette, which can be found as an extra on Disc one of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1. It's nothing more than a basic primer for the character of Elmer Fudd made, I'm thinking, with an eye geared for newbies to the classical Looney Tunes. It traces how Fudd has changed in the formative years, as well as the voice talent. Plus Michel Malton tells us his favorite Elmer short. This is really REALLY basic stuff (the same can be said for pretty much all the other Behind the Toons feauterettes that are on Volume 1, fortunately the Behind the Tune features would get so much better starting with the ones found on volume 2).

My Grade: C

"Behind the Tunes: Forever Befuddled" is a look back at the career of Elmer Fudd, featuring interviews with the characters' creators, and the children of the deceased creators. I already knew a lot of what they were talking about. Unless you're an alien from Mars, you'll probably know a lot of it. I wish that these mini-documentaries on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Vol 1" would talk about how the quality of the cartoons has declined in recent years. Or at least talk about possible hidden messages in the cartoons.

So anyway, hardcore fans might take some interest in this, but no one else. Passable.

Elmer Fudd began life as Egghead, a very different character with a voice that evoked a forgotten comedian named Joe Penner. He developed "right along with Bugs" as Leonard Maltin points out; and both characters were solidified in the 1940 cartoon "A Wild Hare." He was voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan, who developed the characterization—which included replacing r's and l's with w's—on radio, a medium that once demanded unique voice talents. Maltin explains why Elmer's and Bugs Bunny's "Wabbit Twouble" is his "all-time favorite cartoon" and how it is a good example of what makes Warner Bros. cartoons so great.

I often underestimate Elmer Fudd; but however funny his other opponents are, Bugs Bunny's classic antagonist is Elmer Fudd. Elmer is blessed with an actor who hadn't just come up with a funny-sounding voice. Bryan *was* funny. And his comic inventiveness and timing made Elmer what he is. And also Elmer was used sparingly, which prevented him from wearing out his welcome.

This documentary short was created for the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume One" and can be found on Disc 1.

"Elmer developed right alongside Bugs," explains Leonard Maltin. "He started out as a character called 'Egghead' but kept refining him until he finally became the character we know as Elmer Fudd." The major changes involved his head: the overall size of it, the size of the nose, etc.

This is another of the features on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume One DVD. It was interesting to see how Elmer changed in appearance over the years. Also, Arthur Q. Bryan is given his due as Elmer's voice.

I wish this had been a little longer, because I found it fascinating.