Rabbitson Crusoe

Definitely the best of any of the Bugs-and-Sam cartoons made after the early 50s. Time this cartoon with your watch sometime (even if it means not being able to SEE the cartoon). Although the traditional opening titles display Bugs munching on his carrot, the star himself doesn't appear till a good minute-and-a-half into the film......this is taken up with Sam's struggles with Dopey Dick, the shark (flowingly animated by Gerry Chiniquy). Then, when Bugs finally enters the picture, it's WHAM-BAM-BOOM!! Actually, as in most of these Sam episodes, Bugs has to do little or nothing to vanquish his adversary. One-and-a-half minutes--in a cartoon totaling six-and-a-half minutes--is quite a dare in terms of timing, but director Freleng pulls it off with verve and virtuosity.

Even thought the title would make you think otherwise, Yosemite Sam carries this cartoon. He stars as Sam Crusoe, stranded after a low tide and a high rock caused his ship to be wrecked. The use of space in this cartoon is as inspired as Sam's curse words. There is the shipwreck on the left, a tiny island with a hut in the middle and an even smaller island with one coconut tree on the right. When Sam wants a match, he has to go all the way to the ship (via some slippery rocks). If he is hungry, he has to brave the rocks on the other side of the island to get to the coconut tree. Both sides of the island are terrorized by a shark liveried varmint named Dopey Dick, who is determined enough to climb up trees after Crusoe. Luckily Sam has carved himself a hammer and a baseball bat out of driftwood to defend himself (and a surfboard too).

After a steady 20 year diet of tossed coconut salad, coconut milk and boiled coconuts, Sam can't stand coconuts no more. Just then Bugs Bunny arrives peddling a wooden crate with his ears, and he seems to have an unending supply of carrots on board. Of course Sam is not interested in carrots, he wants to cook the rabbit. A three way fight of survival ensues between, Sam, Bugs and Dopey (that ‘hammerheaded halibut'). When Bugs hides away on the shipwreck, Sam uses a balloon to get at him. But Dopey Dick continually gets in the way. Eventually the forces of nature start to interfere, forcing the mortal enemies to strike a deal. As always, Bugs decides he wants to go to San Francisco.

8 out of 10

The stranded-on-an-uncharted-island premise has been used so many times, that the Termite Terrace crowd had to use it (and they would use it later for the feature film "Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island"). In "Rabbitson Crusoe", Yosemite Sam - as foul-mouthed as ever - has been stranded for 20 years and is tired of eating coconuts and battling a shark (aka Shark-Livered Varmint, aka Hammerheaded Halibut) named Dopey Dick. So when Sam catches sight of Bugs Bunny floating around the ocean, he gets the rascally rabbit to come to the island...with the intention of turning him into rabbit stew. Sure enough, Bugs has ways of escaping this...which most likely involve Sam getting in danger.

As always, it's great fun to see Bugs turn the tables on individuals. And besides, Yosemite Sam is always asking for it. Maybe "Gilligan's Island" took a few tips from this cartoon. Really funny.

The Looney Tunes take on Robinson Crusoe is a pretty good and funny cartoon named 'Rabbitson Crusoe'. Yosemite Sam is the stranded person on an island, living on coconuts for twenty years and having some trouble with a shark named Dopey Dick. Then he sees a rabbit, Bugs Bunny, in the see. He is finally able to eat something else, Bugs thinks he is saved because he sees land! Sam tries to make Bugs his dinner, Bugs finds out and escapes to Sam's shipwreck. Sam must go there too, but of course the shark is between the island and the ship.

This is a terrific cartoon, funny from start to finish. The shark gets laugh after laugh, even his name is funny, and the ending is a final gag that works perfectly. Nicely animated 'Rabbitson Crusoe' is a fine Looney Tune cartoon, of course with the voice talent of Mel Blanc.

I love Rabbitson Crusoe, it is not only interesting but it is very funny. It is very well animated, with lovely colours, good backgrounds and flowing character designs particularly on Dopey Dick the shark. It has energetic and lively music. It has some juicy dialogue, good pacing and an interesting story. It has some very funny sight gags with Dopey Dick getting the most of the laughs just by getting in the way continually. It has Bugs as great as ever, Yosemite Sam a worthy foil for him and Dopey Dick surprisingly great fun. And lastly, it has some witty vocals from the one and only Mel Blanc. In conclusion, interesting and of course funny. 10/10 Bethany Cox