Wabbit Twouble

Both the fat Elmer and the Elmer we came to know and love were great! Here director Bob Clampett uses the fat Elmer wisely and puts him in a series of great gags that leave you laughing from start to finish. This was truly a great start for the fat Elmer. Sad is that he never really lasted that long.

Wabbit Twouble (1941)

**** (out of 4)

Masterpiece animated short has Elmer Fudd going to Jellostone National Park so that he can get some west and welaxation but instead he finds himself camping in the back yard of Bugs Bunny who decides to torment him. While neither character are in their traditional classic look that really means nothing as this short delivers some of the biggest laughs of the series. There were countless scenes so funny that I had tears running down my face because on one hand Fudd is the perfect goof ball to see tormented but on the other hand you can't help but love him for how dumb he is. The scene where Bugs makes him think it's night and then day is classic as is the scene where Bugs pretends to be a grizzly bear before the real one shows up. The final sequence is also rather hilarious as Fudd finally suffers his breakdown.

Elmer Fudd's old auto is doing the "conga" while driving through a mountain pass on his way to "Jellostone National Park" where Elmer is looking forward to peace and quiet. (He looks different in this early cartoon; older and much bigger and fatter.)

Bugs sees him coming, puts up a "camp here" sign and Elmer quickly sets up camp. "Oh, boy, now for a weal west," he says. Yeah, right. Sadistic Bugs is going to wuin his west weally soon! At least Bugs knows he's bad. He stops at one point, looks at the camera, and tells us, "I do this kind of stuff throughout the picture."

Poor Elmer. What did he do to deserve this torment? I have to say, though, that after a slow start, the last half of this short became very funny. Bugs imitating a grizzly bear was a real howl, and the real bear chasing Elmer in the woods was good, too.

The sign greeting campers says, "Welcome to Jellostone National Park: A Restful Retreat." Elmer Fudd finds this to be a dirty lie when Bugs Bunny torments him for the fun of it. Bugs will trick Elmer into thinking day is night, mid-air is safe ground, and his rabbity self is a grizzly bear before Elmer commits an act he'll immediately regret.

In deference to Mr. Fudd, the opening credits are spelled out the way he would say them: Wobert Cwampett, Sid Sutherwand, Cawl W. Stawwing and so forth. The canyon setting is depicted with a realistic illusion of depth that is unusual for Warner Brothers cartoons. And Elmer makes one of his rare early appearances as a fat man - even though he was relatively slim before *and* after this brief period.

The gang at Termite Terrace were still feeling out Bugs in these early days, and they end up breaking a rule that they established for him only later: Bugs Bunny is a passive figure until sorely provoked. Elmer certainly doesn't provoke Bugs in this cartoon. He merely shows up.

Few complain about Bugs's obnoxious behavior. The film is wildly funny and makes the favorite list of many cartoon fans, including Leonard Maltin. Besides, Elmer's entire personality practically invites people to harass him.

This cartoon is available in the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume One," Disc 1.

I have made no secret of loving the Looney Tunes cartoons, and this cartoon featuring inspired duo Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd is no exception. Thanks to the brilliant visual gags and the razor sharp dialogue, Wabbit Twouble never ceases to be less than hugely entertaining. The animation is spotless and the music is rousing and dynamic. Although you do feel sorry for Elmer as he is the butt of the joke as is usually the case, you have to love Bugs here, he isn't what I feel as obnoxious but certainly devious and cunning. Their chemistry is another reason to see this cartoon, it is somewhat electric! And the voice acting of Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan is superb. Overall, a hilarious cartoon and definitely one I recommend. 10/10 Bethany Cox