The Wabbit Who Came to Supper

An 8? Come on. This one deserves a ten. Friz Freleng did a wonderful job. Elmer inherits $1,000,000 from his uncle, but he doesn't get the money if he harms Bugs who makes this concept just about impossible. Classic scene when Bugs is outside Elmer's door pretending to freeze to death? Bugs: You know, this scene ought to get me the academy award.

When Elmer Fudd's Uncle Louie bequeaths him 3 million dollars on the condition that he doesn't hurt any living creatures, Bugs Bunny exploit's the situation by moving into his house and taking over his life. Friz Freleng's 'The Wabbit Who Came to Supper' is a fun take on a classic, much used storyline which was probably best realised in the Tom and Jerry classic 'The Million Dollar Cat'. Freleng's take on the tale is also very fine, overcoming the odd pacing problems with some very funny moments. My favourite bit is Bugs's petty duping of Elmer out of a nickel. Also notable is the famous premature New Year routine and the early take on the "Don't go down there, it's dark" gag (perfected in 'Hair Raising Hare'). This is a very early Bugs Bunny cartoon and you can occasionally tell by the odd look of the characters. Aside from the obese version of Elmer (an early experiment that was quickly abandoned), Bugs occasionally looks extremely weird, never more so than in the scene when he examines his teeth in a mirror. Nevertheless, it's a joy to watch Bugs and Elmer alternately turn the tables on each other resulting in a great climactic chase. The closing gag is a little weak but by that time 'The Wabbit Who Came to Supper' has done more than enough to endear itself to the viewer. While it falls short of classic, 'The Wabbit Who Came to Supper' never fails to entertain with its fast paced, well-timed antics.

When an enormous original Elmer Fudd, who is hunting Bugs at the time, gets a telegram that he has inherited three million dollars but may harm no animals, he thinks he's in heaven. Unfortunately, Bugs sees the telegram and begins to make the big guy's life miserable. He moves into his house and takes advantage of every perk there is. As a viewer, it is hard to watch because Bugs is a nasty figure.

"The Wabbit Who Came to Supper" gives one the idea of milking a situation to the nth degree. When Elmer Fudd - looking like a walking heart attack (they were making him fat at this time so as to resemble his voice artist Arthur Q. Bryan) - receives a letter telling him that he'll inherit $3 million as long as he doesn't harm any animals, especially rabbits, Bugs Bunny (who overheard Elmer reading the telegram) promptly invades Elmer's house and does everything possible to annoy Elmer. How I would love to try that! It just goes to show why these cartoons were so great: they were never afraid to pull any wacky gag that they could think of. And this one has some great gags! So check it out. You're sure to love it.

And remember: don't go down there; it's dark!

In this Friz Freeling directed cartoon short, Elmer stops trying to hunt for Bugs in the forest with his dogs after receiving a telegram telling that his Uncle Louie will give him three million dollars if Elmer stops harming animals-especially "wabbits". Well, when Bugs hears of this, you know he'll annoy the "fat boy" constantly! (Mr. Fudd was drawn on the heavyset side during this period)...If you love to see Bugs at his most obnoxious, this is the cartoon for you! Many gags are probably familiar to you if you've seen a ton of Warner Bros. cartoons. There's one scene when Bugs gets thrown out and he does a hysterical routine that has him breaking the fourth wall and saying, "This could get me the Academy Award!" On that note, I highly recommend The Wabbit Who Came to Supper.