Rabbit Hood

Bugs Bunny is caught stealing carrots from the King's carrot patch by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Classic short directed by Chuck Jones with a story by Michael Maltese. This one's lots of fun. Beautifully animated with well-drawn character and backgrounds. The lovely Technicolor is always a plus. Great voice work the incomparable Mel Blanc as Bugs, the Sheriff, and the dimwitted Little John who has a funny recurring bit. Rousing score from Carl W. Stalling. Lots of great gags and lines. Two of my favorites are the real estate scam and the classic knighting gag. The Errol Flynn cameo at the end (via footage from a certain movie that should be too obvious for me to bother naming) always brings a smile to my face.

Great wiseacre comedy, like every Chuck Jones Bugs Bunny. One of the few that incorporated live-action cameos. Pay close attention when the Sheriff of Nottingham comes to an immense clearing and spies (to a rapid drumbeat) something red in the distance. He strains and squints to make it out, but all we can see is a red line moving slowly across the meadow straight for him. As it approaches it picks up speed and we can see it is a red carpet rapidly unrolling itself. It finishes unrolling directly at the Sheriff's feet, revealing Bugs dressed as the king of England...and no matter how many times you have seen it, Bugs' expression of serene tranquility and the Sheriff's reaction of utter astonishment and discombobulation will have you on the floor! "I knight you," King Bugs proclaims, "Sir Loin of Beef..."

You know, the world of movies was different before the late fifties. Once you released a film, it had a run, hopefully a long one. Then it was gone, as if it never existed. Then we had TeeVee that started to show just-out-of-release movies, then Ted Turner showing old movies from collections he purchased, and then tapes and DVDs. Now movies can be seen by anyone at any time.

But not then, and if it was big, the studios could rerelease it, and get a second round of return. Such was the case with "Robin Hood." And to increase the buzz, they commissioned this, essentially an ad and featuring a publicity still of Errol Flynn.

There's something a bit wonderful about how Bugs grew up as a character, and its pretty sophisticated what happens here. Bugs is treated as if he were an actor hired to play a part, a Robin Hood part. Its highly introspective humor this. No joke is funny, but the very idea is miraculous.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

I very much enjoyed this Bugs Bunny cartoon for the following reasons: 1. The way they played on the Robin Hood + Little John + Sheriff of Nottingham stories. 2. Bugs Bunny's character and how he reacts to the cartoon's situations, here he is a very intelligent bunny. 3. The humour, it is often very witty and quite unexpected. When it is slapsticky and predictable, though, it is still pretty well pulled off. 4. The background animation, very lovely colours and animation style. 5. The cameo appearance of a famous actor at the end, obviously taken from a film.

If there was anything that I felt was imperfect about the cartoon, it was the fact that it was slightly slapsticky at points (there is one dragged out slapstick bit near the end which the makers could have cut a little).

In this cartoon, Bugs Bunny has unknowingly arrived at the castle grounds of the King in Robin Hood's time and has picked a carrot from the King's Carrot Patch. Unfortunately, the King has a strict policy for whoever steals his carrots and it seems to be the rack for Bugs Bunny if he does not manage to escape...

I recommend this cartoon to anyone who likes Bugs Bunny and to anyone who likes a good enough mixture of slapstick and witty humour in a Looney Tunes cartoon. Enjoy, "Rabbit Hood"! :-) 8 and a half out of ten.

P.S Did anyone else notice that the tune for the opening credits was the same one they used for "Duck Amuck" in about 4 years time?

Rabbit Hood (1949)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

The master Chuck Jones directed this hilarious spoof on the Robin Hood tale. The film starts off in the King's carrot garden where we're told that there's to be no trespassing. Flash over to a hairy arm coming out from behind a sign and it's Bugs Bunny trying to get a carrot, which sets off an alarm and soon he's doing battle with one of the King's men. This here is without question one of the best Looney Tunes out there as we get all sorts of great action as well as some funny twists throughout the film. The action includes Bugs constantly trying to outsmart this guy with all sorts of good violence including a very funny bit where he dresses as the King and beats the man over the head. Another great scene takes place in the King's rose garden where Bugs convinces his chaser to buy it from him. There's a nice twist at the end with Errol Flynn doing a cameo and it's pretty priceless and especially Bugs response.