La lepre scomparsa

In this Bugs Bunny episode, we meet the rascally rabbit living happily in a tree. And why are some people not OK with this? It is perfectly fine - it is actually quite a good touch to the episode - funny in some aspects.

Also, kissing can be quite funny, cartoon or real life. The way that the Looney Tunes characters used to do it can strike up a chuckle or two. In this day and age, I do not find it terribly funny, but it does not matter.

Anyhow, this is a very funny episode, another one of those ones where Bugs Bunny earns revenge from a nasty stage person. The animation of Bugs Bunny is good, the jokes are good (especially where Bugs Bunny is imitating a dog with his fingers) and the theme of the episode is used well.

In this short, a stage magician is putting up posters advertising his magic show. He so happens to pin a poster over the door of Bugs Bunny's home - a tree, funnily enough. Bugs Bunny starts to become annoyed with the stage magician, who in fact turns out to be an obnoxious meanie. Bugs Bunny will soon fight for revenge...

I recommend this Bugs Bunny episode for anyone who likes stage magic (a lot of the jokes here are based on it), old Bugs animation and Looney Tunes. Enjoy "Case of the Missing Hare"! :-)

Ala Bahma, the world renown magician is performing at Bijou Theater, amidst a lot of fanfare. (Billboards announcing this event are everywhere.) It turns out the slob magician is the one posting all the notices. He makes the mistake of posting on on a tree in which Bugs is occupying. (That's the first time I've seen Bugs living in a tree. What's with that?)

Anyway, Bugs gives the guy lip and the portly one throws a blackberry pie in the rabbit's face. It is then we hear the famous words, outside of "What's up, doc?" of a BB cartoon: "Of course, this means war!"

Unfortunately, the war isn't much. It would have been 5-10 years later in the Looney Tunes cartoons but these early 1940s ones weren't very wild. They were very tame - too tame - compared to the 1950s editions. In other words, not a lot happens here.

Also, what's with all the big kisses on the lips? It seems to be another trait of the period, along with the corny humor. I see it here several times and in other cartoons of the early '40s? Kissing your opponent on the lips.....was that supposed to be funny?

TIDBIT - Hey, all you up-and-coming magicians: it's not a good idea to get a bunny mad at you.

In "Case of the Missing Hare", Bugs Bunny takes matters in hand when vile magician Ala Bama (as mystical as the same-named state) plasters posters for his show all over Bugs' woodland home and gets plastered himself with a blackberry pie. Of course you realize, this means war!

That night at the theatre, the magician finds himself embarrassed, humiliated, clobbered and otherwise cut down to size by the vengeful Bugs as Ala tries to pres-ti-digi-toot (or pull) a rabbit out of his hat and fails...several times.

Director Jones and writer Pierce create a case for all magicians to stick with working with more docile animals...like tigers or lions, maybe. And as always, Mel Blanc's voices make it all the funnier.

Ten stars and a RED LIGHT for this nut "Case".

When a magician desecrates Bugs Bunny's tree home (yea I know Bugs doesn't usually live in a tree, but just go with it), the rabbit decides to go to the magician's show to heckle him unmercifully, making him look quite the fool in front of his audience. If you can get over the whole tree thing, you'll find that this IS a truly funny short, and worthy to be more widely known than it appears to be. This animated short can be found on Disk 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3 and includes an optional commentary by Greg Ford which is quite informative by itself and is worth at least one listen.

My Grade: B+

Bugs Bunny starts a war with a magician called Ala Bahma.When Ala is on stage, it's Bugs who comes out of his hat.Case of the Missing Hare (1942) is a Chuck Jones short.Mel Blanc is the voice of both Bugs Bunny and Ala Bahma.This short has a lot of hilarious stuff.Ever since Bugs gets a pie in the face and uses the Groucho Marx catchphrase: Of course you realize this means war! One funny moment is where Ala tries to lure Bugs out of the hat with a carrot, and Bugs hits Ala with a mallet that was meant for Bugs.And what about when Bugs pretends to be a little boy from the audience, assisting the magician.Bugs goes in the basket, and the magician sticks swords through it.Bugs screams inside the basket, as if the swords penetrate him.And that causes excessive sweating to Ali.Also the use of colors brings a stylish touch to this short.