Stage Door Cartoon

Elmer Fudd has his fishing gear, but he is fishing for Bugs Bunny. Of course, Bugs turns the table around on him. He chases Bugs into a theater where they are soon involved in the performance. Bugs takes advantage of Elmer's lack of skills.

This is the classic pairing of Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny. Despite that, this is not one of their classics. It doesn't have a standout gag. The premise is leading to a familiar place which could be a launching pad for something great. I don't think it ever truly takes off. That are some amusing gags like Elmer getting trapped in the piano. Ultimately, this is not their best.

As a Looney Tunes cartoon, Stage Door Cartoon is a very enjoyable if not entirely exceptional one. The title I did find somewhat misleading, and the transition from the traditional hunting-season opening to the stage antics with Bugs humiliating Elmer was a little rushed. However, the animation is colourful and lively enough, and there is a nice music score as well. The dialogue is sharp and witty, but even better were the often hilarious sight gags. Not to mention the surprise ending, which was so clever and unexpected. Bugs is still his cool, arrogant and witty self, while Elmer shows a sense of naivety and I kind of felt sorry for him as he was humiliated. Watching him change colour was not a pretty sight really. The voice work from Mel Blanc and Arthur Q.Bryan is superb as per usual, and I see I am not the only person who thought the Southern Sheriff sounded a lot like Yosemite Sam. Overall, unexceptional but amusing. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A takeoff on "Stage Door Canteen," this begins out in the wilds with the typical Bugs Bunny- making hunter Elmer Fudd-into an idiot routine. Finally, Elmer chases Bugs into the city and to a stage door of a vaudeville theater act that is going on.

To avoid being shot by Elmer, Bugs comes out on stage and tap dances. Each time he wants to get off stage, Elmer is there so Bugs has to keep dancing, and then play the piano since he sees Elmer inside with the shotgun pointed at him.

The real laughs of this cartoon start from that point as Bugs turns the tables on Elmer and makes a fool of him in front of the audience. He even cons the dumb Fudd into doing a striptease and then getting arrested. The surprise ending was good, one that fooled a lot of people, I'm sure. Bugs was one clever dude.

This can be seen as part of Volume Two of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.

Elmer Fudd is out hunting rabbits - Bugs Bunny in particular. When Bugs runs for cover, the two of them end up going in the stage door of a local theatre. With Fudd training the shotgun on him at all times, Bugs is forced to perform to avoid being shot.

With a title that sounds like it was a working title rather than a title meant to be used as the real title; certainly it isn't anywhere near the usual puns and such - and if you are able to remember the film Stagedoor Canteen, then you likely won't be watching this! The film starts out appearing to be an early Bugs in the way that he is quite slimly drawn and smart mouthed without too much of the later stuff. As an early Bugs (I assume!) this is OK but it is hardly the best example of Bugs' talents.

The material is a little weak and isn't really as funny as it should have been - certainly we have seen much better cartoons that involve Bugs and Elmer on a stage of some sort. The conclusion to the film is daft and not very funny - although the sheriff appears to be a first draft of Yosemite Sam.

Overall, this has the basic elements of Bugs that we all love but there are plenty of shorts of his that use the basic premise much better than this one.

Just rewatched this Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd cartoon on the Hollywood Canteen DVD 25 years after first seeing this on cable station WTBS back in the early '80s. In this one, the wabbit keeps trying to escape from Elmer's shotgun by going to a theater backstage and performing skits with the hunter an unwilling assistant. This was a highly amusing, if not completely hilarious, cartoon that brought a constant smile on my face especially when the familiar gags and music were being played. Also later on, Bugs disguises himself in costume and a voice that would later be used on another nemesis named Yosemite Sam. The title above might be a bit misleading for anyone expecting soldiers dancing with pretty women but otherwise, I heartily recommend Stage Door Cartoon.