Big House Bunny

Bugs is looking for a "sanctuary" as hunters are firing all around him. He digs a deep hole and comes out in the yard of "Sing Song" prison, where a guard immediately captures him. That guard - Sam Schultz - is really Yosemite Sam, as we know him, with a prison guard's uniform.

Sam puts the stripes on Bugs and has him pounding rocks. (All the old prison movie clichés are used in this cartoon.)

The rest of the animated short has Bugs trying to escape from the prison, getting caught all the time, and constantly outwitting the dumb "Sam Schultz" with every ploy....at least temporarily. The humor is decent, about average, but very watchable.

Big House Bunny is not among the best but I enjoyed it a lot. Bugs is still witty and likable, but he is somewhat predictable at the same time. Yosemite Sam works really well with him and utters some of the best lines, and the warden is a great surprise with an even bigger temper than Sam! The animation once again is crisp, colourful and lively. All the characters are drawn more than adequately, the jail is a suitably foreboding setting and the use of colours and backgrounds make Big House Bunny a pleasure for the senses. The music is energetic and rousing, the dialogue is fresh with a lot of wit, the sight gags all work with some hilarious and some surprisingly morbid(not a bad thing) and the story while simple doesn't fall into the predictability area too much. Mel Blanc does a wonderful job once again with the voices.

Overall, a great cartoon. 9/10 Bethany Cox

When Bugs Bunny accidentally tunnels into Sing Sing prison, gard Yosemite Sam mistakes him for a prisoner and wacky hijinks ensue. A lot of humorous gags are in this 7 minute short, such as Bugs tricking Sam into locking himself up, as well as numerous others. This short is further proof (as if we needed any) that Robert McKimson was so very mediocre as both this and 'Big Top Bunny' were written by Tedd Peirce, however this short was directed by Fritz Freleng and the difference really shows. As this short is infinitely more funny.The interaction between Bugs and Sam is great as well. This funny cartoon is on Disk 1 of the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1"

My Grade: A

Friz Freleng's 'Big House Bunny' benefits greatly from a good script by Tedd Pierce. Despite a couple of nonsensical jokes (hey, how'd he get out of there? And how did that noose get round his neck?), Pierce's writing takes the action in some unpredictable directions and punctuates it with some amusing wisecracks. Running away from some hunters who are distinctly more threatening than Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny takes refuge in Sing Song prison where he is immediately victimised by Sam Schulz (Yosemite Sam). Inevitably, Bugs turns the tables on Sam resulting in prisoner and free man switching places. Particularly memorable in the barrage of gags are the ball and chain in the cannon joke and the highly unusual climactic visual pun. While these old-rivalry-in-a-new-setting cartoons can sometimes prove tedious, Tedd Pierce's inventive writing ensures 'Big House Bunny' rises above the average efforts.

Bugs Bunny is on the run from hunters during rabbit season. He digs and ends up inside Sing Sing Prison. Prison guard Sam Schultz assumes him to be a prisoner. It is a constant battle as Bugs keeps escaping.

Sam Schultz is basically Yosemite Sam in design. He does act slightly differently like not shooting guns randomly. I like the two battling characters, but I expected a hulking prisoner as the third. I do wonder if Sam shouldn't be thrown into prison right after hitting the Warden. The stool pigeon joke is kinda funny, but I did take a beat to get it. I'm also not sure which crime is his serving.