Bugs Bunny Superstar

Documentary on the creators of Looney Tunes and how they created the various characters. Intespersed are some great cartoons--6 Bugs Bunny ones, a Tweety Bird one, a Foghorn Leghorn one and a Porky Pig and Daffy one.

The documentary is narrated by Orson Welles (!!!!). It might have seemed like a good idea but his deep, heavy voice and total inability to tell a joke correctly really dampens it. There are some interesting little tidbits about Looney Tunes--how they were originally made just for adults and how there was a big outcry when people realized Tweety Bird was naked (!!!). But the real reason to see this are the cartoons. They're in great shape in strong, bright colors. Also they show ones that don't usually appear at other retrospectives--I only recognized 2 of the Bugs Bunny ones. All of them are great but "Carny Concereto" and "Rhapsody Rabbit" are exceptional.

Ignore the docu stuff and concentrate on the cartoons. Lots of fun!

When I was five, I first saw the documentary "Bugs Bunny Superstar" and my parents made me a tape of it; unfortunately, we accidentally taped over the end. Now that I've seen the whole thing again - and that I'm old enough to understand what it shows - I can accurately comment on it.

It starts with a disembodied voice (actually Orson Welles narrating) showing photographs of the places representing the greatest minds: the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids, the Parthenon, the Coliseum, the Eiffel Tower, the White House (well, not currently), Termite Terrace...wait a minute, Termite Terrace? Yes, Termite Terrace. For the uninformed, it's the back-lot on the Warner Bros. studios where they created the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons. So begins a cinematic trip down Memory Lane.

The movie consists of an interview with animator Bob Clampett explaining how they created Bugs, Daffy, Porky, etc. When I was really young, even though I saw the caricatures of Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre and Edward G. Robinson - plus the scenes from "The Jazz Singer" and "It Happened One Night" - I couldn't interpret anything from them, but of course now I can. It was especially neat to hear about the typical days in Termite Terrace; it all sounded really fun! But of course, the best parts are the nine classic cartoons included in the movie to affirm what Clampett says. All released before 1948, they give one a true sense of old-time cinema (especially with Bugs Bunny at the Oscars). As it is, this documentary's 1975 release brings to mind the '50s nostalgia that had swept the country, as displayed by "Happy Days". While the stuff portrayed here is pre-'50s, it still makes one nostalgic for the old times. You're sure to have a real hare-raising time! There's also an interview with Friz Freleng, some footage of Mel Blanc, while Elmer, Sylvester, Tweety, and Foghorn also appear in the cartoons.

One more thing. When MGM released "Bugs Bunny Superstar" on video in 1988, they also released the video collections "BUGS!" (whose cover showed Bugs holding an Oscar), "DAFFY!" (showing Daffy wearing sunglasses), "PORKY!" (showing Porky driving a fancy car), and "ELMER!" (showing Elmer sitting in a director's chair). In keeping with the documentary, they all contained cartoons released before or during 1948 (e.g., "Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid", "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery", "Baby Bottleneck" and "Good Night, Elmer"). I wonder why MGM released them onto video.

I am 34 years old and I watched this movie for the first time today with my two boys. It has been a long time since I have laughed this hard at a show. The boys thought I was just as funny because I would tell them about my childhood days while we watched. Family entertainment and quality time together...you cannot beat it!

Bugs Bunny Superstar (1975)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Orson Welles narrates this documentary that's hosted by Robert Clampett as he tells the story of Bugs Bunny as well as some of the other famous characters including Daffy, Porky, Sylvester and Tweety. This documentary clocks in at 90 minutes and features several shorts in their entirety. These include MY FAVORITE DUCK, HAIR RAISING HARE, THE OLD GREY HARE, RHAPSODY RABBIT, WALKY TALKY HAWKY, THE WILD HARE, THE CORNY CONCERTO, I TAW A PUTTY TAT and WHAT'S COOKIN' DOC? These shorts are of different quality but there's certainly not a bad one in the bunch.

The real highlight is the actual documentary because Clampett serves as a terrific host and we're given all sorts of promotional materials as well as several behind-the-scenes stories including some video footage of the original crew messing around on the set of Warner. There's some great stories about various Hollywood legends who would show up at the studio wondering how the animation was done. We get a nice bit of education on not only the studio and the characters but also how exactly these shorts were made. Fans of Bugs Bunny will certainly enjoy watching the shorts and hearing the stories.

This compilation features priceless archival footage from the WB animation artists' working and living conditions, and nine entertaining, timeless cartoon shorts. Although it eventually wears you out a little (I think those cartoons look better if taken in smaller doses), it is a much better choice for family viewing than many, many other films that claim to serve the same purpose. Long live Bugs! (***)