Elmer's Pet Rabbit

This very unusual early teaming of Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny (long before he found his "voice") is of interest to hardcore fans, though it would be a while before they became the well-oiled machine...

I just finished watching this on MeTV Toons and I just have to say: why, Chuck Jones? Just why? In the opening sequence, it said "Featuring Bugs Bunny; when I heard him, it sounded NOTHING like him at all in terms of voice AND in character. Sure, he stayed Looney throughout, but that was not the Bugs Bunny that I know and love.

And look, Chuck Jones is one of my inspirations, but that was by far in my opinion his worst cartoon yet. I love the classic Looney Tunes cartoons, but the fact that I have to be honest and spread my negative opinion on this cartoon breaks my heart so much. I hope I never have to do this to a Bugs Bunny cartoon again.

This is a very, very early Bugs Bunny cartoon. As a result, the character is still in a transition period--he is not drawn as elongated as he later was and his voice isn't quite right. In addition, the chemistry between Elmer and Bugs is a little unusual. Elmer is some poor sap who buys Bugs from a pet shop--there is no gun or desire on his part to blast the bunny to smithereens! However, despite this, this is still a very enjoyable film. The early Bugs was definitely more sassy and cruel than his later incarnations. In later films, he messed with Elmer, Yosimite Sam and others because they started it--they messed with the rabbit. But, in this film, he is much more like Daffy Duck of the late 30s and early 40s--a jerk who just loves irritating others!! A true "anarchist" instead of the hero of the later cartoons. While this isn't among the best Bug Bunny cartoons, it sure is fun to watch and it's interesting to see just how much he's changed over the years.

Probably the two main significances of "Elmer's Pet Rabbit" are that the wacky leporid featured in "A Wild Hare" now has a name, and that he utters his famous "Of course you realize this means war!" for the first time. Mostly, the Termite Terrace crowd was still trying to figure out what exactly to do with this long-eared rascal. It's certainly a must-see for hard-core fans of this genre, but others will probably have little reason to take interest.

But make no mistake, it's quite hilarious what Bugs Bunny does to the eternally gullible Elmer Fudd. Clear shades of things to come abound throughout the cartoon. I recommend it.

I agree with a lot of the comments: this Bugs is different. After "A WILD HARE" by Tex Avery, this cartoon seems to be presenting some sort of "cousin" to Bugsy rather than the real thing. I noticed something very weird here: No BUCK TEETH!!! Not to mention this guy spoke in a different voice. Elmer is lovable and actually so is this strange bunny who wears yellow gloves, not white. He has some really funny moments. He does his share of highjinks and heckling, but still, this just isn't the Bugs we all know. So I have a suggestion: either they were still not sure who he was, or maybe he was trying to have some "range" of character!!!

Not a terrible member of the body of work I love, but not my fave either.