Captain Hareblower

Short and wonderfully sweet. Every gag is timed and animated to perfection and there is even a good punchline (usually a cartoon short's most obvious problem). This is essentially a re-animated version of 1947's Buccaneer Bunny but the gags are timed even better.

I first saw "Captain Hareblower" in the compilation film "Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island". After all these years, I've finally seen the cartoon on its own. I almost never stopped laughing, as pirate Yosemite Sam (in full aggressive form) scares the crew off of a ship and then tries to get Bugs Bunny to surrender but Bugs always has a trick up his sleeve. With perfectly timed gags, I might add.

It's always so great to contrast the calm but acerbic Bugs with the violent but incompetent Sam. As I once read, Friz Freleng wanted a character who could take on Bugs. For Friz, it wasn't Elmer Fudd, a total sap. So, Friz came up with the smallest person imaginable and gave him the biggest voice imaginable. As a result, the roughest, toughest, he-man stuffest hombre as ever crossed the Rio Grande - and he ain't no namby-pamby - has always been a hoot, including in this cartoon.

While sometimes a little too reliant on slapstick, particularly in the middle half, and one or two of the sight gags are executed a little predictably, this cartoon is enormous fun. Just plain Looney fun with a lot of battle- of- the- wits just as I like it. The animation is excellent really colourful and expressive, the music is beautiful and rousing, the vocal characterisations are spot on as pretty much always and the writing is very funny and imaginative. Both Bugs and Yosemite Sam are on top form, and the story is engaging enough for both kids and adults.

In conclusion, this is a lot of rollicking fun. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Popular Bugs Bunny lampoon of Warners’ own CAPTAIN HORATIO HORNBLOWER (1951) – though already released on one of their various “Looney Tunes” sets, it makes for an ideal extra on the live-action epic’s DVD edition.

The film is virtually a 7-minute battle of wits between Bugs and his frequent sparring partner, the diminutive but pompous Yosemite Sam – here dubbed “Pirate Sam”. Typically, the former is a stowaway on a ship which is attacked by the latter – singlehandedly! The crew of its targeted vessel abandons ship, and the laidback but wily rabbit is then pushed into assuming command by Sam’s obstinate provocation…at which, naturally, he’s instantly adept (much to the pirate’s chagrin)! Of course, the amount of physical violence – predictably, endured mostly by Sam (being constantly surprised by Bugs’ cannonballs fired virtually at point-blank range) – wouldn’t pass muster in a ‘normal’ film from this era. Incidentally, while the cartoon retains the 19th century setting of the real Hornblower adventures, the script-writers couldn’t help inserting gags involving modern commodities – such as an electric fan (even when put under pressure, Bugs’ resourcefulness never seems to fail him) and an underwater costume (complete with flippers and goggles) for the characteristically underhanded Sam.

The finale, then, sees the two nonchalantly lighting a match – which they throw in the powder room of their respective opponent’s ship, daring one another to pick it up before the inevitable explosion. Of course, Sam’s vessel is blown to “smithereenies” first but, when Bugs’ turn comes, he doesn’t budge – the pirate loses his nerve and jumps overboard, a reaction which baffles the rabbit…given that his “powder” is of an entirely different sort i.e. the make-up variety (which is a classically absurdist “Looney Tunes” twist).

Very funny Bugs Bunny short where he plays a stowaway on a ship whose entire crew flees when confronted by pirate Yosemite Sam. Bugs isn't afraid of the diminutive buccaneer so he tells Sam if he wants the ship, he'll have to take it from him. This leads to a battle (and lots of cannon fire) between the two. Nothing particularly deep here, just lots of verbal back & forth and violent gags. Sam gets the worst of it, of course. Sam also has the best lines. Mel Blanc is great, as I'm sure you expect. The music is good. The animation is nice and colorful. I liked the last bit a lot. It's fun to see Bugs thrown a curveball from time to time. Not the funniest Bugs & Sam short that I've seen but a good one.