Hyde and Hare

Hyde and Hare is a Bugs cartoon from 1955, a very significant year for Bugs, as he was "deconstructed" by Friz and fellow director Chuck Jones. Bugs always showed great weaknesses in '55, but for a detailed and in-depth look at this unique year, read Kevin McCory's two articles on the subject, entitled "Hyde and Hare: An Overlooked Masterpiece" and its sequel, which takes a look at all '55 rabbit cartoons. Both can be found in the Articles section at looney.toonzone.net. Hyde and Hare in particular is interesting because Dr. Jekyll's formula returns him to a prehistoric barbarian, and Bugs tries to sell himself as an ordinary rabbit, one that has not evolved into the sophisticated, anthropomorphic bunny we know and love, because of his "carrot addiction". If you analyze this cartoon, you'll have a lot to think about.

On this day of Halloween, I thought I'd watch this Bugs Bunny cartoon in which he encounters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Jekyll is the timid man who often feeds Bugs carrots when he attends the local park. The bunny stops doing his cute routine to propose he take him as a pet, which Jekyll obliges. At his residence, he reluctantly takes a potion and...well, you can guess from there if you're familiar with the story. Pretty amusing with the ending quite the topper though perhaps not as hilarious as one hopes it would be. It's still entertaining enough and the transformation designs are fascinating to watch. Happy Halloween, everybody!

With a likable animation style that happens to crop up in a few good Looney Tunes cartoons, Hyde and Hare is, for myself, one of the better episodes. What I like about the cartoon is that it combines the traditional wild, slapstick WB themes and the rarer Disney-type themes that can run in Looney Tunes.

Based on Jekyll and Hyde, Bugs Bunny lives contentedly in a park, every day looking forward to meet the man who feeds him. One day, when Bugs goes up to retrieve a carrot from the man, he decides that he would like to just live with him and be done with it. The man seems to be very gentle, kind and quite delicate and takes to the (talking) rabbit, bringing him to his house. We later find out that the man is a doctor and has an evil potion that can temperamentally turn him into a monster. Cartoon confusions commence...

Expect a traditional Looney Tunes ending, as the first half is the Disney-type stuff. It is not all sweet and fluffy, but it is no big issue.

I recommend this episode to people who like "turning worms" Looney Tunes episodes, to people who like Bugs Bunny (he is very good in this episode) and to people who have a vague idea (or a big idea!) of the Jekyll and Hyde story. Enjoy "Hyde and Hare"! :-)

Bugs Bunny here presents himself as a normal, everyday bunny rabbit who is adopted and taken home by the mild-mannered Dr Jekyll.

Once in the house (playing the Minute Waltz by Chopin, no less) Bugs is startled to find himself chased by a green faced monster wielding an axe - Mr Hyde, after Dr Jekyll's transformation. During the chase the monster changes back to the good doctor several times and then back again (usually once the doctor and Bugs are in a locked room, or a cupboard, etc.).

Finally Bugs makes a run for it, but being the rabbit we know and love, and not that normal little bunny, he's taken something he shouldn't ...

'Hyde and Hare' is another hilarious and clever Bugs Bunny cartoon, as we have come to expect. It sends up the Stevenson novella and has echoes of the film versions in the transformation from Jekyll to Hyde. It can be found on the double-feature Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde DVD, alongside the feature films from 1932 and 1941.

"It's shameful; but it's a living," shrugs Bugs before he goes into his "timid little rabbit routine" so he can get his daily carrot from his "benefactor" at the park. Bugs plays it to the hilt, jumping into the man's arms and suggesting he adopt him as his pet and could feed him in bed every time. The quiet, unassuming little man is thrilled and carries Bugs to his home. The shock is that the man is "Dr. Jekyll!" It turns out both Bugs and "the doc" are not what they seem! This, then, was a two-joke cartoon the first part on the nice old man, the second on Bugs.

I enjoyed the funny bits with Bugs imitating Liberace and then Dr. Jekyll's quick transformations back and forth to Mr. Hyde. That was not overdone, only went for a couple of minutes and was entertaining.

The ending was the only weak part, too predictable and not funny. I still liked this cartoon, which was included in the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2 DVD.