Le lapin est en prison

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.

Of course, Bugs is one of the few characters who manages to always win in the end. To escape hunters, he tunnels his way out of danger, right into a prison year where Yosemite Sam (Schultz) is waiting for him. Soon he is unfairly incarcerated. What transpires are a series of tricks played on the guard as our bunny remains aloof. Quite good, actually.

Bugs tunnels into a prison yard and the guard (Yosemite) Sam Schulz believes him to be a prisoner. Now, what would any other bunny do? They'd probably just tunnel back out. But not Bugs, he uses his expert skills of lying, tricks and conviction to enrage Sam to boiling point.

In one classic Duck Season/Rabbit Season moment, Bugs is locked in a cell by Sam but claims that Sam is actually the one locked up. Sam angrily forces a switching of places. It's so funny, but he quickly realizes he's been duped.

The escalating anarchy soon causes Sam his job and before you know he's the one breaking rocks in the yard. Classic stuff!

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.

Sam Schultz is not a well-known persona of Sam but he's really hilarious in this cartoon. In fact, this cartoon is my 4th favorite Yosemite sam short, Despite not giving it a perfect score. Some of the jokes don't nail as well, then others, but that's just a small majority of the cartoon so it's not much of a loss. I absolutely love the setting of a Prison for a Looney tunes short, We only got this with bugs bunny another time, and that cartoon was Brilliant as well. Is the animation stunning? No, but this is still an essential viewing for any Looney tunes fan, Young and old. I can't quite place my finger on why I love this cartoon so much, I don't even remember seeing on TV that much when I was younger, But it's still awesome.

9.2/10.