The Fair Haired Hare

This is a very engaging and humorous short with Bugs engaged in a battle of wits with Yosemite Sam. Sam makes an ideal foe for Bugs, as his temper lends itself to all manner of situations. Elmer makes a good foil, as it makes sense why a hunter would want to shoot a rabbit, but Sam opens up many more possibilities. Interestingly, one of the more effectively utilized characters in the more recent shorts made in the 1990s is Sam. Here the action centers around a property dispute and sight gags and verbal wordplay are both in abundance and a great time is had by all. Good to see it's available. Well worth watching. Most recommended.

Funny Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam short directed by Friz Freleng. This one has Sam building his home right on top of Bugs' rabbit hole. To settle the matter of who has rights to the land, they go to court (in a hilarious bit about the "highest court in the country"), where the judge decides they must share until one of them dies. Well, you can imagine what thought immediately springs to Sam's mind. It's a very entertaining and clever cartoon. The animation is beautiful with rich colors and well-drawn characters and backgrounds. Typically solid voice work from the great Mel Blanc. Lively music from Carl Stalling. Highlights include Bugs and Sam singing, a vicious bear rug, "Shut up shuttin' up," and a game of Russian roulette with poisoned carrot juice. Really fun short with possibly the two greatest cartoon rivals ever. Definitely recommended.

Obviously, "The Fair Haired Hare" is one of the many instances in which Yosemite Sam provokes Bugs Bunny and then Bugs gets revenge (one of the rules about the Bugs Bunny cartoons is that Bugs never provokes the unpleasant situation). But watching the cartoon, I thought that it loosely resembled those B-movies in which animals take revenge on humans. It wouldn't even have to be a case of an atomic test's causing the animal(s) to turn giant, as was the case in "Them!". When you look at how Sam builds his house over Bugs's rabbit hole, it makes sense that Bugs does what he does. Of course, people for centuries have been building their houses on animals' homes; therefore, if all animals could do what Bugs does, then we humans would be in big trouble! Although I have to admit that I would consider it an honor to have Bugs trash my life.

Whatever the case, this is a pretty funny cartoon. Friz Freleng certainly created a formidable opponent for Bugs Bunny in the roughest, toughest, he-man stuffest hombre as ever crossed the Rio Grande (and he ain't no namby-pamby), even if Yosemite Sam was no more competent than Elmer Fudd. Worth seeing.

I have always loved Bugs paired with Yosemite Sam, and The Fair Haired Hare is one of their better shorts. The story is not routine or predictable in any way, and is very energetically paced. The animation is just beautiful, both characters are well drawn, the backgrounds have a great amount of detail and the colours are vibrant. The music score has always been a big part of why Looney Tunes shorts have been so good, and The Fair Haired Hare is no exception with lively orchestration and catchy melody. The writing is fresh and witty, with inspired wordplay, memorable puns and rapid rapport between Bugs and Sam. The gags are clever and very funny, I can't get enough of the gag where Bugs gets stuck in the bear rug. Bugs and Sam are both on top form, just doing what they do best, Bugs' likability and Sam's abrasiveness contrast wonderfully. The voice acting of Mel Blanc is superb. All in all, brilliant and one of the better Bugs Bunny/Yosemite Sam shorts. 10/10 Bethany Cox