What's My Lion?

Elmer Fudd has always been a lovable and funny character, who particularly shines in his legendary partnerships with Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny (especially the latter). He's not the brightest bulb on the block, but that's part of his charm.

A vast majority of his cartoons range from very good to classic. Unfortunately every Looney Tunes character has had at least one misstep, and 'What's My Lion' is one such example for Elmer, along with 'Yankee Dood It' 'Good Night Elmer' and especially 'Pre-Hysterical Hare' (down there with the worst of Looney Tunes in general), didn't care for 'Heir-Conditioned' much either.

There are a few things that save it. The best thing about it is Milt Franklyn's music, he's done better and there has always been a personal preference to Carl Stalling but Franklyn's music is still vibrant, dynamic and energetic. The ending while predictable is amusing, and Rocky the Mountain Lion is fun enough and very well characterised by Mel Blanc.

However, Elmer disappoints here. Not helped by him being side-lined in favour of Rocky and a pretty dull chemistry between the two, Elmer is bland here and even for a dim-witted character he's more a dope (he's never been this dopey since 'Good Night Elmer' perhaps) than usual and it's annoying rather than endearing. He's also stiffly animated, and although it is hard to come close to Arthur Q. Bryan, who was unbeatable as Elmer, a very ill-sounding Hal Smith is a very poor replacement, it did agreed sound like he had had something drastic done to his throat or something.

Animation-wise, Elmer's stiff character animation is not the only thing that looks bad. Everything looks ugly and cheap, with flat colours and the drawing looking scratchy, rushed-looking and stiff. Aside from the ending, 'What's My Lion' feels tired rather than energised and is lacking in wit and more importantly in effective laughs, which are too few in the first place.

In conclusion, a lacklustre at best effort, Elmer deserved better than this. Has some historical interest, but apart from a few redeeming merits there is not much to recommend with 'What's My Lion'. 4/10 Bethany Cox

A frightened mountain lion takes refuge from hunting season inside the home of Elmer Fudd. The penultimate Elmer Fudd cartoon in the Looney Tunes classic era is a boring effort notable for being his final starring short and final short with any lines. Sadly Elmer is not voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan, as he had died in 1959. The voice work here is handled by Hal Smith, best known to classic TV fans as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show. I can't say enough nice things about Smith as Otis but his Elmer leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, measuring up to Arthur Q. Bryan is nearly impossible, but this is still pretty far off the mark. Smith's Elmer sounds like he's recovering from throat surgery. As for the animation, the backgrounds are flat and the coloring is poor and unattractive. The sound effects are loud and annoying. The whole thing is ugly-looking and not funny. Best part is the final bit and even that's not worth more than a chuckle.

Elmer J. Fudd's last major role in a Termite Terrace short is poor one. Hal Smith voices him, without any of the fruitiness that Arthur Q. Bryan put into the role for decades; the script isn't about him and the look of the cartoon is that scritchy look that DePatie-Freleng used when Warner Brother's decided they had made a mistake ending cartoon production four years later. It's ugly and pointless and the entire production seems to have a yellow wash over the print.

Other than that, it's mediocre. It's not about Elmer, but about Rocky Lion, Warner's reaction to one of Hanna-Barbera's better characters, Snagglepuss, It's hunting season and Rocky is trying to avoid being killed. The gags are all right, but between Hal Smith's Fudd and the annoying art, it's of no more than historical interest. It's an unfortunate end for a major character who had first been mentioned a quarter of a century earlier in a Tashlin cartoon.

Notably Elmer Fudd's last major film appearance (even though he did make a cameo in 1962's "Crow's Feat") and the second and last time Hal Smith did the voice of Elmer after Arthur Q. Bryan passed away. Having evidentially given up hunting rabbits and ducks to concentrate on bigger game, Elmer puts up a sign proclaiming the start of hunting season. After that he lets other, unseen crack shots do the dirty work for him while he relaxes in his luxurious holiday resort cabin.

Rocky the mountain lion loses his reading glasses whilst being shot at and hides out in the same cabin where Elmer is staying. You know, like Indiana Jones in "Raiders" when he just happened to take refuge in the one tent his long lost love Marion was tied up in. At least it would have been like that if Rocky and Elmer had a history together.

Rocky takes the place of a mounted lion (by sticking his head through a convenient hole in the wall), but when he tries to steal Elmer's food he gets a nasty surprise. If you find it hard to believe all of these animals mounted on the wall were actually shot by the Fuddster, the ending will probably come as no surprise. Lucky for Rocky hunting season never lasts long in Warner cartoons.

5 out of 10