Bugs' Bonnets

Last updated
Bugs' Bonnets
BugsBonnetsTC.png
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Tedd Pierce
Produced by Edward Selzer (uncredited)
StarringVoice characterizations:
Mel Blanc
Arthur Q. Bryan (uncredited)
Narrated byOpening narration:
Robert C. Bruce (uncredited)
Music by Milt Franklyn
Animation by Ken Harris
Abe Levitow
Ben Washam
Richard Thompson
Layouts by Robert Gribbroek
Backgrounds by Richard H. Thomas
Color process Technicolor
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • January 14, 1956 (1956-01-14)
Running time
6:49
Language English

Bugs' Bonnets is a 1956 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. [1] The short was released on January 14, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. [2] The film has both Bugs and Elmer constantly change social roles and personas, based on a series of hats which land on their heads. The film ends with Bugs and Elmer marrying each other, and moving to a cottage. It is a humorous depiction of a same-sex marriage.

Contents

Plot

The narrative begins with an exploration of the impact of clothing on human behavior. Illustrated through a businessman's metamorphosis into a pirate persona and Elmer Fudd's transition from mundane attire to hunting garb, the narrative underscores how attire can evoke distinct behavioral responses.

To further illustrate this phenomenon, an event occurs when a truck from the Acme Theatrical Hat Co. accidentally scatters hats across the landscape. This event leads to a series of exchanges as Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd don various hats, each triggering a corresponding shift in behavior. Amidst a chase replete with hat exchanges, Bugs adopts roles ranging from a military sergeant to a game warden, while Elmer transforms into General Douglas MacArthur and a pilgrim, among others. Each hat exchange catalyzes a temporary alteration in behavior, leading to confrontations and exchanges between the characters.

Ultimately, the narrative culminates in a whimsical mock wedding ceremony, symbolizing the capricious nature of human behavior and the enduring allure of romantic tropes. As Bugs and Elmer engage in playful antics adorned with incongruous hats, the scene is set to Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" as Bugs carries Elmer to a cottage.

Voice characterizations

Reaction

Reaction to the film has been mixed. Reviews on Letterboxd were more positive than negative, in Rate Your Music they received a 3 star average rating. [3] Film Music Central also rated it very positively. [4]

Animation historian Michael Barrier said of the film in a Funnyworld magazine essay over Chuck Jones:

The preciosity that destroyed some of Jones' earliest cartoons . . . giving them a mincing, self-conscious quality . . . shows up [in] Bugs' Bonnets, a dreary exposition on the notion that the hat one wears shapes one's personality. [5]

Home media

Bugs' Bonnets is available on the four-disc DVD box set Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5 , [6] as well as the similar, two-disc DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 5.

Related Research Articles

<i>Whats Opera, Doc?</i> 1957 animated short

What's Opera, Doc? is a 1957 American Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on July 6, 1957, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

<i>Merrie Melodies</i> Cartoon series owned by Warner Bros. (1931–1969 and 1988–1997)

Merrie Melodies is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the Looney Tunes franchise and featured many of the same characters. It originally ran from August 2, 1931, to September 20, 1969, during the golden age of American animation, though it was revived in 1979, with new shorts sporadically released until June 13, 1997. Originally, Merrie Melodies placed emphasis on one-shot color films in comparison to the black-and-white Looney Tunes films. After Bugs Bunny became the breakout character of Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes transitioned to color production in the early 1940s, the two series gradually lost their distinctions and shorts were assigned to each series randomly.

<i>Rabbit Fire</i> 1951 American animated short film directed by Chuck Jones

Rabbit Fire is a 1951 Looney Tunes cartoon starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd. Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, the cartoon is the first in Jones' "hunting trilogy"—the other two cartoons following it being Rabbit Seasoning and Duck! Rabbit, Duck! It is also the first cartoon to feature a feud between Bugs and Daffy. Produced by Edward Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, the short was released to theaters on May 19, 1951 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is often considered among Jones' best and most important films.

<i>A Wild Hare</i> 1940 Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Tex Avery

A Wild Hare is a 1940 American animated comedy short film directed by Tex Avery, produced by Leon Schlesinger, and distributed by Warner Bros. as part of the Merrie Melodies series. The film was released on July 27, 1940, and features Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny, the latter making what is considered his first official appearance.

<i>Elmers Candid Camera</i> 1940 Bugs Bunny cartoon

Elmer's Candid Camera is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon short directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on March 2, 1940, and features Elmer Fudd and an early Bugs Bunny prototype.

<i>Rabbit Seasoning</i> 1952 American film by Chuck Jones

Rabbit Seasoning is a 1952 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. Released on September 20, 1952, the short stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

<i>Duck! Rabbit, Duck!</i> 1953 film by Chuck Jones

Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is a 1953 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Charles M. Jones. The cartoon was released on October 3, 1953 and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

<i>A Corny Concerto</i> 1943 animated short film directed by Bob Clampett

A Corny Concerto is a 1943 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on September 25, 1943, and stars Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck.

<i>Slick Hare</i> 1947 film by Friz Freleng

Slick Hare is a 1947 Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The film was released on November 1, 1947, and features Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. It parodies the Mocambo nightclub in Los Angeles—in the cartoon referred to as "The Mocrumbo". Mel Blanc voices Bugs, Arthur Q. Bryan voices Elmer Fudd and impressionist Dave Barry portrays Humphrey Bogart. The title is a pun on "hair", from an era when hair slicked down by oil was a popular fashion style for men.

<i>The Wabbit Who Came to Supper</i> 1942 Bugs Bunny cartoon by Friz Freleng

The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is a 1942 Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. It was released on March 28, 1942, and directed by Friz Freleng.

<i>Easter Yeggs</i> 1947 film by Robert McKimson

Easter Yeggs is a 1947 Looney Tunes theatrical animated short. The cartoon was released on June 28, 1947, and features Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The title is a play on "Easter eggs" and on "yegg", a slang term for a burglar or safecracker. The voice and characterization of the Easter Bunny in the short is a reference to a character that Mel Blanc performed on the Burns and Allen radio show, the morose Happy Postman, even including the character's catch phrase, "Remember, keep smiling."

<i>Pre-Hysterical Hare</i> 1958 film by Robert McKimson

Pre-Hysterical Hare is a 1958 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce. The short was released on November 1, 1958, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The two are in their usual hunter-and-bunny antics, but set in the Stone Age.

<i>Stage Door Cartoon</i> 1944 film by Friz Freleng

Stage Door Cartoon is a 1944 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on December 30, 1944, and features Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

<i>The Wacky Wabbit</i> 1942 Bugs Bunny cartoon

The Wacky Wabbit is a 1942 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. It stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

Beanstalk Bunny is a 1955 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on February 12, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. The cartoon's story is derived from the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk".

<i>Rabbit Rampage</i> 1955 short film by Chuck Jones

Rabbit Rampage is a 1955 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on June 11, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny.

<i>Hare Do</i> 1949 film

Hare Do is a 1949 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon. The short was released on January 15, 1949, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

<i>Bugs Bunnys Bustin Out All Over</i> 1980 TV special

Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over is a springtime-themed Looney Tunes television special which aired on CBS on May 21, 1980.

<i>This Is a Life?</i> 1955 film

This Is a Life? is a 1955 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, written by Warren Foster, and produced by Edward Selzer, with music directed by Milt Franklyn. The short was released on July 9, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny. The voices were performed by Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan, and June Foray in her first work for Warner Bros. This is one of the few Bugs Bunny cartoons whose title does not contain Bugs, bunny, rabbit/wabbit or hare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmer Fudd</span> Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Elmer J. Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring himself and other antagonizing characters. He speaks in an unusual way, replacing his Rs and Ls with Ws, so he often refers to Bugs Bunny as a "scwewy" or "wascawwy (rascally) wabbit". Elmer's signature catchphrase is, "Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits", as well as his trademark laughter.

References

  1. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 291. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–62. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Bugs' Bonnets (Film, Animation): Reviews, Ratings, Cast and Crew - Rate Your Music". rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  4. ↑ Central, Film Music (2018-12-06). "Reviewing Looney Tunes: Bugs' Bonnets (1956)". Film Music Central. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  5. ↑ Barrier, Michael, "Jones: 'Night Watchman' to 'Phantom Tollbooth'". Funnyworld No. 13 (1971).
  6. ↑ imdb.com - DVD details for Bugs' Bonnets

Sources

Preceded by Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1956		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.