From Hare to Heir

From Hare to Heir
Directed by	Friz Freleng
Story by	Friz Freleng
Produced by	John Burton, Sr. (uncredited)
Starring	Mel Blanc
Music by	Milt Franklyn
Animation by	Gerry Chiniquy Art Davis Virgil Ross
Layouts by	Hawley Pratt
Backgrounds by	Tom O'Loughlin
Color process	Technicolor
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	September 3, 1960 (USA premiere)
Running time	6 minutes 31 seconds

From Hare to Heir is a 1960 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon short directed and written by Friz Freleng. ^[1] The short was released on September 3, 1960, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. ^[2]

Plot

In Bedlam Manor, Sam, Duke of Yosemite, learns he is penniless from one of his servants, because his uncle, the King, has cut off his allowance (possibly due to losing temper too many times). After Sam punishes the servant for this message, Bugs Bunny comes to his door and offers Sam £1 million. According to the document that Bugs reads, Sam must prove that he is worthy of the monetary gift by displaying mild temperament at all times; if he loses his temper at any time, a portion of the £1 million will be deducted, the amount depending on what Bugs thinks is suitable. Sam welcomes Bugs into his home, excited to receive the £1 million.

Bugs plays the role of an annoying house guest to test Sam's temperament. During dinner, Bugs keeps asking Sam for various condiments one by one (first asking for salt, then asking for pepper, and finally asking for olives). Sam takes it in stride at first, but it becomes too much. Unfortunately, going into a closet to express vexation does not help, as Bugs can hear him through the door, so Sam loses £300 which is changed to £400 after another burst of anger, prompting Sam to run outside into the distance to let off more steam.

Bugs' provoking of Sam continues that night by playing the piano while loudly and obnoxiously singing Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair while Sam is trying to sleep. Sam bursts out of his room and screams for him to stop. After Bugs deducts some more money, Sam requests that he play "Brahms' Lullaby" so that he can fall asleep. Bugs agrees, but instead he becomes the form of a one-man marching band pacing back and forth right outside Sam's bedroom door. This ticks off Sam even more, but he is able to pretend that he likes it.

Next morning, Bugs hogs the bathroom and Sam shouts for him to get out, the first demand resulting in Bugs slamming the door into him (without being penalized) and the second costing him another £400 plus 35 shillings. After furiously pounding his head on the piano (with Bugs thinking the noise is a "song") and realizing he is not going to have any money left if the temper-losing deductions keep up, Sam gets an idea to get rid of Bugs and make it look like an accident. He saws a hole in the floor outside the bathroom door and covers the hole with a mat so that when Bugs comes out of the bathroom and walks into it, he will go through and plunge into the river below. When Bugs still will not budge from the bathroom, Sam bursts in and pushes him out, but Bugs traverses across the covered hole and Sam falls through it, cursing in gibberish all the way down. A drenched Sam charges back upstairs and is told by Bugs that he can use the bathroom now. Sam charges towards Bugs but has completely forgotten about the hole between them, falling through and plunging into the river again, bellowing out the same cursive gibberish as before.

Later that day, Bugs climbs up a long staircase. Sam is awaiting for him at the top, posing as a statue in armor. When Bugs gets close enough, Sam takes a swing at his head with an ax, but Bugs ducks and he falls down the stairs, cursing in gibberish all the way down. Bugs continuously writes out deductions as this is happening.

The next day, Sam finally gets control of his temper and shows Bugs by having his servants physically mock him with a pie in the face, a kick in the rear and a conk over the head with a rolling pin. As Sam goes through this repeatedly, Bugs says: “I haven’t got the heart to tell him that he’s used up all the money” as the cartoon fades to black (although it is not revealed whether there was actually any money involved in the first place).

Usage in compilations

This cartoon was included in the 1983 compilation film Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island as Sam's wish.

Home media

From Hare to Heir is available, uncensored and uncut, on the Looney Tunes Super Stars DVD. However, it was cropped to widescreen. ^[3]

In 2020, the cartoon was remastered and restored to full screen in the Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-Ray.

See also

• List of American films of 1960
• List of Bugs Bunny cartoons
• List of Yosemite Sam cartoons

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. 327. 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. "Looney Tunes DVD and Video Guide: DVD: Looney Tunes Super Stars". Archived from the original on 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2010-04-03.

External links

• From Hare to Heir at IMDb

Preceded by Rabbit's Feat	Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1960	Succeeded by Lighter Than Hare