Hare Ribbin' | |
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Directed by | Robert Clampett |
Story by | Lou Lilly |
Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
Animation by | Bob McKimson |
Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 7:44 (original theatrical version) 8:01 (director's cut version) |
Language | English |
Hare Ribbin' is a 1944 animated short film in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Robert Clampett and featuring Bugs Bunny. [1] The plot features Bugs' conflict with a red-haired hound dog, whom the rabbit sets out to evade and make a fool of using one-liners, reverse psychology, disguises and other tricks. It was released in theaters by Warner Bros. on June 24, 1944. [2] The title is a pun on "hair ribbon".
It is also the first Warner Bros. cartoon to include Bugs' head in the opening title sequence.
A dog with a Russian accent (reminiscent of comedian Bert Gordon's "Mad Russian" persona), sets out to hunt a rabbit. However, his plans are foiled when he encounters Bugs Bunny, who proceeds to tease and outwit him. During their chase, Bugs uses a humorous tactic involving a radio commercial for Lifebuoy soap to escape the dog's clutches.
The chase leads them to a lake, where the action continues underwater. Bugs continues to outsmart the dog with various antics, including disguising himself as a mermaid and Elmer Fudd. Eventually, Bugs tricks the dog into believing he has died after the dog demands a rabbit sandwich. The dog, overcome with grief, wishes that he was dead too, prompting Bugs to "grant" his wish in a comical twist.
As Bugs dances away, seemingly victorious, the dog unexpectedly sits up, revealing he is still alive, and humorously comments on his misfortune. [3]
Michael S. Shull and David E. Wilt consider it ambiguous if this cartoon contain a World War II-related reference. While underwater, Bugs disguises himself as a mermaid. The dog transforms into a torpedo to pursue "her". [4]
The two alternate versions of the ending were based on the perception of someone that Bugs could not be seen killing another animal. This someone was perhaps a studio administrator. [3]
Hare Ribbin', known for its two controversial endings, presents the Russian Dog character grappling with guilt over Bugs Bunny's apparent demise. In the original theatrical ending, Bugs hands the dog a gun to end his own life so he can shoot himself in the head, a scene that has been removed from television broadcasts but aired uncensored on select occasions. The "director's cut" ending depicts Bugs pulling out a gun and shooting the dog through the mouth, [3] a version never shown theatrically or on television until its release on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5 DVD set.
Additional scenes in the director's cut include an extended search for Bugs by the dog, and an enhanced sequence of them playing tag. Notably, a scene where Bugs avoids being eaten by the dog is absent from the director's cut, suggesting it may have been a later addition before the theatrical release. [3] [5]
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 5 laserdisc set has the "director's cut" version of this cartoon, unrestored. The fifth volume of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD set and the Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray set have the original cut of Hare Ribbin', restored and remastered, and the director's cut as a special feature, unrestored and unremastered (the difference between both cuts can be determined by the tinting of the color).