The Hare-Brained Hypnotist

Last updated
The Hare-Brained Hypnotist
Harebrainedhypnotisttitlecard.jpg
Directed by I. Freleng
Story by Michael Maltese
Produced by Leon Schlesinger
Starring Mel Blanc
Arthur Q. Bryan
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Phillip Monroe
Richard Bickenbach
Jack Bradbury
Gerry Chiniquy
Manuel Perez
Gil Turner
Layouts byOwen Fitzgerald
Backgrounds byLenard Kester
Color process Technicolor
Production
company
Leon Schlesinger Productions
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corp.
Release date
October 31, 1942
Running time
6:59
LanguageEnglish

The Hare-Brained Hypnotist is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. [1] The short was released on October 23, 1942 and features Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. [2] This cartoon's plot was re-worked for the cartoon Hare Brush (1955) and its opening music was re-used in Hair-Raising Hare (1946), The Super Snooper (1952) and Hyde and Hare (1955).

Contents

The title, instead of employing the usual "hare" vs. "hair" pun, is standard spelling, for the expression that indicates thoughtlessness or recklessness. Elmer Fudd permanently goes back to his regular design starting with this cartoon.

Plot

While in the forest reading a book, Stalking Wild Game, Elmer comes across a passage describing hypnotism just before he bumps into a bear. He hypnotizes the bear into thinking he is a canary and the bear flies away. Bugs then asks Elmer, "What's up, doc?". Elmer states he has him right where he wants him and starts to hypnotize Bugs ("Heh, 'Dracula'", the rabbit observes). Bugs fools Elmer by giving him a balloon with long ears and he hears the bear he hypnotized earlier chirping and falls to the ground. Then he chases Bugs and fights over the gun. Then he cries on a tree and Bugs asks what's wrong. Elmer tells him that he (Bugs) won't cooperate when he tries to hypnotize him. Bugs says he will cooperate.

Then, as Elmer tries to hypnotize Bugs, Bugs hypnotizes him instead, and commands him to be a rabbit. Elmer then starts to act like Bugs, inducing Bugs to act like Elmer (after furiously declaring, "Who's the comedian in this picture, anyway?"), and the role-reversing chase ensues. Bugs then looks for Elmer, who is right behind him. Bugs talks to the audience while chewing three carrotstwo of which are in Elmer's hands. Then the chase starts again, until Bugs manages to "un-hypnotize" Elmer. Elmer then runs away and all seems normal. After sneering at Elmer's ability to hypnotize him, Bugs suddenly notices his watch, exclaiming, "I'm overdue at the airport", and proceeds to take off and fly like an airplane. Bugs states "I'm the B-19!" and flies away toward the airport.

Home media

This cartoon can be found on Volume 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.

Related Research Articles

Fresh Hare is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, written by Michael Maltese, and produced by Leon Schlesinger. It was released to theatres on August 22, 1942.

<i>Hare Brush</i> 1955 film

Hare Brush is a 1955 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on May 7, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

<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 Pet Rabbit</i> 1940 Bugs Bunny cartoon

Elmer's Pet Rabbit is a 1941 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on January 4, 1941, and features Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny.

<i>Wabbit Twouble</i> 1941 Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Bob Clampett

Wabbit Twouble is a Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Bugs Bunny, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and released on December 20, 1941 by Warner Bros. Pictures. This is the first of several Bugs Bunny cartoon titles that refer to Elmer Fudd's speech impediment, with the names of Bob Clampett, Sidney Sutherland, and Carl Stalling, as well as the roles of Story, Supervision, and Musical Direction, intentionally misspelled in the credits to match the speech impediment.

<i>Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1</i> 2003 American film

Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 is a DVD box set that was released by Warner Home Video on October 28, 2003. The first release of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD series, it contains 56 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons and numerous supplements. The set won the Classic Award at the Parents' Choice Awards.

<i>The Old Grey Hare</i> 1944 film by Bob Clampett

The Old Grey Hare is a 1944 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on October 28, 1944, and features Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

<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>Hare Tonic</i> 1945 film by Chuck Jones

Hare Tonic is a 1945 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Looney Tunes series, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. It stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, making this the second cartoon directed by Jones to co-star the two. Voice characterizations are by Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan.

<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.

<i>Hare Remover</i> 1946 film

Hare Remover is a Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, released in 1946. The film was the second Bugs Bunny cartoon to be directed by Frank Tashlin, the first being The Unruly Hare (1945). It was also the last short Tashlin directed before leaving Warner Bros. in 1944 to direct live-action films. His animation unit was handed over to Robert McKimson upon his departure.

<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>Hare Ribbin</i> 1944 film

Hare Ribbin' is a 1944 animated short film in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Robert Clampett and featuring Bugs Bunny. 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. The title is a pun on "hair ribbon".

Beanstalk Bunny is a 1955 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on 12 February 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>Mad as a Mars Hare</i> 1963 film

Mad as a Mars Hare is a 1963 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble. The short was released on October 19, 1963, and stars Bugs Bunny and Marvin the Martian. The cartoon's title is a play-on-words of the famous phrase to be "mad as a March hare", the origins of which are disputed. This is Marvin's final appearance in the Looney Tunes shorts during the Golden Age of American Animation.

<i>Wideo Wabbit</i> 1956 film by Robert McKimson

Wideo Wabbit is a 1956 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. The short was released on October 27, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. In the film, Bugs volunteers for an appearance in a television show hosted by Elmer. He is unaware that this is a show about hunting techniques, and he volunteered to become a hunter's prey.

<i>Person to Bunny</i> 1960 film

Person to Bunny is a 1960 Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on April 1, 1960, and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

<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.

<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. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon. 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.

Upswept Hare is a 1953 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on March 14, 1953, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

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. 135. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  2. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 77–79. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
Preceded by Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1942
Succeeded by