Yankee Doodle Bugs

Last updated
Yankee Doodle Bugs
Ydbugs.jpg
Screenshot of Yankee Doodle Bugs title card
Directed by I. Freleng
Story by Warren Foster
Produced by Edward Selzer (uncredited)
Starring Mel Blanc
Bea Benaderet (uncredited) [1]
Music by Milt Franklyn
Animation by Arthur Davis
Manuel Perez
Virgil Ross
Harry Love (uncredited)
Layouts by Hawley Pratt
Backgrounds by Irv Wyner
Color process Technicolor
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Vitaphone
Release date
  • August 28, 1954 (1954-08-28)
Running time
7 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Yankee Doodle Bugs is a 1954 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon short, written by Warren Foster and directed by Friz Freleng. [2] The short was released on August 28, 1954, and stars Bugs Bunny. [3]

Contents

In the short, Bugs' nephew Clyde has trouble remembering important dates and events in history in preparation for an exam, so Bugs offers to help. The cartoon's title is a humorous portmanteau of the American folk song "Yankee Doodle" and the word doodlebug.

Plot

Clyde is lying down on the floor doing his history homework for an exam at school, scratching down important dates in history and getting confused. After several moments, he exclaims: "I give up!". His uncle Bugs offers to help and proceeds to tell him how rabbits made American history.

In the first segment, in a trade of land with the Native American Indians, Bugs explains that Manhattan wasn't the bustling city you see today, but was rather, filled with Indian teepees. Bugs explains that the Statue of Liberty was "... just a little goil (girl) at the time".

In the second segment, Bugs is interacting with Benjamin Franklin on the day that Franklin discovered electricity. "What's up, Benny?" Bugs asks. Ben states: "I'm trying to discover electricity," and asks Bugs if he can tend to his kite (with a key tied on it, naturally), and that he must get out "... ye first edition of The Saturday Evening Post ", so he hands his kite string to Bugs to look after until he gets back. Bugs sees a storm cloud approach, lightning hits the kite and travels down the string and electrocutes him. Ben runs back, picks up Bugs who is flashing off and on like a lightbulb, exclaiming "I discovered electricity! I discovered electricity!" Bugs looks at the camera and says: "Heh ... He discovered electricity!"

In the third segment, Bugs explains to Clyde about the Boston Tea Party. The King is seen approaching a worker in the Royal Tea Warehouse in Boston. With a box of hardware tacks in hand, he orders the worker to "spread these tacks on the colonists' tea". When the worker explains: "But Your Majesty, these are carpet tacks", the King dumps the tacks all over the place in a fit of insanity and exclaims: "Well, they're tea tacks now!" and exits, laughing all the way. Bugs explains to Clyde that the colonists refused to drink their tea with tacks and that's how the Army was formed.

In the fourth segment, George Washington gets a letter in the mailbox, opens it and exclaims: "Gadzooks! I've been drafted!" He is then seen racing off on horseback to the Candy Shoppe, where he says to Martha Washington that she'll have to look after the candy stores [4] alone, while he is off to fight the war. He then races off screen, yelling "Charge!"

In the fifth segment, Bugs is seen approaching Betsy Ross' home where she is sewing an American flag (with 13 red and white stripes and an unadorned blue field). He says: "Hiya Bets, how's the flag coming along?" She opens the flag displaying it and asks: "How's this, Mr. Bunny?" but Bugs makes a comment to Betsy that something is missing in the blue field. (Note the sign at the front gate that says: "Watch your step - Geo. Washington slipped here". [5] ) Pacing back and forth thinking hard about what can go in the blue field, Bugs unknowingly steps on a rake and the handle hits him in the head, forming a circle of stars around his head. He then looks at Betsy and asks: "Hey Betsy, does this give you an idea-r?" Betsy agrees, and starts sewing the stars into the blue space on the flag.

The sixth segment has the enemy storming Bunker Hill. Of course, a cannon is pointed right at them, and as soon as they get close enough, the cannon goes off surprising the enemy, who then turn around and walk in the opposite direction, their uniforms and weapons in tatters.

The battle at Valley Forge is the seventh segment, where Bugs explains the hardships endured, including 6 ft (1.8 m) of snow and frigid temperatures. An ice cream wagon is seen driving across the snow playing Yankee Doodle , and is immediately fired upon and explodes. The practically destroyed truck turns around in the opposite direction and rides off-scene.

The last segment opens with Bugs explaining "The enemy fleet was all bottled up", showing two ships in a bottle in a harbor, then shows Bugs steering a motor boat across the Delaware River with George Washington.

After Bugs tells Clyde all of these important historical events, the school bell is heard in the distance and Bugs rushes him off to school saying: "And don't forget what I told ya!" Later in the day, Clyde returns home with a sour look and Bugs asks him how he performed in the history exam. Clyde puts a dunce cap on his head and asks: "Does THIS answer your question?!"

Music

Related Research Articles

<i>Bugs and Thugs</i> 1954 animated short film directed by Friz Freleng

Bugs and Thugs is a 1954 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on March 13, 1954, and stars Bugs Bunny, with Rocky and Mugsy. The film is a semi-remake of the 1946 cartoon Racketeer Rabbit. It is also the first Warner Bros short to feature Milt Franklyn as a musical director.

<i>Southern Fried Rabbit</i> 1953 film by Friz Freleng

Southern Fried Rabbit is a 1953 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on May 2, 1953, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.

<i>Falling Hare</i> 1943 animated short film directed by Bob Clampett

Falling Hare is a 1943 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon features Bugs Bunny.

<i>Hare Trigger</i> 1945 film by Friz Freleng

Hare Trigger is a 1945 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on May 5, 1945, and features Bugs Bunny. The short featured the first appearance of Yosemite Sam, as well as the first short to credit (almost) the whole animation staff who worked on the short.

<i>Baseball Bugs</i> 1946 film by Friz Freleng

Baseball Bugs is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on February 2, 1946, and stars Bugs Bunny.

<i>Yankee Doodle Daffy</i> 1943 animated short film directed by Friz Freleng

Yankee Doodle Daffy is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released on June 5, 1943, directed by Friz Freleng and written by Tedd Pierce. The short was the second Technicolor Looney Tunes entry to feature Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. It is also one of the handfuls of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies to have fallen into the public domain.

<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>8 Ball Bunny</i> 1950 film by Chuck Jones

8 Ball Bunny is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on July 8, 1950, and stars Bugs Bunny and Playboy Penguin.

<i>Mutiny on the Bunny</i> 1950 film by Friz Freleng

Mutiny on the Bunny is a 1950 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on February 11, 1950, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.

<i>Show Biz Bugs</i> 1957 film

Show Biz Bugs is a 1957 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Friz Freleng and featuring Mel Blanc. The short was released on November 2, 1957, and stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

<i>Rabbits Kin</i> 1952 film

Rabbit's Kin is a 1952 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce. The cartoon was released on November 15, 1952, and stars Bugs Bunny. The cartoon was animated by Charles McKimson, Herman Cohen, Rod Scribner, Phil DeLara and Keith Darling. The music was scored by Carl Stalling while the layouts and backgrounds were done by Robert Givens and Richard H. Thomas, respectively.

<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>The Windblown Hare</i> 1949 film

The Windblown Hare is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Robert McKimson. The short was released on August 27, 1949, and stars Bugs Bunny. The title, another pun on "hair", refers to Bugs being subjected to the Wolf's "blowing the houses down".

Clyde Bunny is a cartoon character who appears in three Looney Tunes shorts. He is the nephew of Bugs Bunny.

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

Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon rooster who appears in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the golden age of American animation. All 29 of these cartoons were directed by McKimson.

His Hare-Raising Tale is a 1951 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short, directed by Friz Freleng and written by Warren Foster. The short was released on August 11, 1951, and stars Bugs Bunny and his nephew Clyde Rabbit.

Napoleon Bunny-Part is a 1956 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The shot was released on June 16, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny. In this film, Bugs Bunny's opponent is Napoleon. Bugs disguise himself as Empress Joséphine. It is a typical use of cross-dressing in Bugs' film appearances.

A-Haunting We Will Go is a 1966 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. The short was released on April 16, 1966, and stars Daffy Duck, Speedy Gonzales and Witch Hazel. As with the other Witch Hazel cartoons, June Foray voices Witch Hazel while Mel Blanc voices Speedy Gonzales, Daffy Duck, and Daffy's nephew.

Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars is a 1988 animated television special broadcast on CBS on October 21, 1988. The story revolves around two competing television stations that show music videos from classic Looney Tunes shorts. The stations are hosted by Bugs Bunny (WABBIT) and Daffy Duck (KPUT). This special aired after This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers.

References

  1. Scott, Keith (2022). Cartoon Voices from the Golden Age, 1930-70. BearManor Media. p. 87. ISBN   979-8-88771-010-5.
  2. Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 264. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  3. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons . Checkmark Books. pp.  60-62. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  4. In reference to "Martha Washington" chocolate candy
  5. The term "George Washington slept here" became a real estate cliché after George Washington was driven to sleep in many different locations during the war.
Preceded by Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1954
Succeeded by