Duck! Rabbit! Duck!
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| Duck! Rabbit, Duck! Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck) series |
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|---|---|
 Daffy Duck thinks he is writing a fricasseing rabbit license, but Bugs spells "F-R-I-C-A-S-S-E-E-I-N-G D-U-C-K" instead. |
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| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Produced by | Eddie Selzer |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan |
| Animation by | Ken Harris Abe Levitow Richard Thompson Lloyd Vaughan Ben Washam |
| Studio | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 3, 1953 (USA) |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 6:49 |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Bully for Bugs (Bugs) Muscle Tussle (Daffy) |
| Followed by | Robot Rabbit (Bugs) Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (Daffy) |
Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is a 1953 Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. It is the sequel to Rabbit Seasoning, and the third (along with Rabbit Fire) and final entry in Jones' "hunting trilogy" (the only major difference in format between this film and the others is that it takes place during the middle of winter). Produced by Eddie Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc., the short was released to theaters in 1953 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is widely considered among Jones' best and most important films. This is the only film in the trilogy where Bugs does not crossdress.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
[edit] Synopsis
The cartoon, set in winter, finds Daffy Duck removing and burning every "Duck Season Open" sign he finds (while humming the tune "La Vie en rose") in order to warm himself in the winter ("I am a duck bent on self preservationum..munum", he tells the audience). He then attempts to convince Elmer Fudd that it is actually Rabbit Season, prompting Bugs Bunny to use his wits to keep Elmer from shooting him. After each shot, irritated Daffy is forced to put his beak back in place.
[edit] "Dirty Skunk Season"
One extended routine in this short has Bugs holding up various "animal season" signs to correspond with every figurative expression involving an animal that Daffy gets called. This begins when Bugs tricks Daffy into making a hunting license that allows Elmer to shoot him (See above picture).
- Daffy: Well, I guess I'm the goat.
- [Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Goat Season Open" and Elmer points his gun at Daffy....].
- Daffy: What?
- [Elmer shoots Daffy].
- Daffy: You're a dirty dog.
- Bugs: And YOU are a dirty skunk!
- Daffy: I'm a dirty skunk? I'M a dirty skunk?!
- [Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Dirty Skunk Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy].
- Daffy: Brother! Am I a pigeon!
- [Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Pigeon Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy].
- [Later on in the cartoon, after Bugs appears to Elmer as an angel...]
- Daffy: Why, if he's dead, then I'm a mongoose!
- [Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Mongoose Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy].
Each presentation of the sign was accompanied by a brass fanfare of a fox hunting call, and of course, followed up by a gunshot. Bugs then puts on a duck disguise. Daffy sees him, but forgets himself and shouts "Shoot the duck!" to which Elmer obliges by shooting the nearest duck—Daffy. Daffy finally goes completely insane, demanding Elmer keep shooting him, bounding around on all fours like an elk, and scuttling around sideways like a crab:
- 'Daffy: Shoot me again! I enjoy it! I love the smell of burnt feathers, and gunpowder, and cordite. I'm an elk!! Shoot me, go on!! It's elk season!! I'm a fiddler crab!!! Why don't you shoot me??? It's fiddler crab season!!!
The antics become truly confusing at the end when Elmer Fudd encounters Bugs disguised as a game warden:
- Elmer: Oh, Mister Game Warden, I hope you can help me. I've been told I can shoot wabbits and goats and pigeons and mongooses and dirty skunks and ducks. Could you tell me what season it weawwy is?
- Bugs (whipping out a baseball): Why soitainly, my boy...it's Baseball Season!
Elmer then completely loses his sanity and starts shooting at a baseball as he runs off into the distance. While he's gone, Bugs asks Daffy what hunting season is it really. Daffy casually answers that it's duck season ("Why, don't be so naive, buster! Why, everybody knows it's really duck season!") and ends up getting blasted by many hunters hiding behind rocks. Daffy crawls back, seething and smoldering from being shot, and tells Bugs "You're desthpicable!"
[edit] Censorship
- For information on censorship, see Rabbit Fire.
[edit] Notes
- The title Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is possibly a reference to the duckrabbit made famous by Ludwig Wittgenstein.[original research?]
- A few clips from this cartoon were used, with color commentary by John Madden and Pat Summerall, as part of the third quarter in the 2001 Cartoon Network special The Big Game XXIX: Bugs vs. Daffy.
- It's one of the few cartoons where Bugs doesn't say his catchphrase "What's up, doc?"
[edit] DVD release
- Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is presented restored and uncut on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Bully for Bugs |
Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1953 |
Succeeded by Robot Rabbit |
