Vimacone
The Schlesinger Studio had established itself by the late 30's by making cartoons easily distinguishable from Disney. Daffy Duck, created by Tex Avery's unit, made an impression on audiences with his zany antics and attitude. Ben Hardaway, a writer for Daffy's second short, became a director and decided to create a rabbit character with Daffy's sensibility. When the rabbit also made an impression, other directors got into the act.When the rabbit character got around to Tex Avery, he gave him a distinctive personality very different from Daffy. This rabbit was cool-headed in the most dangerous situations and a wise-guy. He would be named after Hardaway, whose nickname was Bugs. Coincidentally, Bugs had a parallel evolution with an Avery creation known as Elmer. Both characters would be crystallized (Bugs in personality; Elmer in design) in this short. Avery was not known for character development, but for having a greater interest in gags and comic timing. This is probably the only time he actually developed a well-rounded character. A WILD HARE has the same set up as PORKY'S DUCK HUNT and DAFFY DUCK & EGGHEAD, but with less emphasis on gags. Here the hunter/prey relationship is established between Bugs and Elmer. While not in the dramatic style of Jones' shorts from this time-frame, there is a bit of dramatic atmosphere in the climax, but it serves as a build-up to Bugs' payoff.On the eve of America's involvement in WWII, Bugs' cool, streetwise persona no doubt resonated well with audiences.
JohnHowardReid
"Bugs Bunny" (voiced by Mel Blanc), "Elmer Fudd" (voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan).Director: TEX AVERY. Story: Rich Hogan. Animation: Virgil Ross. Character animation: Robert Givens. Music director: Carl W. Stalling. Voice characterizations: Mel Blanc. Color by Technicolor. Producer: Leon Schlesinger.Copyright 27 July 1940 by The Vitaphone Corp. A Warner Bros "Merrie Melodies" cartoon. U.S. release: 27 July 1940. 1 reel. 8 minutes.NOTES: Nominated for a prestigious Hollywood award for Best Cartoon but lost out to M-G-M's Milky Way.COMMENT: The first "true" Bugs Bunny cartoon is more of historical than entertainment interest. Bugs is still not his familiar self in form, though his character has now been perfected. But such spots as the elongated "death" scene now seem somewhat tedious, and many of the jokes-the skunk, the kissing, the rifle tied in a knot, etc.-are likewise wearisomely out-dated, fresh though they may have appeared in 1940. Still, for rabid fans of the aggressively wiseacre bunny/hare, this one is still a must. OTHER VIEWS: This is where Bugs first essays his immortal line: "What's up, Doc?" That intro alone would make A Wild Hare worth seeing. But there's the usual assortment of fast-paced Avery visual and verbal gags as well. True, some have grown stale through repetition by imitators and admirers - but that's all to A Wild Hare's credit.
Edgar Allan Pooh
. . . of his "Wabbit" hole to smooch Elmer Fudd three times on the mouth in A WILD HARE. The plot of this eight-minute animated short establishes that: 1)Rabbits love carrots, 2)Birds sing in trees, and 3)You can pick up a skunk by its tail WITHOUT getting sprayed. But the rules are constantly changing for Hollywood. They may have done a scene-for-scene remake of PSYCHO, but just try doing the same with such classics as BIRTH OF A NATION or GONE WITH THE WIND nowadays. By the same token, Bugs' Pretzeling of Mr. Fudd's rifle here puts A WILD HARE on the NRA boycott list, along with BAMBI and THE YEARLING. The only way that a major Tinsel Town studio could conclude A WILD HARE today would be with product placement for "Wabbit" jerky!
Robert Reynolds
While Tex didn't do the first Bugs cartoon, he did the first one with many of the characteristics of Bugs that make him Bugs, including the catch-phrase, "What's up, Doc". So it's fitting and proper that, while Chuck Jones did more with the wabbit, Tex Avery did the first Bugs to get a date at the Academy Awards, losing to the wrong feline cartoon. *sigh* Bugs wouldn't win an Oscar for another 18 years, but that's for another comment at another time. Highly recommended.
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