Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"The Old Grey Hare" is a 7.5-minute cartoon from over 80 years ago and not one of the most famous or least famous Warner Bros works starring Bugs Bunny. Bob Clampett, Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan are very prolific with these films, but writer Michael Sasanoff has not come up with too many of these films, but judging from this one here, it is not a major loss. Science-fiction wise it is somewhat interesting as this is a genre that is included in some of the highest appreciated cartoons from the 1950s. I think it was fun to see the young and old version of Bugs and Elmer, but story-wise and comedy-wise there is little memorable quality in here unfortunately. I cannot agree with the high IMDb rating. I have seen many superior Looney (car)Toons). Thumbs down.
Robert Reynolds
This is a Bugs and Elmer short from Warner Brothers. There will be spoilers ahead:This is one of my favorite Bugs cartoons. Elmer is bemoaning his lack of success at capturing or shooting bugs when an ethereal voice tells him to be patient and takes him forward across the decades to the far off year...2000! In addition to learning that Bing Crosby's horse still hasn't come in and that there's such a thing as "Smell-o-vision" in 2000, Elmer also finds he has a space age, Buck Rogers type of weapon. He sees an elderly Bugs who's basically Bugs with a grey beard and that durn lumbago. He irks Elmer and the "runs", but is blasted by Elmer.The "dying" Bugs begins to take Elmer down memory lane, where we see them as kids, though still very much in character. Age-appropriate gags take place which leave Elmer empty handed and we go back to the future, where Bugs is digging a grave. Things don't work out for Elmer any more in the end than they generally go, with a classic ending.This short is on multiple DVD/Blu Ray discs and is well worth looking for. Most recommended.
slymusic
"The Old Grey Hare" is a wonderful Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd cartoon directed by that notorious man from Wackyland: Bob Clampett! In this unique entry in the Warner Bros. cartoon library, Bugs and Elmer are either old codgers or young infants. What a neat concept! Highlights: Baby Bugs asks Baby Elmer, "What's up, Doc?" in baby talk, and Elmer has to read the subtitle! Old Bugs struggles to pop out of his hole, and when he finally does, the violin accompaniment of "Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet" makes his wrinkly appearance even funnier. Baby Elmer chases Baby Bugs (to the accompaniment of the familiar Light Cavalry Overture), when Bugs suddenly declares that it's time for the two of them to have their afternoon nap, which they do (to an amusingly sped-up rendition of "Rock-a-Bye Baby"). Baby Elmer looks for Baby Bugs behind a tree, when suddenly Bugs sneaks around and blasts him with a tuba (this gag is very dear to my heart because I am a tuba player)."The Old Grey Hare" is a clever age twist on the familiar hunter/rabbit story. We get to see both ends of the age spectrum, with a guarantee that we shall be entertained!
Lee Eisenberg
On this, what would have been Mel Blanc's 99th birthday, I wanted to talk about one of his many accomplishments as a voice artist. In the Termite Terrace crowd's first look into the future - preceding "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century" - the unseen God takes Elmer Fudd into the 21st century to see whether or not he can ever catch Bugs Bunny. I just found it neat to see what they expected the 21st century to look like. For example, Smellevision makes television obsolete (but Carl Stalling denies that it'll work). Surely we can forgive these various predictions for not envisioning the Internet or anything like that.So, while the most important part may be the memory of the first time that Elmer chased Bugs when they were infants, my favorite part was seeing their joke prediction. So I consider "The Old Grey Hare" worth seeing. Available in the documentary "Bugs Bunny Superstar".Smellevision. It sounds kind of like John Waters's use of Odorama in "Polyester".
AD
