| Acrobatty Bunny | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert McKimson |
| Story by | Warren Foster |
| Starring | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | Richard Bickenbach Art Davis Cal Dalton |
| Layouts by | Cornett Wood |
| Backgrounds by | Richard H. Thomas |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7:43 |
| Language | English |
Acrobatty Bunny is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.[1] The short was released on June 29, 1946, and stars Bugs Bunny and Nero the Lion.[2] This was the first cartoon McKimson directed that starred Bugs Bunny.
Plot
A circus is being set up just above Bugs' rabbit hole, causing much noise and vibration. The lion cage is set up directly above the hole, and the lion takes deep sniffs (alternatively yanking Bugs towards the hole or throwing him back) to determine that the animal below is Bugs. When the lion (whom Bugs eventually refers to as "Nero") roars again, Bugs comes to the surface to see what's going on, riding an elevator that makes twists and turns. Bugs tries to reason with the lion, but soon makes a hasty escape when Nero takes a swipe at him.
Nero manages to get out of his cage, and chases Bugs around the circus grounds. Bugs at one point ducks into a dressing room, coming out as a clown trying to convince Nero to laugh, which he eventually does — until Bugs takes some whacks at the lion with a wooden board. The lion then chases Bugs into the big top, where they swing around acrobat swings. Eventually, Bugs tricks Nero into a cannon and sets the cannon off, causing him to do a hula in his 'skirt', while Bugs plays the ukulele. The cartoon ends with him saying to the audience, "We're also available for picnics, lodge meetings, children's parties, and smokers!", before continuing to play the ukulele.
Reception
Animation critic Jerry Beck writes, "Nonstop action and gags, Acrobatty Bunny is a pure Bugs Bunny cartoon, demonstrating what the rabbit does best: using his brains to heckle an aggressive bully and stay one step ahead of his opponent. Robert McKimson's very first Bugs Bunny cartoon is one of the funniest ever made."[3]
Home media
The cartoon can be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 DVD. It is also available on the Marx Brothers' Night in Casablanca DVD (2004).
References
- ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 60. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 168. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ↑ Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-1-64722-137-9.
External links
