A Wild Hare (1940)

Director:

Tex Avery

Writer:

Rich Hogan (story)

Release Date:

27 July 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Short | Comedy

Plot:

Elmer is a dim-witted hunter whose "wooking for wabbits." Bugs proceeds to confuse, bamboozle, and otherwise humiliate the poor simp.

Plot Keywords:

Carrot | Elmer Fudd | Regret | Bugs Bunny | Trap

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Mel Blanc	...	Bugs Bunny / Skunk (voice) (uncredited)
Arthur Q. Bryan	...	Elmer Fudd (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Tex Avery		(as Fred Avery)

Writing credits
Rich Hogan		(story)

Produced by
Leon Schlesinger	....	producer

Original Music by
Carl W. Stalling

Film Editing by
Treg Brown		(uncredited)

Animation Department
Virgil Ross	....	animator
Robert Givens	....	character designer (uncredited)
Robert McKimson	....	animator (uncredited)
Thomas McKimson	....	layout artist (uncredited)
Michael Sasanoff	....	background artist (uncredited)
Rod Scribner	....	animator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Leon Schlesinger Studios

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  current owner

Also Known As:

The Wild Hare (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

8 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:G | USA:Approved (certificate #3993)

Company:

Leon Schlesinger Studios

Trivia:

The producers' reaction to the gag of Bugs responding to a hunter pointing a gun at him with a confident casual remark, "What's up, Doc?" was so favorable that they decided to make that a standard element of future films featuring the character.

Quotes:

Bugs Bunny: [with his hands over Elmer's eyes] Guess who?
Elmer Fudd: Heddy Wamarr?
Bugs Bunny: No.
Elmer Fudd: Bawbwa Stanwyck?
Bugs Bunny: Nope.
Elmer Fudd: Wosemawy Wane?
Bugs Bunny: Nope. Guess again.
Elmer Fudd: Owivia De Haviwand?
Bugs Bunny: Nope, but you're getting warmer.
Elmer Fudd: Say, you wouldn't be that scwewy wabbit, would you?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Love Lies Bleeding (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Girl I Left Behind Me

Hedy Wamarr? Bawbwa Stanwyck? Owivia de Haviwand? Did children recognize those names in 1940?

On one level, "A Wild Hare" is a historical reference as it was the first teaming of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. But even ignoring that, it's still a hoot, with that "wascawy wabbit" making mincemeat of Elmer.

There's just one thing that raises my eyebrows nowadays. Elmer asks about Hedy Lamarr, Barbara Stanwyck and Olivia de Havilland. Did six-year-old children in 1940 know who those women were, cuz I sure didn't recognize those names when I was six.

Oh well, it's still a great cartoon. Always a classic. And it sure wasn't the wast time that that wascawy wabbit twicked Elmer Fudd.

Olivia de Havilland. Just yesterday, I saw "The Adventures of Robin Hood", and let me tell you: she looked hot in those dresses!