Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (1941)

Director:

Friz Freleng

Writer:

Michael Maltese (story)

Release Date:

7 June 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation | Short | Comedy

Plot:

Bugs reads "Hiawatha" and winds up being hunted by him.

Plot Keywords:

Rabbit | Bugs Bunny | Surrealism | Merrie Melodies | Carrot

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Mel Blanc

...

Bugs Bunny / Hiawatha (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Friz Freleng		(as I. Freleng)

Writing credits
Michael Maltese		(story)

Produced by
Leon Schlesinger	....	producer

Original Music by
Carl W. Stalling		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Treg Brown		(uncredited)

Sound Department
Treg Brown	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Animation Department
Gil Turner	....	animator
Richard Bickenbach	....	animator (uncredited)
Gerry Chiniquy	....	animator (uncredited)
Cal Dalton	....	animator (uncredited)
Robert Givens	....	character designer (uncredited)
Manuel Perez	....	animator (uncredited)

Music Department
Carl W. Stalling	....	musical director
Milt Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Friz Freleng	....	supervisor (as I. Freleng)

Production Companies

• Leon Schlesinger Studios

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

8 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6745) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Leon Schlesinger Studios

Trivia:

Due to pressure from Warner Bros., this cartoon was one of 11 pulled from rotation by the Cartoon Network for its 2001 "June Bugs" marathon, which was to show the complete chronology of Bugs Bunny cartoons. This is in addition to the "Censored 11" that have been withheld from distribution since 1968. The reason given was its purportedly offensive depiction of Native Americans.

Quotes:

Hiawatha: I'm gonna catch me a rabbit, and I'm a-gonna put him in this pot. This pot right here. Yeah-uh-yeah! Yeah-uh-yeah! That's JUST what I'm gonna do!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The Lion King 1½ (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano

Great start from Friz Freleng!

"Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" is Bugs Bunny's first film directed by Friz Freleng, and it's a wonderful sample of what Freleng would have in store for Bugs for the next 23 years.

Freleng already starts throwing a curveball into the standard Bugs formula by inserting Bugs into the story of Little Hiawatha. While there is not much difference in intelligence between Hiawatha and, say, Elmer Fudd, Freleng does a great job at making the new character look funny (particularly in Hiawatha's run, which causes him to trip over himself often).

Freleng also introduces a new traditional Bugs joke...having the wabbit climb into a boiling pot thinking it's a bathtub. This little sequence alone is also fun to watch, including the little puff of relaxing steam that comes out of Bugs' mouth once he gets both feet inside.

And although Bugs acts more confident in this picture than he has in the recent past, even he is not safe from foolish mistakes. At the end of one scene Bugs leaps into the air, intending to land into a rabbit hole, but just misses and smacks his head on the ground. He sheepishly crawls into the hole, looking apologetically at the audience. How can you not like this character??

Sadly, this cartoon is not seen often because it deals with a Native American character. But if you get the chance somehow, do sit down and watch this cartoon. It's one of the early Bugs' best.