Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (1941)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

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:

Bugs Bunny: Hey, what's cooking, chief? Mmm, something smells good. What's for dinner?
Hiawatha: Rabbit stew.
Bugs Bunny: Rabbit? Mmm-mmm. Boy, I sure do love rabbit... Rabbit?
[Jumps out of cauldron]

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

By the Waters of Minnetonka: an Indian Love Song

Not the best Bugs Bunny ever, but well worth watching

This short, nominated for an Oscar, is a good, not great, cartoon. It does introduce a bit of Longfellow and any Bugs Bunny is a good cartoon and worth watching. There just isn't anything terribly funny or special about this particular cartoon besides the poem sections read at the beginning and end. But it is worth watching. It runs periodically on Cartoon Network.