''Herr Meets Hare'' is a 1945

anti-Nazi Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...

'' cartoon directed by

Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' ...

. The short was released on January 13, 1945, and features

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...

. This short, released not long before the collapse of the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, was the penultimate wartime themed cartoon from

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

(''

Draftee Daffy ''Draftee Daffy'' is a 1945 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on January 27, 1945, and stars Daffy Duck. Plot Having read about the U.S. fighting forces pushing the Nazi German troops back du ...

'' was the last) being released just under four months before

Victory in Europe Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

Plot

The cartoon opens with a faux

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...

-like voice discussing the end of the

, saying that "

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

has been battered into a fare-thee-well", and musing about where the high leadership, and "Fatso" Göring in particular has gone. The scene soon cuts to the

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...

, where Hermann Göring—in bemedalled

lederhosen Lederhosen (; , ; singular in German usage: ''Lederhose'') are short or knee-length leather breeches that are worn as traditional garments in some regions of German-speaking countries. The longer ones are generally called ''Bundhosen'' or ''Kni ...

—is "soothing his jangled nerves" marching while on a hunt. Nearby, a furrow in the ground appears, with a hole at the end. Bugs pops out of the hole, and sees no sign of the Black Forest on his map (variants of this scene would be used in later cartoons as the lead-in to the joke that Bugs, while tunneling underground, did indeed turn wrong somewhere in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, usually by not taking a left turn at

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. This cartoon is the first time Bugs says the popular catchphrase: "I KNEW I 'shoulda' (should have) made 'dat' (that) left 'toin' (turn) at 'Albakoikie' (Albuquerque)"). The other is Bugs asks Göring about the directions to

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, oblivious to his location. Göring is almost tricked into going to Las Vegas, but then quickly realizes, "Las Veegas? Why, there is no Las Veegas in Germany!" before he fires his musket at Bugs. Genuinely alarmed by his mistaken destination (" Goimany?! Yipe!"), Bugs hightails it. Göring chases after the rabbit, trying to suck Bugs out of his hole with his musket as a plunger. A few chase gags go by in which Bugs insults the integrity of Göring's medals by bending one with his teeth. Suckered into bending one himself, Göring declares them

ersatz An ersatz good () is a substitute good, especially one that is considered inferior to the good it replaces. It has particular connotations of wartime usage. Etymology ''Ersatz'' is a German word literally meaning ''substitute'' or ''replaceme ...

and mumbles all sorts of anti-Hitler sentiments ("Oh, do I hate that Hitler swine, that phony fuehrer, that…").Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 181–182 Bugs masquerades as

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

after smearing on some mud, and faces the surprised Göring. Göring disappears off-screen in a flash to change into his Nazi uniform adorned with all sorts of medals. After the usual

Nazi salute The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute (german: link=no, Hitlergruß, , Hitler greeting, ; also called by the Nazi Party , 'German greeting', ), or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. Th ...

, Bugs berates him in

faux Faux may refer to: People *Faux (surname) Places Places in Belgium * Faux, a village in the Belgian commune of Court-Saint-Étienne Places in France * Faux, Ardennes, French commune of the Ardennes department * Faux, Dordogne, French commune of t ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

as he rips all of the medals off Göring's uniform ("''Klooten-flooten-blooten-pooten-meirooten-tooten!''"), quickly followed by his belt. Göring "kisses" in reverence, saying, "Look! I kiss mein Fuehrer's hand. I kiss right in Der Fuehrer's face!'" (the joke being a popular near-contemporary song with this title composed by

Oliver Wallace Oliver George Wallace (August 6, 1887 – September 15, 1963) was an English composer and conductor.''Home Front Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary of Americans During Wartime'', Volume 3, ed. Benjamin F. Shearer (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 200 ...

and the subject of a Disney animated short in 1943). Afterwards, Göring exclaims "Oh, I’m a bad ''flooten-boy-glooten''!", a variant on Warner Bros. cartoons' frequently-cited

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), professionally known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with straight man Bud Abbott and their routine "Who's on First?" ...

-type catchphrase: "I'm a bad boy!". Later, when the jig is up, Bugs rides in on a white horse, dressed as Brünhilde—from

Wagnerian Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

opera, to the tune of the "Pilgrims' Chorus" from ''

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and ...

''. Entranced, Göring responds by dressing up as

Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

. The two dance and the music changes to '' Wiener Blut'', before Bugs once again makes a fool of Göring and escapes (anticipating ''

What's Opera, Doc? ''What's Opera, Doc?'' is a 1957 American Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on July 6, 1957, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The story features Elmer cha ...

'' co-starring

Elmer Fudd Elmer J.''Hare Brush'' (1956) Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes''/'' Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheo ...

).Goldmark (2005), pp. 143–145. Eventually, Göring gets a hawk to capture Bugs. Bugs, standing next to Göring asks, "Do you think he'll catch me, doc?" to which Göring replies, "Do I think he'll catch you? Why, he'll have you back here before you can say Schicklgruber." (

Schicklgruber Schicklgruber is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Alois Schicklgruber, better known as Alois Hitler, Austrian civil servant and the father of Adolf Hitler *Josef Schicklgruber (born 1967), Austrian footballer *Maria Schicklgrub ...

was the original surname of Hitler's father Alois.) Bugs runs off and jumps into his rabbit hole, but as he falls down the hole, the hawk, which imitates

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced song ...

, catches Bugs in a bag, capturing him. Göring brings the bag to Hitler, who plays

solitaire Solitaire is any tabletop game which one can play by oneself, usually with cards, but also with dominoes. The term "solitaire" is also used for single-player games of concentration and skill using a set layout tiles, pegs or stones. These game ...

in front of a map depicting the decline of

Fortress Europe Fortress Europe (german: Festung Europa) was a military propaganda term used by both sides of the Second World War which referred to the areas of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany, as opposed to the United Kingdom across the Channel. ...

. Göring identifies the captive in the bag as "Bugsenheimer Bunny" (as opposed to "Weisenheimer", or "wise guy") to ''Der Fuehrer''. As Herr Hitler talks of the great rewards he is going to pile upon Göring for this act of heroism, he peeks inside the bag and is shocked ("Ach!! Himmel!"). Göring goes and looks inside the bag as well, to be shocked as well (again, "Ach!! Himmel!"). Out of the bag comes Bugs dressed as

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

—complete with an enormous pipe and a large moustache—staring back at them. As the cartoon ends, Bugs glances back at the camera and asks, in a Russian accent: "Does your tobacco taste different lately?", citing an ad slogan of that era for the

Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...

pipe tobacco manufactured by the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company.

Home media

* VHS, LaserDisc - ''Cartoon Moviestars'': '' Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons'' * LaserDisc - ''

The Golden Age of Looney Tunes ''The Golden Age of Looney Tunes'' is a collection of LaserDiscs released by MGM/UA Home Video in the 1990s. There were five sets made, featuring a number of discs, and each disc side represented a different theme, being made up of seven cartoon ...

'', Vol. 3, Side 2: Bugs Bunny * DVD - ''Hollywood Canteen'' * DVD - '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6'', Disc 2

Analysis

The Lobby cards credits

Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation. He was a distant r ...

as the producer of the short, however the short itself is under the Warner Bros. Cartoons name rather than crediting Schlesinger. However this can imply the short entered production prior to Schlesinger's departure from the studio. Bugs dresses as Hitler to assert control over his German opponent. This is a repetition of a scene from ''

Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips ''Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips'' is a 1944 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon, released on April 22, 1944, features Bugs Bunny. The film depicts Bugs fighting against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific War. The ...

'', in which Bugs dresses up as a Japanese general.Lerner (2010), p. 220 Daniel Goldmark cites the cartoon as a significant precursor to ''

'' (1957) and a source for its visual imagery. After running off, Bugs re-enters the scene dressed as

Brünnhilde Brunhild, also known as Brunhilda or Brynhild ( non, Brynhildr , gmh, Brünhilt, german: Brünhild , label= Modern German or ), is a female character from Germanic heroic legend. She may have her origins in the Visigothic princess Brunhilda ...

. The costume includes a blonde wig with braids and a Viking-style helmet. Bugs rides on a white horse, visually based on the

Clydesdale horse The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of draught horse. It is named for its area of origin, the Clydesdale or valley of the River Clyde, much of which is within the county of Lanarkshire. The origins of the breed lie in the eighteenth century, ...

. Musically, the scene is accompanied by the "Pilgrim's Chorus" from the ''

'' (1845). In response,

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

changes clothes. His lederhosen is replaced by a long brown loincloth. He wears a horned-type Viking helmet. The horns grow in size as if erect, as he lustfully gazes at "Brünnhilde". The duo dances to the tune of two waltzes by

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

: "Vienna Life" and "You and You", the latter originating in ''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original ...

'' (1874). The entry of Bugs and his white horse into the scene is repeated in ''What's Opera, Doc?''. The dance with the male suitor is, however, changed from a

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...

-rendition of the

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

to a refined

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

. The motivation of the dancers also changes. Göring is "lost in the moment" and follows his partner's lead. In the latter, the dance is part of an artistic performance. Both cartoons were written by

Michael Maltese Michael Maltese (February 6, 1908 – February 22, 1981) was an American story man for classic animated cartoon shorts. He is best known for working in the 1950s on a series of ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons with director Chuck Jones, notably "Wha ...

, which may account for the similarities. In the older short, the musical references were intended as a criticism of Germany,

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

serving as "a suitable musical backdrop". The second short makes Wagner and opera itself its targets.

Reception

Like other American animated cartoons, ''Herr Meets Hare'' was available to

German prisoners of war in the United States Members of the German military were interned as prisoners of war in the United States during World War I and World War II. In all, 425,000 German prisoners lived in 700 camps throughout the United States during World War II. World War I Hostilit ...

, some of whom did not like it; Hans Goebler said: "You saw Hermann Göring standing there full of decorations, then all of a sudden a rabbit showed up and took all the decorations off, and stuff like that. And we didn't care for that." As with many of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

–themed cartoons put out by the major studios, ''Herr Meets Hare'' was placed under an unofficial ban from broadcast or video distribution by Warner Bros. and other rights-holders (including

Turner Broadcasting Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (alternatively known as Turner Entertainment Networks from 2019 until 2022) was an American television and media conglomerate. Founded by Ted Turner and based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (lat ...

and

AOL Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

). In 2001,

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...

had planned on showing each and every Bugs Bunny cartoon made so far as part of its yearly "June Bugs" festival. AOL Time Warner refused to allow the broadcast of ''Herr Meets Hare'', on the grounds that the cartoon was offensive (by today's standards) as it dealt with the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

in a joking manner. The cartoon saw limited broadcast on a special one-hour episode of ''

ToonHeads ''ToonHeads'' is an American animation anthology series consisting of Hanna-Barbera, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros., and ''Popeye'' cartoon shorts, with background information and trivia, prominently about animators and voice actors of the shor ...

'' about cartoons from World War II. It has also appeared on

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...

' '' Cartoon Alley'' as recently as January 20, 2007. In 2008, it was released to DVD on the set '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6''.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Herr Meets Hare 1945 films 1945 short films 1945 animated films American World War II propaganda shorts Short films directed by Friz Freleng Merrie Melodies short films Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films World War II films made in wartime Films about Nazi Germany Films about hunters Films set in forests Films set in Baden-Württemberg Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler Cultural depictions of Hermann Göring Cultural depictions of Joseph Stalin Films scored by Carl Stalling Animation based on real people American black-and-white films Cross-dressing in American films Bugs Bunny films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese Films set in the Black Forest Brunhild