''Hare-abian Nights'' is a 1959 Warner Bros. ''

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

Ken Harris Karyl Ross "Ken" Harris (July 31, 1898 – March 24, 1982) was an American animator best known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons under the supervision of director Chuck Jones. Life and career Ken Harris was born in Tulare County, Calif ...

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...

' unit. The short was released on February 28, 1959, and stars Bugs Bunny. The cartoon was animated by Harris and

Ben Washam Benjamin Alfred Washam (March 17, 1915 – March 28, 1984) was an American animator who is best known for working under director Chuck Jones for nearly 30 years. According to his World War II draft registration, he was born in Newport, Jackson Cou ...

and recycles footage from '' Bully for Bugs'', ''

Water, Water Every Hare ''Water, Water Every Hare'' is a 1952 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The cartoon was released on April 19, 1952 and stars Bugs Bunny. The short is a return to the themes of the 1946 cartoon '' Hair-Raising Hare'' ...

'', and ''

Sahara Hare ''Sahara Hare'' is a 1955 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' theatrical cartoon short directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on March 26, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. Plot This is another classic battle between Bugs Bunny an ...

''. ''Hare-abian Nights'' is a pun on ''

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

''. ''Hare-abian Nights'' is the only short in the

Golden Age of American animation The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the popularization of sound cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the late 1960s, where theatrical animated shorts began losing popularity to the ...

starring Yosemite Sam not 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 '' ...

or a member of Freleng's unit, although sequences from a Freleng cartoon are used in this short. The plot of this cartoon inspired the 1982 feature '' Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales''.

Plot

In an Arabian palace (similar to the gong show in ''

I Love to Singa ''I Love to Singa'' is a 1936 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' animated cartoon directed by Tex Avery. The short was released on July 18, 1936. Plot ''I Love to Singa'' depicts the story of an owlet (singing voice of Jackie Morrow, speaking voic ...

''), the short opens with atheband Timbuk Two Plus 3 playing " Sweet Georgia Brown" trying to entertain the

sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

, with the performance ending with the floor being dropped out from under them, sending the band into a crocodile pit below. Next, a musician (A caricature of Elvis Presley) scared by the fate of Timbuk Two performs "Hound Camel" (a send-up of " Hound Dog") before meeting the same fate as Timbuk Two. Following that, Bugs, intending to travel to Perth Amboy but having missed a left turn at

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, ends up in front of other prospective performers and is ordered to entertain the sultan. Assigned the role of "Teller of Tales", Bugs proceeds to tell his tale of how he ended up in the palace. Flashing back to 1953's '' Bully for Bugs'', Bugs recounts his problems with a bull he met at a

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

ring while trying to find the

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, and Bugs' outsmarting the bull with a hidden

anvil An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked"). Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher th ...

. The

is prepared to press the button to send Bugs into the pit, but then Bugs recounts his experiences with Rudolph the monster in 1952's ''

'', where Bugs impersonates a hairdresser to outsmart Rudolph. Bugs also recounts his encounter with Yosemite Sam in the Sahara Desert in 1955's ''

'', referring to Sam as "the stupidest character of them all", while recounting Sam's unsuccessful attempts to enter a desert fort. At this point, while Bugs is chuckling at Sam's misfortunes in the desert, the

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

, who turns out to be none other than Yosemite Sam himself, tries to press the button to drop Bugs, only to find that Bugs has shut off the master switch, frustrating Sam. When Sam tries to find out what is wrong, Bugs resets the master switch, dropping Sam into the crocodile pit, from which he escapes, but not before one of the crocodiles also escapes, sending Sam running off. Bugs, now dressed with turbans covering each ear, describes Sam's act as a "don't call us, we'll call you" act, along with some other remarks as the camera irises out.

References

External links

* {{Yosemite Sam in animation 1959 films 1959 animated films 1959 short films Merrie Melodies short films Films directed by Ken Harris Films scored by Milt Franklyn Animated films set in deserts Animated films set in palaces Animated films set in the Middle East Clip shows Bugs Bunny films 1950s Warner Bros. animated short films Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese Yosemite Sam films

Plot

See also

References

External links