''Slick Hare'' is a 1947 ''

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 film was released on November 1, 1947, 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 '' ...

and

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 ...

. It parodies the Mocambo nightclub in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

—in the cartoon referred to as "The Mocrumbo".

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...

voices Bugs, Arthur Q. Bryan voices

and impressionist

Dave Barry David McAlister Barry (born July 3, 1947) is an American author and columnist who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for the ''Miami Herald'' from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comic ...

portrays

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

. The title is a pun on "hair", from an era when hair slicked down by oil was a popular fashion style for men.

Plot

The cartoon opens with various shots of 1940s celebrities dining and drinking at the Mocrumbo club—including such personalities as

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

using a

straight razor A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors. The predecessors of the modern straight razors include bronze razors, with cutting edges and fixed handles, produced b ...

to cut his steak (in reference to his character in Hitchcock's '' Spellbound''),

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

(in a spoof of '' The Lost Weekend'') pays for his drink with a typewriter and receives miniature typewriters as change; and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, depicted exaggeratedly thin, so much so that he slips into his straw when trying to take a sip from his drink. Elmer Fudd is a waiter at the Mocrumbo and comes out to find that his next customer is

. Bogart tells Elmer that he wants fried rabbit. Elmer explains that the restaurant has run out of rabbits, but Bogart brandishes a

tommy gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy Gun", "Chicago Typewriter", "Chicago Piano", “Trench Sweeper” or "Trench Broom") is a blowback-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun, invented by United Stat ...

and warns Elmer he wants fried rabbit "within 20 minutes – or else!". During Elmer's frantic search for a rabbit, he hears the sound of somebody munching on carrots in a corner of the kitchen and discovers

in a crate of carrots. Elmer informs Bugs that Bogart wants to "have" him for dinner. Bugs mistakes the concept for an invitation and immediately appears in a fancy dress and a top hat and asks to see what is cooking. Elmer quickly puts a hand mirror into a pot and Bugs, seeing his reflection, realizing that he himself is to be the main course, nervously bids Elmer farewell before beating a hasty retreat. Bugs escapes the kitchen into the dining room, where he is seated at a table dressed like

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

in an attempt to fool Elmer. Elmer then appears next to Bugs, dressed as

Harpo Marx Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx; November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Grou ...

. Bugs tries to run away, but he bounces off the large stomach of

Sydney Greenstreet Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (December 27, 1879 – January 18, 1954) was a British-American actor. While he did not begin his career in films until the age of 61, he had a run of significant motion pictures in a Hollywood career lasting throu ...

. He runs into

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...

's dressing room and hides in her tutti-frutti hat. Carmen walks to the stage and performs ''Sambaiana''. As she exits, Elmer chases Bugs back onto the stage. Elmer, seeing the audience, quickly runs offstage, leaving Bugs to dance to the orchestra's

samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...

rhythms. Elmer is seen next to the band sharpening his

meat cleaver A cleaver is a large knife that varies in its shape but usually resembles a rectangular-bladed hatchet. It is largely used as a kitchen or butcher knife and is mostly intended for splitting up large pieces of soft bones and slashing through ...

to the rhythm during the performance. Bugs then makes his way back to the kitchen, where he revels in the audience's appreciation of his performance by saying "Ah, my public! How they love me! A-huh-huh!" (the little laugh being a

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

shtick). Elmer, holding a meat cleaver, rushes towards Bugs, and Bugs immediately dresses as a mustachioed waiter, orders pies and twice splatters Elmer in the face. The third time (a comic triple), when Bugs orders a coconut custard pie with whipped cream, Elmer finally realizes that the waiter just might be Bugs. After producing the pie, Elmer throws it at Bugs, but Bugs ducks and the pie sails out into the dining room, hitting Bogart in the face. Bogart walks into the kitchen, grabs Elmer by his shirt, and asks him why he hit him in the face with a pie. Bogart then warns Elmer that he has just five minutes to prepare his fried rabbit. Elmer searches frantically, but cannot find a rabbit in time. Bogart returns, and sticks his hand in his jacket menacingly. Elmer cowers, thinking Bogart is about to shoot him, but Bogart only pulls out a handkerchief to dab his forehead as he says resignedly "Baby will just have to have a

ham sandwich The ham sandwich is a common type of sandwich. The bread may be fresh or toasted, and it can be made with a variety of toppings including cheese and vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion or pickle slices. Various kinds of mustard and mayonnais ...

instead." Upon hearing "Baby", Bugs jumps out of his hiding place and takes his place on a platter as the main course (

Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...

being "Baby") noting "Remember, garçon, the customer is always right! If it's rabbit Baby wants, rabbit Baby gets!" before howling and wolf whistling at Bacall.

Production

Background artist Paul Julian visited the kitchen at the Mocambo, and based this cartoon's kitchen backgrounds on the unhygienic things he observed, later commenting in an interview: "I was so bloody revolted by it that I came back and made a documentary out of it!"

Reception

Cartoon voice actor Keith Scott writes, "One of the last of Warner Bros.' topical caricature cartoons, ''Slick Hare'' is much more accessible to a modern audience than some other entries in the movie-star parody genre. This is because Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd carry the comedy. With these two strong personalities in the foreground, the throwaway movie-star gags are more like the icing on a cake."

Cast

, Waiter, Bartender and

* Arthur Q. Bryan as

(uncredited) *

(uncredited)

Home media

*This cartoon can be found on the '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2''. *The short is also an extra on the DVD release of the 1947

film ''

Dark Passage ''Dark Passage'' (1946) is a crime novel by David Goodis. It was the basis for the 1947 film noir of the same name. The film implements extensive use of the first-person camera technique. Plot Vincent Parry, wrongly convicted of murdering hi ...

'', available individually and as part of the ''Bogie and Bacall: The Signature Collection'' DVD boxed set.

References

External links

* {{authority control 1947 films 1947 short films 1947 animated films 1940s animated short films Merrie Melodies short films Hollywood, Los Angeles in fiction Short films directed by Friz Freleng Films set in Los Angeles Animation based on real people Cultural depictions of Humphrey Bogart Cultural depictions of the Marx Brothers Cultural depictions of Frank Sinatra Films scored by Carl Stalling Bugs Bunny films Elmer Fudd films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese