''Slick Hare'' is a 1947 ''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...

'' 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, Film director, director, Film producer, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons ...

. The film was released on November 1, 1947, and features

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

and

Elmer Fudd Elmer J. Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes''/''Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudd's aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring himself and other antag ...

. It parodies the Mocambo nightclub in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908 – July 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 come ...

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 Print syndication, syndicated humor column for the ''Miami Herald'' from 1983 to 2005. He has written numerous books of humor and parody, as we ...

portrays

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

. 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 commences with a satirical portrayal of 1940s Hollywood luminaries (among them

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

) indulging in culinary extravagance at the Mocrumbo club, replete with exaggerated antics and whimsical nods to Hollywood celebrities. Amidst the glamorous milieu, Elmer Fudd, cast as a hapless waiter, encounters the formidable

, whose demand for fried rabbit sets off a chain of absurd events. Elmer's frantic quest for a rabbit leads him to an unwitting Bugs Bunny ensconced amidst crates of carrots, igniting a miscommunication that sees Bugs fleeing from the impending dinner invitation. Bugs' escapades unfold in a series of comedic encounters, from disguising himself as

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...

to a frantic pursuit through the eccentricities of a showbiz setting, including personal encounters with

Carmen Miranda Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...

and

Sydney Greenstreet Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (December 27, 1879 – January 18, 1954) was a British and 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 t ...

. As the tension mounts, Bugs' typical quick-witted antics and Elmer's hapless endeavors culminate in a chaotic climax, with mistaken identities and pie-slinging antics punctuating the farcical proceedings. Ultimately, Bugs' comedic prowess prevails, as he willingly assumes the role of

Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...

's main course.

Cast

, Waiter, Bartender and

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

* Arthur Q. Bryan as

(uncredited) *

as herself (uncredited)

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."

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

References

External links

* {{authority control 1947 films Merrie Melodies short films Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Short films directed by Friz Freleng Animated films set in Los Angeles Animation based on real people Cultural depictions of actors 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 1947 animated short films