''What's Opera, Doc?'' is a 1957 American Warner Bros. ''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American 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 1970s to the ...

'' cartoon directed by

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, pro ...

and 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 " ...

. The short was released on July 6, 1957, and stars

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 ''Merr ...

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 panthe ...

. The story features Elmer chasing Bugs through a parody of 19th-century classical composer

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 ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

s, particularly ''

Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the '' Nibe ...

'' (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), ''

Der Fliegende Holländer ' (''The Flying Dutchman''), WWV 63, is a German-language opera, with libretto and music by Richard Wagner. The central theme is redemption through love. Wagner conducted the premiere at the Königliches Hoftheater Dresden in 1843. Wagner cla ...

'' (''The Flying Dutchman''), and ''

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 ...

''. It borrows heavily from the second opera in the "Ring Cycle" ''

Die Walküre (; ''The Valkyrie''), WWV 86B, is the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on ...

'', woven around the typical Bugs–Elmer feud. The short marks the final appearance of Elmer Fudd in a Chuck Jones cartoon. It has been widely praised by many in the animation industry as the greatest animated cartoon that Warner Bros. ever released, and has been ranked as such in the top 50 animated cartoons of all time. In 1992, the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

deemed it "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant", and selected it for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

, the first cartoon short to receive such honors.

Plot

Dressed as the

demigod A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...

Siegfried, Elmer Fudd sings "Be vewy qwiet, I'm hunting wabbits" in

recitative Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat ...

, before he finds rabbit tracks and arrives at Bugs Bunny's hole. Elmer jams his spear into Bugs' hole while singing "Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!" to the tune of ''Ride of the Valkyries''. Bugs sticks his head out of another rabbit hole and taunts Elmer about his spear and magic helmet. This prompts a display of Elmer-as-Siegfried's "mighty powers", which scares Bugs. Bugs flees and the chase begins. Elmer stops in his tracks at the sight of the beautiful

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

Brünnhilde (Bugs in disguise). "Siegfried" and "Brünnhilde" exchange endearments and perform a short

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 ...

(based on the Venusberg ballet in ''Tannhäuser''). Bugs' true identity is exposed when his headdress falls off, enraging Elmer. Bugs discards his disguise and the chase begins anew. Elmer's rage causes a storm to brew, tearing apart the mountains where Bugs has fled. Upon seeing Bugs' intact yet seemingly lifeless body as a drop of rain from a flower lands on the rabbit, Elmer regrets his wrath and tearfully carries the rabbit off to Valhalla in keeping the Wagnerian theme per Act III of the Valkyries . Bugs breaks the

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...

and raises his head to face the audience while remarking, "Well, what did you expect in an opera? A ''happy'' ending?" Then goes back to playing dead. The ''Merrie Melodies'' end title card appears just before the music ends.

Voice cast

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 r ...

(as Brünnhilde),

(yelling "SMOG!") * Arthur Q. Bryan as Elmer Fudd (as Siegfried) (uncredited)

Production

Originally released to theaters by Warner Bros. on July 6, 1957, ''What's Opera, Doc?'' features the speaking and singing voices of

and Arthur Q. Bryan as Bugs and Elmer, respectively. The short is also sometimes informally referred to as ''Kill the Wabbit'' after the line sung by Elmer to the tune of Wagner's "

Ride of the Valkyries The "Ride of the Valkyries" (german: Walkürenritt Ritt der Walküren, links=no) refers to the beginning of act 3 of '' Die Walküre'', the second of the four operas constituting Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen''. As a separate pie ...

", the opening passage from Act Three of ''Die Walküre'' (which is also the

leitmotif A leitmotif or leitmotiv () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is an anglic ...

of the

s). This is the third of the three Warner Bros. shorts (the others being '' Hare Brush'' and ''

Rabbit Rampage ''Rabbit Rampage'' is a 1955 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on June 11, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny. Plot The short opens to Bugs Bunny's hole being drawn by the animator in the ...

'') in which Elmer defeats Bugs (though here the former shows regret for defeating the latter), as well as the last Elmer Fudd cartoon directed by Jones. ''What's Opera, Doc?'' required about six times as much work and expense as any of the other six-minute cartoons his production unit was turning out at the time. Jones admitted as much, having described a surreptitious re-allocation of production time to complete the short. During the six minutes of ''What's Opera, Doc?'', Jones lampoons

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...

'', the contemporary style of ballet, Wagner's perceived ponderous operatic style, and even the by-then clichéd Bugs-and-Elmer formula.

devised the story for the cartoon, and also wrote lyrics to Wagner's music to create the duet "Return My Love". Art director

Maurice Noble Maurice James Noble (May 1, 1911 – May 18, 2001) was an American animation production designer, background artist and layout designer whose contributions to the industry spanned more than 60 years. He was a long-time associate and right-hand man ...

devised the stylized backdrops. The cartoon drew upon previous Warner studio work: Maltese originated the concept of Bugs in Valkyrie drag riding a fat horse to the Tannhäuser Pilgrim's Chorus in the suppressed 1945 wartime cartoon ''

Herr Meets Hare ''Herr Meets Hare'' is a 1945 anti-Nazi ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on January 13, 1945, and features Bugs Bunny. This short, released not long before the collapse of the Third Reich, was the penu ...

'', 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 ...

Legacy

In 1994, ''What's Opera, Doc?'' ranked No. 1 in a list of

The 50 Greatest Cartoons ''The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals'' is a 1994 book by animation historian Jerry Beck. Criteria It consists of articles about 50 highly regarded animated short films made in North America and other notable ca ...

of all time. The list was conducted via survey by a thousand animators. In 1992, the United States

deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", and selected it for preservation in the

, making it the first short cartoon to receive such honors. ''

Duck Amuck ''Duck Amuck'' is an American animated surreal comedy short film directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on January 17, 1953 as part of the ''Merrie Melodies'' series, and stars Daffy Duck. In the cartoon, ...

'' and ''

One Froggy Evening ''One Froggy Evening'' is a 1955 American Technicolor animated musical short film written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones, with musical direction by Milt Franklyn. The short, partly inspired by a 1944 Cary Grant film entitled ''Onc ...

'' were later inducted into the registry, making Chuck Jones the only animator with three shorts thus recognized. The short has an 8.4 rating on

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

, making it the second-highest rated cartoon on said platform, only being beaten by ''Duck Amuck''.

Home media

* DVD: ''

The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie ''The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie'' is a 1979 American animated comedy package film directed by Chuck Jones, consisting of a compilation of classic '' Looney Tunes/ Merrie Melodies'' shorts and newly animated bridging sequences hosted by Bugs ...

'' * DVD: '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2'' * DVD: ''The Essential Bugs Bunny'' * Blu-ray: '' Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1'' *Blu-ray: ''

Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection ''Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection'' is a Blu-ray Disc box-set released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on December 1, 2020. It contains 60 Bugs Bunny shorts and numerous bonus features and supplementary content. The set's ...

'' * iTunes: Bugs Bunny, Vol. 1 (paired with ''

Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid ''Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid'' is a 1942 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett, produced by Leon Schlesinger, and released to theatres by Warner Bros. Pictures. It marks the first appearance of Beaky Buzzard in a Warner Bros. sho ...

'') *

Xbox Live Marketplace Xbox Games Store (formerly Xbox Live Marketplace) is a digital distribution platform used by Microsoft's Xbox Series X, S, Xbox One and Xbox 360 video game consoles. The service allows users to download or purchase video games (including both ...

: October 23, 2007 * Streaming:

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...

References

Bibliography

* Beck, Jerry and Friedwald, Will (1989): ''Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons''. Henry Holt and Company. * Richard Freedman
What's Opera, Doc?
''Andante Magazine'', March 2002 * Goldmark, Daniel (2005): "''What's Opera, Doc?'' and Cartoon Opera", in ''Tunes for 'Toons: Music and the Hollywood Cartoon'', University of California Press. * Thomas, Todd and Barbara

External links

*''What’s Opera, Doc?'' essa

by Craig Kausen at

*''What’s Opera, Doc?'' essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 , pages 532-53

* *
Andante Magazine article on What's Opera, Doc? and Rabbit of Seville

followed b

analyze the cartoon at New Savanna blog. {{Authority control 1957 films 1957 animated films 1957 short films 1950s musical comedy-drama films 1950s parody films American musical comedy-drama films Cross-dressing in American films Short films directed by Chuck Jones Merrie Melodies short films Films based on operas United States National Film Registry films Films based on works by Richard Wagner Bugs Bunny films Elmer Fudd films 1957 comedy films 1950s Warner Bros. animated short films Films scored by Milt Franklyn Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese Films produced by Edward Selzer 1950s English-language films Films based on the Nibelungenlied