Bugs Bunny: Superstar
Encyclopedia
Bugs Bunny: Superstar is a 1975 Looney Tunes
documentary film
, narrated by Orson Welles
and produced and directed by Larry Jackson.
The film includes nine Looney Tunes
/Merrie Melodies
cartoons which were previously released during the 1940s (thus, this can also be considered an anthology film) :
It also includes interviews with some legendary Warner Bros.
animation director
s of that period: Friz Freleng
, Tex Avery
and especially Bob Clampett
, who has the most screen time. Some contemporary critics pointed out that Clampett's important role, as one of the primary developers of the early Warner cartoons, was slanted to some degree, due to his prominent presence in this film. The documentary infuriated many of the Warner Bros. artists as Clampett liberally took credit for much of the Warner creations. For this reason, Chuck Jones
(who angrily had a strong dislike for Clampett) left out Clampett's name in the 1979 compilation film The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
when Bugs discusses about his fathers (where Chuck and other Warners directors were being listed) and his 1989 autobiography Chuck Amuck.
Bugs Bunny: Superstar was the first of a series of Warner cartoon compilation movies released in the 1970s and 1980s. However, as a documentary, it does not fit the mould of the totally-animated Warner Bros. compilation movies that began with 1979's The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
. This film was not included because it was not produced by Warner Bros. (it was produced by Hare-Raising Films) and the cartoons were controlled by United Artists
at that time as part of the Associated Artists Productions
library of pre-1950 Warner Bros. films.
and VHS
format during the late 1980s but both versions had been discontinued since 1999 when MGM/UA Home Video lost the distribution rights to MGM and a.a.p. titles owned by Turner Entertainment
to Warner Home Video
.
It was re-released on DVD
on November 14, 2006, as a two-part special feature in the box set Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4
. Most of the cartoons were previously released as separate, refurbished entries in the DVD collection. This film is presented pretty much "as is", with some age-wear apparent here and there. Most of the prints of the cartoons used were the Turner dubbed versions, replacing the original prints from the 1975 release. The Old Grey Hare
on the DVD used an original a.a.p. print (as part of the a.a.p. open soundtrack can be heard at the beginning of that cartoon) to preserve the final gag involving the "That's all, Folks" title card, which was lost in the Turner dubbed version of that cartoon. I Taw a Putty Tat
is the other that was sourced from an a.a.p. print as the Turner dubbed version, which has an edit to remove a blackface
gag.
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, narrated by Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
and produced and directed by Larry Jackson.
The film includes nine Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
/Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
cartoons which were previously released during the 1940s (thus, this can also be considered an anthology film) :
- What's Cookin' Doc?What's Cookin' Doc?What's Cookin' Doc? is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett and starring Bugs Bunny. The title is a variant on Bugs' catch-phrase "What's up Doc?". It also hints at one of the scenes in the picture....
(1944) - The Wild Hare (a.k.a. A Wild HareA Wild HareA Wild Hare is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short film. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, directed by Tex Avery, and written by Rich Hogan. It was originally released on July 27, 1940...
) (1940) - A Corny ConcertoA Corny ConcertoA Corny Concerto is an American animated cartoon short produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. It was directed by Bob Clampett, written by Frank Tashlin, animated by Robert McKimson and released as part of the Merrie Melodies series on September 25, 1943...
(1943) - I Taw a Putty TatI Taw a Putty TatI Taw a Putty Tat is a 1947 short animated cartoon, released in 1948, directed by Friz Freleng. It stars Tweety and Sylvester, both voiced by Mel Blanc...
(1948) - Rhapsody RabbitRhapsody RabbitRhapsody Rabbit is a 1946 Merrie Melodies animated short subject, featuring Bugs Bunny and directed by Friz Freleng. The short was originally released to theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 9, 1946. This short is a follow-up of sorts to Freleng's 1941 Academy Award-nominated short...
(1946) - Walky Talky HawkyWalky Talky HawkyWalky Talky Hawky is a Henery Hawk/Foghorn Leghorn animated short film from Warner Bros. released in 1946 and directed by Robert McKimson. All voice characterizations are performed by Mel Blanc.-Plot:...
(1946) - My Favorite DuckMy Favorite DuckMy Favorite Duck is a 1942 color Looney Tunes cartoon featuring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck . It was the second color entry in the Looney Tunes series, and the first pairing of Porky and Daffy produced in Technicolor...
(1942) - Hair-Raising HareHair-Raising HareHair-Raising Hare is a 1946 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, released in 1946. It was directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce...
(1946) - The Old Grey HareThe Old Grey HareThe Old Grey Hare is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett, written by Michael Sasanoff, music by Carl W. Stalling. Starring an older and young Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd The Old Grey Hare is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series,...
(1944)
It also includes interviews with some legendary Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
animation director
Animation director
An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or animated segment for a live-action film...
s of that period: Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
, Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
and especially Bob Clampett
Bob Clampett
Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros., and the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil...
, who has the most screen time. Some contemporary critics pointed out that Clampett's important role, as one of the primary developers of the early Warner cartoons, was slanted to some degree, due to his prominent presence in this film. The documentary infuriated many of the Warner Bros. artists as Clampett liberally took credit for much of the Warner creations. For this reason, Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
(who angrily had a strong dislike for Clampett) left out Clampett's name in the 1979 compilation film The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is a 1979 Looney Tunes film with a compilation of classic Warner Bros. cartoon shorts and animated bridging sequences, hosted by Bugs Bunny...
when Bugs discusses about his fathers (where Chuck and other Warners directors were being listed) and his 1989 autobiography Chuck Amuck.
Bugs Bunny: Superstar was the first of a series of Warner cartoon compilation movies released in the 1970s and 1980s. However, as a documentary, it does not fit the mould of the totally-animated Warner Bros. compilation movies that began with 1979's The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is a 1979 Looney Tunes film with a compilation of classic Warner Bros. cartoon shorts and animated bridging sequences, hosted by Bugs Bunny...
. This film was not included because it was not produced by Warner Bros. (it was produced by Hare-Raising Films) and the cartoons were controlled by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
at that time as part of the Associated Artists Productions
Associated Artists Productions
Associated Artists Productions was a distributor of theatrical feature films and short subjects for television. It existed from 1953 to 1958. It was later folded into United Artists. The former a.a.p. library was later owned by MGM/UA Entertainment and then Turner Entertainment. Turner continues...
library of pre-1950 Warner Bros. films.
Availability
Bugs Bunny: Superstar was first released in theaters in late-1975. It was also available on laserdiscLaserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
and VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
format during the late 1980s but both versions had been discontinued since 1999 when MGM/UA Home Video lost the distribution rights to MGM and a.a.p. titles owned by Turner Entertainment
Turner Entertainment
Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. is an American media company founded by Ted Turner. Now owned by Time Warner, the company is largely responsible for overseeing its library for worldwide distribution Turner Entertainment Company, Inc. (commonly known as Turner Entertainment Co.) is an American...
to Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
.
It was re-released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on November 14, 2006, as a two-part special feature in the box set Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 4 is a Looney Tunes collection on DVD. Following the pattern of one release each year of the previous volumes, it was released on November 14, 2006...
. Most of the cartoons were previously released as separate, refurbished entries in the DVD collection. This film is presented pretty much "as is", with some age-wear apparent here and there. Most of the prints of the cartoons used were the Turner dubbed versions, replacing the original prints from the 1975 release. The Old Grey Hare
The Old Grey Hare
The Old Grey Hare is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett, written by Michael Sasanoff, music by Carl W. Stalling. Starring an older and young Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd The Old Grey Hare is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series,...
on the DVD used an original a.a.p. print (as part of the a.a.p. open soundtrack can be heard at the beginning of that cartoon) to preserve the final gag involving the "That's all, Folks" title card, which was lost in the Turner dubbed version of that cartoon. I Taw a Putty Tat
I Taw a Putty Tat
I Taw a Putty Tat is a 1947 short animated cartoon, released in 1948, directed by Friz Freleng. It stars Tweety and Sylvester, both voiced by Mel Blanc...
is the other that was sourced from an a.a.p. print as the Turner dubbed version, which has an edit to remove a blackface
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
gag.
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 is a DVD box set that was released by Warner Home Video on November 2, 2004. It contains 60 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons and numerous supplements.-Related releases:...
- A Corny ConcertoA Corny ConcertoA Corny Concerto is an American animated cartoon short produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. It was directed by Bob Clampett, written by Frank Tashlin, animated by Robert McKimson and released as part of the Merrie Melodies series on September 25, 1943...
(1943) - Rhapsody RabbitRhapsody RabbitRhapsody Rabbit is a 1946 Merrie Melodies animated short subject, featuring Bugs Bunny and directed by Friz Freleng. The short was originally released to theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 9, 1946. This short is a follow-up of sorts to Freleng's 1941 Academy Award-nominated short...
(1946)
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation CollectionWarner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation CollectionDue to the success of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection and Popeye DVD series, Warner Home Video issued a 3-DVD set on February 12, 2008 showcasing the various animation properties that they own including their home-grown product Looney Tunes...
- A Wild HareA Wild HareA Wild Hare is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short film. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, directed by Tex Avery, and written by Rich Hogan. It was originally released on July 27, 1940...
(1940)