Hillbilly Hare
Encyclopedia
Hillbilly Hare is a 1950 Merrie Melodies
cartoon starring Bugs Bunny
, produced and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was directed by Robert McKimson
, with a story by Tedd Pierce
and musical direction by Carl Stalling
. Bugs as usual is voiced by Mel Blanc
, as is Curt Martin; an uncredited Stan Freberg
and John T. Smith
voice Punkin'head Martin; Smith also voices the square dance caller before Bugs unplugs the machine.
This is only 1 of 3 WB cartoons released in 1950 not to bear the "all-green" ring scheme, the others being Dog Collared and Two's a Crowd.
brothers Curt and Punkin'head Martin are determined to get revenge on Bugs Bunny for their humiliation. But Bugs easily outsmarts them and eventually leads them into a violent square dance involving repeated slapstick
comedy gags.
Like Pete Puma, the hillbillies have gone on to enter pop culture among animation fans. They have made occasional cameos in the DC
Looney Tunes comic book series, and they also make a brief cameo along with Bugs in the Histeria!
episode "Great Heroes of France". They also make a brief cameo in Space Jam
(they are briefly seen with the other Looney Tunes characters watching the basketball game between the Tune Squad and the Monstars).
However, it has aired on Cartoon Network, as of today, unedited.
, Disc 1.
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,...
cartoon starring Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
, produced and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was directed by Robert McKimson
Robert McKimson
Robert "Bob" Porter McKimson, Sr. was an American animator, illustrator, and director best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros., and later DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
, with a story by Tedd Pierce
Tedd Pierce
Tedd Pierce , was an American animated cartoon writer, animator and artist. Pierce spent the majority of his career as a writer for the Warner Bros. "Termite Terrace" animation studio, working alongside fellow luminaries such as Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese. Pierce also worked as a writer at...
and musical direction by Carl Stalling
Carl Stalling
Carl W. Stalling was an American composer and arranger for music in animated films. He is most closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts produced by Warner Bros., where he averaged one complete score each week, for 22 years.-Biography:Stalling was born to Ernest and...
. Bugs as usual is voiced by Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
, as is Curt Martin; an uncredited Stan Freberg
Stan Freberg
Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
and John T. Smith
John T. Smith
John T. "J.T." Smith is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 1990s.-Tri-State Wrestling Alliance:...
voice Punkin'head Martin; Smith also voices the square dance caller before Bugs unplugs the machine.
This is only 1 of 3 WB cartoons released in 1950 not to bear the "all-green" ring scheme, the others being Dog Collared and Two's a Crowd.
Summary
In this cartoon, after having several of their hunting attempts foiled, hillbillyHillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
brothers Curt and Punkin'head Martin are determined to get revenge on Bugs Bunny for their humiliation. But Bugs easily outsmarts them and eventually leads them into a violent square dance involving repeated slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy gags.
Like Pete Puma, the hillbillies have gone on to enter pop culture among animation fans. They have made occasional cameos in the DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Looney Tunes comic book series, and they also make a brief cameo along with Bugs in the Histeria!
Histeria!
Histeria! is a 1998 American animated series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Unlike other animated series produced by Warner Bros. in the 1990s, Histeria! stood out as the most explicit edutainment program in order to meet FCC requirements for...
episode "Great Heroes of France". They also make a brief cameo in Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
(they are briefly seen with the other Looney Tunes characters watching the basketball game between the Tune Squad and the Monstars).
Censorship
- This cartoon saw major editing when aired on ABC due to violent content. The following scenes were edited:
- The scene where Bugs mistakes Hillbilly #1's gun for a camera and has his carrot shot full of holes was cut.
- The scene where Hillbilly #1 unties his rifle barrel, gets blasted in the face, was cut.
- The scene where Bugs meets up with Hillbilly #2, and Bugs reverses the gun barrel so that the second hillbilly is blown up was cut.
- The aftermath of the explosion in the dynamite shack sequence where Hillbilly #1 comes out with Bugs' lit lighter and says, "I think y'all are usin' too strong a fluid!" was also cut.
- The line during the square-dance ending that goes: Grab a fence post/Hold it tight/Whomp yer partner/Wit' all yer might/Hit 'im in the shin/Hit 'im in the head/Hit 'im again/The critter ain't dead/Whomp 'im low and whomp 'im high/Stick yer finger in his eye/Pretty l'il rhythm/Pretty l'il sound/Bang yer head against the ground (and the ensuing comic violence that follows) was also cut.
However, it has aired on Cartoon Network, as of today, unedited.
Availability
Hillbilly Hare is available (uncensored and uncut) on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 is a DVD box set from Warner Home Video that was released on October 25, 2005. It contains 60 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical short subject cartoons, 9 documentaries, 32 commentary tracks from animators and historians, 11 "vintage treasures from...
, Disc 1.
External links
- Hillbilly Hare at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...