Mississippi Hare
Encyclopedia
Mississippi Hare is a Looney Tunes
cartoon short produced in 1947 by Chuck Jones
and written by Michael Maltese
, released in 1949.
, asleep in a cotton field, is picked up by his cottony tail (which a worker mistakes for actual cotton
) and bundled into a shipment put on a riverboat going down the Mississippi River
. The cotton-picking scene is accompanied by presumably African-American voices singing "Dixie
".
After seeing a steward forcibly eject a ticket-less passenger ("What? No ticket? We'll have no stowaways on this boat, sir!"), Bugs acquires some clothes and presents himself to the steward as a top-hatted gentleman. His self-assurance so clearly implies that he belongs on the boat that the steward hesitates to even ask for a ticket, but rather than browbeat him with his presumed superior station, Bugs simply gives the man a ticket.
At this point Bugs could simply relax and enjoy the unexpected trip, which must eventually take the boat back to its starting point and allow him to disembark, but he prefers to seek an adversary with whom he can match wits. He finds one in the Yosemite Sam
-esque Colonel Shuffle, a neurotic riverboat gambler played by Billy Bletcher
(referring himself as "the rip-roarin'-est, gold-diggin'-est, sharp-shootin'-est, poker-playin'-est riverboat gambler on the Mississippi!"). After Shuffle's gunplay clears out the customer base in the casino
(when another player had topped Shuffle's hand of three queens with four kings), Bugs remains as his only challenger in a poker game. Beginning with a hundred dollar stake (which amounts to only half a chip), Bugs soon stands to win all of Shuffle's money. When the cheating Shuffle offers a hand of five aces, Bugs casually tops him with six aces. Literally beaten at his own game ("Ifn't I had four feet and went yee-haw, what would I be?", "Why, uh, you'd be a jackass"), Shuffle challenges Bugs to a pistol duel and an explosion from an exploding cigar ("And the gentlemen wins a cigar!") leaves Shuffle in "blackface
" and Bugs leads him in a dance to "De Camptown Races" (with Shuffle literally dancing off the boat, banjo
in hand).
After Colonel Shuffle falls into and then comes back into the ship ("Why for did you splash me in the Mississippi mud?"), and a failed attempt to shoot Bugs with a waterlogged pistol (water flows out instead with the bullet sporting a sail as well), Bugs tricks Shuffle into buying a ticket to see "Uncle Tom's Cabinet" (word play referring to Uncle Tom's Cabin
), only to fall back into Old Man River. Shuffle again tries to shoot Bugs ("Why did you dunk my poor old hide in Old Man River, when I bought a loge seat?"), only to be reminded that his pistol is wet ("Ah, ah, doc! It's full of water!"). Shuffle points the bullet at himself, only to get blasted in the face, apparently leaving only his clothes, but it's revealed not long after that he hid in his hat. Angry, Shuffle chases Bugs down to the boiler room, only to end up in it himself (causing the smoke from the smokestacks to warp into the word "YIPE!") and being forced to get change from Bugs for a cup to get water ("I seem to be in a terrible quandary, sir. Could you change a ten-spot, sir? I'd prefer a profusion of pennies"), only to shoot at Bugs again when he puts out his fire ("Thank you, sir. Keep the change.").
Bugs dons southern belle garb and appeals to another passenger to rescue "her" from Shuffle, whom the passenger throws overboard. However, after realizing that the "lady" he has assisted is a rabbit, the dumbfounded man has a nervous breakdown and steps overboard himself. Still in drag, Bugs notes: "Oh well, we almost had a romantic ending."
. On an audio commentary track, Eric Goldberg
explains why the cartoon has been banned (though the racism in this cartoon is, according to Goldberg, "tastefully done", and not as blatant as in some other cartoons) and points out the presumably racist scenes (specifically the beginning with the cottonpickers, the Camptown Races scene, and the Uncle Tom's Cabinet gag) and the gun gag that was cut when it aired on ABC and the WB.
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...
cartoon short produced in 1947 by 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...
and written by Michael Maltese
Michael Maltese
Michael "Mike" Maltese was a long-time storyboard artist and screenwriter for classic animated cartoon shorts.-Career:...
, released in 1949.
Plot
In the story, Bugs BunnyBugs 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...
, asleep in a cotton field, is picked up by his cottony tail (which a worker mistakes for actual cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
) and bundled into a shipment put on a riverboat going down the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The cotton-picking scene is accompanied by presumably African-American voices singing "Dixie
Dixie
Dixie is a nickname for the Southern United States.- Origin of the name :According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origins of this nickname remain obscure. According to A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles , by Mitford M...
".
After seeing a steward forcibly eject a ticket-less passenger ("What? No ticket? We'll have no stowaways on this boat, sir!"), Bugs acquires some clothes and presents himself to the steward as a top-hatted gentleman. His self-assurance so clearly implies that he belongs on the boat that the steward hesitates to even ask for a ticket, but rather than browbeat him with his presumed superior station, Bugs simply gives the man a ticket.
At this point Bugs could simply relax and enjoy the unexpected trip, which must eventually take the boat back to its starting point and allow him to disembark, but he prefers to seek an adversary with whom he can match wits. He finds one in the Yosemite Sam
Yosemite Sam
Yosemite Sam is an American animated cartoon character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The name is somewhat alliterative and is inspired by Yosemite National Park...
-esque Colonel Shuffle, a neurotic riverboat gambler played by Billy Bletcher
Billy Bletcher
William "Billy" Bletcher was an American actor, comedian, and voice artist, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
(referring himself as "the rip-roarin'-est, gold-diggin'-est, sharp-shootin'-est, poker-playin'-est riverboat gambler on the Mississippi!"). After Shuffle's gunplay clears out the customer base in the casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
(when another player had topped Shuffle's hand of three queens with four kings), Bugs remains as his only challenger in a poker game. Beginning with a hundred dollar stake (which amounts to only half a chip), Bugs soon stands to win all of Shuffle's money. When the cheating Shuffle offers a hand of five aces, Bugs casually tops him with six aces. Literally beaten at his own game ("Ifn't I had four feet and went yee-haw, what would I be?", "Why, uh, you'd be a jackass"), Shuffle challenges Bugs to a pistol duel and an explosion from an exploding cigar ("And the gentlemen wins a cigar!") leaves Shuffle in "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...
" and Bugs leads him in a dance to "De Camptown Races" (with Shuffle literally dancing off the boat, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
in hand).
After Colonel Shuffle falls into and then comes back into the ship ("Why for did you splash me in the Mississippi mud?"), and a failed attempt to shoot Bugs with a waterlogged pistol (water flows out instead with the bullet sporting a sail as well), Bugs tricks Shuffle into buying a ticket to see "Uncle Tom's Cabinet" (word play referring to Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
), only to fall back into Old Man River. Shuffle again tries to shoot Bugs ("Why did you dunk my poor old hide in Old Man River, when I bought a loge seat?"), only to be reminded that his pistol is wet ("Ah, ah, doc! It's full of water!"). Shuffle points the bullet at himself, only to get blasted in the face, apparently leaving only his clothes, but it's revealed not long after that he hid in his hat. Angry, Shuffle chases Bugs down to the boiler room, only to end up in it himself (causing the smoke from the smokestacks to warp into the word "YIPE!") and being forced to get change from Bugs for a cup to get water ("I seem to be in a terrible quandary, sir. Could you change a ten-spot, sir? I'd prefer a profusion of pennies"), only to shoot at Bugs again when he puts out his fire ("Thank you, sir. Keep the change.").
Bugs dons southern belle garb and appeals to another passenger to rescue "her" from Shuffle, whom the passenger throws overboard. However, after realizing that the "lady" he has assisted is a rabbit, the dumbfounded man has a nervous breakdown and steps overboard himself. Still in drag, Bugs notes: "Oh well, we almost had a romantic ending."
Production Notes
- There was a long-standing rumor that Virgil Ross animated the scene where Bugs dances to "Camptown Races" while a blackfaced Colonel Shuffle plays the banjo. However, according to Eric Goldberg's audio commentary on the fourth volume of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD set, the scene was animated by Ken Harris (Virgil Ross wasn't even credited for being an animator for this short, nor was Ross, who animated under Friz FrelengFriz FrelengIsadore "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....
's unit, ever an animator under Jones' unit).
Censorship and Controversy
- When this cartoon aired on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, the scene of Bugs rewarding Colonel Shuffle with a cigar that explodes, and Bugs giving him a banjo and the two perform Camptown Races was cut (though that censored scene was shown as a "Comedy Classics" clip shown in between cartoons in the 1989-1990 season of "The Bugs Bunny and Tweety ShowThe Bugs Bunny ShowThe Bugs Bunny Show is a long-running American television anthology series hosted by Bugs Bunny, that was mainly composed of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons released by Warner Bros. between August 1, 1948 and the end of 1969. The show originally debuted as a primetime half-hour program on...
"), with the scene where the Colonel re-emerges onto the ship being moved to after he walks off the ship. Also cut on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
was the part where Colonel holds a gun to Bugs's face after falling off the boat (in the "Uncle Tom's CabinUncle Tom's CabinUncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
et" scene) and Bugs warns him that the gun is filled with water and Colonel Shuffle ends up supposedly getting shot in the face and the scene where Bugs Bunny (dressed as a Southern belle) whacks Colonel Shuffle with an umbrella was shortened. - On the now-defunct WB channelThe WB Television NetworkThe WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
, the beginning where it shows the black sharecroppers singing "Dixie" and picking cotton (and Bugs) was cut as was the part where Colonel Shuffle supposedly shoots himself in the face after Bugs tells him the gun is filled with water that was edited on ABC. - Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
had this cartoon on its list of 12 Bugs Bunny cartoons that were pulled from airing on the 2001 "June Bugs" marathon by order of AOL Time WarnerTime WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
that purportedly was supposed to show every Bugs Bunny cartoon ever made, presumably due to its offensive depiction of African Americans (i.e. plantation farming, the "Camptown Races" song that was censored on ABC, and the "Uncle Tom's Cabinent" scene). - Although it wasn't shown on Cartoon Network, this cartoon did air at least once on BoomerangBoomerangA boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
in the USA http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/Bugs_Bunny%C2%B4s_12_banned_cartoons_P24567/ and aired uncut on a Boomerang station in Europe.
Availability
Mississippi Hare is available, uncensored, uncut, and the original end card restored, on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4Looney 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...
. On an audio commentary track, Eric Goldberg
Eric Goldberg (film director)
Eric Goldberg is an American animator and film director. He is best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He's also well known as the creator of Disney character Genie in Aladdin...
explains why the cartoon has been banned (though the racism in this cartoon is, according to Goldberg, "tastefully done", and not as blatant as in some other cartoons) and points out the presumably racist scenes (specifically the beginning with the cottonpickers, the Camptown Races scene, and the Uncle Tom's Cabinet gag) and the gun gag that was cut when it aired on ABC and the WB.