Rabbit's Kin
Encyclopedia
Rabbit's Kin is a Merrie Melodies
short produced in 1951 and released on November 15, 1952. It was directed by Robert McKimson
and written by Tedd Pierce
. The animators who worked on this cartoon included Charles McKimson, Herman Cohen, Rod Scribner and Phil DeLara. The music was scored by Carl Stalling
while the backgrounds and layouts were done by Robert Givens and Richard H. Thomas, respectively. Mel Blanc
performs the voice of Bugs Bunny and Shorty, while Stan Freberg
voiced Bugs' nemesis Pete Puma, doing an imitation of the character Frank Fontaine
introduced on The Jack Benny Show named John L. C. Silvoney, and later performed on The Jackie Gleason Show as Crazy Guggenheim. The title is a play on "rabbit skin", but is also a literal term in that Bugs is caring for a "kin", here, another rabbit.
rabbit hole. The little guy tells Bugs his problem ("My heart pounded, my legs trembled, I was frozen with fear!"), and Bugs agrees to help him out. Bugs then proceeds to play tricks on Pete. First, he asks Pete to stay for tea. He then holds up the sugar bowl and asks the puma how many lumps he wants, to which Pete Puma replies "Oh, three or four". Bugs repeatedly hits Pete Puma on the head, leaving him with several lumps on his head (Bugs then decides he gave him "one lump too many", flattening it with a reflex hammer). Pete had also offered Bugs an exploding cigar
, and while Pete is dazed, Bugs puts the cigar in Pete's mouth and lights it.
Pete next tries to disguise himself as the little rabbit's mother. Once again, Bugs wants to have him for tea, but this time Pete declines the offer. He says, "But I don't want no TEA! It gives me a HEADACHE!" Instead, Pete suggests that he and Bugs have coffee instead. The "lumps" gag repeats itself, only this time the puma has protection in the form of an "Acme Stovelid" on his head. Bugs removes it with his "Acme Stovelid Lifter", revealing more lumps on Pete's cranium, which flatten him out.
Shorty enjoys the shenanigans so much that he wants to get involved. So, as the little bunny hops down the road alone, Pete grabs him and runs home to his cave, intending to cook him. Bugs shows up in a costume disguised as Pete's second cousin, Paul Puma. He insists on helping his "cuz" get the fricasseeing off to a good start, asking how many lumps of coal Pete wants for the stove. Pete says "You better give me a lotta lumps, a whoooooooole lotta lumps", then catches himself just as Bugs rears up to hit him again. "Oh no, ya don't", he says. "I'll help myself!", Pete then takes the mallet and starts repeatedly hitting himself in the head with it as Bugs & Shorty leave Pete's den.
.
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,...
short produced in 1951 and released on November 15, 1952. 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...
and written 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...
. The animators who worked on this cartoon included Charles McKimson, Herman Cohen, Rod Scribner and Phil DeLara. The music was scored 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...
while the backgrounds and layouts were done by Robert Givens and Richard H. Thomas, respectively. 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...
performs the voice of Bugs Bunny and Shorty, while 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...
voiced Bugs' nemesis Pete Puma, doing an imitation of the character Frank Fontaine
Frank Fontaine
Frank Fontaine was an American comedian and singer.Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he is best known for his appearances on television shows of the 1950s and 1960s, including The Jackie Gleason Show, The Jack Benny Show, and The Tonight Show.One of his earliest appearances was on the radio show,...
introduced on The Jack Benny Show named John L. C. Silvoney, and later performed on The Jackie Gleason Show as Crazy Guggenheim. The title is a play on "rabbit skin", but is also a literal term in that Bugs is caring for a "kin", here, another rabbit.
Summary
A cute little bunny named Shorty with a barely discernible warp-speed high pitched voice is running from Pete Puma, until he stumbles down Bugs Bunny'sBugs 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...
rabbit hole. The little guy tells Bugs his problem ("My heart pounded, my legs trembled, I was frozen with fear!"), and Bugs agrees to help him out. Bugs then proceeds to play tricks on Pete. First, he asks Pete to stay for tea. He then holds up the sugar bowl and asks the puma how many lumps he wants, to which Pete Puma replies "Oh, three or four". Bugs repeatedly hits Pete Puma on the head, leaving him with several lumps on his head (Bugs then decides he gave him "one lump too many", flattening it with a reflex hammer). Pete had also offered Bugs an exploding cigar
Exploding cigar
An exploding cigar is a variety of cigar that explodes shortly after being lit. Such cigars are normally packed with a minute chemical explosive charge near the lighting end or with a non-chemical device that ruptures the cigar when exposed to heat...
, and while Pete is dazed, Bugs puts the cigar in Pete's mouth and lights it.
Pete next tries to disguise himself as the little rabbit's mother. Once again, Bugs wants to have him for tea, but this time Pete declines the offer. He says, "But I don't want no TEA! It gives me a HEADACHE!" Instead, Pete suggests that he and Bugs have coffee instead. The "lumps" gag repeats itself, only this time the puma has protection in the form of an "Acme Stovelid" on his head. Bugs removes it with his "Acme Stovelid Lifter", revealing more lumps on Pete's cranium, which flatten him out.
Shorty enjoys the shenanigans so much that he wants to get involved. So, as the little bunny hops down the road alone, Pete grabs him and runs home to his cave, intending to cook him. Bugs shows up in a costume disguised as Pete's second cousin, Paul Puma. He insists on helping his "cuz" get the fricasseeing off to a good start, asking how many lumps of coal Pete wants for the stove. Pete says "You better give me a lotta lumps, a whoooooooole lotta lumps", then catches himself just as Bugs rears up to hit him again. "Oh no, ya don't", he says. "I'll help myself!", Pete then takes the mallet and starts repeatedly hitting himself in the head with it as Bugs & Shorty leave Pete's den.
Availability
Rabbit's Kin is available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 is a DVD box set that was released by Warner Home Video on October 28, 2003. It contains 56 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons and numerous supplements...
.