The Wabbit Who Came to Supper
Encyclopedia
The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is a 1942 American Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies
cartoon featuring early appearances by Bugs Bunny
and Elmer Fudd
. The Elmer character is in a transitional state from his earliest appearances in Bob Clampett
's shorts and the appearance which he adopted around 1943.
This short is one of several pre-August 1948 WB cartoon shorts that lapsed into the public domain
due to United Artists
failing to renew the copyright in time.
The title of the short is a reference to the 1942 Warner Brothers film
version of the 1939 George S. Kaufman
Broadway comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner
, in which an overbearing house-guest threatens to take over the lives of a small-town family.
" saying his Uncle Louie will leave him $3 million in his will, as long as he doesn't harm any animals—especially rabbits. "We're in the Money" plays in the underscore. Elmer, with his rounded-L's-and-R's speech impediment
, of course cannot pronounce "Uncle Louie" correctly; which sounds more like "Uncoh Wooie".
Bugs, with characteristic élan, takes full advantage of the situation by moving in with Elmer.
As he showers and shaves, Bugs sings "Angel in Disguise
", from the 1940 Warner Brothers film It All Came True (which, like The Man Who Came to Dinner, starred Ann Sheridan
).
Elmer tries to coax Bugs into leaving, gently patting him on the head, which Bugs claims is terribly hurting him. Bugs references a running gag from the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly
when he threatens to call Uncle Louie: "Operator, give me Walnut three three fifty… Ohhh, that you, Myrt? How's every little thing?".
After fulfilling the stipulations of the will, and suffering all manner of hijinks from Bugs, Elmer gets a special delivery letter from his uncle's lawyers showing that, after taxes and fees, he has no money left to spend and keep for himself; in fact, he owes them $1.98 on the $3 million inheritance ("pwease wemit"). Realizing that even if he fulfills the will's conditions he will not receive any spending money anyway, Elmer is then free to vent his anger on Bugs, and a chase ensues. Bugs escapes, but Elmer is given a large, garish Easter egg containing several tiny Bugses who simultaneously ask 'Eh, what's up Doc?' and start leaping around the house.
, the man most responsible for developing Bugs' personality, was the director of this short cartoon. This short film was written by Michael Maltese
and animated by Richard Bickenbach. The music was selected, composed and arranged by Carl W. Stalling with sound effects and editing by Treg Brown
. Mel Blanc
performed the voice of Bugs Bunny, and Arthur Q. Bryan
performed the voice of Elmer Fudd.
On the 2005 Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3
DVD release, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is presented in a restored unedited version with a commentary track provided by animation historian Jerry Beck
and Warner Brothers' inker Martha Sigall
, one of about 40 uncredited inkers and painters who labored on the Looney Tunes shorts.
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 featuring early appearances by 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...
and Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
. The Elmer character is in a transitional state from his earliest appearances in 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...
's shorts and the appearance which he adopted around 1943.
This short is one of several pre-August 1948 WB cartoon shorts that lapsed into the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
due to 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....
failing to renew the copyright in time.
The title of the short is a reference to the 1942 Warner Brothers film
The Man Who Came to Dinner (film)
The Man Who Came to Dinner is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Keighley. The screenplay by Julius and Philip G. Epstein is based on the 1939 play of the same title by Moss Hart and George S...
version of the 1939 George S. Kaufman
George S. Kaufman
George Simon Kaufman was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals, notably for the Marx Brothers...
Broadway comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner
The Man Who Came to Dinner
The Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals. The first London production was staged at The Savoy Theatre starring Robert...
, in which an overbearing house-guest threatens to take over the lives of a small-town family.
Plot
While out on the hunt for rabbits, Elmer receives a telegram from "Eastern UnionWestern Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
" saying his Uncle Louie will leave him $3 million in his will, as long as he doesn't harm any animals—especially rabbits. "We're in the Money" plays in the underscore. Elmer, with his rounded-L's-and-R's speech impediment
Rhotacism
Rhotacism refers to several phenomena related to the usage of the consonant r :*the excessive or idiosyncratic use of the r;...
, of course cannot pronounce "Uncle Louie" correctly; which sounds more like "Uncoh Wooie".
Bugs, with characteristic élan, takes full advantage of the situation by moving in with Elmer.
As he showers and shaves, Bugs sings "Angel in Disguise
Angel in Disguise (1940 song)
"Angel In Disguise" is a 1940 pop hit from the Warner Bros. movie It All Came True with music by Paul Mann and Stefan Weiß and lyrics by Kim Gannon. It was sung in the movie by Ann Sheridan.The tune became a staple of the Warner Bros...
", from the 1940 Warner Brothers film It All Came True (which, like The Man Who Came to Dinner, starred Ann Sheridan
Ann Sheridan
-Life and career:Born Clara Lou Sheridan in Denton, Texas on February 21, 1915, she was a student at the University of North Texas when her sister sent a photograph of her to Paramount Pictures. She subsequently entered and won a beauty contest, with part of her prize being a bit part in a...
).
Elmer tries to coax Bugs into leaving, gently patting him on the head, which Bugs claims is terribly hurting him. Bugs references a running gag from the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly
Fibber McGee and Molly
Fibber McGee and Molly was an American radio comedy series which maintained its popularity over decades. It premiered on NBC in 1935 and continued until its demise in 1959, long after radio had ceased to be the dominant form of entertainment in American popular culture.-Husband and wife in real...
when he threatens to call Uncle Louie: "Operator, give me Walnut three three fifty… Ohhh, that you, Myrt? How's every little thing?".
After fulfilling the stipulations of the will, and suffering all manner of hijinks from Bugs, Elmer gets a special delivery letter from his uncle's lawyers showing that, after taxes and fees, he has no money left to spend and keep for himself; in fact, he owes them $1.98 on the $3 million inheritance ("pwease wemit"). Realizing that even if he fulfills the will's conditions he will not receive any spending money anyway, Elmer is then free to vent his anger on Bugs, and a chase ensues. Bugs escapes, but Elmer is given a large, garish Easter egg containing several tiny Bugses who simultaneously ask 'Eh, what's up Doc?' and start leaping around the house.
Crew
Friz FrelengFriz 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....
, the man most responsible for developing Bugs' personality, was the director of this short cartoon. This short film was written by Michael Maltese
Michael Maltese
Michael "Mike" Maltese was a long-time storyboard artist and screenwriter for classic animated cartoon shorts.-Career:...
and animated by Richard Bickenbach. The music was selected, composed and arranged by Carl W. Stalling with sound effects and editing by Treg Brown
Treg Brown
Tregoweth Edmond "Treg" Brown was a motion picture sound editor who was responsible for the sound effects in Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons starting in 1940. He also won the 1965 Academy Award for Sound Effects for his work on the film The Great Race.In the famous Warner...
. 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...
performed the voice of Bugs Bunny, and Arthur Q. Bryan
Arthur Q. Bryan
Arthur Quirk Bryan was a United States comedian and voice actor, remembered best for his longtime recurring role as well-spoken, wisecracking Dr...
performed the voice of Elmer Fudd.
Availability
Being in the public domain, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper was featured on several low-budget VHS releases of public domain cartoons.On the 2005 Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3
Looney 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...
DVD release, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is presented in a restored unedited version with a commentary track provided by animation historian Jerry Beck
Jerry Beck
Jerry Beck is a well-known animation historian, with ten books and numerous articles to his credit. He is also an animation producer, an industry consultant to Warner Bros., and has been an executive with Nickelodeon and Disney....
and Warner Brothers' inker Martha Sigall
Martha Sigall
Martha Goldman Sigall is an American inker and painter who worked in the Hollywood animation industry for 53 years.Sigall moved to California from Buffalo, NY, in 1926 and by chance lived around the corner from Leon Schlesinger's Pacific Title and Art company...
, one of about 40 uncredited inkers and painters who labored on the Looney Tunes shorts.
Trivias and Goofs
- The Wabbit Who Came to Supper was shown playing on a TV in the background in the movie Monkey TroubleMonkey TroubleMonkey Trouble is a 1994 family film directed by Franco Amurri starring Thora Birch.-Plot:Nine-year-old Eva Gregory longs for a pet to call her own, but her mother does not think she is responsible enough, and her stepfather is allergic to fur...
. - As pointed out in Jerry Beck's commentary to this cartoon on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3Looney 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...
DVD release, some of the pictures in Elmer Fudd's house are of nude women, which was only noticeable in the restored version.