Acrobatty Bunny is a 1946 Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.
Title[]
The title is a portmanteau of "acrobat", a person skilled at balance and agility stunts, and "batty", a slang term for "crazy".
Plot[]
A circus is being set up just above Bugs's rabbit hole, causing much noise and vibrations. The lion cage is set up directly above the hole, and the lion takes deep sniffs (alternatively yanking Bugs towards the hole or throwing him back) to determine that the animal below is Bugs. When the lion (whom Bugs eventually refers to as "Nero") roars again, Bugs comes to the surface to see what's going on, riding an elevator that makes twists and turns. Bugs tries to reason with the lion ("I'm the tenant downstairs, and there's entirely too much noise!"), but soon makes a hasty escape when Nero takes a swipe at him.
Nero manages to scare Bugs out of his cage, but he tries to swipe at Bugs again. So Bugs uses a plank to play around with the bars, but Nero tricks Bugs and thinks he got him. But Bugs goes back in Nero's cage and slams it closed. Nero initially goes away, but comes back with an elephant and tries to ram the cage down. But Bugs winds up a toy mouse and scares away the elephant. Nero is used as a swatter to try to hit the toy mouse and then thrown by the elephant as it runs away.
Nero finally has had enough. He forces his way back into his cage and chases Bugs around the cage. Then they continue their chase around the circus grounds. Bugs at one point ducks into a dressing room, coming out as a clown trying to convince Nero to laugh ("COME ON, LAUGH!"), which he eventually does - until Bugs takes some whacks at the lion with a wooden board. The lion then chases Bugs into the big top, where they swing around acrobat swings. Bugs makes a high dive into the wooden bucket that Nero uses in an attempt to swallow the rabbit. But Bugs is wearing rubber heels and starts bouncing as Nero follows. Eventually, Bugs tricks Nero by bouncing into a cannon getting Nero stuck headfirst in the muzzle. After wedging Nero into the cannon by trying to stuff his backside in further, Bugs sets the cannon off, causing Nero to feel so dazed and do a hula in his 'skirt' (complete with a lei from Bugs) while Bugs plays the ukulele. Then Bugs faces the audience and says, "We're also available for picnics, lodge meetings, children's parties, and smokers."
Availability[]
(Associated Artists Productions print)
Viddy-Oh! For Kids Cartoon Festivals: Bugs Bunny Cartoon Festival Featuring "Hold the Lion, Please" (only in PAL regions)
Bugs Bunny No 1
Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs Bunny Classics: Special Collector's Edition
Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs Bunny Classics: Special Collector's Edition
Bugs Bunny Collection: Bugs Bunny's Comedy Classics
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 2, Side 6: McKimson and Davis
Further Adventures of Bugs Bunny
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition: Volume 11: Wabbit Tales (1995 Turner dubbed version)
A Night in Casablanca (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Looney Tunes Super Stars' Bugs Bunny: Wascally Wabbit (Region 2 only)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Looney Tunes Collection Volume 3
Streaming[]
Notes[]
- This is the first Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Robert McKimson.
- This cartoon marks Bugs' second encounter with a lion, the first being "Hold the Lion, Please" with Leo the Lion. However, Nero the Lion differs greatly from Leo, as Nero appears to be much more dangerous and aggressive in contrast to the dopey Leo. Nero is a much tougher figure, which makes outwitting him more delicious, although much like Leo, Nero is no smarter than Bugs.
- Robert McKimson would create similar such aggressive creature foes to battle Bugs Bunny years later, such as Gruesome Gorilla and Taz.
- This cartoon was the second Looney Tunes short to end with the written "That's all Folks!" on target Color Rings and the only Looney Tunes short to end with special ending music.
- The previous Looney Tunes short, "Kitty Kornered", the written "That's all Folks!" on target rings, but used the Merrie Melodies ending music, most likely because the 1945-46 opening was still used on that cartoon, as well as this cartoon and the Porky drum ending theme would not make sense. The first to use the 1946-55 opening and closing renditions was "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery".
- This was the last cartoon to begin with the 1945-1946 rendition of "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down", with brass and woodwinds, and the tuba playing the low melody part of the song. The next Looney Tunes short, "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" would use another abridged opening rendition from 1946 to 1955, which was done in a somewhat goofy manner, with the bass clarinet getting back to playing the low melody part of "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down".
- The special ending music is actually a variation of the Looney Tunes ending music used for the Porky Pig drum endings, minus Porky's "Th-Th-Th-That's all, folks!" line.
- The gag where the frightened elephant picks up Nero the Lion to swat the wind-up mouse was later used in "Sahara Hare".
- This cartoon was a Merrie Melodie during production, but released as a Looney Tune.[2] However, the lobby cards were never updated with the Looney Tunes name.
