Big Top Bunny

Big Top Bunny
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Airdate:	1 December 1951 Blue Ribbon reissue: 24 August 1963
Series:	Merrie Melodies
MPAA Number:	14417
Production Number:	1195
Copyright Renewed:	27 December 1977
Starring:	Bugs Bunny
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Mel Blanc
Director:	Robert McKimson
Written By:	Tedd Pierce
Producer:	Eddie Selzer (uncredited)
Animated By:	Charles McKimson Rod Scribner Phil De Lara Bob Wickersham Herman Cohen (uncredited)
Layout Artist:	Peter Alvarado
Background Artist:	Richard H. Thomas
Film Editor:	Treg Brown (uncredited)
Musician:	Carl Stalling

Big Top Bunny is a 1951 Merrie Melodies short directed by Robert McKimson.

Plot

At Colonel Korny's World Famous Circus, Bruno the Slobbovian Bear is the star of the show. When the Colonel gets a phone call about Bugs Bunny's talents, he agrees to put him on stage with Bruno. Bruno shows his disgust by spitting into a corner.

When Bugs is introduced along with Bruno, Bruno can't help but smack Bugs around a little. Bruno tries to get the better of Bugs - either by placing an anvil on top of a series of targets so Bugs can hit his head, or by not catching Bugs during a trapeze act. However, Bugs soon starts getting the better of Bruno, which includes turning the tables on the bear by letting him fall from the trapeze into the band section, twice.

After telling Bruno he's "too clumsy", Bugs then starts playing up the idea that he's going to be the sole star of the show, and to prove it, he'll take a 200-foot dive off a platform into a tank of water. Bruno gets on an adjacent platform, and challenges Bugs to an even higher heights and diving into smaller amounts of water (a damped sponge). Eventually, Bruno comes up with the challenge of diving off the platform into a block of cement, "On my head, yet!" Bugs accepts the challenge and starts to do the stunt, but Bruno forces his way into going first. When Bruno lands flat on the cement block, Bugs leads the dazed bear around, telling him that he's going on a 'trip'. "But I'm not going on any trip", Bruno says, thoroughly dazed; "Oh, yes, you are...", Bugs advises him. Cutting a rope, Bugs starts a series of thoroughly timed "accidents" that initially sends the bear flying across the tent. Bruno then gets whacked around by various stronger performers of the circus until finally landing in a cannon, which Bugs uses to shoot him out of the tent. Bugs says, "Well, that's one way to wind this up with a bang.", and then, he laughs.

Availability

(1994) LaserDisc
Bugs Bunny: Hare Beyond Compare: 14 More Bugs Bunny Classics

(1998) LaserDisc
Bugs and Friends - Bugs and Road Runner: Runaway Rabbit (1997 dubbed version) (only in PAL regions)

(1998) VHS
Looney Tunes Presents Bugs Bunny: Big Top Bunny (1997 dubbed version) (N.America only)

(1998) VHS
Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 7)

(1999) VHS
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 4: Daffy Doodles (1997 dubbed version, without notice)

(2003) DVD
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1, Disc One (restored with DVNR)

(2003) DVD
Looney Tunes Collection Best of Bugs Bunny

(2010) DVD
3 Spooky DVD Treats

(2011) DVD
Looney Tunes Super Stars' Bugs Bunny: Wascally Wabbit (restored with DVNR) (Region 4 only)

(2011) DVD
Bugs Bunny

(2020) DVD
Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection, Disc 1 (restored with DVNR)

Streaming

Boomerang App (2017 - ) (restored with DVNR)

HBO Max (2020 - ) (restored without DVNR)

Notes

• This cartoon, "Tweety's S.O.S.", and "Tweet Tweet Tweety" were the only three cartoons in 1951 to get the blue Color Rings with red backgrounds.

Gallery

Title card (Golden Collection)

Title card with better colors and some cropping

Full title sequence (Golden Collection)

Full title sequence

Cropped screenshot of 2020 re-restoration

Lobby card

From Sing-Along Looney Tunes

External Links

• "Big Top Bunny" at SuperCartoons.net
• "Big Top Bunny" at B99.TV

Preceded by Ballot Box Bunny

Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1951

Succeeded by Operation: Rabbit