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Case of the Missing Hare is a 1942 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones.
Title
The title is a typical play on words for "heir," and although it suggests a mystery story, it bears no apparent relationship to the plotline.
Plot
A magician named Ala Bahma is nailing self-promoting posters on every conceivable surface... including, as it turns out, a tree in which Bugs is living. He protests having his home encroached, proclaiming that "there's still such a thing as private property, you know." He continues the protest until the magician apologizes and asks Bugs if he likes blackberry pie. The bunny's expression changes to joy for the moment, as Ala Bahma produces a pie from under a "magic" cloth... until he splatters it in his face, walking away and ridiculing the rabbit. Bugs, with pie-filling and bits of crust dripping down his face, calmly says, "Of course, you realize this means war!"
The rabbit spends the rest of the movie at the theater where Ala Bahma is performing, wreaking havoc during his prestidigitations. He thinks he has blown Bugs away with a shotgun. Instead, Bugs pops out of the magic hat and awards him a lit cigar... which promptly explodes in his face and stuns him. In a delicious bit of revenge, Bugs produces a pie from under a magic cloth. He says to the audience, quoting Red Skelton's "Mean Widdle Kid", "If I dood it, I dit a whippin'... I DOOD IT!" and splatters the pie in Ala Bahma's face. Bugs then sings "Aloha `Oe" on a ukulele as he descends into the hat.
Availability
- (2005) DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc One (with optional commentary by Greg Ford)
Censorship
When this cartoon aired on TBS (back when TBS and TNT aired classic cartoons, mostly from the pre-1948 package, as other channels had rights to the post-1948 package), the beginning establishing shot showing posters for Ala Bama's show plastered all over walls, fences, and trees was cut[1] (most likely a time cut, as there is nothing objectionable about the scene).
Notes
- This is the first cartoon Bugs quoted the famous Groucho Marx line, "Of course you realize this means war!".
- It is one of the few cartoons where Bugs doesn't say "Eh, what's up, Doc?".
Gallery
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External Links
Case of the Missing Hare at SuperCartoons.net
Case of the Missing Hare at B99.TV
