Elmer's Candid Camera

Elmer's Candid Camera
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Airdate:	2 March 1940
Series:	Merrie Melodies
Production Number:	9371
Starring:	Happy Rabbit Elmer Fudd
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Mel Blanc (uncredited) Arthur Q. Bryan (uncredited)
Director:	Charles Jones
Written By:	Rich Hogan Tedd Pierce (uncredited)
Producer:	Leon Schlesinger Henry Binder (uncredited)
Animated By:	Bob McKimson Robert Cannon (uncredited) Ken Harris (uncredited) Phil Monroe (uncredited)
Layout Artist:	John McGrew (uncredited)
Background Artist:	Paul Julian (uncredited)
Film Editor:	Treg Brown (uncredited)
Musician:	Carl W. Stalling

Elmer's Candid Camera is a 1940 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones.

Plot

Elmer has come to the country to photograph the landscape. Elmer tries to photograph rabbits. Happy finds him a convenient victim to harass, just for the fun of it, especially after Elmer rejects the rabbit's seemingly friendly nature. This tormenting eventually drives Elmer insane, causing him to jump into a lake and nearly drown. Happy saves him, ensures that Elmer is all right now, and then kicks him straight back into the lake.

Availability

(1987) VHS
Elmer!

(1988) VHS
Cartoon Moviestars: Elmer!

(1988) LaserDisc
Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs! and Elmer!

(1992) LaserDisc
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 2, Side 2: Early Wabbits

(1995) VHS
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition, Vol. 11: Wabbit Tales (1995 USA Turner Dubbed Version)

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

(2003) DVD
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 1, Disc 1 (restored with DVNR)

(2004) DVD
Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 1

(2004) DVD
Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volumes 1 & 2, Disc 1

(2010) DVD
The Essential Bugs Bunny, Disc 1 (restored with DVNR)

(2010) DVD
3 Spooky DVD Treats

(2012) DVD
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc Two (restored without DVNR)

(2012) Blu-ray
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc Two (restored without DVNR)

(2014) DVD
Looney Tunes Center Stage Volume 1

(2015) DVD
Looney Tunes Center Stage

(2016) DVD
Looney Tunes Triple Feature

(2018) DVD
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 Repack

(2020) Blu-ray
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection, Disc 1 (restored without DVNR)

Streaming

Boomerang App (2017 - ) (restored without DVNR)

HBO Max (2020 - ) (restored without DVNR)

Notes

• It marks the first appearance of Elmer Fudd (voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan), who had evolved from Tex Avery's Egghead, and the very last appearance (other than a cameo in "Patient Porky") of Happy Rabbit (voiced by Mel Blanc), who would become Bugs Bunny a few months later, beginning with "A Wild Hare".
• Happy Rabbit is more like Bugs Bunny in this short, except he has apricot-colored gloves and mouth, furrier tail, black nose, black-tipped ears, and a different voice. Happy's voice sounds "rural", and at times sounds rather like Daffy Duck's early voice. The laugh at the end of the cartoon, "Heh-heh-heh-HEH-heh!", is similar to that of another Blanc character, the early version of Woody Woodpecker, which would debut later in the year.
• Elmer's voice is fully developed, and his appearance is similar to that in later cartoons, except for having shiny cheeks and nose. When in a mild-mannered mood, he is very much like the familiar Elmer. When enraged, as shown in the frame here, his appearance is decidedly uncharacteristic, nearly maniacal.

Gallery

Title card (Golden Collection)

Lobby card

Elmer gets furious with Happy Rabbit

Original production cel

Preceded by Hare-um Scare-um

Happy Rabbit Cartoons 1940

Succeeded by A Wild Hare