Half-Fare Hare

Half-Fare Hare
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Airdate:	18 August 1956 Blue Ribbon reissue: July 1965
Series:	Merrie Melodies
MPAA Number:	17549
Production Number:	1414
Vitaphone Number:	2641
Runtime:	6 minutes, 38 seconds
Copyright Renewed:	18 April 1984
Starring:	Bugs Bunny
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Mel Blanc Daws Butler
Director:	Robert McKimson
Written By:	Tedd Pierce
Producer:	Eddie Selzer
Animated By:	Ted Bonnicksen Keith Darling Russ Dyson George Grandpré
Layout Artist:	Robert Gribbroek
Background Artist:	Richard H. Thomas
Musician:	Carl Stalling

Half-Fare Hare is a 1956 Merrie Melodies short directed by Robert McKimson.

Plot

Bugs Bunny reads the newspaper dropped by a train stating that in rise of the upcoming winter leading to failing carrot crops, rabbits have moved northeast to Chattanooga in droves. Hoping to make it there, Bugs boards the Choo-Choo train to Chattanooga.

Meanwhile, two starving hobos who resembles Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton from The Honeymooners, both of which had snuck into the same train, are starting to get desperately hungry that they hallucinate any open flesh as meat to eat, such as Ed's foot. As Bugs enters the same cart with Ralph and Ed, the two realize the rabbit would make for a nice meal. However, Bugs thinks he's invading their cart and tries to exit, but the two insist that Bugs stay. As the train starts to leave the station, Ralph and Ed prepares to set up dinner using a cauldron of boiling water. As Bugs asks what they're making, the two hobos tries to convince that it's a surprise, although they plan to hit him when it gets dark under a tunnel. Ed tries to smack Bugs when the train passes a tunnel, but he ends up hitting Ralph instead. Bugs decides he doesn't want "boiled lobster" and climbs out of the cart to get something else.

Ralph and Ed are in pursuit of Bugs, as they chase him atop of the train carts. The steam of the train's exhaust makes it difficult for the three to see, although Bugs manages to trick the two into running into a cart with alligators. Bugs tries to flee back into the same cart, but he hides in the gap between two carts while Ralph and Ed head inside the cart. Bugs floods the hoboes cart using a water tank, and forces them out. Just as Bugs can claim the cart though, the conductor catches him as a stowaway and tries to whip him, forcing the rabbit to escape to the top of the cart again. As Ralph and Ed boards the top again to catch Bugs, the two sees Bugs heading towards them, and gets ready to whip him. However, Bugs ducks under a tunnel, which the two hoboes slam into. Now finally rid of the two, Bugs laughs at the two the he'll "bumper crop" his way to Chuttanooga. However, Bugs now gets hit by a second tunnel behind him, leaving him stranded but with a real "bumper crop" of lumps on the head.

Caricatures

• Jackie Gleason
• Art Carney

Availability

(2020) Blu-ray
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection, Disc 2 (restored and HD)

Streaming

Boomerang App (2018 - 2024)

HBO Max (2020 - 2022) (restored)

Max (2024 - ) (restored)

Censorship

• The CBS version of this cartoon cuts two scenes:
  • The scene where Norton hangs Bugs by his scarf on the wall of the boxcar (although the part where Norton offers to hang the scarf for Bugs was left in).
  • The part after Ralph climbs out of the cauldron, looking like a boiled lobster, where Ralph shoves Norton's nose into the hot water.
• The ABC version, in addition to these cuts, also cut Norton offering to hang Bugs' scarf (which leads to Bugs being hanged on the boxcar wall) for continuity reasons. Cartoon Network and Boomerang, despite the two channels having a history of editing out characters being hanged, also left this part uncut.

Notes

• The cartoon features the song "Carolina in the Morning", rather than the more obvious choice "Chattanooga Choo Choo"; "Carolina in the Morning"'s faster melodic rhythm and emphatic downbeats complement the timing of the action in the cartoon.
• This is one of the few times where Bugs and the villains lose.
• This is the last cartoon to use Bugs Bunny's original design in the "Bugs Bunny In" card, which originated from "Hare Trigger". It would be reanimated again starting with "Wideo Wabbit".
• One scene was recycled from the cartoon "All a Bir-r-r-d". Coincidentally, both this cartoon and "All a Bir-r-r-d" are written by Tedd Pierce.
• Robert Gribbroek's initials appear on a boxcar for the "R.C. & G” Railway, claiming it “serves outer space”. and his name appears on a boxcar for "Gribbroek Pacific Lines".
• Animator Russ Dyson's name appears on a boxcar.
• Title card artist Don Foster's name appears on a boxcar for the "Don Foster Fruit Express". The initials “D.E.F.E.” also appear on the same boxcar, and “D.E.F.” on another one.
• The car ahead of the R.C.&G. boxcar is labeled "1414", which is the production number of this cartoon.

Gallery

Lobby card

Production cel