Hare-um Scare-um is a 1939 Merrie Melodies short directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton.
Title
The title is a homonym with an old nonsense expression that has nothing to do with rabbits as such.
Plot
A man named John Sourpuss is beside himself with anger after reading a newspaper article stating that meat prices have soared. He declares that he'll hunt his own meat to get back at the government for the price inflation. He takes his dog with him, revealing he is going hunting for rabbits.
In the woods, a rabbit leads the dog into a hollow log and pushes the log down a hill, where it smashes into a tree. Meanwhile, the hunter sees several rabbits hopping over a hill. He fires his gun several times and runs to where the rabbits were. When he gets there, he finds two spinning wheels with pictures of rabbits on them, giving the perception of moving rabbits.
The hunter sees the rabbit sleeping. The hunter starts pouring salt on the rabbit, who quickly gets up and holds a stick of celery under the stream of salt. The rabbit runs into a cave, and the hunter runs after him. Before he reaches the cave, a pair of elevator doors closes, which the hunter runs into.
The bunny dresses female dog, successfully seducing the hunter's dog. When the dog finally realizes he's with the rabbit rather than another dog, he resumes his chase. The rabbit pretends he's a policeman. He sings the same song as below. The hunter finds dog for numerous crimes, including speeding, running on the wrong side of the street, and intoxicated "driving".
After confusing the dog and running away, the rabbit begins singing a song about how crazy he is. When he finishes his song, he turns to find the hunter with his gun aimed at him. The rabbit, trying to gain sympathy, begs for his life, explaining how poor and sick he is. The hunter begins crying, feeling sorry for the rabbit and guilty that he let a little thing like inflation get to him. Despite this, the rabbit shocks the hunter with a joy buzzer. The hunter pronounces that he can whip the rabbit and his whole family. Suddenly, a large group of rabbits surround the hunter, looking for a fight.
The rabbits attack the hunter leaving him dazed. The wacky rabbit returns with the hunter's gun. He throws it on the ground and bounces away on his head. The hunter, frustrated, does the exact same thing.
Transcript
- Main article: Hare-um Scare-um/Transcript
Songs
The goofy song the Bugs Bunny "prototype" sings:
All the world was gay.
Swinging on its way.
Things were looking brighter day by day. (laugh)
Nothing ever wrong;
Life was just a song,
'Till that Looney Tune came along. (laugh)
Ohhh. I'm going cuckoo, woo-woo! (laugh)
Here comes the choo-choo, woo-woo! (laugh)
I'm so gooney, looney tuney, te'ched in the head...
Please pass the ketchup,
I think I'll go to bed! Hoo!
Am I the screwball, woo woo! (laugh)
Throw me the 8-ball woo woo! (laugh)
Once I knew a thing or two, but now I'm a buffer-roo. Hinky dinky parley woo woo!(laugh)
Eight years later, the song would be varied somewhat and reprised by the now fully-realized character Bugs Bunny, in "Easter Yeggs":
Here's the Easter Rabbit, hooray!
Makin' life funny, hooray!
I am gettin' Looney Tuney, touched in the head
This whole thing is gooney, I should have stood in bed.
Here's the Easter Rabbit, hooray!
The happy Easter Rabbit, hooray!
Hens would hide the eggs they'd lay, then I give them all away
Crazy Easter Rabbit, hooray!
Daffy Duck would sing a similar song at the beginning of "Boobs in the Woods".
Availability
Cartoon Collection VII
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 2, Side 2 Early Wabbits (without the lost ending)
Invisible Stripes (dubbed version, without the lost ending)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc Two (with lost ending restored)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc Two (with lost ending restored)
Streaming
Lost Ending
Prior to 2011, there was speculation about the abrupt ending that occurs after the Egghead-esque hunter threatens to beat up the rabbit and his entire family and finds himself confronted by everyone in the rabbit's family (which is the version seen on television and most home media). Two endings of this cartoon were said to exist: one ending featured the rabbits beating up the hunter as the cartoon closed out, and another, featuring the same ending, only with a rather darkly hilarious punchline of the hunter's and his dog's head being the only thing left from the fight and rolling off into the sunset.[2]
According to David Gerstein's blog, neither of these endings are true. The actual ending showed the hunter disheveled after getting beaten by the family of rabbits. The rabbit who's been harassing him throughout the short returns to give the hunter his busted rifle, saying, "You oughtta get that fixed. Somebody's liable to get hurt," then returns to his loony self, bouncing on his head like a pogo stick down the road. The hunter then snaps and does the same thing. Gerstein theorizes that the ending was cut before release because it was too similar to the one used in the Tex Avery cartoon, "Daffy Duck and Egghead".[3]
Goofs
- Before the rabbit puts the foot stamp all over the stone, its color changes from a very bright white-gray to a slightly darker tone.
- As the rabbit shows the hunter his celery and begins discussing it, the white parts of his feet turn gray like his fur.
Notes
- This cartoon marks the third appearance of Happy Rabbit and the first time he, thanks to a redesign by Charlie Thorson[4], appears as a grey rabbit instead of a white one.
- Happy Rabbit has a laugh similar to that of Woody Woodpecker, a character also voiced by Mel Blanc during his first few appearances.
- All of Happy Rabbit's family members look identical to each other.
- This is the final cartoon where WARNER BROS. was on a banner.
- Porky Pig makes a cameo appearance in a billboard during the "Hare-Um Scare-Um" song sequence.
- First and only time Happy Rabbit dresses in drag.
Gallery
References
| Preceded by Prest-O Change-O |
Happy Rabbit Cartoons 1939 |
Succeeded by Elmer's Candid Camera |
