Hare Tonic is a 1945 Looney Tunes short directed by Charles M. Jones.
Title[]
The title is a play on "hair tonic", a type of patent medicine, reinforced by Bugs' portrayal of a fake doctor at one point in the picture. A bottle of "hare tonic" would appear as a prop in a 1946 short, "The Big Snooze". It would also appear in the 1949 short "Bye, Bye Bluebeard".
Plot[]
Elmer Fudd has purchased Bugs Bunny at a local grocery store with a sign visible in the window offering a special on "Fresh Hare" and is taking him home to make a meal. As he bounces along, he sings the tune of "Shortnin' Bread", substituting "Rabbit Stew". Bugs pops out of Elmer's basket, munching on a carrot that was in there with him, and asks, "Eh, whatcha got in the basket, doc?" Elmer replies, "I got me a wabbit! I'm gonna cook me a wabbit stew!" Bugs states his "love" of rabbit stew and then begs to see Elmer's rabbit. Elmer opens his basket and finds it empty. Bugs tricks his nemesis into climbing inside his own basket, carry it with him, and then sings the tune Elmer had been singing. But Elmer realizes he's been tricked, and re-reverses the switch. Foreshadowing pranks to come, Bugs says from inside the basket, "He don't know me vewy well, do he?"
Once at home, Bugs easily secures his escape by distracting Elmer, tricking him into thinking the phone has rung by ringing the little silver bell. However, just as he's about to leave, he decides he'd rather stay and heckle his would-be devourer. Bugs effects a radio broadcast that warns of the dread disease "rabbititus", which is contracted from rabbits "sold within the last three days" and which causes people to see spots, coating of the tongues, and have "delusions assuming the characteristics of rabbits", among other dubious symptoms. This worries the gullible Elmer, so he informs Bugs that he is free to leave. Bugs, however, points out a sign on the door that states that the house is "QUARANTINED FOR RABBITITUS" and that no one can enter or leave the premises.
Thus Bugs stays to torment Elmer, and many hijinks ensue, including Bugs posing as Elmer's shower faucets {"Gurgle, gurgle. Why don't ya' pay ya' water bill, Doc?"} and a doctor ("Dr. Killpatient", parodying Dr. Kildare), and pretending to be Elmer's reflection in the mirror (a scene inspired by the famous mirror scene in the Marx Brothers' film, Duck Soup). Finally, Elmer sees Bugs' game and chases him out of the house with a shotgun. But Bugs quickly halts the chase and, in an unusually lengthy breaking of the fourth wall, even by Bugs' standards, he convinces Elmer that members of the audience, the people who are watching the cartoon, are now afflicted with rabbititus (as in they're getting fuzzy, having long ears and a white, fluffy tail), which causes Elmer to flee back into his house in terror.
Then Bugs tells the audience that it was "all just a gag" and that they don't have rabbititus. He then says if they do have rabbititus, then red and yellow spots will appear, swirling. Bugs then says, "Then, suddenly, everything would go black!", as exactly what Bugs implied at the end.
Caricatures[]
- Red Skelton's Mean Widdle Kid
Availability[]
(Associated Artists Productions print)
Cartoon Moviestars: Starring Bugs Bunny!
Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs Bunny Classics: Special Collector's Edition
Bugs Bunny Collection: Bugs Bunny: Hollywood Legend
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 1: Side 7: Bugs Bunny by Each Director
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 7: Bugs Bunny By Each Director
Further Adventures of Bugs Bunny
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 15: A Battle of Wits (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Looney Tunes Super Stars' Bugs Bunny: Wascally Wabbit (Region 2 only)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc One
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc One
Looney Tunes Showcase: Volume 1
Looney Tunes Collection Volume 3
Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection, Disc 3
Streaming[]
Notes[]
- Instead of Porky Pig, Bugs appears from inside of the Looney Tunes drum munching a carrot and saying, "And that's the end!" rather than the usual "That's all Folks!" of Warner cartoons (see illustration on the right). This version of the Looney Tunes drum ending would be seen once more, in 1946's "Baseball Bugs". However, several Associated Artists Productions prints with ends excised may use this ending card with the 1937-38 "Merrily We Roll Along" theme.
- Even though this cartoon is a Looney Tunes short, the opening rings uses the style of that from a Merrie Melodies cartoon.
- This cartoon marks one of the few times Bugs addresses Elmer by name, albeit in the guise of "Dr. Killpatient", who addresses him as "Mr. Fudd". Despite their frequent cinematic encounters, many of their cartoons are played as if they had never met before.
- The Looney Tunes Show episodes "Peel of Fortune" and "Super-Rabbit" have Bugs coming out of the WB shield, saying "And that's the end" again instead of "That's all Folks!" at the end of each episode.
- The title of this cartoon was used for a collectible card in the mobile game Looney Tunes Dash!, but for a card showing a scene from "Rabbit of Seville".
- Bugs' laugh at the end of the cartoon briefly continues into the closing titles.
- This cartoon was shown in theatres with Confidential Agent during its original release.
_-_Kitchen.jpg "Hare Tonic (1945) - Kitchen.jpg (362 KB)")
_-_Doctor.jpg "Hare Tonic (1945) - Doctor.jpg (199 KB)")
