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Lumber Jack-Rabbit is a 1953 Looney Tunes short directed by Chuck Jones.

Plot[]

A narrator recalls the character Paul Bunyan and his exploits and stats that many people still question the giant's existence. Then he challenges to ask "a certain rabbit" whether he is real. Just then Bugs Bunny come walking by touting a hobo pack and singing "Blue Tail Fly". He then comments on the unusual looking trees he passes, oblivious to the fact that they are abnormally large asparagus and that he has entered a rather large vegetable garden. He then finds an oversized carrot and lies next to it for a nap under the pretense that it is a boulder. But he quickly rises up and points out that he smells carrots. Turning his attention to the so-called boulder he's propped against, and scratches some of the contents onto his finger and tastes. Suddenly, he ecstatically comes to the conclusion that he has discovered a "carrot mine" and starts to frantically dig through the carrot.

On the other end of the garden Paul Bunyan leaves his log cabin for work with his dog Smidgen following behind. Paul instructs the dog to watch over the garden and literally leaves over the mountains.

Back in the garden, Bugs has managed to tunnel through several carrots and lay down tracks for the mining cart he is using to dump the excess carrot chunks over a cliff. When suddenly Smidgen appears, drawn to the sound of Bugs' singing. Annoyed by the tiny intruder, he pulls up the carrot that Bugs is in with his teeth. Bugs comes out, stops at the sight of what he assumes is a large billboard, Smidgen's dog license, and wonders where it came. Suddenly he realizes that he is suspended high in the air, and frantically climbs up the carrot onto the edge of Smidgen's nose. Bugs then sees the large bloodshot eyes staring at him and realizes what he's up against. However, he becomes enraged stating to the audience. "I'll be scared later, right now I'm too mad".

Bugs climbs up, approaches Smidgen's eye, and balls his fists to fight. Smidgen takes his fingers to flick Bugs off his bridge, but Bugs jumps up, causing Smidgen to flick his own eye. Bugs then walks through the dog's head, out the left ear to the ground below, and runs down the garden with Smidgen not far behind. Bugs then happens upon a wormhole and dives in forcing its previous occupant, a worm, out. Smidgen sticks his nose over the hole and starts to sniff, unbeknownst that Bugs has a feather, which he uses to tickle Smidgen's nose, causing Smidgen to give a hearty sneeze that rockets Bugs into Paul's cabin and inside a moose call horn. Smidgen runs in the cabin, grabs the horn and gives several blows which alert a nearby moose. The moose happily runs after what it believes is another moose, only to find in waiting an enormous dog. Thus, the moose flees yelping like a dog.

Smidgen then gives the horn another blow, sending Bugs flying into the barrel of a revolver. Smidgen then fires it sending the bullet Bugs is riding on into a nearby apple in a fruit basket. Smidgen grabs the apple and takes a large bite leaving Bugs' backside exposing. Smidgen then eats the entire apple, grabs a toothpick to pick his teeth, and walks away assured that Bugs is taken care of. But when he picks his teeth, Bugs comes out unharmed on the top of the toothpick. Bugs then hops up grabbing Smidgen's ear and wraps it around Smidgen's head covering his eyes. Then Bugs dives into the hair on the back of Smidgen's neck. From there, Bugs proceeds to scratch the surface of Smidgen's skin. This causes Smidgen to shiver, coo, and moan in pleasure.

With the dog distracted, Bugs exits via Smidgen's leg and leaves the cabin. Smidgen chases after Bugs, only now he wants him to continue scratching. Bugs, feeling he's safe, stops to catch his breath, not knowing Smidgen is right behind. Before he knows it, Bugs is licked by the dog's enormous tongue which lift him off the ground each time. Bugs tries to run away, but stops at the sight of something. Quickly he sees the world's largest pine tree and calls Smidgen's attention to it, and the dog runs off to it.

3-Dimensional gimmick[]

Screenshot (272)

As the short was in 3-D, the WB shield was animated especially to appear as if it zoomed up close to the audience.

The cartoon was produced in both 3-D, and in 2-D for theaters that lacked 3-D equipment.[1] At the very beginning of the cartoon, the zooming "WB" shield seems to leap into the laps of the viewers, springing much farther forward than normal before returning to its usual position. The effect is heightened by a much different sounding "buoinng" sound effect before the Looney Tunes theme plays. In addition to the opening sequence, the "Bugs Bunny in" title card has the words facing front and center as well as the green triangular background to showcase the 3-D depth effect. The closing sequence is modified as well, with the "That's All Folks!" script fading in rather than being written out.

A similar 3-D zooming animation gimmick on the WB shield from this cartoon would later be replicated several years later for the opening Color Rings of the Looney Tunes cartoons produced by Larry Doyle in 2003, as well as the opening Color Rings of the Looney Tunes CGI shorts "Coyote Falls", "Fur of Flying" and "Rabid Rider" from 2010 and the opening intro sequence of The Looney Tunes Show.

Availability[]

Streaming[]


Notes[]

  • This cartoon was re-released 13 November 1954 in 2D.[2]
  • This was the only Warner Bros. cartoon short produced in 3-D prior to 2010's "Coyote Falls".
  • It premiered with the Warner Bros. 3-D feature The Moonlighter and the 3-D Lippert short "Bandit Island".[3]
  • Smidgen, Paul Bunyan's pet dog, bears a striking resemblance to Charlie Dog, a character which director Chuck Jones had previously retired two years earlier, but is not the same character. In fact, Smidgen, like Charlie, almost heavily resembles a character called Frisky Puppy, another character Jones created.

Gallery[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. [1]
  2. intanibase
  3. "Starts Tomorrow, both Paramounts (Downtown and Hollywood), The Moonlighter, Bandit Island and Lumber Jack-Rabbit." Movie section, LA Herald and Express. 24 September 1953.
Preceded by
Bully for Bugs
Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1953
Succeeded by
Duck! Rabbit, Duck!
Bugs Bunny Shorts
1938 Porky's Hare Hunt
1939 Prest-O Change-OHare-um Scare-um
1940 Elmer's Candid CameraA Wild Hare
1941 Elmer's Pet RabbitTortoise Beats HareHiawatha's Rabbit HuntThe Heckling HareAll This and Rabbit StewWabbit Twouble
1942 The Wabbit Who Came to SupperAny Bonds Today?The Wacky WabbitHold the Lion, PleaseBugs Bunny Gets the BoidFresh HareThe Hare-Brained HypnotistCase of the Missing Hare
1943 Tortoise Wins by a HareSuper-RabbitJack-Wabbit and the BeanstalkWackiki WabbitFalling Hare
1944 Little Red Riding RabbitWhat's Cookin' Doc?Bugs Bunny and the Three BearsBugs Bunny Nips the NipsHare Ribbin'Hare ForceBuckaroo BugsThe Old Grey HareStage Door Cartoon
1945 Herr Meets HareThe Unruly HareHare TriggerHare ConditionedHare Tonic
1946 Baseball BugsHare RemoverHair-Raising HareAcrobatty BunnyRacketeer RabbitThe Big SnoozeRhapsody Rabbit
1947 Rabbit TransitA Hare Grows in ManhattanEaster YeggsSlick Hare
1948 Gorilla My DreamsA Feather in His HareRabbit PunchBuccaneer BunnyBugs Bunny Rides AgainHaredevil HareHot Cross BunnyHare SplitterA-Lad-In His LampMy Bunny Lies over the Sea
1949 Hare DoMississippi HareRebel RabbitHigh Diving HareBowery BugsLong-Haired HareKnights Must FallThe Grey Hounded HareThe Windblown HareFrigid HareWhich Is WitchRabbit Hood
1950 Hurdy-Gurdy HareMutiny on the BunnyHomeless HareBig House BunnyWhat's Up Doc?8 Ball BunnyHillbilly HareBunker Hill BunnyBushy HareRabbit of Seville
1951 Hare We GoRabbit Every MondayBunny HuggedThe Fair Haired HareRabbit FireFrench RarebitHis Hare Raising TaleBallot Box BunnyBig Top Bunny
1952 Operation: RabbitFoxy by Proxy14 Carrot RabbitWater, Water Every HareThe Hasty HareOily HareRabbit SeasoningRabbit's KinHare Lift
1953 Forward March HareUpswept HareSouthern Fried RabbitHare TrimmedBully for BugsLumber Jack-RabbitDuck! Rabbit, Duck!Robot Rabbit
1954 Captain HareblowerBugs and ThugsNo Parking HareDevil May HareBewitched BunnyYankee Doodle BugsBaby Buggy Bunny
1955 Beanstalk BunnySahara HareHare BrushRabbit RampageThis Is a Life?Hyde and HareKnight-Mare HareRoman Legion-Hare
1956 Bugs' BonnetsBroom-Stick BunnyRabbitson CrusoeNapoleon Bunny-PartBarbary-Coast BunnyHalf-Fare HareA Star Is BoredWideo WabbitTo Hare Is Human
1957 Ali Baba BunnyBedevilled RabbitPiker's PeakWhat's Opera, Doc?Bugsy and MugsyShow Biz BugsRabbit Romeo
1958 Hare-Less WolfHare-Way to the StarsNow, Hare ThisKnighty Knight BugsPre-Hysterical Hare
1959 Baton BunnyHare-abian NightsApes of WrathBackwoods BunnyWild and Woolly HareBonanza BunnyA Witch's Tangled HarePeople Are Bunny
1960 Horse HarePerson to BunnyRabbit's FeatFrom Hare to HeirLighter Than Hare
1961 The Abominable Snow RabbitCompressed HarePrince Violent
1962 Wet HareBill of HareShishkabugs
1963 Devil's Feud CakeThe Million HareHare-Breadth HurryThe UnmentionablesMad as a Mars HareTransylvania 6-5000
1964 Dumb PatrolDr. Devil and Mr. HareThe Iceman DuckethFalse Hare
1979 Bugs Bunny's Christmas CarolFright Before Christmas
1980 Portrait of the Artist as a Young BunnySpaced Out Bunny
1990 Box Office Bunny
1991 (Blooper) Bunny
1992 Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers
1995 Carrotblanca
1997 From Hare to Eternity
2004 Hare and Loathing in Las VegasDaffy Duck for President
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