Rabbit Transit

Rabbit Transit
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Airdate:	10 May 1947
Series:	Looney Tunes
Production Number:	1025
Starring:	Bugs Bunny Cecil Turtle
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Mel Blanc
Director:	I. Freleng
Written By:	Michael Maltese Tedd Pierce
Producer:	Eddie Selzer (uncredited)
Animated By:	Gerry Chiniquy Manuel Perez Virgil Ross Ken Champin
Effects Animation:	A.C. Gamer
Layout Artist:	Hawley Pratt Philip DeGuard
Background Artist:	Hawley Pratt Philip DeGuard
Film Editor:	Treg Brown (uncredited)
Musician:	Carl Stalling

Rabbit Transit is a 1947 Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng.

Title

The title is a play on the phrase "rapid transit."

Plot

While relaxing in a steam bath, Bugs reads about the original fable and becomes incensed at the idea of a turtle outrunning a rabbit. Cecil, also in the steam bath, claims that he could outrun Bugs, prompting Bugs to challenge him to a race. This time, Bugs and Cecil agree to no cheating. Cecil, however, quickly reveals that his shell is now rocket propelled, allowing him to go a surprising combination between fast and slow. Bugs does his best to steal, dismantle, and destroy the device, but all to little effect. However, Bugs tops the turtle and crosses the finish line first. Nevertheless, it is Cecil who has the last laugh when he rooks the rabbit into confessing to "doing a hundred easy" in a thirty-miles-per-hour zone. Bugs is taken away by the police. Cecil says, "Ain't I a...um...stinker?"

Availability

(1988) VHS
Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs!

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

(1990) VHS
Bugs Bunny Collection: Bugs Bunny's Zaniest Toons

(1991) LaserDisc
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 1, Side 10: The Art of Bugs

(1992) VHS
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 10: The Art of Bugs

(1999) VHS
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 9: A Looney Life (1995 Turner dubbed version)

(2004) DVD
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2, Disc One

(2005) DVD
Looney Tunes Collection Best of Bugs Bunny Volume 2

(2012) Blu-ray
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc 2

(2012) DVD
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc 2

(2014) DVD
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 8 Disc 1

(2020) DVD
Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection Disc 2

Streaming

HBO Max (2020 - )

Notes

• This was the final cartoon in the 1946-47 season.
• Cecil and Bugs had previously raced each other in 1941's "Tortoise Beats Hare" and 1943's "Tortoise Wins by a Hare". This cartoon was their final encounter. Unlike "Tortoise Wins by a Hare", this cartoon presumes that Bugs and Cecil have never met before now.
• This is the second time Cecil Turtle is seen without his shell, the first time being "Tortoise Beats Hare". Except that unlike "Tortoise Beats Hare" where Cecil is seen wearing underwear underneath his shell, here Cecil is seen wearing a bathing suit underneath his shell.

Goofs

• When Bugs agrees with Cecil to not cheat while saying "Okay, mac. It ain't that I don't trust you, BUT-" before tipping Cecil upside-down, his mouth doesn't move properly in sync to what he's saying.
• Bugs' front and back views do not match up when he smashes into the tree, as when Bugs smashes into the tree, he hits it face first. Yet when he slides to the ground, his back is facing the tree instead of his front.

Gallery

This is the late-1980s blue-bordered a.a.p. print version of the title card, which was released on VHS and LaserDisc by MGM/UA Home Video, and shown on TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network prior to the debut of its Turner "dubbed version" print.

Lobby card

External Links

• Rabbit Transit at SuperCartoons.net
• Rabbit Transit at B99.TV