Which Is Witch

This article contains mature content and may not be suitable for all readers. This article particularly deals with content blacklisted from contemporary television for containing harmful, outdated racial stereotypes and/or imagery. This article is not censored, as to censor the article would be to pretend that these prejudices never existed. Please continue at your own risk.

Which Is Witch
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Airdate:	3 December 1949
Series:	Looney Tunes
MPAA Number:	12760
Production Number:	1099
Vitaphone Number:	1777
Copyright Renewed:	20 February 1976
Starring:	Bugs Bunny
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Mel Blanc
Director:	I. Freleng
Written By:	Tedd Pierce
Producer:	Eddie Selzer (uncredited)
Animated By:	Ken Champin Virgil Ross Arthur Davis Gerry Chiniquy
Effects Animation:	A.C. Gamer
Layout Artist:	Hawley Pratt
Background Artist:	Paul Julian
Film Editor:	Treg Brown (uncredited)
Musician:	Carl Stalling

Which Is Witch is a 1949 Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng.

Plot

In Dark Africa, witch doctor I.C. Spots is attempting to make a prescription using various outlandish ingredients. Upon realizing that he needs a rabbit, he realizes that he has ran out of such supply and needs to obtain more.

Bugs Bunny is exploring the place, heading to to Kuka Munga. As Dr. Spots manage to find Bugs, the rabbit says his usual "What's up, doc?" opener, leading to Dr. Spots questioning how Bugs knows his status. Bugs dresses up in an explorer suit as he responds "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Bugs gets a camera and "tries" to take Dr. Spots' picture, but Bugs just honks the doctor on the nose before fleeing. Realizing his mistake, Dr. Spots attacks Bugs with his spear and Bugs retaliates by damaging the spearhead. As the witch doctor regenerates the spearhead, he threatens Bugs all the way back to his hut where Bugs enters Dr. Spots' pressure cooker cauldron, which he mistakes as a hot tub.

Bugs escapes the pressure cooker by the steam valve and runs off as Dr. Spots chases after Bugs. Bugs sees several African natives and disguises himself as one using a spring on his neck and plates in his mouth, which fails when the spring undoes itself. Bugs finds a ferry and swims to it to escape, passing a crocodile in the process. Dr. Spots tries to swim after Bugs to not lose him, but gets eaten by the same crocodile. Bugs clobbers up the crocodile in retaliation, and turns it into a crocodile skin handbag while boarding back onto the ferry, which also contains Dr. Spots clad in crocodile skin heels and a handbag. Bugs comments, "very becoming, short stuff. Gives you that new look," briefly making a disturbed face.

Censorship

• On CBS in the 1980s and Cartoon Network's Japanese channel, the entire sequence where Dr. I.C. Spots forces Bugs into his pressure cooker cauldron was cut, jumping from Bugs being forced into Dr. Spot's hut to him running out in a panic.
• Nickelodeon aired this short with the pressure cooker cauldron part intact, but cut the part where Bugs tries to get away from Dr. Spots by posing as a Zulu native (stretching his lips with plates and putting a spring on his neck).
• This cartoon was part of the "Twelve Missing Hares" that were barred from airing on Cartoon Network's June 2001 Bugs marathon due to African American stereotyping that would be deemed offensive to modern audiences. As with the other members of the "Twelve Missing Hares" as described in the unreleased ToonHeads episode, it was originally intended to air in the marathon, but was pulled due to executive backlash from AOL Time Warner. This short has not seen airing on American television since its final airing on Nickelodeon, nor has it been released on home media or streaming services.
• As of June 2025, Which Is Witch is one of seven Bugs Bunny cartoons currently unavailable on an any official Looney Tunes DVD or Blu-Ray set, joining All This and Rabbit Stew (1941), Fresh Hare (1942), Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (1944), A Feather in His Hare (1948), A-Lad-In His Lamp (1948) and Horse Hare (1960).

Notes

• This is Friz Freleng's first short to have Arthur Davis animating in his unit, since his unit was dissolved due to budget problems at Warner Bros.
• The cartoon was originally intended to be included on the Looney Tunes Super Stars' Bugs Bunny: Hare Extraordinaire DVD, but was withdrawn early in development due to restoration issues and Warner Home Video executives being concerned about a politically-incorrect short being featured on a DVD targeted towards family-friendly audiences.
• The end shot of Bugs' face after he compliments Dr. I.C. Spots' heels and handbag has become an Internet meme known as "Disappointed Bugs".

Gallery

Lobby card

Lobby card

Production background