Hare Lift

"Hare Lift" is a 1951 Looney Tune cartoon released to theaters on December 20, 1952. Its main stars are "Bugs Bunny" and "Yosemite Sam". The title is a play on "air lift", an expression which relates to the plotline.

Plot

The newspaper announces the test flight of the world's biggest airplane. The plane lands at the airport and its giant wheel covers Bugs Bunny's hole. Bugs struggles out and impressed by the plane, decides to take a look inside. Meanwhile, in town, Yosemite Sam robs the last national bank and, after wiping off the assets (leaving a total of 3 cents!), he hears the police coming and drives off to the airport, with plans to hijack a plane and take refuge in another country where the police won't find him.

Inside the giant plane, Bugs starts pretending he's a World War Two pilot, and when Sam comes on board, he assumes Bugs is the pilot and orders him to take off at once. Before Bugs can protest that he ain't the pilot, Sam threatens to shoot him. Bugs succeeds in finding the ignition button, and the plane sets off down the runway and flies over a busy traffic intersection.

Seeing a skyscraper coming up, Bugs takes the plane up into outer space, sending Sam falling to the tail. When it looks like the plane is going to crash into the moon, Bugs makes the plane go down, sending Sam falling to the nose. Sam threatens to have Bugs' licence revoked, only to discover Bugs reading a book on how to fly. Seeing the Earth coming up, Sam orders Bugs to read faster or be blasted. Bugs, however, refuses to "look up any more diagrams" because of Sam's mean talk and orders him to say he's sorry. Sam slaps his head and, seeing the United States coming up, apologizes to Bugs, but insults him during the apology. Bugs then orders Sam to say he's sorry with sugar on top. Sam refuses and tries acting nonchalant by playing the yo-yo and jacks. Only by seeing a farm coming up does Sam finally give in and apologize properly.

Bugs makes the plane go straight back up into space and goes to radio the authorities to let them know they're bringing the plane back. Sam then orders Bugs to give him the book, but Bugs throws it out the open door. Sam runs out to retrieve it, but upon discovering how high he is, runs back in. Bugs then makes Sam slip on a banana peel out the other door, and hearing Sam knocking at the door, pretends to be a grocer. Sam busts back in and threatens to blow Bugs to Kingdom Come. Since Sam is standing on the bomb bay doors, Bugs pulls the cord and sends Sam falling out of the plane. Sam panics at this and scrambles back into the plane.

Having had it with Bugs' flying, Sam orders Bugs to give him the wheel so he can take it over. Bugs rips out the wheel and tosses it out the plane, sending it diving back to Earth. Fearful of going to crash, Sam activates the robot pilot, but the robot ends up chickening out, grabbing a parachute from the parachute locker, and jumping out of the plane.

With just one parachute left, Bugs decides he and Sam should draw straws to see who gets it. Sam cheats by telling Bugs to draw the straws so he can grab the parachute. After taking the remaining parachute and the bag of stolen money, Sam jumps out and, while shouting at Bugs, lands in an open police car with cops in it ("So long, sucker! Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha... Wooooh...."). Bugs manages to stop the plane in midair by pulling a lever (an ending reminiscent of the ending of "Falling Hare"). He's just thankful the plane comes with "air brakes" ("air brakes"?).

Facts

*Part of the cartoon is a remake of Bob Clampett's Falling Hare.

*At the time this cartoon was made, the biggest airplanes in the world were Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" and the Saunders Roe Princess flying boats.

*Parts of this cartoon would be used in the beginning of the 1963 Merrie Melodies cartoon Devil's Feud Cake, while the "How To Fly" book and the control panel would be used again in the 1956 Looney Tune cartoon A Star Is Bored.

*Parts of this cartoon would also be used in the 1980 TV Special The Bugs Bunny Mystery Special, only they change around Sam's use of the giant plane, what happens to him after he parachutes out of the plane, and Bugs escaping from the plane after it stops.

*Yosemite Sam last acted nonchalant in the 1948 Looney Tune Buccaneer Bunny.

I'm Sorry sequence

("Yosemite Sam busts into the cockpit".)

Sam: ("shaking his fist".) "You stupid pilot! What kind of a pilot are ya?"

("Scene focuses to Bugs reading a "How To Fly" book".)

Bugs: "When the RPM has reached thirty, see page 50, illustration marked 'B'."

("Sam comes in and sees this". "He looks out the window". "The Earth is coming".)

Sam: ("comes running up".) "Quick! Read faster, rabbit! We're going to crash! ("whips out pistol".) Or I'll blow your head off."

("Bugs turns to Sam with a sour look".)

Bugs: ("shuts book".) "I refuse to look up any more arguments because you talked mean to me. Say you're sorry."

Sam: "Oh no!" ("slaps head, and looks out the window". "The United States is coming". "comes back to Bugs".) "Okay, you stupid varmint, I'm sorry."

("Bugs sees this apology was improper".)

Bugs: "Say you're sorry with sugar on top."

Sam: ("feeling insulted".) "No, never, I won't."

Bugs: "Okay then." ("sits back in pilot's seat, remaining cool as a cucumber".)

Sam: ("takes out yo-yo".) ("innocently") "La, la la, la. Too to tee." ("takes away yo-yo, whips out ball and jacks, drops ball and gathers up the jacks while biting his nails".)

("Sam rushes to the window and looks out". "A farm is coming". "Sam rushes back to Bugs".)

Sam: ("begging".) "I'm sorry with sugar on top."

Bugs: "That's better. Much better. I'll see what I can do."

Sam: "Keyeahhh!" ("puts his hands over his head".)

("Bugs pulls back on wheel causing plane to go back upwards to space, which makes the house, barn, and trees stretch upward".)

External links

*imdb title|0044688