Duck! Rabbit, Duck!

Duck! Rabbit, Duck!
Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd) series
Daffy Duck thinks he is writing a fricasseing rabbit license, but Bugs spells "F-R-I-C-A-S-S-E-E-I-N-G D-U-C-K" instead.
Directed by	Charles M. Jones
Produced by	Eddie Selzer
Story by	Michael Maltese
Voices by	Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan (unc.)
Music by	Carl Stalling
Animation by	Ken Harris Abe Levitow Richard Thompson Lloyd Vaughan Ben Washam
Layouts by	Maurice Noble
Backgrounds by	Philip DeGuard
Studio	Warner Bros. Cartoons
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s)	October 3, 1953 (USA)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	6:49
Language	English
Preceded by	Bully for Bugs (Bugs) Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (Daffy)
Followed by	Robot Rabbit (Bugs) Design For Leaving (Daffy)

Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is a 1953 Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. It is the sequel to Rabbit Seasoning, and the third (along with Rabbit Fire) and final entry in Jones' "hunting trilogy" (the only major difference in format between this film and the others is that it takes place during the middle of winter). Produced by Eddie Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc., the short was released to theaters in 1953 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is widely considered among Jones' best and most important films. This is the only film in the trilogy where Bugs does not crossdress [1].

Overview

Synopsis

The cartoon, set in winter, finds Daffy Duck removing and burning every "Duck Season Open" sign he finds (while humming the tune "La Vie en rose") in order to warm himself in the winter ("I am a duck bent on self preservationum..munum", he tells the audience). Elmer is out hunting and Daffy uses several signs to convince Elmer that it's rabbit season, making Elmer excited about "Fwesh Wabbit Stew!" just before Elmer follows the trail to Bugs' rabbit hole. Daffy lures Bugs Bunny out by asking for a cup of blackstrap molasses. Just as Bugs Bunny comes out of his rabbit hole, Elmer points the gun at him and declares that he got his "Wabbit Stew". However, bugs immediately sees through Daffy's trick and is prepared to convince Elmer not to shoot him because he is obviously an endangered species:

Bugs: Look, Doc. Are you looking for trouble? I'm not a stewing rabbit. I'm a fricasseeing rabbit.

Elmer: [confused] Fwicasseeing wabbit?

Bugs: Have you got a fricasseeing rabbit license?

Elmer: Well, no. I-

Bugs: Do you happen to know what the penalty is for shooting a fricasseeing rabbit without a fricasseeing rabbit license?

This enrages Daffy, who attempts to convince Elmer Fudd that Bugs Bunny is actually trying to trick Elmer and orders Elmer to shoot Bugs Bunny, prompting Elmer to regretfully point out that he doesn't have a license, and this is an obvious idea for bugs Bunny to use his wits to keep Elmer from shooting him. After each shot, irritated Daffy is forced to put his beak back in place.

"Dirty Skunk Season"

One extended routine in this short has Bugs holding up various "animal season" signs to correspond with every figurative expression involving an animal that Daffy gets called. This begins when Bugs tricks Daffy into making a hunting license that allows Elmer to shoot him. Annoyed, he grabs the license:

Daffy: Here, let's see that thing. (mumbles) "...fricasseeing duck".

Daffy: Well, I guess I'm the goat.

[Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Goat Season Open" and Elmer shoots Daffy]

Daffy: You're a dirty dog.

Bugs: And YOU are a dirty skunk!

Daffy: I'm a dirty skunk? I'm a dirty skunk?!

[Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Dirty Skunk Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy].

Daffy: Brother! Am I a pigeon!

[Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Pigeon Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy].

[Later on in the cartoon, after Bugs appears to Elmer as an angel]

Daffy: Why, if he's dead, then I'm a mongoose!

[Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Mongoose Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy].

Each presentation of the sign was accompanied by a brass fanfare of a fox hunting call, and was, of course, followed by a gunshot. Bugs then puts on a duck disguise. Daffy sees him, but forgets himself and shouts "Shoot the duck!" to which Elmer obliges by shooting the nearest duck— Daffy. Daffy finally goes completely insane, demanding Elmer keep shooting him, bounding around on all fours like an elk, and scuttling around sideways like a crab:

Daffy: SHOOT ME AGIAN! I ENJOY IT! I LOVE THE SMELL OF BURNT FEATHERS, AND GUNPOWDER, and CORDITE! I'M AN ELK! SHOOT ME! GO ON! IT'S ELK SEASON! I'M A FIDDLER CRAB! WHY DON'T YOU SHOOT ME?! IT'S FIDDLER CRAB SEASON!

The antics become truly confusing at the end when Elmer Fudd encounters Bugs disguised as a game warden:

Elmer: Oh, Mister Game Warden, I hope you can help me. I've been told I can shoot wabbits and goats and pigeons and mongooses and dirty skunks and ducks. Could you tell me what season it weawwy is?

Bugs (whipping out a baseball): Why soitainly, my boy...it's Baseball Season!

Elmer then completely loses his sanity and starts shooting at a baseball as he runs off into the distance. While he's gone, Bugs asks Daffy what hunting season is it really. Daffy casually answers that it's duck season and ends up getting blasted by many hunters hiding behind rocks. Daffy crawls back, seething and smoldering from being shot, and tells Bugs "You're desthpicable!"

Censorship

• See Rabbit Fire for information about censored scenes.

Credits

• Produced by: Edward Selzer
• Directed by: Chuck Jones
• Story: Michael Maltese
• Music: Carl Stalling
• Animation: Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Lloyd Vaughan, Richard Thompson, Abe Levitow
• Layouts: Maurice Noble
• Backgrounds: Philip De Guard
• Voice Characterisions: Mel Blanc^[1]

Notes

• The title Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is possibly a reference to the duckrabbit made famous by Ludwig Wittgenstein.^{[original research?]}
• A few clips from this cartoon were used, with color commentary by John Madden and Pat Summerall, as part of the third quarter in the 2001 Cartoon Network special The Big Game XXIX: Bugs vs. Daffy.

DVD release

• Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is presented restored and uncut on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3.

References

1. ^ "Rabbit Fire Cast & Crew List". www.bcdb.com Mar 30, 2010

External links

• Duck! Rabbit, Duck! at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Duck! Rabbit, Duck! at the Internet Movie Database

Preceded by Bully for Bugs

Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1953

Succeeded by Robot Rabbit