278. Elmer's Candid Camera (1940)

Warner cartoon no. 277.
Release date: March 3, 1940.
Series: Merrie Melodies.
Supervision: Chuck Jones.
Producer: Leon Schlesinger.
Starring: Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) and Mel Blanc (Proto-Bugs Bunny).
Story: Rich Hogan.
Animation: Bob McKimson.
Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling.
Sound: Treg Brown (uncredited).
Synopsis: Elmer Fudd takes on a new hobby of photographing wild animals; however, in a attempt to photograph a wacky rabbit: Elmer's attempts backfire.

Before anymore useless debates about which was the first 'Elmer' cartoon: I still strongly believe this is the first official appearance of Elmer Fudd. Hell, it has Arthur Q. Bryan's voice for Elmer, for God's sake. Arthur, at the time, was very popular on the Grouch Club with Phil Kramer, on KFWB. Chuck thought that he was the perfect voice for Elmer, whose redesigned after the 'Egghead/Elmer' concepts prior that which Tex Avery heavily worked on.

Friz Freleng, that same year, who use the cartoon's character design for Confederate Honey and The Hardship of Miles Standish; before his Dopey-ish design appeared in A Wild Hare. In fact, Elmer has been redesigned rather frequently, hasn't he? They couldn't agree on a appropriate design for him until at least 1942: when the 'fat Elmer' design, created by Tex Avery, himself...was used in a few cartoons, though it proved to be unpopular.

You could also say this is the last short to use the proto-Bugs Bunny design, unless you want to count Patient Porky to be the last. Chuck Jones is using the Charlie Thorson design for the Hardaway-rabbit, one last time, before Bob Givens and Bob McKimson, themselves would give Bugs the standard design in A Wild Hare - his first official appearance. But this short is definitely the first where Elmer is manipulated or screwed by a rabbit.

An opening shot opens in a extreme-close up of Elmer's hands presented as a layout reading the book: How to Photograph Wild Life. Elmer's first few scenes, already show his personality has been established from the very beginning from the WB crew, and Q. Bryan himself, whose notorious Brooklyn-esque rhotacism already play a huge part of the character.

In a extreme close-up shot; he exclaims: 'Gowwy, that sounds simple enough!'. Elmer walks over towards the his box where he contains his requirement for animal photography. He walks over his checklists and lists them out: 'Twipod, film, camewa, butterfwy net, etc.'.

The opening sequence is a good example in introducing the character: as the 1940 audience are already aware that Warner Bros. have based Elmer heavily on Arthur Q. Bryan, the voice and all..since he was such a hit in radio. However, his redesign (Bob Givens or Charlie Thorson, anyone?)..already shows the crew are a little indecisive in their approach towards the character's design. The crew had already been working around the concept of 'Elmer' since 1937...with Danny Webb and Mel Blanc voicing the characters; and it's obvious his personality is already established by this cartoon, as they already found their star.

As Elmer is already out into the countryside, he whistles merrily to the tune: Sticks and Stones; which was a very popular time by Al Hoffman of the time the cartoon was made. The walk cycle timed by Chuck, shows it has a slow-paced appeal towards it; with the bobbing hat. However, for this cartoon: it's relevant to say, it's the only Disney-ish walk cycle that works for Elmer; in that design.

Elmer stops, and in a point-of-view shot: he spots 'wabbit twacks'...as well as mentioning so, and could go on to be one of his famous quotes. He follows the rabbit tracks, where he finds the trail, as the proto-Bugs is seen asleep in the field. Elmer walks over and prepares the camera stand.

Fo any fan, whose completely unaware of the chronology of the Warner cartoons; Elmer is portrayed as a civilised human being, where he aims to take photograph of animals in the forest, instead of hunting animals, which is his most standard personality.

I suppose it was Chuck's nature, of the time, to use Elmer as a harmless human being, and this short is still early days, so he hasn't been completely reformed. As the rabbit is asleep, and Elmer's camera is all ready: in another shot from the camera's view; Elmer moves the rabbit at different angles so he could fine the most established shot to picture. The camera shot is amusing in a subtle way, considering how the rabbit is too big to fit into the image capture.

A small bird, appears out of the blue and whistles merrily: Elmer moves the curtain off his head where he signals for the bird to hush. The rabbit then deliberately mocks Elmer's signal, and makes a 'hush' sound--where we already know he was pretending to be asleep.

Elmer resumes with his photography, and this time from the camera lens: the rabbit's behind is being pointed at towards him.

At what is intended to be a little crude in terms of humour, Elmer takes, although his reaction was a little slow. The rabbit then walks towards Elmer, in a attempt to fool him. He walks towards Elmer, starting off a conversation: 'What'ya doing, taking pictures?'.

Elmer nods, not knowing be is being spoken of. The character animation of Elmer nodding is a little weak of the covers, where it doesn't show any proper signal to an audience watching this, even if it was difficult to animate. 'Nice hobby. Mind if I watch?'. Elmer shakes his head, covered from the cover. The rabbit asks what picture he's taking a picture of, and then Elmer pulls the cover to reply: 'A wabbit'. He responds: 'What rabbit?'; and Elmer points slowly before realising: 'That little gwey wabbit over there!'. Knowing the sequence, it's the first short where Chuck already has a shot of the rabbit with a tamed personality, and outsmarting his antagonists casually: apart from acting screwy constantly, like Daffy Duck, which was how Bugs Hardaway interpreted him.

Elmer stares towards the rabbit--cross-eyed. The rabbit then pushes him away, disturbed. 'Please, sir'. In a extreme-close up shot, which Chuck loved to use in that time-period; the rabbit speaks to the audience with a crack-up: 'Gosh, I don't even know the guy'. After the awkward moment, Bugs looks towards Elmer with disgust and walks away.

After what appeared to be an uncomfortable situation for Elmer, the acting in the next scenes are a little spotty, but we communicate with Elmer much more clearly where he turns his attention on a cutesy, realistic looking squirrel, holding a chestnut.

Elmer brings his camera which has been grounded to the field, off and carries it closer towards the defenceless squirrel which he resumes his hobby, and gives up on the rabbit. Too difficult to even debate with Elmer's personality on these scenes, I meant his personality being established because of the Arthur Q. Bryan resemblance, although here, he is just a gentlemen who isn't even a threat to the rabbit.

The rabbit, hiding under a log, pops out and prepares himself to bully poor Elmer, in this cartoon, whereas the rabbit is more or less a sadist than a menace. He pulls the camera len attached the bellows which, and has it stretched to a extent. He lets it go, and pokes Elmer straight out of the scene. He hits into a tree, where a bunch of apples land and pile on top of him.

The rabbit walks over towards the scene where he is chewing his apple. He finishes off much of the apple, and menacingly targets it straight at poor Elmer's face.

Elmer makes an eye-take and ducks under the pile of apples, and the apple splats; missing his face. Judging the eye-take; Chuck was already tamed those down apart from those extreme ones he used in Prest-O Change-O or Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur. After ducking under the pile of apples, it turns out his bad luck arrives when one apple, left hanging onto the tree lands and drops on top of his head. Elmer then shows a disgruntled look on his face.

Much later on in the cartoon, we find the same Elmer Fudd, who has given up on the rabbit, again, and is resuming with his photography. The rabbit walks over and finds Elmer in that spot; 'Oh, there ya are!' he notices. He walks over towards Elmer where he leans his elbow on Elmer's behind. As part of his game, the rabbit asks: 'You wouldn't consider taking a picture of a rabbit, would ya?'.

In a close-up shot the rabbit goes on: 'I know a rabbit who wouldn't mind posing for ya. That is if you are at all interested'. Afterwards, Elmer finds the rabbit and is growling towards him, and is at the pinnacle of snapping.

Acting rather cool, the rabbit goes on: 'Of course, if you don't like rabbits, you don't like rabbits' and walks off. Just as Elmer was about to grab the rabbit, he pauses and regains self-control when he watches the rabbit leave. He looks around, and then grabs a butterfly net, and in vengeance: plans to trap the rabbit. Mmm, this probably explains why Elmer turned down animal photography, and turned to hunting. All solid acting work from the likes of Mel Blanc on the rabbit (even if the voice is annoying); though the rabbit manages to keep calm, and already has the ability to cause Elmer to nearly snap.

After finding the butterfly net, he walks over searching for the rabbit who's ruined his day. The camera pans to the rabbit, pondering as to why he isn't wanted for animal photography; but just in time: Elmer traps the rabbit with his butterfly net. The sequence has been attributed to Bob McKimson, from Jerry Beck, and a lot of his staging and timing is particularly distinctive in those scenes.


In the sequence which shows some great character animation of the rabbit's acting on nearly going insane. The comic timing is rather tamed down, although some of the facial expressions of the rabbit, first noticing he is trapped, is classic. 'What's this? What's this?!' wails the rabbit: 'I'm trapped!'.

The rabbit continues to put on the performance, from going almost completely berserk, to dying. He coughs in agony, and croaks: 'Come here! Come here! I can't breathe!'. The rabbit continues to put on the performance shouting out: 'Hold yourself, hold yourself! Easy!'. At that point, Elmer's vengeance face already turns to pity. After the rabbit plays dead, Elmer breaks down, and that part of his personality already kicks in where he bawls over the rabbit's dead body. 'I didn't mean to hurt the poor wittle grey wabbit!'.

Afterwards, the rabbit finishes his death performance and traps Elmer inside the butterfly net...and casually walks away from Elmer. As he walks off, the rabbit protests: 'The SPCA shall hear about this!'..which is a funny one-liner suggesting Elmer is at the cost of being punished.

At that point, a great sequence pours in where Elmer has snapped. His eyes widen, and ends up chantings: 'Rabbits, rabbits! I'm going mad! Rabbits! I'm going crazy! '..and then breaks out of the nest. For a slow-paced Chuck Jones cartoon, this is rather off-model and loose for his cartoons.

After breaking out of the net, he rushes off towards his camera as well his book and stampedes on top of them, damaging them. He continues shouting out: 'Wildlife! Rabbits!' and then, in a extremely off-model looking Elmer, he rushes out of the damaged equipment and then dives into a river. Though the single dreaming look rather off and crude, whoever animated that, showed a great understanding of Elmer reflected into a twisted state of mind.

After Elmer falls into the water; he ends up drowning and blubbers 'Rabbits' with river water inside his mouth. The rabbit, asleep, then wakes up to rescue Elmer, though wearing a swimsuit. He dives into the river and then grabs Elmer to drag him out of the river, where his safe is spared.

The rabbit pulls him out of the river, where Elmer is standing up, recovering from his outburst. The rabbit asks: 'Now how are ya?'. Elmer responds: 'I'm feel pretty good?'. After a few assurances, the rabbit continues: 'Are you positive?', 'Absolutely sure?'.

As Elmer passively responds he feels better: the rabbit only asks just to kick him back into the river again, where he performs the obnoxious laugh Hardaway came up with, that pre-dates Woody Woodpecker. Instead of just snapping enough, Elmer just shows an irritated look on his face, sitting in the river as the 'How to Photograph Wild Life' book is tossed on top of his head.

Overall comments: The first appearance of Elmer Fudd, and this approach is certainly a unique introduction. Whilst Elmer is still being developed with various personalities: before becoming a hunter, and antagonist towards Bugs..the staff already have the whole Elmer/rabbit concept which started off from that short. Bugs Bunny had also been floated around from a few cartoons the previous year from Chuck and also Hardaway; except after Hare-Um Scare-Um; the concept for 'Daffy Duck in a rabbit costume' was dropped, and here personality plays a huge part in this cartoon. The rabbit is certainly a lot more tamed down, and the WB animation studios were very close towards finding their own star, except he just wasn't yet established in this cartoon.

Some of Bugs' quirks towards his antagonists are rather evident in this cartoon, particularly where he fakes his own death...however, Bugs is just presented as a rather sadistic character: who bullies Elmer which he doesn't deserve, whereas Bugs would only be menacing whenever he felt threatened amongst his antagonists. Whilst being the same design used from Hare-Um, or the same character: Chuck has completely tamed down as he shows his experimentation of the character. Blanc's voice for the character also toned down where it sounds rather relaxed. My thoughts: it works well as we finally get to see the rapid development going on with the rabbit character, before he would change into Bugs. With that asides, the cartoon was also another attempt for Chuck to try about comedy, except his rather sluggish pacing and timing.

254. Hare-Um Scare-Um (1939)

Warner cartoon no. 253.
Release date: August 12, 1939.
Series: Merrie Melodies.
Supervision: Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton.
Producer: Leon Schlesinger.
Starring: Mel Blanc (proto-Bugs Bunny/John Sourpuss/Dog).
Story: Melvin Millar.
Animation: Gil Turner.
Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling.
Sound: Treg Brown (uncredited).
Synopsis: Hunter John Sourpuss is disgusted of the soaring meat prices--and so he goes to hunt himself a rabbit. But, he ends up targeting a screwy rabbit who just pesters him.

The new redesign of the proto-Bugs Bunny as the final is similar enough to the final design of Bugs Bunny as we would see a year later in A Wild Hare. However, it has been over discussed and debated that this cartoon was the first to star Bugs Bunny...but I'm not going to count it here. Although he has been named that in public material as well as Charlie Thorson's model sheet--but I don't want it over discussed here, I'm still going to refer the character as still the proto-Bugs; and it is!

Of course, this is Hardaway's attempt on using the rabbit character again, but has redesigned him - as designed by Charlie Thorson who named him 'Bugs' Bunny' in the model sheet. With the cartoon's importance asides; this is probably the most well-known of the Hardaway-Dalton cartoons they directed for that reason. The cartoon has also had a notorious history for its ending eliminated since 1939; and it wasn't until 2009 Dave Gerstein managed to REVEAL the original lost ending to the cartoon - as well as ending the rumour of decapitated heads rolling down a hill. The original version will be reviewed here, as it was recently released to the public on the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection, Volume 2.

So let's start the epic cartoon: - the cartoon begins as we find our antagonist character, John Sourpuss reading a newspaper headline. The newspaper headline reads: Meat Prices Soar. John Sourpuss throws the newspaper to the ground fuming of the meat prices that have increased.

He bellows, 'They can't do this to me! I'm a citizen! And a taxpayer. Who do they think they are?!' He then walks over to collect his shotgun and owes, 'I'll show 'em. I'll get my own meat!'.

He walks behind the curtains to change into his hunter outfit, and whistles for his dog to arrive. It turns out the dog was resting under the armchair that John Sourpuss had just sat on. Jesus, and the dog isn't even suffocated? He then asks him, 'You and me are going hunting! Rabbit hunting! I'll show 'em!'. They leave the house to begin their hunting. This is already a neat introduction on the character: John Sourpuss; and we certainly get a lot of his personality in a matter of 30 years; who is seen as selfish, tight on money and would just kill animals for that cause. The opening sequence I suspect looks a bit like Rod Scribner's timing and animation...as the way Sourpuss uses his arm expressions are very similar to his Tortoise Wins By a Hare animation.

The next scene (where you can hear Stalling's cue for A-Hunting We Will Go used for hunting scenes) John Sourpuss and his dog are on the hunt. His dog is already sniffing for rabbit tracks and in the path he manages to find tracks. John Sourpuss turns and then watches his dog follow the tracks.

Then we find our introduction to the proto-Bugs Bunny; Happy Rabbit...I mean, the rabbit (I guess). You can really tell this is Thorson's design, and it certainly does have a Disney-esque look to it (Max Hare anyone??).

We find the rabbit is already stamping rabbit tracks with a stamper, and is already screwy from the first moment; by masquerading the tracks to trick the hunter. The rabbit then stamps tracks on top of and under the rock. The rabbit chuckles crazily and then rushes out of the scene. The dog arrives at the spot and sniffs on top of the rock, and then digs under. Some funny animation where the dog's tail is holding the spot, which oddly feels realistic and has weight, even if it is impossible. He turns to find the rabbit but the rock drops and the dog then makes a yelp that has given him a fright.

The dog then hides under a log to avoid and prevent himself from pain. The rabbit then pops out on top of the hole and covers the dog where we see a 'Guess who?'. Of course; that would've been a hilarious gag of the time, as it was really goofy--but then again, Tex pulled it off much better when he made the first official Bugs
cartoon.


The dog barks on the first guess, 'Guess again' asks the rabbit. The dog barks again, and the rabbit responds: 'You're getting warmer'. As if the dog barks 'its the rabbit' we won't know, but the rabbit is crazy enough to shout 'You're correct absolutely correct' and jumps around like a lunatic.

The rabbit then ends up pushing the log where the dog is still inside, and the log ends up falling down a hill. Interesting camera movement of the background tilting to make it as though the hill is really falling, instead of having it animated through perspective animation. The log continues to fall, as it continues to bump a few times whilst rolling. There is a stone sitting in the middle of the path, where the rock strikes and lands out of the scene and crashes into a tree with the log cracked open and the dog dazed.

The dog gets up and walks away from the tree feeling very dizzy after rolling down the hill. He walks near a fishing stand, the rabbit arrives at the spot where in doctor uniform. He brings out a stethoscope to test his body. He tuts, 'Too bad. Do you have dizzy spells? Do you see spots before your eyes? Do your ears ring? Are you succumb to fits?'

The dog nods at every question the rabbit asks him...but his responds is, 'So am I...maybe that's what's the matter with me'. He chuckles heartily. He then jumps around the lake acting please -- seriously?? Hardaway is using the Daffy Duck routine for a rabbit to jump out of the lake - may as well be a Daffy Duck cartoon with a gag like that!

John Sourpuss is then the next victim of the rabbit's antics; and he spots 'the rabbit' hopping around hills and shoots straight at it. Believing he has got his target; he rushes over towards the back to check, but has been had when it turns out they are displayed rabbits on moving cartwheels.

He looks towards the rabbit who is seen sleeping. He grabs out a saltshaker and the rabbit immediately wakes up and places a celery stick. He acts crazy, and places a celery in his mouth. John Sourpuss gets mad and tries to rush inside a warren, but an automatic door slams on him. The rabbit opens up and comments, 'Main floor - leather goods, pottery, washing machine, etc. - going up'. He opens up again, 'You don't have to be crazy to do this - but it sure helps', and chuckles once more. Now that is a funny line itself. Now, Sourpuss has already been a target--then it is back to the dog!

The dog is then sniffing around the forest looking out for the rabbit. The rabbit watches what the dog does and then decides to disguise himself as a bitch by placing a female dog costume. He has the costume completely on, and then starts to walk like a posing dog. The dog sniffing already has his attention caught on the rabbit in disguise and follows it.

He walks over towards the log, where he finds her on top of the log and his heart pounds. He sits besides her, and then picks her a couple of posies as a gift. The bitch in disguise then kisses the dog on the face, and he makes a take and already falls the ground, and reacts mildly.

The dog then embraces the rabbit and kisses the dog costume, but has fallen out of the rabbit costume. The rabbit remarks: 'I think you've something there, buddy'. The dog look at the outfit and finds it was a dummy. He tosses it down to the ground and chases fiercely after the rabbit. On a less than educated-guess on these cartoons,  I'm suspecting that the sequence was done by Rod Scribner, with the way he draws eyes but I'm not going to prone that.

As the rabbit is running away from the dog, he hides behind a rock and the dog is still on the run searching for him. The rabbit arrives at the spot dressed as an officer and parking him a fine for speeding. He walks over and gives him a bollocking, 'Goin' a little fast - aren't you buddy? You're on the wrong street, too'.

The rabbit then accuses the dog of being intoxicated by sniffing him, and asks for a licence but quickly moves on. 'You know what this'll cost you? Thirty days. He then appears to list the months as well as Montana (reference anyone) and he whoops around very crazily. I didn't humble at the scene, not understanding the last part; but its just the rabbit coming up with one of his cretinous tricks.

The rabbit then slides down the path and picks up posies; and then starts off in song. Get ready folks for the most obnoxious part of the whole cartoon where he sings his most annoying song which is such a din! Get ready for your earmuffs: 'All the world goes by, swinging on its way...things were looking brighter day-by-day'.

He jumps over the rocks through the pond and comes across a billboard sign that advertises the Looney Tunes cartoons and Porky is on the cover. He then sings, 'I'm going cuckoo - whoo-whoo! Here comes the choo-choo! with a reel of a steam train riding at the scene.

He jumps on a fence and sings, 'I'm so goony-looney-tooney, hatched in the head!' (more like f*cked in the head).  I'll admit the comic timing of Bugs' legs balancing on the gates is very funny. It gets even wackier as a ketchup bottle pops out by MAGIC and he whizzes it around...mmm, Bob McKimson would revive the ketchup gag in some Daffy cartoon I can't remember.

This is a minute of torture -- just imagine if they used the exact same rabbit all through the 40s and 50s with that song played...oh god. That sequence must've pissed off a lot of people in the audience. The song is also substitute lyrics to Corn Pickin'. Again, this is pretty much Hardaway copying Tex with the Daffy Duck song in Daffy Duck and Egghead. He then continues to sing (hiding behind a scarecrow) until John Sourpuss stops the song.

As John Sourpuss aims his gun towards the rabbit's back; he turns and begs him not to be blasted. 'Don't shoot, don't shoot--I was only foolin', honest I was'. Sourpuss responds, 'Oh yeah, well I'm not foolin'. Tomorrow morning you'll be sizzling in my frying pan!'. Great line, and I love the way Blanc delivers a mad cackle on the hunter.

The rabbit begs and gives his reasons in not to be shot (and acts overdramatic). 'Listen chief, you don't want to eat me--why I'm nothing but skin and bones'. He stretches his own flesh where he looks as skinny as a Darfur child.

The pose and even drawing of the rabbit looking extremely skinny is very effective, and even has weight--it feels rather out of there for 1939. He even shows his feet; 'Even the government turned me down' and his foot is printed as 'rejected'.

The whole sequence itself is some original satire of wackiness. Then the rabbit starts to overdramatise of his illness and performs some fake coughing. In close-up John Sourpuss then starts to break down and weep. The rabbit - feeling sorry, offers to shake his hand (with a hand buzzer on him). 'Lets shake and forget the whole thing' the rabbit warmly asks. He shakes his hand and then reacts to the buzzing...knowing that is was just one of the many pesky rabbit's antics being pulled towards him.

At that point - John Sourpuss has finally lost his temper and shouts towards him, 'Come back here and fight like a man! I can whip you and your whole family!'. At that point, a whole group of rabbits arrive at the spot swinging their fists towards John Sourpuss. Of course, in the MANY versions we've grown up to over the years...it ends right at that spot...which I think is really good comic timing--an ending we all have known for over 70 years.

But here - there is more. The whole family beat him up and there is dust that covers up the fighting, and the whole dust flies out of the scene. John Sourpuss is already knocked down in the soil and lost the fight.

Gunshots are heard in the background, and then the rabbit arrives at the spot and responds sternly, 'You oughta get that fixed...somebody's liable to get hurt'. He then jumps around the hill chortling wildly. At that point - John Sourpuss has completely lost his senses. He then jumps around the hill bouncing with his head as the cartoon irises out.

Now for my own thoughts of that original ending: personally, I prefer the cut ending MUCH more than the lost version. If you think about it, the family arriving at the spot (where it cuts to black) - the timing is very funny. It's more of an 'oh shit' ending; while in the extended and original ending: you can tell that Hardaway is already ripping-off Tex Avery's ending to Daffy Duck and Egghead. In my opinion the whole ending slows down the whole cartoon; and it did ruin the funny moment (where the cut version was much funnier). I think it was better off cut, but then again...the fact it still existed is extraordinary.

Overall comments: I'll understand as to why the cartoon is considered a guilty pleasure or a cult amongst enthusiasts and fans. For one thing, this is still a prototype of the Bugs Bunny designs, and the design he is given is certainly not a far cry from the original cartoon. As for me, this cartoon just reminds me of just another crappy Hardaway/Dalton cartoon that they made. Hardaway is clearly strongly influenced from Tex's Daffy Duck cartoons; and he's basically using Daffy Duck; but he's wearing a rabbit costume. I suppose that Porky's Hare Hunt was very successful that it already inspired him to make this cartoon, but with a different hunter. The cartoon is really short of gags - well funny gags anyhow. I'm also not a fan of how the pacing of the cartoon flows: it feels like just a whole gag-after-gag cartoon with no climax until its ending - while when Tex made his Daffy Duck cartoons, he paced them leisurely and at least had climaxes going on.

I just felt there were too many gag-to-gag situations that could've been done much better and funnier...but I'm sure of the time when it was released, it appealed to many audience members. I find the animation there to be more up to standard than the other Hardaway-Dalton cartoons are usually are..though the design of the proto-Bugs isn't very appealing at all..very crude. To me, I thought in the version we were all familiar with; the cut ending was really the only really funny gag as it is delivered very well...whilst when it is extended, it isn't as funny. Nevertheless, this cartoon is already at the peak of Bugs Bunny in gaining his first official appearance. Chuck of course used the Charlie Thorson design for Elmer's Candid Camera. Overall, I wasn't really a fan of the overall cartoon itself as it was just rather tiresome to watch; and the song sequence is already obnoxious enough.

237. Prest-O Change-O (1939)

Warner cartoon no. 236.
Release date: March 25, 1939.
Series: Merrie Melodies.
Supervision: Chuck Jones.
Producer: Leon Schlesinger.
Starring: Mel Blanc (proto-Bugs / Clock / Voice effects for dogs).
Story: Rich Hogan.
Animation: Ken Harris.
Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling.
Sound: Treg Brown.
Synopsis: One night during a bad storm - the Two Curious dogs enter a house where they find a magician's rabbit who plays tricks on the dogs.

This is the second cartoon where it features the prototype Bugs Bunny before he made his own first official appearance in A Wild Hare. In a way - both Chuck Jones and Ben Hardaway pioneered the rabbit before Tex Avery created him. Chuck Jones uses the Hardaway rabbit from Porky's Hare Hunt - as its been considered that the cartoon was a success and they wanted more rabbit cartoons. So, Chuck Jones directed one cartoon - and then Hardaway-Dalton went with the same screwball rabbit but with a different design by Charlie Thorson. Chuck uses his first set of characters: the Two Curious dogs again for this cartoon as well as the proto Bugs.

The cartoon begins as we find the dog catcher van on the chase where the two curious dog have either been caught or have escaped. I sure wonder what the original music cue is for the opening sequence - its been heard in You Ought to Be in Pictures and the opening titles of Guided Muscle - perhaps its an original Stalling piece? The dog then leads to another part where the dog catcher van leads to a different direction.

It turns out that the hiding place for the two dogs is a house which appears to be residence of the magician of Sham Fu. The two dogs. are standing outside of the front porch sweating. Somehow they appear to slide through the door by magic or whatever I don't know. They slide through the house and they both crash to the wall wondering where on earth they have ended up.

The cuckoo clock then reveals a mysterious figure and looks around. Then reveals the time is 12 o'clock at midnight. And appears to laugh rather mysteriously. Even if the cloak figure was probably reference - that part with the cuckoo clock was just...nuts.

The two dogs then walk around the house as they look around. The white dog ends up walking into a magical trap through the door but the big dog bumps at the door believing the house is bewitched. The big dog then hears the sounds of a 'psst' call and it turns out to be Happy Rabbit. I mean, um, the magician's rabbit (or proto-Bugs) whichever you prefer.

The rabbit jumps out of a cloak in a hatstand then begins a trick to the dog by holding a vase. In this sequence; at least with the scenes of the rabbit - you can hear Stalling using the cue to the popular song The Umbrella Man.

Let me remind you -- he uses it over and over again. The rabbit then spins it, and then flicks it with his finger and continues spinning it. Afterwards he then grabs it between both hands and it then disappears as he pushes it. The dog is stumped by the trick and even looks through the rabbit to try and find it. The rabbit then uses his own fingers to release the vase and it drops on the dog and he laughs heartily - that same Hardaway laugh from 'Hare Hunt'. Now that gag there was just stupid - yeah, magic I guess - but how did he somehow end up with superpowers on his fingers? Notice the screenshot - even if it is a slow-paced cartoon but at least Chuck has a go with a wild take that even Tex didn't pull off until his MGM years. Anyway, the dog gets angry and looks through the jacket where the rabbit is. The dog ends up yelping as there is a crab that has snapped at the dog's nose.

The next dog - we see that the little white dog appears to have got back on track again and then stumps across a box that reads 'Hindu Rope Trick'. The trick then starts as the box magically opens and there is a rope that moves like a snake and the dog is a little afraid and curious.

It begins as the rope meets the dog and tries to shake hand with the dog - as the dog is about to the rope just uses his hand to make a 'beat it' gesture. That was rather pantomimed well, I'll admit.

The dog then looks at the hope as it gives the gesture before the rope's hand then socks the dog to the ground. After feeling rather weary, the dog then sits there where the eyes appear to wobble which is certainly exaggerated for a early Chuck Jones picture but it certainly captures the mood of after being hit. The dog then gets back up and growls at the rope before walking out of the scene. A scene with hardly any gags other communication with magic - the rope is definitely rather cleverly animated. Anyway - the music cue for that sequence is Red Coffee during that sequence - because in the rabbit scenes it would just play The Umbrella Man.

Afterwards - the big dog is still struggling with the lobster on his nose he manages to toss it away inside the urn. After a throbbing moment of the dog's nose - the rabbit then pops out of the urn. The music cue is you guessed it ---- Umbrella Man. What I am curious to know is what has happened to that lobster? Did the rabbit just destroy him with his magical fingers?

The rabbit pops out as he magically brings out a toy-gun and shoots it with the cork hitting the dog's face. The dog approaches the urn and growls at it. Then there is a tree plant that grows on top and flowers popping out which is some lovely timing. The pistil of the flower sticks out like a party blower and wriggles it at the dog's nose.

The sound effect was funny and that gag there was cute. Afterwards the dog then realises the tree is a rabbit (and I wouldn't) and it turns out the tree was the rabbit in disguise. Gee, who would have thought the rabbit had magical powers to transform? I thought he only grew and zapped objects to fall. The rabbit then kisses the dog as the dog was growling at him. The 'kiss' part certainly would be a trait of Bugs Bunny for years to come. The dog then spits, as the rabbit shows him another trick. He uses both hands - one for the top and one for the bottom and makes himself disappear. All of these tricks are just mostly typical ones you see in a magician's show. How about some awesome magic!

Afterwards - the sequence with the white dog appears as he is following the rope who appears to have the movement of a worm. And no - the sequences with the dog and the rope are not played by that other song. The dog then follows as the rope hides behind a box of Sham Fu's magic box. The rope and the dog both look at each other as there is just a tedious and repetitive sequence where they just look at each other in different positions and hide back.

Thus speaking; I'm suspecting that the sequence with the dog and rope here were animated by Ken Harris as the rope appears to smear. Look at the part where the rope grabs the magic stick and produces the glass - its the type of smears that he would draw.

Anyhow, the magic stick produces a vase where it drops on top of the dog where it is rather well animated.The magic stick and produces a jug and the jug just tips and lets the water splash on top of the dog. Poor dogs having to suffer through this. The dog now ends up having his head caught in the jug as it ends up running around yelping for help, and keeps on crashing.

The dog manages to pull the jug off his head as it flies up in the sky. He spots the jug falling and then runs out and lets the jug break. The magic stick then grabs out a magic stick where the pieces form into twittering birds. The magic stick then creates a magical balloon and pops to frighten the puppy.

The puppy then growls and starts to attack the magic stick and the rope just swings the dog around. The dog just ends up hiccuping and the birds just fly out of his mouth. Mmm, that magic stick sure is full of wits and it sure is a cute sequence. The dog even hiccups an egg out of his mouth by accident and he blushes and continues to hiccup. The sequence lasts longer than a minute which is more than a 100 feet of screen footage that is seen. For the animator (most likely Ken Harris) that's three weeks work of animation there.

The next sequence follows as we find the rabbit and the big dog again - usual tune, usual antics. The rabbit then grabs out a red cape and he places it over his head. The trick is that he places his hand on top of the cape and unveils it as you can see he is invisible - save for the hands. The hands then dig the cape into one clenched hand. After revealing it - its gone; much to the dog's surprise.

The dog then makes a take and then the hand grabs out another cape from the dog's ear - the rabbit flips the cape around and the rabbit is seen sitting on an armchair. The dog sniffs to get the scent of the rabbit but the rabbit just pinches the dog and dashes out.

The rabbit just hops out rather happily and in a screwy way. The rabbit then just hops over to the door as he closes it in this bad use of slow pacing. After the door closes - the door walks over to try and open it. It turns out that the 'door' has a chest of draws and then he slaps the dog out of the way. He even tickles the dog where the big dog ends up laughing historically for a while. The rabbit continues acting screwy by trucking him more by calling him over - and his head bumps from lifting the head up. The rabbit then laughs heartily afterwards.

The small dog not only continues to hiccup but now ends up hiccupping balloons as he is now cursed by the magic stick's tricks. The dog thinks real hard and tries to hold his breath to stop hiccupping. It's rather broad and even amusing where he ends up hiccupping his own balloon inside and his body is the shape of one.

Meanwhile the rabbit his still laughing at him and he kisses the dog before closing the chest of draws. The dog gets back up and tries to break open the door but has a hard time doing so. The dog continues to hiccup terribly until he ends up flying around like a bursting balloon.

The dog continues to bang the door rather loudly but the rabbit just walks out. The rabbit and the dog then collide to each other and they end up crashing the door open. That really lacks a lot of weight and even a lack of force with the animation. The rabbit is now caught in a piece of rope and the dog then walks over to pick him up and he places him inside a box and closes it. He carries the box to place it in a treasure chest, and then carries the treasure chest inside a locker box. After that use of weight of carrying - the dog finally rests.

As they rest - the big dog then notices the small dog ends up hiccupping a balloon out of his mouth. The dog watches the balloon float up and then suddenly the balloon bursts and the magic rabbit pops out again. That burst is some great comic timing there. The rabbit makes himself disappear and even shoots a toy gun at him. And again...in the theme of The Umbrella Man.

The dog gets rathe angry and he ends up pulling the rabbit's hands back so we can see his body - look at the weight of that there. The dog then grabs him and finally gets even with the rabbit as he bops the rabbit straight out of the scene where we hear some off-screen crashing.

The dog covers himself so he doesn't see the crash and looks over completely satisfied with what has happened. That is certainly rather sadistic and mean by punching the rabbit - but at least for the dog it satisfied him, but then again it would have been much funnier if the victim still lost and not win. Well, not in Chuck's case. We pan through and find that the rabbit had suffered from a black eye, caught in a fishbowl and has a lampshade caught in his ears.

Overall comments: My overall impression of this cartoon is that its just completely nuts. The gags are all just all over the place as well as the pacing of the cartoon - where it does from the big dog to the rabbit, and then antics with the small dogs. The fact that this is magic being the small dog's enemy in the cartoon is all crazy as it just feels like we have entered a fantasy when watching it. Chuck Jones' version of the screwball rabbit is certainly a much more tamed version and Chuck sees him in a different view. Hardaway's view on the rabbit shows a lot of resemblance of Daffy Duck - basically in a rabbit's costume. Chuck's version here shows the rabbit is merely just a pest and also a muted character (except for the laughs) whereas Chuck wanted to express those early stories without dialogue. But still, I prefer Hardaway's rabbit - even if it is more annoying. The laugh and design in his cartoon is there but other than that, there is no other resemblance other than a cutesy Jones character.

Chuck has already given his dogs a 2nd appearance in his forth cartoon he has directed, and of course he would use those characters much less afterwards - appearing in about one cartoon a year before abandoning them in 1942 - I guess he wanted to concentrate on making Sniffles a star. With much of the lackluster of the cartoon brings, I have to at least mention about Carl Stalling's contributions towards this cartoon. I have no disrespect towards Stalling, as he is certainly one of the leading and most influential film composers of all time - but what was HE thinking when composing this cartoon! He overuses the  song The Umbrella Man in all the scenes of the dog and the rabbit -- way too much! It's the dominant music cue of the cartoon for sure. Not to mention, Stalling had used cues to dominate the music of cartoons (like using Powerhouse in Baby Bottleneck) but here - The Umbrella Man is just an earworm to listen to that its just sufferance to hear. The cartoon overall just follows through a Disney-esque story routine where it is sequence after sequence of dogs going through trouble.