Hoppy birthday Bugs! 80 Years of Bugs Bunny
80 years ago today (27 July) the dim-witted Elmer Fudd got more than he bargained for on one of his regular hunting trips when he came face to face with the world’s most famous rabbit. From the moment Elmer peered down the rabbit hole in 1940’s A Wild Hare and a long eared wisecracking character asked him the immortal question “What’s up doc?” the world has been in love with the screwball antics of Bugs Bunny.
Elmer and Bugs in A Wild Hare (1940)
Bugs Bunny had in fact been years in the making, with approximately four cartoons featuring a wascaly wabbit getting the better of his foes. It was Porky Pig in 1938’s Porky’s Hare Hunt where the evolution of Bugs began, and where the then unnamed rabbit acquired his moniker. The director of the short, Ben “Bugs” Hardaway didn’t name the rabbit so the animators working on the short wrote “Bug’s Bunny” on the model sheets and we can presume that the name stuck.
Unlike other characters which are linked to a singular creator Bugs has many fathers, among them Tex Avery, Bob Clampet, Bob McKimson, Chuck Jones, Virgil Ross, Bob Givens to name a few, but it might also be worth mentioning his wicked step father, the producer Leon Schlesinger.
Some of the Termite Terrace crew L-R Virgil Ross, Sid Sutherland, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett
Schlesinger had a more hands-off role in the production of the short films, unlike Disney who would be more involved with his animators in the early years. The producer would only turn up for screenings in the run down studio, where rumour has it he would sit on an ornate throne which was taken an old roman movie filmed on the Warner lot, turn to the hard working animators and say “roll the crap”. His only concern was that the films used the music that was owned by the studio – the Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies we’ve all heard of. He also had a heavy lisp so a lot of people believe Daffy Duck was modelled on him and the way the directors got their own back on the producer by immortalising his foul temper.
In terms of iconic characters Bugs sits up there with Mickey Mouse and Kermit the Frog as an everyman character, but is a little more boisterous than his counterparts. He’s cunning, keeps his cool and almost always manages to show up his opponents. We cheer him on because as funny as his antics are they’re only happen because someone disturbs him, be that Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck or Marvin the Martian. Director Chuck Jones said
“It’s very important that he is provoked, otherwise he would be a bully, and we didn’t want that. We wanted him to be a nice person.”
A big part of the success of the Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies is the fact that they sound as good as they look and that’s down to the musical genius of Carl Stalling who took the Warner music catalogue and enlivened it with a boisterously loud orchestra that accompanied every short.
Mel Blanc, voice of Bugs Bunny and many others holding a carrot – something he was allergic to.
The legendary Mel Blanc also had a large role in bringing Bugs to life, and surprisingly it was Bugs Bunny who brought Mel back to life. In 1961 the actor was involved in a horrific car crash and ended up in a coma. For two weeks he wouldn’t respond to doctors and family members asking to speak to Mel, until one day a doctor asked the unresponsive, bedridden man “Bugs Bunny, how are you doing today?” and Mel, still unconscious, responded with a weak “Myeeeeh. What’s up doc?” and it was by doing this that he was eventually coaxed out of his coma and into recovery.
Bugs has starred in over 160 short films and has featured in full length movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,Space Jam, Looney Tunes Back in Action and most recently Looney Tunes Cartoons which takes the character and other familiar stars back to basics in wacky short form.
Apart from all the grey hairs, Bugs Bunny isn’t looking bad for an 80 year old. His character and design have endured for many years with many voice artists introducing the star to a new generation who fall back in love with him. As for the next 80 years with Looney Tunes Cartoons and with a new Space Jam film coming soon that’s certainly not all folks.