Haredevil Hare

Haredevil Hare is a 1948 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.[1] It stars Bugs Bunny and it is the debut for Marvin the Martian — although he is unnamed in this film — along with his Martian dog, K-9.[2] Marvin's nasal voice for this first film is different from the later one he is most known for, which was similar to one that Blanc used for the emcee in What's Cookin' Doc?, for just one line, where the emcee says, "Shall we give it to him, folks?"

Haredevil Hare
Directed byCharles M. Jones
Produced byEddie Selzer (uncredited)
Story byMichael Maltese
StarringMel Blanc
Music byCarl Stalling
Animation byBen Washam
Lloyd Vaughan
Ken Harris
Phil Monroe
Assistant Animators:
Abe Levitow (uncredited)
Pete Burness (uncredited)
Effects animation:
A.C. Gamer
Layouts byRobert Gribbroek
Backgrounds byPeter Alvarado
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
July 24, 1948 (U.S.)
Running time
7:42
LanguageEnglish

The title is a play on "daredevil", although it has only a vague metaphorical connection to the plotline, as Bugs is a reluctant participant in the cartoon's acrobatics.

Plot
Bugs Bunny, disguised as a Martian, hands Marvin the Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator. Animation by Ken Harris.

The cartoon opens with the newspaper headlines "Scientists to Launch First Rocket to Moon" and "Heroic Rabbit Volunteers as First Passenger." However, the scene then changes to Bugs literally being dragged across the launching pad to the waiting rocket as he frantically protests against what is to be expected of him, but then immediately becomes cooperative when he sees the rocket being loaded with carrots. The rocket is then launched into space. Shocked by the sudden acceleration of the rocket, Bugs attempts to exit it, but when he opens up the hatch, he is horrified when he sees that the rocket has now already left Earth. When the rocket lands on the Moon, Bugs completely goes to pieces, but quickly regains his composure as he starts to walk on the surface of the moon, contemplating the fact that he is the first living creature to set foot on it, while passing behind a large rock on which the words "Kilroy was here" are written. Another rocket soon lands nearby, called the Mars to Moon Expeditionary Force from the planet Mars, and from it emerges an unnamed Martian (later known as Marvin the Martian), who begins work on something that involves a missile and clearly concerns Earth. Curious, Bugs asks Marvin what he is up to, and Marvin explains he is there to blow up the earth. Bugs is initially not concerned, until he realizes the severity of the situation and steals from Marvin the missile's fuel source, a Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator, a small device resembling, and that operates the same as, a mere stick of dynamite. He shortly has to then deal with Marvin's Martian dog, named K-9, who, as ordered to by Marvin, retrieves it while Bugs is distracted trying to send an SOS to Earth. In one of his classic word switcharoos, and after that through flattery, which the dog is absent-mindlessly, extremely prone to, Bugs successfully gets the Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator back.

This prompts an angry Marvin to berate and scold his dog. Bugs quickly arrives disguised as a Martian with a "special delivery from Mars" and hands Marvin the Uranium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator, now wired to a detonator. While Marvin is celebrating the return of the Uranium PU-36, Bugs activates the detonator. The explosion reduces the moon to a crescent. A silhouette on earth resembling Friz Freleng contacts Bugs Bunny, and asks if he has a statement to the press. Bugs, hanging precariously from the edge of the Moon, with Marvin and the dog clinging to him and dangling below, answers that he does, and in his typical Brooklyn accent yells out, "GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

Crew

Production

The cartoon was directed by Chuck Jones and written by long-time collaborator Michael Maltese. It was animated by Ben Washam, Lloyd Vaughan, Ken Harris and Phil Monroe, with effects animation by A.C. Gamer. The music was scored by Carl Stalling and the backgrounds painted by Peter Alvarado, with layouts by Robert Gribbroek. In retrospect, Chuck Jones considered this one of his animated shorts which managed to "turn the corner" towards strange, new, and enchanting directions. In this case, because it was the first in the series to be set in outer space, the first appearance of Marvin the Martian, and the first appearance of his Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator.[3]

Availability

This cartoon is included on disc 3 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 DVD set and also included on disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 Blu-ray box set with the cartoon restored and in high definition. This short is also available on disc 1 of The Essential Bugs Bunny.

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See also

Sources
  • Jones, Chuck (1989). Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-12348-9.

References
  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–61. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 187. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  3. Jones (1989), unnumbered page, list of "corner" pictures.
Preceded by
Bugs Bunny Rides Again		 Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1948		 Succeeded by
Hot Cross Bunny
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