Fresh Hare

Fresh Hare
Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny) series
Title picture to "Fresh Hare"
Directed by	I. Freleng
Produced by	Leon Schlesinger
Story by	Michael Maltese
Voices by	Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan (both uncredited)
Music by	Carl Stalling
Animation by	Manuel Perez Additional animation: Gerry Chiniquy Richard Bickenbach Phil Monroe Gil Turner (all uncredited)
Studio	Leon Schlesinger Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s)	August 22, 1942
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	8 min. (one reel)
Language	English

Fresh Hare is a Warner Bros. theatrical Merrie Melodies cartoon. It was directed by Isadore "Friz" Freleng, written by Michael Maltese, and produced by Leon Schlesinger. It was released to theatres on August 22, 1942, and is a play on the term "fresh air".

In this short, the rotund early-1940s version of Elmer Fudd is portrayed as a Mountie, in pursuit of Bugs Bunny, who is wanted dead or alive (though preferably dead). After following rabbit tracks to a burrow, Elmer tries to lure Bugs out but rather than get Bugs in the handcuffs, he gets a bomb instead and frantically searches for his keys. Bugs then looks for the handcuff key while going through keys to "the garage, the car, the front door, Bugs then whistles to the audience ("woo woo!") and the back door", and finally has the key, but then a tremendous explosion is heard off-screen; and as Bugs tells the audience "Oh, well", Elmer finally catches and tells him he's in under arrest for a litany crimes, as shown to be stated by Elmer Fudd. The crimes, as corrected here for Elmer's rounded-l-and-r speech, are listed below:

"Resisting an officer, assault and battery, trespassing, disturbing the peace, miscellaneous misdemeanors, public nuisance, traffic violations, going through a boulevard stop, jaywalking, triple parking, conduct unbecoming to a rabbit", and (again) "violating traffic regulations" While Elmer reads, Bugs puts his hat on and impersonates another Mountie and says to Elmer "Attention! Why, look at you! You call yourself a Mountie? You're a disgrace to the regiment! I'm gonna drop you out of the service!" as he inspects Elmer before tearing Elmer's uniform off.