Hare Tonic
| Hare Tonic | |
|---|---|
| Looney Tunes (Bugs Bunny) series | |
Lobby card.
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| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Produced by | Eddie Selzer |
| Story by | Tedd Pierce |
| Voices by |
Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan (uncredited) |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by |
Ken Harris Basil Davidovich Lloyd Vaughan Ben Washam |
| Layouts by | Earl Klein |
| Backgrounds by | Robert Gribbroek |
| Studio |
Warner Bros. Cartoons The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 10, 1945 (USA) |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 8:18 |
| Language | English |
Hare Tonic is a 1945 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Looney Tunes series, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. It stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd making this the second cartoon directed by Jones to co-star the two (the first being Elmer's Pet Rabbit). Voice characterizations are by Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan, respectively.
The title is a play on "hair tonic", a type of patent medicine, reinforced by Bugs' portrayal of a fake doctor at one point in the picture. A bottle of "hare tonic" would appear as a prop in a 1946 cartoon, The Big Snooze.
Elmer Fudd has purchased Bugs Bunny at a local grocery store (with a sign visible in the window offering a special on "Fresh Hare") and is taking him home to make a meal. As he walks along, he sings the tune of "Shortnin' Bread", substituting "Wabbit Stew". Bugs pops out of Elmer's basket, munching on a carrot that was in there with him, and asks, "Eh, whatcha got in the basket, doc?" Elmer replies, "I got me a wabbit! I'm gonna cook me a wabbit stew!" Bugs states his "love" of rabbit stew (though he is clearly a rabbit) and then begs to see Elmer's rabbit. When Elmer opens his basket and finds it empty (Bugs had quickly climbed out), Bugs pushes his nemesis into his own basket and then sings the tune Elmer had been singing — but then Elmer realizes he's been tricked, and so he re-reverses the switch. Foreshadowing pranks to come, Bugs tells the audience from inside the basket (à la Red Skelton's "mean widdle kid"), "He don't know me vewy well, do he?"
Once at home, Bugs easily secures his escape by distracting Elmer, tricking him into thinking the phone has rung. However, just as he's about to leave, he decides that the setup's too easy and he just can't leave. He decides to stay and heckle his would-be devourer. Bugs effects a radio broadcast that warns of the dread disease "rabbititis", which is contracted from rabbits "sold within the last three days" and which causes people to see spots and have "delusions assuming the characteristics of rabbits", which is followed by the onset of schizophrenia and depersonalization disorder.This frightens the gullible Elmer and he informs Bugs that he is free to leave. Bugs, however, decides he doesn't want to leave by saying "Oh, no, Doc. Wouldn't think of it. We're gonna brew a stew, remember?", only to make Elmer back away, forcing him to hide on top of his door: "Oh no! Pwease, Mr. Wabbit! Go away! Don't come any cwoser! D-Don't come near me! NOOOOOOOOO!". Bugs, thinking he has B.O., sniffs his glove and tells the audience "Oh, goodness! Don't tell me I offend." just as Elmer pleads with Bugs to "Make twacks. Scuwwy away. SCWAM!" to which Bugs angrily replies as he leaves "OKAY! I CAN TAKE A HINT! I KNOW WHEN I'M NOT WANTED! GOODBYE!". But when Bugs returns, Elmer reminds him that Bugs has to "scwam", but Bugs points to a sign on the door that states "QUARANTINED FOR RABBITITUS (RABBITITIS). NO ONE MAY LEAVE PREMISES."
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