Prest-O Change-O | |
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Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny prototype) series | |
The reissue title card.
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Directed by | Chuck Jones |
Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
Story by | Rich Hogan (uncredited) |
Voices by | Mel Blanc (uncredited) |
Animation by | Ken Harris |
Studio | Leon Schlesinger Productions |
Distributed by | Warner Bros.Pictures |
Release date(s) | March 25, 1939 |
Color process | Technicolor |
Running time | 7 minutes |
Language | English |
Preceded by | Porky's Hare Hunt |
Followed by | Hare-um Scare-um |
Prest-O Change-O is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, and first released on March 25, 1939 by Warner Bros. It marks the second appearance of the prototype of Bugs Bunny.
The Two Curious Puppies, one big and one little, are being pursued by a dog catcher until they hide in an abandoned house. They soon discover the house is owned by Sham-Fu, a magician who is unseen over the course of the short. As a result, each dog (both of whom are separated from each other shortly after entering the house) encounters all manner of magic tricks, including Sham-Fu's pet rabbit (the Bugs Bunny prototype, who still resembles the all-white version seen in Porky's Hare Hunt, but has no spoken lines other than a few bouts of maniacal laughter). The big dog is left to defend himself against the rabbit, itself a more than competent illusionist capable of all sorts of acts of cartoon physics, while the little one is engaged in a reckless battle with a Hindu rope and a magic wand, the latter of which he ends up accidentally swallowing, giving him bizarre hiccups through the rest of the movie.
The rabbit, big dog and little dog all end up crashing into each other, at which point both immediately attempt to pack everything back into Sham-Fu's trunk. Inexplicably, the little dog hiccups out a balloon containing the mischievous rabbit. However, this time, when the rabbit attempts another disappearing act, the big dog is able to stop it in his tracks and punches the rabbit as hard as possible. The scene irises out on the rabbit, whose eye is blackened and covered with a lampshade and sitting in a goldfish bowl with his feet sticking out.