The Old Grey Hare

The Old Grey Hare
Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd) series
Original title card
Directed by	Robert Clampett
Produced by	Eddie Selzer (uncredited)
Story by	Michael Sasanoff
Voices by	Mel Blanc as Old Bugs Bunny / Baby Bugs Bunny / God (off-screen) Additional voices: Arthur Q. Bryan (uncredited)
Music by	Carl W. Stalling
Animation by	Robert McKimson Additional animation: Rod Scribner Manny Gould Basil Davidovich Jack Bradbury (all uncredited) Effects animation: A. C. Gamer (uncredited)
Layouts by	Thomas McKimson (uncredited) Character design: Thomas McKimson (uncredited)
Backgrounds by	Dorcy Howard
Studio	Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc.
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s)	October 28, 1944 (U.S.)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7 minutes 36 seconds
Language	English
Preceded by	Buckaroo Bugs
Followed by	Stage Door Cartoon

The Old Grey Hare is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett, written by Michael Sasanoff, music by Carl W. Stalling. Starring an older and young Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. This was the first time the Bugs Bunny cartoon credited Warner Bros. Cartoons as producer after Leon Schlesinger had sold the studio to WB (because Edward Selzer refused to receive on-screen credit as producer).

The title is a double play on words. One is the typical pun between "hare" and "hair", with the bunny (who was already grey-haired) rendered "old and grey" for this cartoon. The title also refers to the old song, "The Old Gray Mare". Some of the lobby cards for this cartoon gave the alternate spelling, The Old Gray Hare.

The cartoon starts with Elmer sitting under a tree, crying over his failure to catch Bugs. The "voice of God" (also the voice of Mel Blanc) tells Elmer to keep trying to catch him. Elmer wonders how long it will it take- and is shown exactly how long by being transported "far into the future" past the years 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, until reaching the then-distant year of 2000 A.D..

This offers the chance to use some contemporary gags with a futuristic twist, as Elmer finds a year 2000 newspaper. One headline says, "Smellevision Replaces Television: Carl Stalling Sez It Will Never Work!" In sporting news, another headline says, "Bing Crosby's Horse Hasn't Come In Yet!" (Crosby was known for investing in racehorses that did poorly).

By now, both Elmer and Bugs are very old and wrinkled ("What's up, prune-face?") - Bugs even has a large white beard and a cane - and lumbago - but their chase resumes. This time Elmer is armed with a "Buck Rogers" ray gun. After a short chase (at slow speed, due to their ages), Elmer gets the upper hand, shooting Bugs with his ultra-modern weapon.