What's Cookin' Doc?
| What's Cookin' Doc? | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny) series | |
Lobby card
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| Directed by |
Robert Clampett I. Freleng (clip from Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt) |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Story by | Michael Sasanoff |
| Narrated by | Robert C. Bruce (uncredited, opening) |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by |
Bob McKimson Rod Scribner (uncredited) |
| Studio | Leon Schlesinger Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. |
| Release date(s) |
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| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 8:08 |
| Language | English |
What's Cookin' Doc? is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett and starring Bugs Bunny. The title is a variant on Bugs' catch-phrase "What's up Doc?". It also hints at one of the scenes in the picture.
The plot centers on the Academy Awards presentation. The action begins with actual color film footage of various Hollywood scenes (edited from A Star Is Born), narrated by Robert C. Bruce. It leads up to the Big Question of the evening: Who will win "the" Oscar? The film shows the stereotypical red carpet arrivals of stars, as well as a human emcee starting to introduce the Oscar show.
At this point the film switches to animation, with the shadow of a now-animated emcee (and now voiced by Mel Blanc) continuing to introduce the Oscar, and Bugs (also Mel Blanc's voice, as usual) assuring the viewer that "it's in da bag; I'm a cinch to win". Bugs is stunned when the award goes instead to James Cagney (who had actually won in the previous year's ceremony, for Warner's Yankee Doodle Dandy). Shock turns to anger as Bugs declares the results to be "sa-bo-TAH-gee" and demands a recount.
Bugs then tries to make his case by showing clips from Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (which includes clip of Hiawatha attempting to "cook" the rabbit) as proof of his allegedly superior acting (an inside joke, as the cartoon had actually been nominated for an Oscar and lost). He hurls a set of film cans off-screen and tells someone named "Smokey" to "roll 'em!" Bugs tells the audience that these are some of his "best scenes". Immediately a "stag reel" (with the title card depicting a grinning stag) starts to roll, and the startled Bugs quickly stops it and switches to the right film.
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Wikipedia