''Acrobatty Bunny'' is a 1946

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

'' short directed by

Robert McKimson Robert Porter McKimson Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and illustrator, best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. Cartoons and later DePa ...

. The short was released on June 29, 1946, and stars

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

and Nero the Lion. This was the first cartoon McKimson directed that starred Bugs Bunny.

Plot

Bugs Bunny has an encounter with Nero, a lion residing above his rabbit hole amidst the setup of a circus. Bugs navigates a series of comical escapades as he evades Nero's attempts to capture him, leading to a lively chase throughout the circus grounds. In a turn of events, Bugs dons a clown disguise to engage Nero in playful antics, but their interaction escalates into a frenzied pursuit under the circus tent. After Bugs does the high dive into the wooden bucket that Nero uses as a funnel, Bugs shows Nero a pair of rubber heels. Employing his ingenuity, Bugs outwits Nero by using the heels, bouncing away to which Nero follows and tricks Nero into following him after jumping into the muzzle of the human cannonball cannon. Nero dives in but ends up getting stuck headfirst in the muzzle of a cannon. Nero struggles trying to get out while Bugs emerges out of the rear hatch of the cannon. Bugs lights the fuse, and then attempts to stuff a roaring Nero further into the cannon wedging him tight. Bugs takes a Quick Look at his work, and runs off before the cannon explodes. The cannon blows apart unable to propel Nero due to Bugs stuffing him in tight, leaving a skirt of metal around Nero’s waist. This culminates in a humorous spectacle where Nero unwittingly performs a hula dance while Bugs entertains with a ukulele. Bugs then breaks the

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance dramatic convention, convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. ...

, addressing the audience in a jovial manner and offering their services for various events, all while continuing to provide entertainment through music.

Reception

Animation critic

Jerry Beck Jerry Beck (born February 9, 1955) is an American animation historian, author, blogger (person), blogger, and video producer. Beck wrote or edited several books on classic American animation and classic characters, including ''Looney Tunes and ...

writes, "Nonstop action and gags, ''Acrobatty Bunny'' is a pure Bugs Bunny cartoon, demonstrating what the rabbit does best: using his brains to heckle an aggressive bully and stay one step ahead of his opponent. Robert McKimson's very first Bugs Bunny cartoon is one of the funniest ever made."

Home media

The cartoon is available on the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

' '' Night in Casablanca'' DVD (2004). It can also be found on the '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3'' DVD, and the '' Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3'' Blu-ray.

References

External links

* 1946 films 1946 comedy-drama films 1946 animated short films 1940s English-language films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films American animated short films American comedy-drama films Looney Tunes shorts English-language comedy-drama short films Bugs Bunny films Animated films about lions Animated films about elephants Comedy films about clowns Animated films about talking animals Fiction about rivalry Animated films set in California Circus films Films set in 1946 Films directed by Robert McKimson Films produced by Edward Selzer Films with screenplays by Warren Foster Films scored by Carl Stalling Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films {{LooneyTunes-stub