''Bowery Bugs'' is a 1949

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 ...

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...

'' cartoon directed by Arthur Davis, and written by Lloyd Turner and Bill Scott. It was released on June 4, 1949, and features

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 ' ...

. The cartoon tells the story of Steve Brodie, who reportedly jumped off the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It w ...

in 1886 and survived.

Plot

is standing at the base of the famous

, (about half a mile from the southern end of the actual street called the

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighbourhood, neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row (Manhattan), Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th ...

), telling an old man a story, in carnival-barker style, about how and why Steve Brody jumped off the bridge in July 1886 in the form of pictures: Brody had a terrific run of luck...all bad. He decided he needed a good luck charm...ideally, a rabbit's foot. But he could not find one in the city, so he tried looking in the country forest. At this point, the story is animated. Brody cycles to Flatbush and finds Bugs' house. Brody, holding a knife, pulls Bugs (singing "

All that glitters is not gold "All that glitters is not gold" is an aphorism stating that not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so. While early expressions of the idea are known from at least the 12th–13th century, the current saying is derived from a ...

") out of his home and tells him that he needs a good luck charm and that "he is it". However, Bugs explains why rabbits feet are NOT all that lucky and directs Brody to "Swami Rabbitima". Brody decides to chance it on the condition he will come back for Bugs if it does not work. The Swami (Bugs in

disguise A disguise can be anything incognito which conceals one's identity or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, fake moustache, costume or other items. Camouflage is a type of disguise for people, animals and o ...

) asks Brody to enter. Just as Brody starts explaining his bad luck, he has his palm "read" (painted red) then Bugs starts reading the bumps on his head after hitting Brody over the head with a hammer several times. Brody angrily starts chasing Bugs who quickly deals out

playing card A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a f ...

s for

cartomancy Cartomancy is fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards. Forms of cartomancy appeared soon after playing cards were introduced into Europe in the 14th century.Paul Huson, Huson, Paul (2004). ''Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Anci ...

. He tells Brody that he has a meeting coming up with a man wearing a

carnation ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' ( ), commonly known as carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus'' native to the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean region. Its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive cultivation over the last 2,00 ...

(also Bugs in

), who will be his lucky mascot at gambling; Brody's luck does not change, though. Bugs'

craps Craps is a dice game in which players gambling, bet on the outcomes of the roll of a pair of dice. Players can wager money against each other (playing "street craps") or against a bank ("casino craps"). Because it requires little equipment, " ...

shot of 7 suddenly turns up snake-eyes, then Brody plays a

slot machine A slot machine, fruit machine (British English), poker machine or pokie (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. A slot machine's standard layout features a screen disp ...

that comes up with three

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

s that literally roll out of the machine and into his hat. Furious, Brody tries to attack Bugs and is promptly kicked out of the gambling establishment by a

gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...

bouncer A bouncer (also known as a door supervisor) is a type of security guard, employed at licensed or sanctioned venues such as bars, nightclubs, cabaret clubs, strip clubs and casinos. A bouncer's duties are to provide security, to check legal ag ...

. Brody goes back to the Swami who realizes that the cartomancy failed. For his second attempt, Bugs spins a

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...

wheel which lands on the sign of the

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

. He tells Brody that it means he is lucky with love, but his flirting with a "lady" (also Bugs in

) only results in a multiple bonking by a

policeman A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of ...

for being a "masher". Brody returns to the Swami and is about to pulverize him when he is asked precisely WHY he wants his luck to change. Taking Brody's answer literally ("So I can get me hands on some ''

dough Dough is a malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from flour (which itself is made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops). Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes ...

''!"), Bugs sends him to 29 River Street, home of " Grandma's Happy Home Bakery". When Brody arrives there and demands the "dough" at gunpoint, a baker (Bugs yet again) gladly obliges with "a mess of

" which Brody gets stuck in and is baked into a

pie A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts ( pecan pie), fruit preserves ( jam tart ...

. Unmasking the baker as Bugs, Brody retraces his steps to unmask Bugs' previous

s, leading Brody to believe that "everybody's a rabbit!". When Brody looks into what he thinks is a

mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...

(but is actually a

window A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent ma ...

) and sees Bugs looking back at him, he thinks HE has turned into a rabbit and snaps, hopping down the street and turning onto the

, hysterically shouting "What's up, doc?!" Seeing a police officer staring contemplatively at the

East River The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...

from the middle of the bridge, Brody comes up behind him and begs for help. Turning, the officer reveals himself to be Bugs, demanding (in a thick Irish accent) "''What's all this about rabbits, Doc?''". That being the last straw, Brody leaps off the bridge, apparently as

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. The scene freezes with Brody in mid-air to a poster seen behind Bugs who apparently rushed out to save him off-screen. Bugs ends the story there, and the impressed old man says: "That's enough, son! I'll buy it!" and hands Bugs some

money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...

. This was a reference to George C. Parker, a con artist who would often "sell" the Brooklyn Bridge to people, thus originating the phrase "Have I got a bridge to sell ya!"

Historical background

Steve Brodie (note actual spelling) was a native of the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...

. He first came to the attention of the local press as a teenager in 1879, when he was reportedly an influential figure among fellow newsboys and bootblackers. By 1886, he was a professional gambler who had fallen unto debt. In 1885, daredevil

Robert Emmet Odlum Robert Emmet Odlum (August 31, 1851 – May 19, 1885) was an American human swimming, swimming instructor. Odlum was the first person to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, and was killed doing so. Early life Robert Emmet Odlum was born in Ogdensb ...

jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, and was killed doing so. Brodie took a dare to successfully jump off the Bridge.Ferrara (2011), p. 72-75 On the morning of July 23, 1886, Brodie took position on the railings of the bridge. Meanwhile, his friends boarded a rowboat to test the waters below. The jump was originally set for 10:00 am, but was called off because of a strong tide. Brodie returned c. 2:00 pm and reportedly rode in the back of a wagon until jumping off. He reportedly first took off his hat and shoes, and then fell from a height of c. 100 yards. There were accounts by eyewitnesses and extensive news reports, but his jump is still in doubt. The prevailing theory among historians is that a life-size dummy fell in his place.Ferrara (2011), p. 72-75 Brodie capitalized on his reputation as a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

performer. He died in 1901, possibly from

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

. His reputation survived him and inspired the film ''

The Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the north.Jackson, Kenn ...

'' (1933). The subsequent cartoon short cast Bugs as the motivator behind the famous jump.Ferrara (2011), p. 72-75

Production notes

It stars

(voiced by

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for come ...

, who also voices the other men in the pool hall) and Steve Brody (voiced here by

Billy Bletcher William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's ''Mickey Mouse'' short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Di ...

), who was based on the real-life Brooklyn

bookmaker A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays out bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds In probability theory, odds provide a measure of the probability of a particular outco ...

Steve Brodie who claimed to have jumped off the

. This is the first-and-only

cartoon directed by Arthur Davis (not counting Bugs' cameo in ''

The Goofy Gophers ''The Goofy Gophers'' is a 1947 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett and Arthur Davis (animator), Arthur Davis. The short was released on January 25, 1947, and is the first appearance of the Goofy Gophers. Plot An anthro ...

''). Although Bill Scott (of Bullwinkle J. Moose fame) is credited as a co-writer, he told Keith Scott in the book ''The Moose That Roared'' that he had no recollection of working on this film. By all indications, Lloyd Turner alone was responsible for the film's story, with Scott having been moved to a brief, unsuccessful spell as

Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (; August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, Film director, director, Film producer, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons ...

's story artist, though the reason why Scott was still credited on this short is not known.

Home media

''Bowery Bugs'' is available on '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3''Looney Tunes: Golden Collection 1-6-Barnes and Noble
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Sources

References

External links

* {{Bugs Bunny in animation, state=collapsed 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films Merrie Melodies short films Animated films set in New York City Films directed by Arthur Davis (animator) Films set in 1886 Animated films set in the 1880s Films scored by Carl Stalling Animated films about rabbits and hares Bugs Bunny films 1940s English-language films American comedy short films American animated short films Cross-dressing in American films English-language short films 1949 animated short films