''Rabbit Hood'' is a 1949 ''

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 A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...

released on December 24, 1949. The entry was directed by

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He ...

and written by

Michael Maltese Michael Maltese (February 6, 1908 – February 22, 1981) was an American screenwriter and storyboard artist for classic animated cartoon shorts. He is best known for working in the 1950s on a series of '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoons with director ...

, 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 ' ...

Plot

Bugs Bunny finds himself entangled in the lush surroundings of the King's domain. As he attempts to silence an alarm triggered by his pilfering of carrots, he is apprehended by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Facing the grim prospect of torture, Bugs is saved by the timely arrival of Little John, who introduces him to Robin Hood, though the famed outlaw fails to materialize. In a series of comical misdirections, Bugs outwits the Sheriff, first by fabricating the imminent arrival of the king, then by selling him the Royal Rose Garden under false pretenses. Angered by Bugs' deceptions, the Sheriff seeks revenge, only to further embarrass himself by mistaking Bugs for the king in a farcical knighting ceremony. Despite narrowly escaping the Sheriff's wrath, Bugs finds himself in another predicament when the Sheriff's arrow grazes him while attempting to flee over the garden wall. Little John's repeated attempts to introduce the elusive Robin Hood fall flat, as the outlaw fails to show up. Bugs, skeptical of Robin's existence, mocks Little John, only to be surprised when the real Robin Hood, portrayed by

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

, makes a dramatic entrance.

Production notes

''Rabbit Hood'' is the last

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 ...

cartoon released during creator

Leon Schlesinger Leonardo Schlesinger ( ; May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation The gold ...

's lifetime. ''Rabbit Hood'' is one of the few Bugs Bunny cartoons to receive a Blue Ribbon reissue. Strangely, while the shorts' technical credits remain, the ''Bugs Bunny in'' card before the title card was removed. '' Hot Cross Bunny'', '' Knights Must Fall'' and '' Homeless Hare'' are the other three cartoons with this distinction. ''Rabbit Hood'' is the origin of the infamous "knighting" exchange, where Bugs Bunny is dressed up like a king, and proceeds to pound the Sheriff's head with his

scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

while dispensing an oddball title with each strike: :Sheriff: ''bows'' : Bugs: "In the name of my most Royal Majesty, I knight thee: ''(strikes Sheriff over the head with his scepter)'' "Arise! Sir Loin of Beef." :''(strike)'' "Arise! Earl of Cloves." :''(strike)'' "Arise! Duke of Brittingham." :''(strike)'' "Arise! Baron of Munchausen." :''(strike)'' "Arise! Essence of

Myrrh Myrrh (; from an unidentified ancient Semitic language, see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a few small, thorny tree species of the '' Commiphora'' genus, belonging to the Burseraceae family. Myrrh resin has been used ...

," :''(strike)'' "

Milk of Magnesia Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg(OH)2. It occurs in nature as the mineral brucite. It is a white solid with low solubility in water (). Magnesium hydroxide is a common component of antacids, such as milk o ...

," :''(strike)'' "Quarter of Ten...." :Sheriff: (dazed, slurred, but still on his feet) "You are too kind, your majesty." :Bugs: (to audience) "Got lots of stamina!" The cartoon ends with the appearance of "the real" Robin Hood in the form of a clip from the classic 1938 movie, starring

.Dunne (2001), p. 148 He received a personal copy of this film in exchange for the right to use his earlier image. ''

Rule, Britannia! "Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the 1740 poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in the same year. It is most strongly associated with the Royal Navy, but is also used by th ...

'' (1740) is used here as a satirical motif to mock English pretension.Haines (2013), p. 16-17 The film's music takes advantage of the similarities between the

fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets (including fanfare trumpets), French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introdu ...

of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

and the

reveille "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), the ...

. The oafish Little John uses a tiny trumpet to sound a standard reveille tune. Later, Bugs disguised as a page plays another reveille melody, '' First Call'', often used at the start of horse races, where it is also known as "Call to the Post". The sound and effect is similar to the tune used in '' A Knight for a Day'' (1946).Haines (2013), p. 57-58 ''Rabbit Hood'' is also included with ''

Robin Hood Daffy ''Robin Hood Daffy'' is a 1958 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on March 8, 1958, and stars Daffy Duck as Robin Hood and Porky Pig as Friar Tuck. It was th ...

'' in the "Special Features" of the 2003 two-DVD Special Edition release of ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

''. Both are also included on the Blu-ray disc release of the film. It is also one of three Bugs Bunny shorts included as special features on the 2014 DVD release of

Rankin/Bass Productions Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City. It was known for its seasonal television specials, ...

' animated version of ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...

'' (along with '' Knight-mare Hare'' and '' Knighty Knight Bugs''), made possible by Warner Bros.' acquisition of much of the Rankin-Bass home video library. The phrase "Sir Loin of Beef" is used again to name one of

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

's knights in '' Knighty Knight Bugs'', co-starring Yosemite Sam. The reference to Duke of Brittingham was an in-joke. According to former Warner's writer Lloyd Turner in an interview, Brittingham's was a bar across the street from the Warner Animation offices.

Sources

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References

External links

* {{Chuck Jones 1949 films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films Merrie Melodies short films Animated Robin Hood films Robin Hood parodies Short films directed by Chuck Jones Short films with live action and animation Warner Bros. short films Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films Bugs Bunny films Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese Films scored by Carl Stalling 1940s English-language films English-language short films 1949 animated short films

Plot

Production notes

See also

Sources

References

External links