''The Unmentionables'' is a 1963
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
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 ...
.
The short was released on September 7, 1963, 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 ' ...
.
Plot
Against the backdrop of the
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western world, Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultura ...
, characterized by jazz, evolving fashion trends, lively dance soirées, and rampant mobster activity, Bugs, under the guise of Agent Elegant Mess, is tasked by his superior to penetrate the criminal underworld of Chicago.
During his journey, Bugs encounters the notorious duo Rocky and Mugsy, who apprehend and attempt to dispose of him in Lake Michigan, employing the notorious "concrete shoes" method. However, Bugs resourcefully utilizes a pipe as a snorkel to evade peril.
Subsequently, Bugs disrupts Rocky's birthday celebration by cleverly infiltrating the event disguised as a flapper, ultimately exposing himself and orchestrating Rocky's arrest under the guise of a police inspector. Despite Rocky's resistance, Bugs ingeniously employs a carrot, which conceals a surprising mechanism, to subdue the criminals.
A pursuit ensues, culminating in a confrontation within the confines of an ACME Cereal Factory. Through cunning manipulation of the factory's machinery, Bugs successfully incapacitates Rocky and Mugsy, leading to their apprehension and subsequent sentencing to twenty years of labor at Juliet Prison.
In a comedic twist, Bugs finds himself inadvertently shackled with his adversaries, having misplaced the keys to their restraints.
Production notes
''The Unmentionables'' parodies the television crime drama series ''
The Untouchables
Untouchable or Untouchables may refer to:
People
* Untouchability, the practice of socially ostracizing a minority group of very low social status
* Untouchables, word for the Dalits or Scheduled Castes of India
* Untouchables (law enforcement), ...
''. Ralph James delivers an impression of
Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and c ...
's frenetic narration, a distinctive feature of the show.
Notably, this production marked a departure from the convention of crediting Mel Blanc alone for voice roles in Warner Bros. cartoons, as Ralph James received credit for his contribution. Conversely,
Julie Bennett
Julie Bennett (January 24, 1932 – March 31, 2020) was an American actress.
Early years
Bennett was born in Manhattan, New York, on January 24, 1932. By the time she was 18, she had been living in Hollywood, Los Angeles for so long that she was ...
's voice work as a telephone operator went uncredited in this instance.
See also
*
List of Bugs Bunny cartoons
This is a list of the various animated cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny. He starred in over 160 theatrical animated short films of the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons and distributed by Warner Bros. ...
References
External links
*
The Unmentionables at The Big Cartoon Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unmentionables, The
1963 films
1960s parody films
Merrie Melodies short films
Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films
Short films directed by Friz Freleng
Animated films set in the 1920s
Films set in Chicago
Films set in Washington, D.C.
Films scored by William Lava
Bugs Bunny films
1963 comedy films
1960s Warner Bros. animated short films
1960s English-language films
Rocky and Mugsy films
Films with screenplays by John Dunn (animator)
Films produced by David H. DePatie
English-language short films
1963 animated short films