User reviews

I immensely enjoyed this cartoon, even though there were many Looney Tunes "cliches" involved and there was a predictable storyline, there were many clever verbal jokes, fast-paced and amusing slapstick jokes (there was not much slapstick, but what there was, was good) and the involvement with the audience (even for nowadays, as Bugs Bunny references to cinemas) works very well. I felt quite sorry for Elmer Fudd in this cartoon, but it made me like the cartoon more as often I do not feel particularly sympathetic for him, great character that he is.

The episode begins when Elmer is walking to his home with a basket full of carrots and a rabbit for his rabbit stew. Bugs Bunny does the traditional "what's in the basket?" joke, going out of the basket and making Elmer look inside it, then wondering where the rabbit has gone etc. Eventually, Elmer manages to take Bugs Bunny to his house and starts preparing the stew. Bugs Bunny pulls a fast one by faking a telephone ring with a bell within reach. While Elmer repeatedly says "hewo?" into the telephone, Bugs Bunny escapes, but then decides he wants to go back and earn revenge on Elmer...

I highly recommend this cartoon to any Bugs Bunny fan and to people who enjoy Looney Tunes in general. If you prefer slapsticky Looney Tunes episodes I do not recommend this so highly. Enjoy "Hare Tonic"! :-)

Yes I agree that the story is predictable, but Hare Tonic is still thoroughly enjoyable regardless. It starts off wonderfully with classic witty banter between Bugs and Elmer, and everything else is fast-paced slapstick jokes including Bugs dressing up a doctor and tricking Elmer into thinking he has "rabbititus" and one at the end involving the audience. And you know what, all of them jokes. The animation is colourful and lively, and the music is very strong. And the dialogue ranges from good to hilarious. As for the characters, here you have Bugs at his most sadistic and arrogant and Elmer at his stupidest and you have a perfect pair. Both characters are on top form, and are superbly voiced by Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan. Overall, very enjoyable, maybe not quite a classic but great all the same. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Chuck Jones's 'Hare Tonic' is a brilliant but little known cartoon. Deliciously sick, 'Hare Tonic' involves Bugs Bunny convincing the hapless Elmer Fudd that he has caught the dreaded Rabbititus! Taking place almost entirely in Elmer's suburban home, 'Hare Tonic's' success is entirely down to Bugs's inspired heckling. He is never in any real danger (he forfeits an easy escape early on in the cartoon in order to have some fun torturing Elmer) and is therefore free to carry his devilish bluff to the extreme, convincing Elmer that he is trapped quarantined with an infectious rabbit. In contrast with cartoons in which Bugs heckles his opponent in a variety of different ways, 'Hare Tonic' simply extends one routine across the whole seven minutes and it works fantastically, right up to the great fourth-wall breaking climax. While it doesn't quite weigh in with Jones's all time classics (and bear in mind the level of quality that involves), 'Hare Tonic' is still a lesser known piece of sheer brilliance that I would recommend to anyone.

Elmer Fudd buys Bugs Bunny from a meat market as he anticipates a nice rabbit stew. Bugs climbs out of his basket to tell him he's been robbed: the rabbit's gone! Incredibly, Elmer believes him. The dope eventually catches on when Bugs shoves him into the basket and then carries it himself. Somehow Elmer manages to get Bugs home, but the wily rabbit easily escapes. But wait! Why waste a great opportunity? Bugs returns to "heckle that character." He fools Elmer, through a faked radio program, into believing that there's an epidemic of something called "rabbititus" going about. Through Bugs's trickery he sees spots, a coat on Bugs's tongue and his own rabbity image reflected at him in a "mirror" that's really just Bugs after the glass has been removed. Dr. Killpatient arrives to help, but he has a suspiciously fuzzy tail. But it's we in the audience who may prove Bugs's ultimate dupes.

This is a very good short, remarkably so from Chuck Jones, who had not yet hit his stride in 1945 and was frequently bringing out interesting failures or tepid successes. Elmer Fudd has never been stupider; the hilarious business on the telephone is reason enough to see this.

This cartoon is available on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume Three," Disc 1.

Elmer Fudd returning home after getting Bugs Bunny from the grocery store, with every intention of making him into rabbit stew. But Bugs soon has Elmer thinking that he will catch Rabbititus from being around rabbits. This cartoon is hilarious and is among the funniest pairings of Bugs and Elmer out there. I enjoyed the playing with the audience aspect of the short as well, making me wish I had been alive way back when to see this one in the theaters as it was originally intended for. This animated short can be found on Disk 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3 set.

My Grade: A

Elmer Fudd buys a rabbit from the market for his rabbit stew. Bugs Bunny climbs out of the basket and he is ready to talk his way out of the situation. It could never be so simple as running away.

After the recent events, this takes on a whole new meaning. At a base level, this is good fun trickery from Bugs and Elmer Fudd is a fine target. Bugs has good reason and all that works well. As for the disease paranoia, the panic is real. That may take some of the light humor out of this short. That does hold back the laughs a little, but I can't blame the cartoon. Real world events have overtaken it.

Clearly nothing was sacred to the Termite Terrace Crowd. In "Hare Tonic", Bugs Bunny tricks Elmer Fudd into thinking that the latter has a rampaging, deadly disease called "rabbit-itus", going so far as to paint dots all over the room to convince Elmer. How fun it would be to try that! Of course, Elmer - the sap that he is - believes just about anything, so maybe it wouldn't be so easy in real life.

I have to say that beyond being just a wacky cartoon, this one brings up the issue - if inadvertently - about how our society is too afraid of diseases, and we focus on the wrong things. People do things like put toilet paper on the toilet seat; it turns out that there are more germs on a computer keyboard than on a toilet seat. And anyway, we should focus on fighting terrorism while protecting civil liberties.

But I digress. It's a really funny cartoon.

This cartoon really should get more attention as one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoon, if not THE best. It is an extremely creative practical joke on Elmer Fudd. The best moments are when Elmer Fudd continues to stay on the phone asking "Huwwo?", Bugs throwing a fit, and when he breaks the fourth wall at the very end. An underrated classic.

If nothing else, this cartoon points out two basic facts: Bugs Bunny is very sadistic, and Elmer Fudd is extremely dumb. Immediately, to prove the latter, Fudd buys a rabbit to make rabbit stew but doesn't know a rabbit when Bugs pops out of the basket. Finally, after some gags, he says, "Oh, you twicked me; you're the wabbit."

At least Bugs acknowledges the little man's ignorance with the statement, "He don't know me very well, do he?" (Have you ever noticed how bad the grammar is in many of these cartoons?)

Bugs' sadistic side comes into play when he decides to torment the idiot, standing behind Elmer's big radio and pretending to be an announcer, saying the Health Department is warning people against bringing any rabbits into their house. He then describes the horrible symptoms one would get if infected with this contagious "rabbititus" disease.

The gag of the cartoon is mainly BB trying to convince Elmer he's caught the disease. Funny scenes included Bugs smelling himself and saying, "Oh, goodness; don't tell me I offend;" walking around with the kettle attached to his butt; his "coated" tongue and the '40s expression, "Come on, Jackson, cut yourself a slice of rug! (which means, let's dance).

Not being one who particularly laughs at sadism on display, I thought this cartoon was just "fair."

HARE TONIC is one of the best Bugs Bunny vs. Elmer Fudd shorts out there. Bugs convinces Elmer Fudd that "rabbititus", an epidemic of doomsday proportions is sweeping through the nation. He creates this illusion in Mr. Fudd's eyes by painting the walls a sickly color and dressing up as the bearded, and very dangerous Dr. Killpatient. Viva Bugs!

In this cartoon, Bugs faces off against his old friend, Elmer Fudd. There are efforts along the way to get him, but her routinely escapes. The best part is when Elmer calls a doctor to treat Bugs. Of course, Bugs has already escaped and now is paying Doctor Killpatient. Elmer is made to see spots because he may have "rabbititus." There are some nice little sight gags with the erstwhile hunter getting it from all sides.

This is a funny cartoon, and one of the better early Bugs Bunny films. It's very good entertainment.

The plot is new and original, and a little bit deeper than the rest of the cartoons. This is not just any chase. Elmer thinks he has "rabbititus" and is scared to death of his prey and quarantined inside his own house.

The animation is good, though Bugs is basic, but the use of color and spots is excellent.

You can get a lot of laughs just by watching with the sound off. Bugs's "fits" are hilarious, and the classic mirror gag and dance are all there.

The script is great, what with the rabbititus report and the gags about Elmer's water bill. It's very memorable.

Bugs's tricks in this cartoon are great and original, which makes this cartoon stand out from the rest.

So, all in all, this is an excellent, funny cartoon, an original story with original gags and the old classics. Great entertainment.

Elmer Fudd is merrily on his way home with a rabbit in hi basket for stewing. When he gets home, Bugs easily escapes but decides to stay and have some fun with Fudd. Pretending that he has a contagious rabbit disease, he makes Elmer scared to be in the same room as him.

This film starts out very well with some classic banter between Elmer and Bugs about what is in the basket (`there's no rabbit in here doc' says Bugs `you've been robbed') but once Bugs decides just to wind him up with the disease, it does go downhill a little.

The material over the rest of the short isn't as strong as the start and isn't as funny. Only occasionally does Bugs really come across as strong in his japes and tricks, the rest of the time it is pretty basic. The end of the film resorts to that old chestnut of involving the audience – it's OK, but it doesn't work as well on TV.

Overall this is still worth seeing because Bugs is Bugs and is still fun to watch, however the promise of the material in the opening scene isn't met by the rest of the film.