User reviews

Chuck Jones' brilliant condensation of all of Wagner into a 7-minute cartoon. A comic tour-de-force with Elmer as Siegfried (Kill the wabbit!!) and Bugs as Brunhilde. The background illustrations were absolute incredible, invoking a true Wagnerian atmosphere. If you only see one cartoon in your life, make it this one.

Elmer Fudd is again hunting rabbits - only this time it is an opera. Richard Wagner's Siegfried with Elmer as the titular hero and Bugs as Brunnhilde. They sing, they dance, they eat the scenery.

"What's Opera, Doc?" required about six times as much work and expense as any of the other six-minute cartoons his production unit was turning out at the time. Jones has admitted as much, having described a surreptitious re-allocation of production time to complete the short.

There are a handful of cartoons that people will remember forever. This is one of them. Is there another Bugs and Fudd short that stands out more? Not that I can think of.

This short has always been one of my favorites.It combines humor,excelent music and feelings.Seing Mr.Fudd's love, wrath and sadness in what is probably his best performance makes it very memorable.Less silly visual jokes than most Looney Tunes and making comedy out of Elmer's and Bugs' interaction with each other realy makes it even better than the oftenly over-rated "Rabbit of Seville".Nice introduction to Wagner by the way.

Every aspect of this cartoon is outstanding, and that's coming from someone who hates opera! The illustrations in this are fantastic, the direction super and the dialog in this "opera" is hilarious.

Kudos, too, to Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny) and Arthur Q. Bryant (Elmer Fudd) for their outstanding voice-work having those two characters sing and talk in this opera. I appreciated their work in here more than about anything, although the direction by Chuck Jones and that artwork is really tremendous. All of them outshine the story in here.

No, I still don't enjoy the "opera" but I will always enjoy this stunning-looking cartoon, which is part of Volume Two on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.

There's a tender Bugs-Elmer duet, set to Wagner, that goes like so:

Elmer: Oh, Bwunhilde. You're so wuvwy.

Bugs (in drag): Yes, I know it. I can't help it.

Elmer: Oh, Bwunhilde, be my WUV...

Scholars may detect actual commentary in this seven-minute masterpiece on the seeds of Nazism as sown by Wagner, the absurdity of the opera music-theater construct, or the multiple ironies of anthropomorphic cross-dressing. The rest of us just find it deadpan-knockout funny, musically glorious, and enacted on the greatest Wagnerian set ever built. Bravo tutti, and a deep, grateful bow to the late, great Chuck Jones; we shall never see his like again.

With my speaw and Magic Hewmut! Magic Hewmut! Kiww the wabbit! Kiww the wabbit!

Immortal lines. Like those other famous lines: "Here's looking at you, kid." "Put your lips together and blow!" "I'm Woodrow Wilson, go to bed!" "How do you split a car in half!"

This little cartoon got me hooked on opera in general and is certainly the best Bugs Bunny around! There are no other!

And, if you never see it, look out for that horse! It takes a lot not to enjoy the sure absurdity of this story! If they ever give a DVD with just this ONE cartoon on, I will probably buy it.

Consider yourself exceptionally lucky if you lay eyes upon this cartoon! It's the crown jewel of classic animation! None of todays sci-fi recycled trash a la Pokemon-Digimon things come near the Wagnerian majesty of WHATS OPERA, DOC?

Elmer Fudd as the demigod Siegfried & Bugs Bunny as the Valkyrie Brunhilde, star in this classic cartoon masterpiece that will not only stand the test of time, but seemingly gets all the better with age. Brilliantly voiced, expertly animated, and amazingly greatly scored. This is Looney Tunes at the top of it's form. Funny and a tad bit sad, but always exhilarating. This short singly handedly got me interested in classical music, when countless music teachers could not. This animated short can be seen on Disc 4 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2 and also features an optional commentary by Chuck Jones, Micheal Maltese and Maurice Noble, a second Commentary track by Daniel Goldmark, as well as a music only track, a voice over only track, and a short featurette. If any cartoon warranted that any extras, this would be the one.

My Grade: A+

This is probably the best opera parody I have ever seen. The only other cartoon I've seen that comes close is "Rabbit of Seville" and the lyrics are funnier here (although the sight gags are better in "Seville") and besides, Bugs and Elme do an aria together. What else do you want? This is also where Elmer sings, "Kill the wabbit!". One piece of advice-you may not want sneer at a man with a spear when he says he has a magic helmet. At least I wouldn't. I don't have Wile E. Coyote's constitution!

This is just a brilliant cartoon. It is a real masterpiece. The animation, the music, the lyrics (I love "Return My Love"--written by Chuck Jones and Mike Maltese, by the way)....and the voices. Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan do a wonderful job in this cartoon. It's a pity Bryan's "Smog!" was dubbed over, but, still, I think this is Bryan's crowning achievement at Warner's, and certainly one of Blanc's best jobs. This film should have won the Best Animated Short Oscar. It's criminal that it didn't. A true classic.

This may not be the funniest Bugs Bunny cartoon; it relies on your knowledge of the dozens of Bugs-vs.-Elmer cartoons that precede it (if you're new to WB cartoons, start with "A Wild Hare") and a smidgen of Wagner knowledge doesn't hurt. But for an animation fan, "What's Opera, Doc?" may be the best seven minutes you're liable to spend. It'll take you several viewings to take in the vast attention to detail by Chuck Jones, Maurice Noble and their team. The singing by Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan is first-rate, and the character animation yields some great moments, including a surprisingly touching death scene from the wabbit. If you haven't watched this cartoon since you were a kid, take another look.

Another hilarious spin on opera as Bugs and Elmer (Siegfried and Brunhilde) go through their paces with bursts of operatic grandeur until they reach the tragic conclusion. Nevertheless, Bugs raises his head and says to the audience, "What did you expect in an opera?" Dazzling combination of music and animation, it's definitely high on the chart of best animated Chuck Jones films.

Synchronization of music and animation is spectacular, and the voices of Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan do much to lift the cartoon into the highest category for this sort of thing.

Fun to watch, fun to listen to. Another essential from Chuck Jones.

This is one of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons. It's a very clever send-up of Wagnerian operas. (There is also one where Bugs and Elmer perform the Barber of Seville, but my recollection is that that opera was done better by Woody Woodpecker.) The fact that I'm not a big fan of Wagner may have something to do with my enjoyment, but I recommend watching this if you get a chance. We have it in a tape that contains several Bugs Bunny cartoons.

In the style of a classic opera, Elmer Fudd, resplendent with magic helmet, seeks to kill the rabbit Bugs Bunny. However, dressing as an opera dame, Bugs attempts to outsmart and avoid Fudd the best he can. However, can he make the ruse last.

In terms of laughs, this is by no means Bugs's funniest cartoon. However it is easily one of my favourites of his simply because it is not a basic chase-em-up style comedy that relies on physical gags. In fact the reason I love this cartoon is part of the reason it isn't funny - simply because it is almost too clever to waste time making me roar with easy laughs. The plot is perfectly set to the music and it is surprisingly emotional for it. Bugs does his usual dressing up stuff but the music gives it all an edge it hasn't had before - and it is very interesting.

My favourite thing about this short is the style with which it is delivered. Look at some of the WB cartoons of the mid-sixties and you'd never believe those same drab animations could come from the same studio as this. Visually it is imaginative, style and very impressive - it easily matches the epic feel of the music. So much care has been put into it that it is difficult not to feel impressed by the look of the whole cartoon.

Fudd is a good character and here merges his usual meek personae with the epic operatic warrior to good effect. Bugs is his usual tricky self but he is down played a little bit as the cartoon seems less concerned about hilarity than about a witty, quality product. The two of them are adapted perfectly to the music and the cartoon is great with them.

Overall this is not the funniest of Bugs' shorts but it is easily my favourite. The cartoon is perfectly set to the music and it is intelligent and quite amusing. The look of the film is rich and well designed and fits the music really well - visually it is impressive, but then so is the whole cartoon.

Elmer Fudd becomes the hero of Siegfried as he woos Brunhilde (played by Bugs Bunny in drag--if a rabbit can be in drag). This is a classic animated feature with full orchestration. It integrates the eternal effort of Elmer to kill the wabbit while repeatedly falling for the smart alecky rodent. The singing, of course, is quite horrible, but great credit to Mel Blanc for carrying on and staying in tune. What a remarkable talent Blanc was, carrying on the careers of all those Warner Brothers figures, from Yosemite Sam to Daffy Duck. Anyway, this is a gem of a cartoon. As a kid, I hated this use of classical music. Now, we can see the ingenious melding of the two forms.

The very fact that you've come to this page suggests to me that you are already aware of everything I am about to tell you about Chuck Jones's 'What's Opera, Doc?' Nevertheless, it's all worth saying again since this is undoubtedly one of the high points in animation history and thus warrants as much discussion as possible, even if it is just reiteration of old points. An ingenious double parody of both Wagner's "Ring" cycle and the standard Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd cartoon as epitomized by Tex Avery's 'A Wild Hare'. It's instantly apparent from the opening moments that 'What's Opera, Doc?' is an extraordinarily beautiful cartoon. What also becomes quickly apparent is that 'What's Opera, Doc?' is far less crammed with traditional Warner Bros. gags than the average short. The luscious look and stunning vocal work and music is far more important than gags here and so, instead of joke after joke, we get lengthy operatic routines including the longest and most emotionally charged drag act Bugs has ever done.

It's all still very funny but 'What's Opera, Doc?' has so much more to offer. Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan (as Bugs and Elmer respectively) give the performances of their careers, summoning up genuine emotion from their astonishing work. The pair had been working on Bugs and Elmer cartoon for years by this point and had the characters and their relationship down to a tee but they exert themselves even harder here and the result is an explosive chemistry that provides 'What's Opera, Doc?' with its emotional core. This is key in making the jaw-droppingly tragic ending even more effective as we see the murdered Bugs lying vulnerable beneath a weeping flower. The glorious final wisecrack alleviates some of the sadness but not so much that it spoils the mood. You come away from watching 'What's Opera, Doc?' with a real sense of melancholy alongside the invigorating swell of having seen something truly brilliant.

It's unsurprising to learn that Jones swapped round his schedule, finishing other cartoons more quickly in order to give this masterful cartoon the extra attention it deserves. What is perhaps more surprising is the fact that 'What's Opera, Doc?' went virtually unrecognised in its time, not even being nominated for an Oscar in a year that Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzalez picture 'Tabasco Road' was! (Incidentally, Friz Freleng's great Sylvester and Tweety short 'Birds Anonymous' won the Oscar). Thankfully, 'What's Opera, Doc?' has been retrospectively re-evaluated and has since been hailed as the classic it so blatantly is. Today, it is perhaps the most famous Warner Bros. cartoon of them all.

This is one of the best examples of Chuck Jones's art. The mixing of animation and opera here is better than Rabbit of Seville, the Wagner is great....

So how many of us got our first earful of opera from this? And how many of us, the first time we saw the Robert Duvall-led helicopter attack scene in Apocalypse Now! began mentally singing - or even sang out loud - "Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit..."

Yeah. Me too.

"What's Opera Doc?" is considered by most animation fans as the greatest Bugs Bunny cartoon. Some also say it's the best cartoon short of all time. Chuck Jones has always been my favorite Looney is definitely one of the greatest cartoon directors of all time. He gave us so many classics, and this is truly Chuck at his best.

You've all most likely seen this short before. It's set-up like an opera. Elmer Fudd singing "Kill the wabbit!" is probably one of the most memorable scenes in cartoon history. And we all remember when Bugs was dressed like a woman and Elmer actually fell for him. This short is classic Bugs Bunny stuff, but the opera setting made it even better.

Like I said earlier, this is perhaps Chuck Jones's best work. The animation looks great, like it always does, the dialog is hilarious, and so are the actions. This short is a classic. It's one of the most memorable, unforgettable cartoons ever. Not only is it one of the best Bugs Bunny shorts, or one of Chuck Jones's best shorts, or one of the best cartoons of the '50s, but also one of the greatest cartoons of all time. It's a classic.

Rating: 10/10 "Amazing"

Want to enjoy Wagner's "Ring Cycle", but just don't have the time? Why not kick back, and watch Bugs and Elmer condense it down to under seven minutes. Though I don't know the background of Wagner's opera(s), my current idea is totally drawn from this excellent cartoon. With a mix of classical music (with modernized vaudevillian lyrics), and outstanding visuals, plus the bonus of the interplay between Bugs and Elmer makes for a very enjoyable experience. Also, in my opinion, this might be an excellent way of introducing classical music to young children (along with "Rabbit of Seville"). I really can't add much more without recapping every wacky second of this production. Still, I'm obligated to mention two highlights: Elmer's repeatedly vicious "Kill da Wabbit!", and the dialog involving Elmer's "Spear and Magic Helmet". Another MUST SEE for your bucket list.

Sorry but this cartoon is probably the most overrated cartoon to ever come out of the Warner Animation stable. No funny gags and nothing actually happens as it What doesn't help this cartoon is that its set to Richard Wagner's a heavy opera "Ride of the Valkyries" and it wasn't written with humor in mind. Its a heavy dramatic opera, Thus you cannot boil Wagner's work down to 7-10 min and expect that to work in seven to ten minute cartoon. If Chuck Jones wanted to do funny opera in cartoon he should have picked different opera to work with, maybe Mozart's comedic opera Marage of Figaro would have worked better in humorus cartoon.