Rabbit Hood

Great wiseacre comedy, like every Chuck Jones Bugs Bunny. One of the few that incorporated live-action cameos. Pay close attention when the Sheriff of Nottingham comes to an immense clearing and spies (to a rapid drumbeat) something red in the distance. He strains and squints to make it out, but all we can see is a red line moving slowly across the meadow straight for him. As it approaches it picks up speed and we can see it is a red carpet rapidly unrolling itself. It finishes unrolling directly at the Sheriff's feet, revealing Bugs dressed as the king of England...and no matter how many times you have seen it, Bugs' expression of serene tranquility and the Sheriff's reaction of utter astonishment and discombobulation will have you on the floor! "I knight you," King Bugs proclaims, "Sir Loin of Beef..."

Rabbit Hood (1949)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

The master Chuck Jones directed this hilarious spoof on the Robin Hood tale. The film starts off in the King's carrot garden where we're told that there's to be no trespassing. Flash over to a hairy arm coming out from behind a sign and it's Bugs Bunny trying to get a carrot, which sets off an alarm and soon he's doing battle with one of the King's men. This here is without question one of the best Looney Tunes out there as we get all sorts of great action as well as some funny twists throughout the film. The action includes Bugs constantly trying to outsmart this guy with all sorts of good violence including a very funny bit where he dresses as the King and beats the man over the head. Another great scene takes place in the King's rose garden where Bugs convinces his chaser to buy it from him. There's a nice twist at the end with Errol Flynn doing a cameo and it's pretty priceless and especially Bugs response.

In "Rabbit Hood", Bugs Bunny makes mincemeat of a guard after trying to steal some of Prince John's royal carrots while Little John idiotically claims that Robin Hood is coming. Knowing that this is Bugs Bunny, you can probably guess what sorts of tricks he has up his sleeve (or wherever he keeps them).

Cartoons like this just go to show that the creators really reached their apex in the late '40s and early '50s. I learned from "Bugs Bunny Superstar" that Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, and that whole crowd liked to act out their cartoons during lunch breaks. I can imagine how much fun they must have had acting this one out! All in all, a great cartoon. It shows that entertainment just needs to be clever.

You know, the world of movies was different before the late fifties. Once you released a film, it had a run, hopefully a long one. Then it was gone, as if it never existed. Then we had TeeVee that started to show just-out-of-release movies, then Ted Turner showing old movies from collections he purchased, and then tapes and DVDs. Now movies can be seen by anyone at any time.

But not then, and if it was big, the studios could rerelease it, and get a second round of return. Such was the case with "Robin Hood." And to increase the buzz, they commissioned this, essentially an ad and featuring a publicity still of Errol Flynn.

There's something a bit wonderful about how Bugs grew up as a character, and its pretty sophisticated what happens here. Bugs is treated as if he were an actor hired to play a part, a Robin Hood part. Its highly introspective humor this. No joke is funny, but the very idea is miraculous.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

This cartoon is a classic, just great fun from start to finish, with a perfect mix of slapstick and humorous wit, particularly when Bugs tricks the Sheriff into thinking he is the King. The animation is lovely and colourful, and the music is rousing like the sort of thing you would hear in a swashbuckler. The dialogue is truly funny, definitely some of the best dialogue in any Looney Tunes cartoon, and there are a great many like the Hunting Trilogy with terrific dialogue. The Sheriff is a great supporting character, and Bugs is still his rascally self with a touch of arrogance here too. Additionally adding to the enjoyment is the ending, the snippet from the 1938 classic The Adventures of Robin Hood was an inspired touch, while Mel Blanc as always is superb. All in all, I love this, for how clever and witty it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox