Duck! Rabbit, Duck!

From the whole Bugs/Daffy/Elmer hunting trilogy, this is without a doubt my favorite. Even though "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning" are very good too, the reason why this one stands out is because it's an awesome combination of the previous two. While "Rabbit Fire" focused more on the visual gags, and "Rabbit Seasoning" more on the word games. This one had both visual jokes ("It's baseball season" LOL!) and word games, like when Daffy writes Elmer's "permit" to hunt rabbits (D-U-C-K). This a true masterpiece from writer Mike Maltese and director Chuck Jones, a definitely must see.

The third in the classic hunting trilogy featuring Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer. The premise is simple but effective. Elmer goes hunting during duck season. Daffy tries to convince him it's rabbit season and goads him into going after Bugs. But, of course, Bugs is too smart for that and points Elmer back in Daffy's direction. It's back and forth throughout the short about whether it's duck, rabbit, goat, skunk, pigeon, or mongoose season! Full of hilarious lines and gags like "fricasseeing rabbit" and "Good heavens! He disintegwated!" This is one of the all-time classics from Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese. Great voicework from Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan. No matter how many times I've seen this one, it never gets old.

"Duck! Rabbit! Duck!" is the best of the "Hunter Trilogy." From the ubiquitous sign gags that only get funnier (Daffy: You dirty dog... Bugs: And YOU'RE a dirty skunk! Daffy: I'm a dirty skunk? I'M a dirty skunk!? Sign: Dirty Skunk Season Elmer: Blam!) to the wonderful ending where poor Elmer gets driven mad, this short is a laugh a second, and one of the prime examples why Chuck Jones will be missed.

This is another one of those "It's duck season. No, it's rabbit season." You know, back-and- forth as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck each try to send stupid Elmer Fudd off to shoot the other guy during hunting season, beginning with signs pointing the way. There were three of these similar-themed animated shorts, one each year from 1951-53. This was the final one of what some call "the hunting trilogy."

Anyway, as usual, Bugs gives Elmer some ridiculous line which is working until Daffy interrupts, saying "What is this? A cooking class? Shoot him!" Daffy was always one to get right to the point....but Bugs is the brains of the three.

The parts that made me laugh hardest were the looks on Daffy's face several times, like the kind Jack Benny used to make. It's also incredible how many times the poor duck has hill bill blown off. Daffy's final line to Bugs sums it up best: "You're despicable!"

Overall, an excellent episode. It can be seen on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume three DVD.

The "Hunting Trilogy" of Rabbit Fire (1951), Rabbit Seasoning (1952), and Duck! Rabbit! Duck! (1953) should be considered the comedic high water mark of the Chuck Jones-Michael Maltese collaboration. While they are seldom mentioned in lists of the "greatest" or "most important" cartoons in the history of animation, they are certainly THE FUNNIEST cartoons I've ever seen. Michael Maltese never got the credit that directors like Jones, Freleng or Avery got, but it's his dialogue and situations that make Warner Bros. cartoons, and these three in particular, some of the FUNNIEST ever made.