Baby Buggy Bunny

Ah now this one's a classic! Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, it's the story of Babyface Finster (aka Ant Hill Harry), a bank robber who evades capture by pretending to be a baby. Because he's so tiny, you see. It's a great gag that's made all the funnier when you see a shirtless tattooed 'baby' smoking a cigar and shaving. Babyface loses his loot, which promptly falls into Bugs' rabbit hole. Bugs thinks he's rich but Babyface has a plan to get it back. Wonderfully stylish animation with great colors and nicely-drawn action. Mel Blanc's voice work is flawless as ever. Whimsical music from Milt Franklyn. It's just a fun cartoon from start to finish with some particularly nice animation. One of my favorite Bugs shorts from Chuck Jones.

Finster, a bank robbing midget, masquerades as a baby to alludes the cops. Bugs Bunny finds said fake baby when Finster shows up in his rabbit hole. At first Bugs is suitably duped regardless of the violent streak of this 'baby', but he soon catches on and he pays Finster's aggressions back in spades. This cartoon is not among the best of Bugs Bunny's shorts, but it is nice enough to watch on occasion. And it's STILL head and shoulders above ANY Bunny cartoon that Robert McKimson ever directed. This animated short can be seen on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2. It also features an optional music and effects only track.

My Grade: B

Ilove this cartoon, but the last time I saw it on BOOMERANG, the part where Baby Faced Finster pulls out a gun at Bugs was edited out. It says that Finster is going to shoot Bugs with his toy gun. BLAM! And Bugs, after Finster shoots him with his "toy gun," says, "Some toy!" I wonder why this was edited out, just like Daffy Duck's final act in 1957's "Show Biz Bunny?" Or where Bugs and Yosemite Sam put the gun to their heads when both of them lose the mayoral race in another cartoon, and Yosemite Sam comments, "I HATE that rabbit!" My sister claims that these scenes were too violent for kids. And I was told that these cartoons were not really made for kids, and yet I've seen them on kiddie shows in the 1960's and 1970's. I guess that BOOMERANG and Warner Brothers claim that kids will imitate these things. But I never did, and here I am, at 46, and I still enjoy watching them, and I never did these things when I was a little kid.

Chuck Jones' 'Baby Buggy Bunny' is a funny cartoon with a nice concept which never quite reaches the levels of hilarity you feel it should. Bank robber Baby Face Finster disguises himself as a real baby in order to retrieve his stolen money from Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole. Adopted by an unwitting Bugs, he goes to violent lengths to liberate his cash from the rabbit. The best part of 'Baby Buggy Bunny' is the first section in which a surprisingly easily duped Bugs is brutalised by Finster who reverts back to baby mode whenever Bugs questions it. However, the sequence where Bugs turns the tables after catching Finster shaving is far too short and unfunny. By the time Bugs catches Finster shaving, it's already too late in the cartoon for him to do much in retaliation. His revenge really needed to be as brutal as Finster's treatment of him had been to achieve a satisfactory laugh level. Instead, he quickly turns him over to the police and the cartoon simply peters out with a below par wisecrack. 'Baby Buggy Bunny' was one of my favourite cartoons as a child and I still enjoy it today, only now it also leaves me with a sense of dissatisfaction.

Baby Buggy Bunny does start off a little dull but once Bugs and Finster are together, it is quite a different kettle of fish. It is well animated, the characters are well drawn and there are some colourful backgrounds, and the music is great as always. The pacing isn't as secure as it is in other Looney Tunes cartoons, but it moves quite briskly, and the dialogue is witty and furiously delivered, likewise with the very amusing sight gags. Bugs is still the very likable character I fell in love with when I was little, and Finster is a cute, dangerous and funny adversary. The ending also was satisfying, with a very funny last line from Bugs, and Mel Blanc is superb with his vocals. Overall, very funny and cute, starts off dull but it picks up considerably. 9/10 Bethany Cox