Roman Legion-Hare

It is 54 AD and Emperor Nero has run out of victims to throw to his award winning Detroit Lions in the coliseum. He dispatches his Captain of the Guard Yosimitus Sammus to find a good victim and bring him back. Sammus and his men find Bugs bunny relaxing in the area and decide that he will do as good as anything else. However Bugs proves more than a match for both Sammus and the lions.

Opening with a very clear spoof of Charles Laughton, this cartoon marks itself out as a spoof of the 1950's Roman epics that were all the rage at the time. Generally the Looney Toons films were pretty sharp at spoofing big films and their stars - even if they didn't make them their rasion d'etre. Here the majority of this cartoon is the usual straight chase between Bugs and Sam, here with a great reoccurring joke where Bugs constantly exposes Sam to the lions. It is obvious but still very funny and much of this is down to the work of the characters.

Bugs is really good after a slow start for him and he not only tricks Sam but also does good work to free up the lions. Sam is really good and is an enjoyable foil for Bugs - he is not his equal but he does react really well to the regular lion attacks and makes them all the funnier for his good work. The gags are consistently funny and they are delivered really well.

Overall this is a funny cartoon that trades on a great running joke involving Sam and a pit full of lions - a clever and funny little short.

Rome, 54 A. D. Emperor Nero,who may or may not be played by Charles Laughton, enters the Colosseum for the season opener as a sportscaster introduces us to the undefeated champions, the Detroit Lions. When it turns out they are all out of victims, Captain of the Guard Yosimitus Sammus takes out his legion (all of whom resemble Elmerus Fuddus) to go get one. Guess who he finds?

Don't expect much gladiator combat, for after a very promising start, "Roman Legion-Hare" becomes yet another Bugs vs. Yosemite chase caper, only with horse and chariots and lots of caged lions. In fact each and every room in the Colosseum seems to connect to the lion's den. Strategists take note: when faced with a situation like this, make sure the man eaters get a whiff of your opponent. This way, when you take a wrong turn, the lions will prefer the taste of his flesh over yours.

The fifties were the golden age of the Roman epics, so a loony spoof could not be far behind. It must have been especially amusing to see this at the cinema with a real horse and chariot extravaganza following, although being very lengthy films, they probably did not have Merry Melodies as it's opening act. Bugs more likely opened for Doris Day and Jerry Lewis instead.

6 out of 10

Despite the story taking place in 54 A.D., the writers get their digs in early on the West Coast culture at the time as we see a sign for "Another Appian Freeway for your Safety" sign. It was during this time that many of the freeways in California were being built.

Anyway, we are in the Roman Coliseum and Emporer Nero wants a victim. (If the writers knew what brutal savage Nero was in real-life, would they still be doing a cartoon with him?) Yosemite Sam, the captain of the guards, and he goes out with a small legion to find victims to feed to the lions. Bugs Bunny sees the "parade" asks what's going on. He tells Sam, "Well, it looks like your out of luck. There's no one around but me." Mmm.....not a smart thing to say. The chase is on.

I liked Bugs comment about "these hot-rod kids," after Sam cracks up his chariot.

Overall, this was an entertaining Bugs cartoon. Even if Bugs has to battle lions, you know who is going to come out on top!

I am an avid Looney Tunes fan, and I love Roman Legion-Hare. It is a little slow and obvious to begin with, but once it picked up I forgot about these minor misgivings. The animation is excellent, colourful, crisp and smooth, the backgrounds especially and like it is with many Looney Tunes cartoons the music has a lot of energy. The dialogue is witty and incredibly funny, Bugs and Sam both have a lion's share of great lines, and the sight gags particularly in the lion's den(Nero playing a violin before supposedly being mauled by the lions) are clever. Sam has great lines and is a great foil, he doesn't look too bad in Roman gladiator garb either, and Nero(a caricature on Charles Laughton?) is good too, but Bugs steals the cartoon just by his wit alone. Mel Blanc as always is superb, bringing life to these characters with terrific gusto. Overall, terrific. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Very funny Bugs Bunny short directed by Friz Freleng. This one takes place in ancient Rome, where Roman guard Yosemite Sam chases Bugs around the Coliseum while Emperor Nero looks on. It's a fun cartoon with some dated references and jokes that history buffs should enjoy. By history I mean both Roman history and of the time in which this was made. The animation is good, with lovely colors and well-drawn characters and backgrounds. Nice music from Milt Franklyn. Great voice work from the incomparable Mel Blanc. It's a funny cartoon, hilarious in spots, with several memorable lines and gags. Of all the cartoons that took Sam out of his natural setting and had him play dress-up, this is one of my faves. Watching him start the chariot by telling the horse to "giddup mule" is priceless.