Broom-Stick Bunny

It's Halloween and we are at the home of "Witch Hazel" who proudly displays her "diploma" on the wall which reads, "Malevolent Order of Witches - A. F. of Elves."

The first thing you notice is the great artwork: cool drawings of the inside of the house and great colors. These restoration jobs on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVDs are tremendous.

Bugs is out trick-or-treating and, of course, stops at Hazel's house. Bugs is wearing a witch's mask, too. Bugs asks the "lady" if she has anything for a "little witch." Hmmm, thinks Hazel, "I don't remember seeing her at any of the union meetings." Hazel winds up thinking the visitor is so little and ugly - which is a compliment. She winds up trying to find out Bugs' secret to being so ugly.

The humorous dialog making ugly the ideal and beauty the opposite, Hazel then discovering it's not another witch but a rabbit and how she reacts......and those wild colors all make this a lot of fun to watch. It's another Bugs Bunny winner.

This 1956 "Looney Tunes" cartoon short called "Broom-Stick Bunny" is one fun entertaining and clever cartoon that's always a joy when watched. It involves "Halloween" time with Witch Hazel being at her castle and she wants nothing more than to stay ugly, well Bugs is going to her place to trick or treat, and once she finds out he's a real bunny the episode becomes a chase and twist of fighting between pretty looks and staying ugly! The cartoon is funny as the Magic Mirror is the telling tale of the story as wanting to be ugly backfires for the witch! Nice cartoon with a twist!

It's Halloween and Witch Hazel is preparing a potion to ensure that she keeps ugly. Meanwhile Bugs is trick or treating dressed as a very ugly witch. When Hazel opens the door to Bugs in costume, she fears that she is not the ugliest witch in the world. When she eventually finds out that Bugs is a rabbit, it only places him in more danger as Hazel needs rabbit to finish her potion.

I have seen several other cartoons with this witch Hazel character in them and I haven't really taken to her as a regular character, although as an one off she can do the job reasonably well. Here the film gets off to a slow start where Bugs is still in costume but gets better when the actual chase begins. The problem is that this chase is left far too late in the film to make up for the lack of good laughs in the first place. The chase has laughs but the fact that it comes late in the game is a letdown.

Bugs does OK in his role and manages to do his usual stuff even if he has more running away to do than he has actual trickery. Hazel is alright but I just don't really like her as I never see her as a character so much as just a big witch stereotype (which is what she is). She gets a few laughs here but her dominant character doesn't really fit with Bugs' style of humour.

Overall this is reasonably funny but inexplicably leaves the good stuff till right near the end of the cartoon instead of spreading it out. One of the better Witch Hazel cartoons, but that really isn't saying a great deal.

For Witch Hazel (who's all gleeful cackling and flying hairpins) there's nothing more satisfying than being reassured (by the Genie in the magic mirror) that she is, indeed, the ugliest one of all.

Yep. There's no bigger compliment than that for this snaggle-toothed old hag.

And, so (on Halloween night) when an even uglier little witch comes a-knocking at her door (hollering out "Trick or Treat!") you can be darn certain that old Witch Hazel is gonna do everything within the wickedness of her power to reclaim, once again, that crown of supreme ugliness for herself.

Anyway - (IMO) - "Broom-Stick Bunny" may have been a "Bugs Bunny" cartoon, first and foremost - But, with that aside - It was, without question, Witch Hazel (and all of her hysterical histrionics) that stole the show here, over, and over again.

Broom-Stick Bunny (1956)

*** (out of 4)

Witch Hazel is at home on Halloween proud as can be since she's the ugliest woman around. Then there's a knock at the door where another ugly witch is but it turns out to be Bugs Bunny in an outfit. The real witch then decides she needs some rabbit to complete her next meal. This is a pretty good entry with Bugs being at the top of his game and Hazel being a pretty good villain. I'm sure the film could have thrown in more homages to other "scary" type of films but that's just a small issue. Bugs gets a lot of good lines but the real charm of the film belongs to Hazel are her dire need of being ugly. The twist ending is a very nice one and gets the biggest laugh of the film.