Hare-Way to the Stars

Occasionally I like to browse Google using the search term "banned cartoons" as many of these suppressed films are interesting--especially from a historical point of view. With most of these cartoons I can understand why Disney and Warner Brothers have decided to withdraw them from general distribution, as they have some horribly insensitive and hurtful portrayals of minorities. However, SOME of them are excellent entertainment and aren't the least bit offensive to anyone other than a humorless corporate executive. Now why THIS PARTICULAR one was removed from circulation is beyond me and I wonder if it has NOT been pulled by Warner--especially since it features the ever-popular Marvin the Martian. Was, perhaps, someone offended because it made fun of aliens? I doubt it and seriously think this film was never repressed and someone labeled it "banned" incorrectly.

Now as for this cartoon, this is one of the most famous Warner toons and has been very popular with audiences over the years. Bugs accidentally gets shot into space where he meets Marvin--who is about to blow up the Earth since it obstructs his view of Venus!! Very funny stuff and featuring the best Chuck Jones-inspired artwork.

This and Duck Dodgers etc. are the two cartoons which have stuck in my mind since I first saw them over 40 years ago, though I didn't know the correct title until I thought of doing a search on 'Marvin Martian'. The last time I saw both was on 'The Bugs Bunny Show', which quite often - mostly, perhaps? - didn't include titles.

I suspect that you have to be 40 years of age or older to really appreciate this cartoon, which encapsulates the entire 1950s into it's length. The Cold War, the Bomb, Modern Art, the approaching leap into Space, even the fashions and colors, are worked into the 7 minutes.

In short, it's Warners Bros' supreme achieve in animation, and a fitting tribute to the Great Mel Blanc, not forgetting all those other geniuses whose names appear on the credits.

If I was limited to one item of movie media on a desert island, this would be my selection. Believe it :) !

I really do not understand why this cartoon was banned, I must have seen it 10 times in the past month and I don't find anything offensive about it. And I personally think it is better than Mad as a Mars Hare, which I liked for the voices, animation and music but I found it too talky and was disappointed at how little Marvin was given to do. Back on target, this cartoon is wonderfully imaginative; the animation is truly stunning and the music is atmospheric enough. Marvin is given more to do here, though if anything he could've done with a tad more, and Bugs is great. The writing I thought was excellent, Bug's last line "run to the hills, otherwise you'll be up to your armpits in martians" was hysterical. I think it was how Mel Blanc, brilliant again, delivered it. Overall, I enjoy this a lot, it is imaginative, beautifully animated and just fun really. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon that features Marvin the Martian as an adversary.

I also love Maurice Noble's layout work for Mars; marvellous stuff there, I must say. I also like the sound of Marivn's "Where's the kaboom?" I'm funny that way. And I also love the "mirror" scene between Bugs and one of the dehydrated Martians.

I have nothing more to add about this cartoon, but the animation is perfect. So anyway, I thought this was another Bugs Bunny favorite.

Bugs awakens from a rather exhausting night (and he'll never mix radish-juice and carrot-juice again, that's for sure) and heads up the rabbit hole to take a bath. However, what he doesn't realize is that a rocket has been placed over his hole, and Bugs accidentally has climbed inside! After realizing what's going on, Bugs arrives at Mars. While trying to find a way home, he runs into Marvin the Martian, who is planning on destroying the Earth with his illudium Q-38 explosive space modulator! What follows is a classic chase-scene involving Bugs and a mob of dehydrated Martians. This has got to be one of my favorite all-time classic cartoons, not to mention the real start of Marvin the Martian's career (he had been in one other cartoon before this, but this is where Chuck Jones truly developed the Martian we all know today). And now if you don't mind, I have to run for the hills before I'm up to my armpits in Martians!!!