Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are traveling book salesman for Rambling House publishing who go on separate routes to sell their books. Eventually Bugs Bunny winds up at the palace of Arabian sulta Yosemite Sam and is forced by threat of boiling oil to read stories to Sam's obnoxious bratty son Prince Abba-Dabba.

Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales is the third compilation film of Looney Tunes shorts released by Warner Bros. And repurposed as a feature, Unlike The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie by Chuck Jones or the Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie by Friz Freling, there's no credited director for this third film as it uses a mixture of cartoons from multiple directors. Like the previous films it too was given a limited theatrical release before being sold for television rights. Much like the previous film Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie, the film takes the individual shorts and daisy chains them into a narrative, but it's not a great representation of the shorts as they're heavily truncated and altered to fit.

Unlike the previous film which was a bunch of half-hour stories tied together with the shorts, this third film tries to have a feature length plot by organizing itself as a road movie with Bugs and Daffy trying to sell books and getting into various misadventures that are comprised of the original shorts. On paper its not an unworkable idea, but the structure really has to bend and twist itself to justify this premise with the whole second half of the film basically boiling down to a remake of Hare-Abian Nights, which itself was also a stock footage short. There's a good collection of shorts used even if they're heavily altered with Ali Baba Bunny chopped to pieces after having already been seen in the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, and Bewitched Bunny and One Froggy Evening have their best punchlines excised and abruptly stop.

Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales is probably the weakest of the Bugs Bunny fronted compilation films released by Warner Bros. While the movie attempts to be a cohesive whole across the entire films plotline, it doesn't do so particularly well and is pretty sloppily put together. Like the previous there's not much reason to watch this as the original shorts are now widely available across home media and streaming, and it's really only a historical curiosity and the fact it's the first time Arthur Q. Bryan is credited as the voice of Elmer Fudd.

While I do agree with the fact that this is not the best way to see these wonderful cartoons, there's no denying that for some this is the only way. Regular TV programming has fazed out Bugs Bunny cartoons. Great video compliations are out-of-print. And if you don't have cable TV, you're screwed.

It edits the original shorts with new linking material, which is not a new practice. Robert Youngson made a career out of this genre; his titles include "4 Clowns" and "Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20s". Also, the MGM That's Entertainment! series, which is up to three. Most critics tend to praise those titles, but condemn the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes films.

That is not fair. "1001 Rabbit Tales" is a very good movie on its' own terms. Supervised by the late, great Friz Freleng, the linking material is the best so far in this series. The "plot" involves Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as salesmen for Rambling House Publishing (a great in-joke that's just one of many). They go their separate ways and Bugs ends up being a storyteller for Yosemite Sam's son (this is where the old cartoons enter in)

Freleng selects some of the very best Looney Tunes shorts for this film. His selections include "One Froggy Evening", one of the greatest of all time and "Goldilocks and the Three Cats" (featuring Sylvester Jr.) and his editing is seamless this time round, unlike previous entries where it looked more obvious.

Those critics who feel obliged to hate a film like this can go back on the horse they rode in on. Even Maltin thought it was decent at 2 1/2 stars. This is wonderful entertainment and considering today's entertainment, timeless.

**** out of 4 stars

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are book salesmen.They go different ways to sell books and a lot of fun stuff happens to them.Bugs ends up in Sultan Yosemite Sam's palace, where he is forced to tell tales to Prince Abadaba.Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982) is directed by Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones and Robert McKimson.It has a compilation of classic Warner Bros. shorts.As voice artists you can hear Mel Blanc, who does the voice of Bugs, Daffy, Porky Pig and so on.Arthur Q. Bryan is Elmer Fudd.June Foray (who is 94 years old today!) is Granny and some others.Shepard Menken is Old Storyteller.Lennie Weinrib is Abadaba.Bill Roberts is Michigan J. Frog.I had most fun watching this.As did my 7-year old cousins.It's hilarious when Daffy pretends to be the stuffed duck.Or Sylvester trying to catch the gigantic Tweety in the beanstalk tale.Not to forget Sylvester as the Pied Piper and Speedy Gonzales doing his thing.These Looney Tunes tales are great fun- for both kids and adults.

I thought that the characters were really funny and all had great personalities. The animation in My opinion was crisp, clean, and really clear. Not to mention beautiful! Most of the characters in this show are hilarious Looney Tunes characters that we all love. in My opinion these characters are the funnies and talented ever seen. In fact, The things that goes on in this series' cartoons are in My opinion nuts which that is what makes them hilarious! There are so many to like and laugh at and the silly things they do! If you like the original Looney Tunes and animated films then I strongly recommend that you watch this movie today!

Another one of the quick-fix movies by the Warner Bros. studio to make some fast money off the famed Looney Tunes characters. Old cartoons starring most all the major characters are held together by an unfunny new cartoon that has book salesman Bugs Bunny telling stories to Yosemite Sam's young brat of a son in a palace in the middle of the desert. Naturally there is also Daffy Duck trying to survive the harsh desert environment. It is tough to survive this harsh cut-and-paste mess. Watch the Cartoon Network instead. 2.5 out of 5 stars.