| Can one gag be successfully milked throughout the entire running time of three cartoons? Oh yes. In fact, there’s substantial evidence that Hollywood still isn’t finished with this particular gag, as movies continue to make reference to it. The gag I’m referring to is the sight of Daffy Duck getting his beak blown off by Elmer Fudd’s shotgun, after accidentally convincing the dimwitted hunter to shoot him. It’s pretty much the only joke in what has become known as "The Hunting Trilogy," and it never seems to get stale, despite its endless repetition.
·Rabbit Fire (1951): Director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese collaborated on this unforgettable seven-minute short, and struck comedy gold in the process. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck have a common enemy in hunter Elmer Fudd, but rather than run from him, they use him against one another in a hilarious game of one-upmanship.
Daffy tries to convince Elmer that it’s rabbit hunting season, and that he should shoot Bugs. (It’s actually duck hunting season, but that’s Daffy for you – a malicious little sneak who generally deserves what he gets.) Somehow, the mallard’s crafty machinations always result in him blurting out that it’s duck season. Kapow!
This instalment set the standard for the Hunting Trilogy, and contains the best beak blasts of the lot. However, this also became one of the most heavily censored cartoons during the ’80s. Protests against violence on television led to the removal of practically all of Elmer’s misguided shotgun blasts, depriving this wickedly funny masterpiece of its raison d’être. Fortunately, the fad for this kind of bowdlerization has passed, and uncut Warner Bros. cartoons are popular on video. What was the concern about in the first place? Were people worried that street gangs would emulate these cartoons, bringing "crip season" placards along to a rumble, or engaging in ridiculous wordplay instead of drive-by shootings? (News flash: Police seize over 50 oversized slingshots from gang headquarters. Two officers hit by cream pies. Film at 11.)
At the time of release, Rabbit Fire was something new and refreshing. It also seemed like the last word on the whole "duck season/rabbit season" argument, but Jones and Maltese weren’t done yet…
· Rabbit Seasoning (1952): Second verse, same as the first. This time around, Daffy seems to realize he’s losing the game, but all of his extra caution avails him naught. The sight gags aren’t as inventive as the ones in Rabbit Fire, but the wordplay is much better. After the first blast to the face, Daffy says "Let’s try that again" and he and Bugs run through their lines again, until Daffy locates the verbal riposte that fouled his plan. ("Stop! Hold it right there! Pronoun trouble.")
Bugs gets to do his traditional dress-up-in-drag-and-distract-the-villain shtick, but it’s the memorable dialogue that really makes this one. My favourite bit comes when Bugs and Daffy are hiding out:
Bugs: Go and take a peak up and see if he's still around.
Daffy: Right-O!
(Daffy looks out the hole. A gunshot is heard. Daffy comes back down.)
Bugs: Is he still there?
Daffy: (dazed) Still lurking about!
Bugs: I know! You go up and act as a decoy and lure him away.
Daffy: No more for me, thanks! I'm drivin'!
(faints)
· Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953): This cartoon wraps up the Hunting Trilogy, and the director-writer team of Jones and Maltese proves that the formula still works. Bugs points out that he’s a fricasseeing rabbit, and that Elmer needs a fricasseeing rabbit license to hunt him. Daffy quickly writes a license up for the easily manipulated hunter, pausing to ask Bugs how to spell "fricasseeing". "F-R-I-C-A-S-S-E-E-I-N-G. D-U-C-K." replies Bugs. Elmer scrutinizes the document, gives a little double take to the audience, shrugs and blasts Daffy.
Daffy somehow gets identified as dozens of different animals and Bugs has a specially made sign ready for each one. After being blasted for mongoose, pigeon, and goat seasons, Daffy’s mind finally snaps. "Shoot me again!" he screams, "I enjoy it! I love the smell of burnt feathers and gunpowder and cordite! I'm an elk! Shoot me, go on! It's elk season! I'm a fiddler crab! Why don't you shoot me? It's fiddler crab season!" Elmer loses his marbles too, and ends the cartoon blasting away at a baseball. (It’s baseball season.)
Due to the similar plots, these classic cartoons are almost never shown together. They can be seen on three separate tapes from the out-of-print Warner Bros. Golden Jubilee 24 Karat Collection (In order, Daffy Duck, A Salute to Chuck Jones and Bugs Bunny). And the first two cartoons are in the new Warner Bros. Golden Collection DVD boxed set (on two separate discs, of course). |
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