Operation: Rabbit
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| Operation: Rabbit | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Starring | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl Stalling |
| Animation by | Lloyd Vaughan Ben Washam Ken Harris Phil Monroe |
| Layouts by | Robert Gribbroek |
| Backgrounds by | Philip DeGuard |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 7:19 |
| Language | English |
Operation: Rabbit is a 1952 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.[1] The cartoon was released on January 19, 1952, and features Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote.[2] This marks the second appearance of Wile E. Coyote, the first where he is named, and the first where he has spoken dialogue.
Plot
[edit]Wile E. Coyote endeavors to capture Bugs Bunny. At first, Coyote's audacious declaration of superiority over Bugs, touting his intellect and physical prowess. Despite Coyote's bravado, Bugs remains unfazed, deploying his quick wit to outsmart his adversary at every turn.
The plot unfolds through a series of comedic scenarios, each showcasing Coyote's increasingly elaborate schemes to ensnare Bugs. From culinary endeavors to mechanical decoys and explosive contraptions, Coyote's attempts are consistently foiled by Bugs' ingenuity and resourcefulness. Through clever manipulation and strategic countermeasures, Bugs repeatedly turns the tables on his would-be captor, leaving Coyote in a state of exasperation and defeat.
The climax of the film involves Coyote attempting to ensnare Bugs with explosive-laced carrots. Unbeknownst to him, Bugs is moving the shed in which he is working onto railroad tracks into the path of an oncoming train. Coyote realises too late what has happened, looking forlornly at the audience and pulling down the window shade in futility, just before the shed is destroyed in a catastrophic explosion. As the dust settles, a humbled and battered Coyote concedes defeat, symbolically acknowledging his own ineptitude. Bugs, ever the wily protagonist, delivers a final quip, cementing his triumph over his hapless adversary.
Production
[edit]This was the second cartoon to feature Wile E. Coyote (following 1949's Fast and Furry-ous), and the first in which he is identified by his full name.[3] It is also the first in which the Coyote speaks; his voice, like Bugs, was provided by Mel Blanc. The two characters would reappear together in the cartoons To Hare Is Human (1956), Rabbit's Feat (1960), Compressed Hare (1961), and Hare-Breadth Hurry (1963).
Home video
[edit]The short was released on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4 DVD set,[4] and the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3 Blu-ray set.
References
[edit]- ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 231. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–62. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ↑ Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-64722-137-9.
- ↑ Rich, Jamie S. (November 18, 2006). "Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Four". DVD Talk. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
External links
[edit]
- 1952 films
- 1952 English-language films
- Looney Tunes short films
- Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films
- Short films directed by Chuck Jones
- Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner films
- Films scored by Carl W. Stalling
- Bugs Bunny films
- 1950s Warner Bros. animated short films
- Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese
- Animated films set in deserts
- 1952 American animated short films
- English-language short films