Monday 4 February 2013

Wacky Wabbit Exit

Bob Clampett’s second cartoon with Bugs Bunny was “The Wacky Wabbit” (1942) and the first written by Warren Foster. It’s got some amusing bits and one of those Johnny Johnsen openings with two overlay drawings over a mountainous desert background.

The animators in Clampett’s unit are now Bob McKimson, Rod Scribner, Virgil Ross and Sid Sutherland. I’m not sure who animated this Elmer Fudd exit off stage, but Elmer’s colour leaves first, followed by his outline.



Lots of wiggling of fingers and clasping of hands in this little scene. Neat little bit of acting. And, yes, Bugs has a bleached steer skull on him for over a third of the cartoon.

5 comments:

  1. Also known for its odd end thtme music re-used in a handful of later Bpue Ribbons. When Bugs looks into that one hole that ELmer's fallen into and calls for him, the hole, almost as an in gag prractically resembles the studio's famous conentric rings. "I'll bet ALL you men wear these". CLampett loved Wabbit titles.Steve D

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  2. This is the cartoon Michael Maltese said just died in the theaters, supposedly because Bugs simply starts heckling Elmer for no reason. But it's really not a heck of a lot different from "Wabbit Twouble", where Bugs puts up the 'Camp Here' sign to set up Elmer to be heckled, and that cartoon did great with the theater audiences (maybe they just didn't like of Bugs having a bleached steer skull on him for over a third of the cartoon...)

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  3. I read somewhere that the "little fat Elmer" look was abandoned because that version of the character didn't animate well, but we can see in these stills that this Elmer not only had an appealing look, he moved in a funny way.

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  4. I think that scene was kinda funny. I mean, he was so scared, he jumped out of his own outlines, didn't he?

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