He spits out his carrot in disbelieving outrage after reading the title of the film. “Why these screwy guys don’t know what they’re talkin’ about!” yells Bugs waving his arms.
Bugs adds confidentially, “And I otta know. I woik for ‘em.”
Bugs resumes his anger, “ripping up” the title.
Tortoise Beats Hare was released March 15, 1941.
Just as with Avery's first Bugs' outing, where he defines the rabbit's personality with the hand-vs.-shotgun battle over the carrot, he lets the audience know who Bugs is here before the credits are even over, by having Bugs read and then destroy the credits (the other thing Avery sets up here is that Bugs' cartoons don't necessarily have to end with Bugs triumphant, and in fact for must of the first two years or so of the series, the rabbit's just as likely to get his comeuppance before the end titles roll, probably because, as Bob McKimson noted, even the staff couldn't quite get use to the idea of the audiences falling in love with such a brash character).
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