That Pitch is Dynamite!

In the war years, Tex Avery and Bob Clampett were known for large takes. Frank Tashlin tried it on occasion, too—the sexually-laden ram’s horns in I’ve Got Plenty of Mutton comes to mind.

Here’s a fairly modest one in The Unruly Hare (1945). Tashlin was working in colour and had begun using Bugs Bunny.

In this scene, trickster Bugs turns into a baseball catcher, treating Elmer Fudd like a pitcher and a stick of dynamite as a ball.

Elmer winds up for the pitch, then realises what’s actually going on.



No, Elmer does not blow up here. Instead, writer Tubby Millar sets up a war reference. When the dynamite explodes, it begins laying ties and tracks for a railway to the melody of... well, you can guess this one. A train almost runs over Fudd. Bugs is on it, but jumps off, reminding Americans they shouldn’t be doing any unnecessary travelling (leaving train travel to vacationing or returning soldiers).

Unfortunately, the still frames don't give you the timing of the take, which is very good.

There’s a Jerry Colonna reference and a Joe Besser reference.

Carl Stalling’s soundtrack includes “What’s Up, Doc?” and one of his favourites, J.F. Barth’s “Frat” during the phoney relay and baseball footage.