| All This and Rabbit Stew | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Tex Avery |
| Story by | Dave Monahan |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | Virgil Ross |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures Vitaphone |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6:46 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
All This and Rabbit Stew is a 1941Merrie Melodies cartoon directed byTex Avery.[1] The cartoon was released on September 13, 1941, and featuresBugs Bunny.[2]
Because of the cartoon'sracial stereotypes ofAfrican-Americans,United Artists decided to withhold it fromtelevision syndication in the United States beginning in 1968. As such, the short was placed into the so-calledCensored Eleven, a group of elevenMerrie Melodies andLooney Tunes shorts withheld from U.S. television distribution.[3] It was one of 12 cartoons to be pulled fromCartoon Network's 2001 "June Bugs" marathon by order ofAOL Time Warner, on grounds of the subject material's offensiveness.[4] No voice actors were credited on screen, but those who participated wereMel Blanc and Darrell Payne.[5]
The cartoon entered the public domain in 1969, asUnited Artists, the distributor of the cartoon, chose not to renew the copyright in time. However, Bugs remains under copyright until 2036.
An unnamed African American hunter tries to catch Bugs Bunny, who tricks him into destroying a tree. Bugs outsmarts the hunter by using his own gun against him and tickling him. Then, Bugs leads the hunter into a cave where they encounter a bear. They both run away scared when they realize the bear is in the rabbit hole. The hunter chases Bugs with birdshot bullets, leading to a wild chase through various holes. Bugs tricks the hunter into falling off a cliff and then play the dice gamecraps.[6][7] Bugs wins everything the hunter has and walks away wearing the clothes of the hunter, who is left naked and embarrassed.
The film contains a reference toWorld War II, when the hunter threatens toBlitzkrieg Bugs.[8]
The hunter is identified in his model sheet as "Tex'sCoon".[9] The hunter fills the role usually associated withElmer Fudd; this was one of four Bugs Bunny short films of 1941 that have him facing a different hunter each time (the others wereHiawatha's Rabbit Hunt, in which Bugs faced an Indian;The Heckling Hare, in which Bugs facesWilloughby the Dog; andWabbit Twouble, which pits Bugs against Fudd).[8] A later scholar, John Stausbauch, described the hunter in terms of racial stereotype: as a "shufflin', big lipped, sleepy-eyed country coon", who cannot resist a game of craps.[7]
The hunter is dressed in a hat, a short-sleeved shirt, overalls and oversized shoes. A character with the same attire and demeanor would later be used inAngel Puss (1944). He essentially plays a stereotypicalSambo role in the film, and was named Sambo in its publicity material,[10] as he had been inRabbit Stew.
The giant hollow log gag was reused inThe Big Snooze (1946),Foxy by Proxy (1952), andPerson to Bunny (1960).
Motion Picture Herald (September 13, 1941): "The little coloredSambo decides to try his hand at capturing Bugs Bunny, but meets with the same success as his predecessors. Just as he has the screwy rabbit cornered, Bugs Bunny entices him into a craps game, and little Sambo winds up a sadder and wiser hunter."[6]
Boxoffice (September 14, 1941): "One big, long hand. That's what this Technicolor cartoon is. It shows unmistakable signs of extra effort, preparation and ingenuity in all departments. The central character, a little bitty colored Sambo, is a cinch to capture fun-loving audiences. Here he decides to go gunning for some rabbits. He meets up with a nimble-witted adversary that has little Sambo in a constant dither."[6]
Motion Picture Exhibitor (September 17, 1941): "Sambo, a little negro boy, goes rabbit hunting, meets cynical Bugs Bunny, the screwy rabbit... This is a very funny reel in every respect—characters, situations, and story. If the feature is heavy or not so good, this will make the customers feel good anyhow."[6]
The Film Daily (September 12, 1941): "A Bugs Bunny Howl: Having eluded Hiawatha and other Leon Schlesinger characters, Bugs Bunny this time is pursued by Sambo in a riotous short that will make anyone laugh, and laugh hard. Trying to describe the action would be like trying to explain a maise but the Technicolor cartoon is about as mirth provoking as anything has any right to be."[11]
| Preceded by | Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1941 | Succeeded by |