| Rabbit Hood | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Produced by | Edward Selzer |
| Starring | Mel Blanc Errol Flynn |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | Ken Harris Phil Monroe Ben Washam Lloyd Vaughan |
| Layouts by | Robert Gribbroek |
| Backgrounds by | Peter Alvarado |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7:55 |
| Language | English |
Rabbit Hood is a 1949Merrie Melodiescartoon released on December 24, 1949.[1] The entry was directed byChuck Jones and written byMichael Maltese, and featuresBugs Bunny.[2]
Bugs Bunny finds himself entangled in the lush surroundings of the King's domain. As he attempts to silence an alarm triggered by his pilfering of carrots, he is apprehended by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Facing the grim prospect of torture, Bugs is saved by the timely arrival of Little John, who introduces him to Robin Hood, though the famed outlaw fails to materialize.
In a series of comical misdirections, Bugs outwits the Sheriff, first by fabricating the imminent arrival of the king, then by selling him the Royal Rose Garden under false pretenses. Angered by Bugs' deceptions, the Sheriff seeks revenge, only to further embarrass himself by mistaking Bugs for the king in a farcical knighting ceremony.
Despite narrowly escaping the Sheriff's wrath, Bugs finds himself in another predicament when the Sheriff's arrow grazes him while attempting to flee over the garden wall. Little John's repeated attempts to introduce the elusive Robin Hood fall flat, as the outlaw fails to show up. Bugs, skeptical of Robin's existence, mocks Little John, only to be surprised when the real Robin Hood, portrayed byErrol Flynn, makes a dramatic entrance.
Rabbit Hood is the lastWarner Bros. cartoon released during creatorLeon Schlesinger's lifetime.[3]
Rabbit Hood is one of the few Bugs Bunny cartoons to receive a Blue Ribbon reissue. Strangely, while the shorts' technical credits remain, theBugs Bunny in card before the title card was removed.Hot Cross Bunny,Knights Must Fall andHomeless Hare are the other three cartoons with this distinction.
Rabbit Hood is the origin of the infamous "knighting" exchange, where Bugs Bunny is dressed up like a king, and proceeds to pound the Sheriff's head with hissceptre while dispensing an oddball title with each strike:
The cartoon ends with the appearance of "the real" Robin Hood in the form of a clip fromthe classic 1938 movie, which starredErrol Flynn.[4] He received a personal copy of this film in exchange for the right to use his earlier image.
Rule, Britannia! (1740) is used here as a satirical motif to mock English pretension.[5]
The film's music takes advantage of the similarities between thefanfare of theMiddle Ages and thereveille. The oafishLittle John uses a tiny trumpet to sound a standard reveille tune. Later, Bugs disguised as a page plays another reveille melody,First Call, often used at the start of horse races, where it is also known as "Call to the Post". The sound and effect is similar to the tune used inA Knight for a Day (1946).[6]
Rabbit Hood is also included withRobin Hood Daffy in the "Special Features" of the 2003 two-DVD Special Edition release ofThe Adventures of Robin Hood. Both are also included on the Blu-ray disc release of the film. It is also one of three Bugs Bunny shorts included as special features on the 2014 DVD release ofRankin/Bass Productions' animated version ofThe Hobbit (along withKnight-mare Hare andKnighty Knight Bugs), made possible by Warner Bros.' acquisition of much of the Rankin-Bass home video library.
The phrase "Sir Loin of Beef" is used again to name one ofKing Arthur's knights inKnighty Knight Bugs, co-starringYosemite Sam.
The reference to Duke of Brittingham was an in-joke. According to former Warner's writer Lloyd Turner in an interview, Brittingham's was a bar across the street from the Warner Animation offices.[7]
| Preceded by | Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1949 | Succeeded by |
