| Tortoise Beats Hare | |
|---|---|
 Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Fred Avery |
| Story by | Dave Monahan |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Starring | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | Charles McKimson Robert McKimson Rev Chaney Sid Sutherland Rod Scribner Virgil Ross[1] |
| Backgrounds by | John Didrik Johnsen |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. The Vitaphone Corp. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7:55 |
| Language | English |
Tortoise Beats Hare is aMerrie Melodies short film directed byTex Avery and released on March 15, 1941.[2][3] The short, loosely based onAesop's fableThe Tortoise and the Hare, starsBugs Bunny and, in his first appearance,Cecil Turtle.
Bugs Bunny munches away on a carrot while perusing the opening film credits, albeit with comical mispronunciations. Expressing disdain upon encountering the title of the cartoon, Bugs embarks on a furious tirade, dismantling the credits in a fit of frustration. His attention soon turns to Cecil Turtle, with whom he enters into a high-stakes wager of ten dollars on a race (equivalent to $214 in 2024). Cecil, employing cunning strategy, enlists the aid of his turtle cousins to impersonate him at various points along the racecourse, thus maintaining a deceptive lead over Bugs. Despite Bugs' initial confidence and commanding lead, he finds himself outwitted by Cecil's clever ploy. Convinced of his victory as he crosses the finish line, Bugs is surprised to find Cecil awaiting him as the apparent winner.
Grudgingly conceding defeat, Bugs pays Cecil his wager, reflecting a mixture of anger and bewilderment. However, a sudden realization dawns upon Bugs as he ponders the possibility of being duped. Turning back, he is met with Cecil and his cousins, each holding a share of the winnings, who respond, "Ehhh, it's a possibility!" (a line popularized byArtie Auerbach on theAl Pearce radio show)[4] before simultaneously smooching Bugs as the cartoon irises out.
| Preceded by | Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1941 | Succeeded by |
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