| Ali Baba Bunny | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Chuck Jones |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Produced by | Edward Selzer |
| Starring | Mel Blanc |
| Edited by | Treg Brown |
| Music by | Carl Stalling Milt Franklyn |
| Animation by | Richard Thompson Ken Harris Abe Levitow Ben Washam Harry Love |
| Layouts by | Maurice Noble |
| Backgrounds by | Philip DeGuard |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6:55 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ali Baba Bunny is a 1957Warner Bros.Merrie Melodiesparody animated short directed byChuck Jones.[1] The short was released on February 9, 1957, and starsBugs Bunny andDaffy Duck.[2]
Bugs and Daffy are heading towardsPismo Beach, California, but somehow arrive instead to theArabian Desert. They discover a cave with hidden treasure, but they have to outwit its guard. Bugs poses as ajinn to do so. Later, Daffy discovers an actual jinn in anoil lamp. After insulting the jinn, Daffyshrinks to miniature size.
The film is named after thefolk taleAli Baba and the Forty Thieves, and parodies some of its themes. The plot is primarily driven by Daffy'sgreed.
In the Arabian Desert, a dimwitted guard named Hassan guards a cave where a rich Sultan stores his treasure. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck accidentally stumble upon the cave, thinking they have arrived atPismo Beach, California. Daffy, enamored by the riches and determined to keep it all for himself, forces Bugs back into the burrow. When Hassan finally remembers the command to open the cave, chaos ensues.
Mistaking Hassan for a porter, Daffy is attacked and seeks Bugs' help. Bugs, in turn, outwits Hassan by posing as ajinn. As Daffy steals a gem, Bugs tricks Hassan with an Indian rope trick, seemingly trapping him in the clouds. Daffy, however, discovers anoil lamp with a real jinn, whom he inadvertently angers by rudely forcing him back into the lamp. Bugs escapes as the jinn unleashes dire consequences on Daffy.
Bugs reaches Pismo Beach and finds a pearl in a clam. A miniature Daffy, shrunk by the jinn, arrives and claims the pearl. The cartoon concludes with Bugs making the clam close on Daffy.
Linda Simensky writes, "Ali Baba Bunny was produced in an era where Bugs and Daffy were often paired up, and while that didn't always work, in this cartoon they seem to be formidable opponents. In the early 1950s, Daffy Duck was no longer just daffy. He had progressed to being greedy, cheap, and without a trace of empathy. When put in the right circumstances, this worked. Bugs, as paired up with Daffy, lost a little of his ability to incite conflict, being given the job of mostly reacting and politely suffering Daffy's outbursts. But in this cartoon, Bugs has his classic moments too."[3]
Ali Baba Bunny was voted No. 35 of the50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.[4] The film was edited into theLooney Tunes greatest hits featuresThe Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979) andBugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982).[1]
During hisSportsCenter tenure,Rich Eisen would occasionally use Hassan's catchphrase, "Hassan chop!", when a highlight showed a baseball player tossing his bat in disgust.[5]
The Offspring's 2021 albumLet the Bad Times Roll features a song titled "Hassan Chop", which uses audio from the episode.
| Preceded by | Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1957 | Succeeded by |