Rabbit Seasoning (1952)
The cartoon finds a row of signs saying it's rabbit season ("If you're looking for fun, you don't need a reason. All you need is a gun, it's Rabbit Season!"). Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck again are arguing over which of them is “in season” (it is really Duck Season, as Daffy says in the beginning), while a befuddled Elmer Fudd tries to figure out which animal is telling the truth. Between using sneaky plays-on-words, and dressing in women's clothing (including a Lana Turner-style sweater), Bugs manages to escape unscathed, while Daffy repeatedly has his beak blown off, upside-down, and sideways by Elmer.
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I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.
It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Cleverly written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones, "Rabbit Seasoning" is a classic Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck/Elmer Fudd confrontation. In any film in which Daffy tries to compete with Bugs, Daffy ultimately loses out and gets creamed, which only adds to his frustration and jealousy. In this case, Daffy loses by repeatedly getting his bill blasted off by Elmer's shotgun.The most memorable gag in "Rabbit Seasoning" is the clever pronoun switch that Bugs pulls on Daffy. But there are other memorable bits as well, all of which, of course, center around Daffy getting blasted by Elmer. When Bugs disguises himself as a lady and woos Elmer, the popular song "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" (which Carl Stalling used in quite a number of other Warner Bros. cartoons) can be heard in the background. While in drag, Bugs adapts a feminine voice and asks Elmer for a duck dinner; stupefied with a silly grin, Elmer staggers up to Daffy and - what else? - blasts him! After Daffy peers out of a rabbit hole and gets blasted, his bill is bent out of shape and he resembles a drunkard as he tells Bugs, "No more for me, thanks! I'm drivin'!" One final point: One particular animator found it difficult to watch Daffy in this cartoon and in his other pairings with Bugs and Elmer ("Rabbit Fire" [1951] and "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" [1953]). He actually feels sorry for Daffy, being a victim of Chuck Jones' direction and having no choice but to be a loser in these cartoons. Although I see where this animator is coming from, I cannot agree. Daffy is so obnoxious and so jealous of Bugs that he will do anything to throw Bugs off guard so that he can get hurt. Hence, Daffy DESERVES to get his bill shot off by Elmer. As Chuck Jones himself once explained, Daffy feels he deserves the best, not because he actually has EARNED it but because he simply FEELS he deserves the best!
This is my all time favorite Looney Tunes cartoon. It's a common plot: Daffy Duck tries to convince Elmer Fudd that it is really rabbit season and shoot Bugs. But your can never outsmart that rabbit! In addition to usual cartoon comedy, this cartoon is supported by great word play that will keep you rolling on the floor.
While other people have said this is the weakest of the Chuck Jones "hunting trilogy," I actually think this one's the best. I always get a kick out of that "Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home?" gag. It's funny how no matter what, it's always Daffy that gets shot, not Bugs. Oh, and I liked Daffy's line at the beginning, "Awfully unthporting of me, I know, but hey I gotta have some fun!"
I take it most people have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude towards cartoons, but I'm an avid fan of classic cartoons. "Rabbit Seasoning" is the definitive example of the Warner Brothers "hunting" genre. The "Pronoun Trouble" routine is up there with "Who's on First