The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is a 1979 American animated package film directed by Chuck Jones, consisting of a compilation of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies shorts and newly animated bridging sequences hosted by Bugs Bunny.[1] The bridging sequences, which had been produced in 1978, show Bugs at his home, which is cantilevered over a carrot-juice waterfall (modeled on Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house in Bear Run, Pennsylvania).
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie | |
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Theatrical release poster by Chuck Jones | |
Directed by | Chuck Jones Phil Monroe (co-director - "Bugs at Home" segments) |
Produced by | Chuck Jones (classic material staff are uncredited) |
Screenplay by | Chuck Jones Michael Maltese (classic material staff are uncredited) |
Story by | Michael Maltese |
Starring | Mel Blanc (voice characterization) Paul Julian (Vocal Effects, uncredited) (classic material voices are uncredited) |
Music by | Dean Elliott Classic material: Milt Franklyn (music arranger, musical director, orchestra) Carl Stalling (also musical director) William Lava (additional musical director, uncredited) John Seely Productions (music production, uncredited) |
Edited by | Treg Brown |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Early on, Bugs discusses the wild villains he had co-starred with in his cartoons, which is followed by a tongue-in-cheek sequence depicting the history of comedy and a scene in which Bugs discusses his "several fathers". The latter scene was written by Chuck Jones as a way to debunk fellow animation director Bob Clampett's claims throughout the 1970s that he alone created Bugs, and Clampett's name is notably missing from Bugs' list, as a result of the conflict between Jones and Clampett. The movie Bugs Bunny: Superstar featured Bob Clampett, and is another compilation of cartoon shorts, probably the first to examine the history of Warner cartoons, which under-played Bugs' other 'several fathers' and is part of the mentioned conflict.
All of the shorts featured were directed by Chuck Jones.
The combination of classic animated footage along with new animation would become the template for the theatrically released Looney Tunes movies for this film up until Daffy Duck's Quackbusters in 1988.
The film was dedicated to the memory of Chuck Jones' first wife, Dorothy Webster, who died before the film got released.
Plot
Bugs Bunny, while giving a tour of his home, talks about some of the famous rivalries, battles, and chases from the Looney Tunes shorts, which serves as introductions to footage from the classic short subjects. The final segment of the film consists of an extended chase sequence between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.
The film features a new gag involving the "That's all, Folks!" endline, apparently the idea of Chuck Jones (credited in the opening credits with a "slightly disarranged mind"). When it appears at the start, an annoyed Bugs places a "NOT" into it so that it says "That's NOT all, Folks!". Then before the end credits roll, as it starts to write out, Bugs forces it to rewrite itself as "That's not quite all, Folks!". Finally, after the credits finish, it appears, pre-written, as "That's really all, Folks!".
Voice characterizations
- Mel Blanc - Bugs Bunny and Caveman
Uncredited
- Joan Gerber - Cavewoman
- Arthur Q. Bryan - Elmer Fudd (archive footage)
Cartoons
Cartoons with Bugs Bunny and others
- Rabbit Seasoning (a brief clip is used)
- Hare-Way to the Stars
- Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century
- Robin Hood Daffy (shortened)
- Duck Amuck
- Bully for Bugs
- Ali Baba Bunny
- Rabbit Fire
- For Scent-imental Reasons (shortened)
- Long-Haired Hare (shortened)
- What's Opera, Doc?
- Operation: Rabbit (shortened)
Cartoons with Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote
- Beep Prepared (The ending scene where Wile E. uses an ACME little-giant do-it-yourself rocket sled)
- Fast and Furry-ous (ACME super outfit scene)
- Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z (ACME Bat-Man's outfit scene)
- Going! Going! Gosh! (Slingshot scene and Wile E. Coyote disguising himself as a woman scene)
- Guided Muscle (Human bow and arrow scene and the slingshot scene)
- Hip Hip-Hurry! (Intro chase scene with mock-Latin names, the audio shot of dizzy and thinking Wile E. Coyote and the boulder attempt)
- Hopalong Casualty (Earthquake pills scene)
- Hot-Rod and Reel! (Trampoline scene)
- Scrambled Aches (Spring coil scene)
- Stop! Look! And Hasten! (The road-wall scenes, ACME bird seed on bridge scene and the ACME leg muscle vitamins scene)
- There They Go-Go-Go! (Rock avalanche scene)
- To Beep or Not to Beep (The lasso scene and the catapult scenes)
- Wild About Hurry (ACME giant rubber band scene)
- Whoa, Be-Gone! (Teeter-totter scene, the trampoline scene and the high wire structure and dons a wheel-head scene)
- Zip 'N Snort (Human bow and arrow scene and the giant cannon scene)
- Zipping Along (Human-cannonball scene and the wrecking ball scene)
- Zoom and Bored (The scene where Wile E. gets tricked off a cliff and uses a jack-hammer)
Release
The film was shown at the 17th New York Film Festival on September 29, 1979 at Alice Tully Hall.[2] The film opened at the Guild 50th Theatre on September 30, 1979.[3] It set an opening day record at the theater with a gross of $6,280.[4]
Home media
Warner Home Video released The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie on VHS and Betamax cassettes, and on CED in the 1980s. After its second home video release in 1986, the film was re-released on VHS and LaserDisc on February 3, 1998 (as part of the Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary VHS promotion). The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie returns with Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales on the Looney Tunes Movie Collection two-disc DVD set in 2005. It is also available for purchase or rent in the Apple iTunes Store.
References
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 170. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- Buckley, Tom (September 29, 1979). "Film Festival: What's Up, Road Runner?". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- "Post-Fest 'Bugs Bunny'". Variety. September 12, 1979. p. 5.
- The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie at the American Film Institute Catalog
External links
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