The Million Hare
The Million Hare is a 1963 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short directed by Robert McKimson.[1] The short was released on April 6, 1963, and stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.[2]
The Million Hare | |
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Title card | |
Directed by | Robert McKimson |
Produced by | David H. DePatie |
Story by | David Detiege |
Starring | Mel Blanc |
Music by | Bill Lava |
Animation by | Ted Bonnicksen Warren Batchelder George Grandpre Keith Darling Harry Love (special animation effects) |
Layouts by | Robert Gribbroek |
Backgrounds by | Robert Gribbroek |
Color process | Technicolor |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date | April 6, 1963 (USA) |
Running time | 6 minutes |
Language | English |
Clips from The Million Hare were used, with color commentary by John Madden and Pat Summerall, as part of the fourth quarter of the 2001 Cartoon Network special The Big Game XXIX: Bugs vs. Daffy.
Plot summary
During the opening titles, the song "With Plenty of Money and You" is heard. The camera pans down a stack of TV antennas and enters the underground home of Bugs Bunny, who is being visited by Daffy Duck. As they watch a TV game show called "Beat Your Buddy", an announcer says he will draw two names from the "buddy barrel", and that the first namee to reach the television studio will win "a million bucks." He then draws Bugs and Daffy's names.
Bugs and Daffy race each other to the studio. Daffy finds himself continuously hindered, usually due to his own impatience. For example, he drives a moped onto a bridge under construction and winds up in the water below-forgetting that, as a duck, he can already fly and swim.
Bugs, keeping a steady, simple pace, reaches the studio's building first. Daffy dons a jet pack, hoping to beat Bugs to the top floor. He flies to the top floor, grabs Bugs, and zooms out the other end of the building. They land in an antique glass shop and are taken to a hospital. Even though they are in bandages, with Daffy on crutches and Bugs in a wheelchair, they continue the race and Daffy crosses the finish line first.
Daffy then discovers that the "million bucks" is actually a "Million BOX"—a huge box filled with one million little boxes. Considering the prize worthless, Daffy gives it to Bugs. The announcer then reveals that "inside each of the one million little boxes, there is a crisp, brand-new $1 bill"—thus Daffy has just given Bugs $1,000,000. "With Plenty of Money and You" is heard again, and the announcer asks Daffy if he wants to say something to the audience. Daffy's head slowly changes into that of a donkey, and he starts braying.
Cast
Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Announcer
Home media
"The Million Hare" is available on the Looney Tunes Superstars DVD. However, it has been cropped to widescreen format. It is also available on the DVD The Best of Bugs Bunny, also cropped to widescreen.
See also
- List of American films of 1963
- List of cartoons featuring Daffy Duck
- List of Bugs Bunny cartoons
References
- Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 342. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–62. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.