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French Rarebit

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French Rarebit
Title card for French Rarebit
Directed byRobert McKimson
Story byTedd Pierce
Produced byEdward Selzer
John W. Burton
StarringMel Blanc
(all other voices)
Tedd Pierce (Louis)[1]
Edited byTreg Brown
Music byEugene Poddany
Milt Franklyn
Animation byPhil DeLara
Emery Hawkins
Charles McKimson
Rod Scribner
Layouts byCornett Wood
Backgrounds byRichard H. Thomas[1]
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • June 30, 1951 (1951-06-30)
Running time
7 minutes (one reel)
LanguageEnglish

French Rarebit is a 1951 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short, directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce.[2] Released June 30, 1951, the cartoon features Bugs Bunny.[3] The title is a play on "Welsh rarebit", which is also known as "Welsh rabbit".[4]

Plot

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In Paris, France, Bugs Bunny finds himself amidst a culinary quandary after a delivery mishap lands him in the bustling streets. Two competing French chefs, Louis and François, both set their sights on turning Bugs into a gourmet delicacy for their respective restaurants.[4]

Amidst the chaos of their culinary rivalry, Bugs cleverly manipulates the situation to his advantage, inciting a humorous conflict between the chefs as they vie for ownership of the unwitting rabbit. Employing wit and cunning, Bugs navigates the escalating fracas with ease, ultimately orchestrating a comical showdown in the kitchen.

As Bugs cunningly evades his would-be captors, he playfully suggests tantalizing recipes and culinary techniques, leaving the chefs bewildered and bemused. In a final act of culinary whimsy, Bugs concocts a daring plan to outwit the chefs, culminating in a comedic explosion that leaves both Louis and François unscathed but humbled.

Amidst the chaos and laughter, Bugs delivers his trademark quip, expressing a preference for a simpler fare than the culinary escapades of Parisian cuisine.

Bugs came into his own in A Wild Hare,a short released in 1940. In that short, Bugs asked “What’s up, doc?” for the very first time, with Mel Blanc debuting as the rabbit’s iconic voice.[5]

Home media

[edit]

The short can be found (uncut) on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2. This short was also included as a bonus feature on the Blu-ray release of Gay Purr-ee.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Webb, Graham (2011). The Animated Film Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to American Shorts, Features and Sequences (1900-1999). McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7864-4985-9.
  2. ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 224. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  3. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–61. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b Wallenberg, Christopher (2022-07-24). "'Toon In With Me': MeTV Celebrates Bugs Bunny's Birthday All Week". TV Insider. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  5. ^ "The 40 best Looney Tunes characters, ranked". The A.V. Club. 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  6. ^ "Warner Archive Announces August Releases".
[edit]
Preceded by Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1951
Succeeded by