Story of movie The Wabbit Who Came To Supper : The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is a 1942 American Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring early appearances by Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The Elmer character is in a transitional state from his earliest appearances in Bob Clampett's shorts and the appearance which he adopted around 1943.
| The Wabbit Who Came to Supper | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies (Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd) series | |
Title card. | |
| Directed by | Supervision: I. Freleng |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Voices by | Uncredited voice characterizations: Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan (both uncredited) |
| Music by | Musical direction: Carl W. Stalling Uncredited orchestrations: Milt Franklyn |
| Animation by | Character animation: Richard Bickenbach Cal Dalton Gil Turner Manuel Perez Gerry Chiniquy Herman Cohen (final five uncredited) Uncredited effects animation: A. C. Gamer |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Release date(s) | March 28, 1942 (USA) |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 8:07 |
| Language | English |
This short is one of several pre-August 1948 WB cartoon shorts that lapsed into the public domain due to United Artists failing to renew the copyright in time.
The title of the short is a reference to the 1942 Warner Brothers film version of the 1939 George S. Kaufman Broadway comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner, in which an overbearing house-guest threatens to take over the lives of a small-town family.
Screenplay
As Elmer has Bugs Bunny cornered on his hunting trip, Elmer receives a telegram from his Uncle Louie who leaves him $3 million in his will, as long as he doesn't harm any animals, especially rabbits. Elmer changes his tune to one of uncharacteristic niceness and sets Bugs free.
Bugs, with characteristic élan, takes full advantage of the situation by sneaking into Elmer's house before Elmer returned and making himself at home. As Elmer returns, he hears Bugs singing "Angel in Disguise", while taking a shower and later shaving; Bugs uses the opportunity to purposely aggravate Elmer, knowing that he has Uncle Louie as blackmail and because of this Elmer cannot effectively punish Bugs in any way at the risk of losing his inheritance.
Elmer tries to coax Bugs into leaving, gently patting him on the head, which Bugs claims that he is hurting him and threatens to call Uncle Louie. Elmer apologizes to Bugs then tricks him into walking out of the house. Bugs resorts to faking a serious illness, prompting Elmer to take him back in, afraid he may have lost the inheritance for good.
Later a special delivery letter arrives for Elmer, which informs him that Uncle Louie has "kicked the bucket" and that he now inherits the $3 million. However, the amount of the various estate taxes, including a $2 million inheritance tax, claims the entirety of the inheritance and leaves Elmer owing Louie's lawyer $1.98. Furious at Bugs' torment and intrusion for all that, Elmer, at his wits' end, is finally free to vent his anger on Bugs and chases him around the house until Bugs escapes out the front door, to which Elmer slams shut. Elmer, briefly relieved that he is finally rid of Bugs, then receives a large Easter egg delivery from a postman. Upon opening it, an impossibly large litter of baby Bugs Bunnies who say "Eh, what's up Doc?" in unison begin to leap around the house.
Friz Freleng, the man most responsible for developing Bugs' personality, was the director of this short cartoon. This short film was written by Michael Maltese and animated by Richard Bickenbach. The music was selected, composed and arranged by Carl W. Stalling with sound effects and editing by Treg Brown. Mel Blanc performed the voice of Bugs Bunny, and Arthur Q. Bryan performed the voice of Elmer Fudd.
Being in the public domain, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper was featured on several low-budget VHS releases of public domain cartoons. (The use of "Angel in Disguise," which remains under copyright, has complicated the short's public domain status.)
On the 2005 Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 DVD release, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is presented in a restored unedited version with a commentary track provided by animation historian Jerry Beck and Warner Brothers' inker Martha Sigall, one of about 40 uncredited inkers and painters who labored on the Looney Tunes shorts.
- List of films in the public domain in the United States
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