Bully For Bugs
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc.
- Distributor
- Warner Bros.
Synopsis
Before we encounter Bugs, we get an eyeful of a magnificent bull in action as he makes short work of a matador. Looking for the "Coachella Valley and Carrot Festival therein" (that left turn at Albuquerque again), Bugs tunnels into the middle of the arena. Bugs becomes hostile when the bull's breath steams up his tail, and the bull bops him high into the air. The bunny utters his famous declaration, "Of course you realize this means war!" and steps back into the arena in full toreador costume, directing the bull head-first into an anvil with his red cape, then doing a show-stopping dance (to "La Cucaracha") with the now slap-happy bull. Another bit of choreography follows, this one set to the Mexican Hat Dance and employing as its theme Bugs walking right up to the behemoth and slapping him repeatedly in the face- in tempo! Next, Bugs booby-traps his cape with a rifle, which the bull accidentally swallows, enabling him to fire bullets out of his horns. However, he abuses the privilege by trying explosive-headed bullets. Bugs then sends the bull out of the stadium. By the time he returns, Bugs has arranged for his defeat with a Rube Goldberg routine which sets off a powder keg just as the bull flies over it. This heads the bull straight into the side of the arena. Over the bull's battered backside, Bugs displays a banner reading "The End."
Characters
Bugs Bunny, Bull, Matador
Credits
Directing
- Director
- Chuck Jones (as Charles M. Jones)
Producing
- Producer
- Edward Selzer
Writing
- Writer
- Michael Maltese
Animation
- Animator
- Ben Washam, Lloyd Vaughan, Ken Harris
Voices
- Voice
- Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny, Bull [Gulping])
Music
- Music
- Carl Stalling
Crew
- Layouts
- Maurice Noble
- Backgrounds
- Philip De Guard
Production notes
Chuck Jones stated that this cartoon was created as a "says-you" response to producer Edward Selzer's claim that bullfights aren't funny.
Pictures
Reviews
Best punsults ever!
All my favorite Bugs insults are here! So hilarious, the gags, the puns, the whole
package is ROTFL!
Bully For Bugs
After forgetting to take "that left turn at Albequerque", Bugs finds himself in one heck of a bullfight with a huge and relatively intelligent bull, who manages to match wits fairly well with our favorite wabbit, er rabbit.
The animation, expression, timing, wisecracks, etc. are hard to beat in this one...
"What a NIN-COW-POOP!" That is worth the price of admission, Folks!
Bully For Bugs
This is definitely one of my favorites! The best thing about this cartoon, like so many, are the facial expressions of Bugs and the bull!
Bully For Bugs
One of the greatest Bugs cartoons of all time and therefore one of the greatest FILMS of all time.
Bully For Bugs
The dances to classics like La Cucaracha and Mexican Hat Dance are great! especially the slaps across the bull's face! Especially hilarious are the bows alternated between the Bull and Bugs trying to outwit each other! And hearing the classic Bugs line of "Of course you know this means war" alone makes this cartoon worth watching!
Bully For Bugs
The comic timing is sensational. I cannot hear the Mexican hat dance without wanting to slap someone's face. The use of expressions, close ups and camera angles in animation doesn't get any better than this offering by Chuck Jones. Bugs does not have his way with the bull throughout the picture but he wins out with one of the greatest climaxes in film history.
Bully For Bugs
Famed cartoon director Chuck Jones said that this cartoon came about because his then-producer, Edward Selzer, caught him doodling a drawing of a bull one day and told Jones that he was not to make cartoon about bullfighting. Of such defiant acts are great cartoons made. This is one of the all-time great Looney Tunes, with great camera angles (note the ant's-eye view of a confident Bugs as the bull gains ground on him), hilarious give-and-take between Bugs and his adversary, and a gut-busting ending (beautifully scored by Carl Stalling). For years, CBS was stupid enough to broadcast this cartoon with its fantastic climax cruelly edited. You can now find the whole thing intact in Jones' The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979) and on the Jones compilation videocassette From Hare to Eternity, as well as in intermittent broadcasts on Cartoon Network. A Bugs Bunny gem.
Bully For Bugs
Standing with the likes of cross-genre cartoons like "Rabbit Seville" and "What's Opera Doc" this clearly stands as one of Bugs' Best. Bugs becomes lost on one of his road trips and finds himself in a bull fight ring. Wonderful gags, dialog, music and an antagonist who seems to actually challenge our feckless rabbit. The expression on the bull's face as it flys through the air in their final encounter is priceless.
Bully For Bugs
Very entertaining to watch Bugs match wits with this bull. The bull actually keeps pace with Bugs for most of the toon, giving as good as he gets. But this is Bugs that we are talking about , so in the end, Bugs stands triumphant.