Hare Brush (1955) User Reviews

Very interesting role reversal parody between Elmer and Bugs

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 7 February 2010]

This is definitely not as good as the Chuck Jones cartoons, this parody cartoon from Fritz Freleng is quite an interesting one. For one thing, while it is funny, it isn't as laugh out loud funny as some of the truly manic Looney Tunes cartoons, and Elmer while effective isn't given that much to do. But the animation is excellent, and so is the music. The script is witty and fun, especially Elmer's end line, and the sight gags are inspired. Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan both are stellar with the voices, and it was nice to see Elmer no longer the butt of the joke, it somehow brought a different side to him. But even in the Elmer role, Bugs is still humorous. The psychiatrist was a good character as well, and was relevant to the well thought out story. Overall, this is very good, and definitely worth the watch. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Nice Parody

[dimadick · 7/10 · 1 March 2002]

By 1955 the old recipe of Elmer Fudd hunting Bugs Bunny was getting old.This cartoon parodies the previous shorts with Elmer believing he is a rabbit and Bugs believing he is Elmer the hunter.Watching the real Elmer humiliating the rabbit is hilarius.The psychiatrist who turned Bugs into Elmer is an interesting figure with eyes glowing and mouth grinning and would probably need a psychiatrist himself.By the way the cartoon has a twist at the end that seems to proove Elmer is not that crazy after all.See it if you want to see a nice parody or Elmer Fudd wining for a time.

"Brother, you got yourself a preposition."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 29 December 2014]

This is a weird one but fun. It starts off with Elmer Fudd as the head of his own company with his name on a skyscraper and everything. His board of directors are holding a meeting and we soon find out why: Elmer has gone crazy and believes himself to be a rabbit. Through a series of wacky events, Elmer switches places with Bugs who is hypnotized into thinking he's really Elmer the millionaire and hunter. Crazy stuff and it just gets crazier from there. It's a nice idea to do a role reversal between Bugs and Elmer but man this short gets there strangely. Points for originality, though. Arthur Q. Bryan and Mel Blanc are both great. Nice music and animation. Good short but be prepared for it to be an odd one. The ending is great.

Get set for laughs!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 20 March 2018]

CAST: "Bugs Bunny", "Elmer J. Fudd".

Director: I. FRELENG. Story: Warren Foster. Animation: Ted Bonnicksen, Arthur Davis, Gerry Chiniquy. Lay-outs: Hawley Pratt. Backgrounds: Irv Wyner. Voice characterizations: Mel Blanc. Music director: Milt Franklyn. Color by Technicolor.

Copyright 1954 by The Vitaphone Corp. A Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" cartoon. U.S. release: 7 May 1955. 1 reel.

COMMENT: The Warner Bros cartoon boys never seem to run out of cleverly comic ideas. This one is yet another amusing variation on the perennial rabbit hunt, this time with the roles ingeniously reversed.

This little triumph presents lots of pacey comedy, good gags (including would you believe), a wicked impersonation of director Freleng himself) plus some really clever and chuckle-some twists.

A very clever Bugs Bunny episode.

[Mightyzebra · 8/10 · 7 June 2008]

In this Looney Tunes episode, Elmer seems to think he is a rabbit and is sent to an asylum. Elmer Fudd meets Bugs Bunny and without Bug's realising he swaps places. AKA Elmer Fudd is now a rabbit and Bugs Bunny is now Elmer Fudd thinking he's a rabbit. Confusing? Yep, it is confusing all right! After this the proper humour of the short kicks in and is indeed VERY humorous.

This is one of my favourite Bugs Bunny episodes, due to the clever way the plot is laid out, the funny gags and the funny quotes. Bugs Bunny is very entertaining and Elmer receives his best part of the episode in the last fifteen seconds or so.

I recommend this to people who like clever Looney Tunes episodes and Bugs Bunny, as he is the star. Enjoy! :-)

I bet that lots of CEOs owe that much in back taxes

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 21 March 2010]

Elmer has hunted Bugs many times, but Friz Freleng's "Hare Brush" puts a little spin on it. Elmer is a corporate CEO who believes himself to be a rabbit. His board of directors decides to put him in an institution. When Bugs walks by his window, he summons the wascally wabbit to the room and manages to escape. After the psychiatrist convinces Bugs that HE is Elmer, Bugs goes hunting and meets Elmer. But a twist at the end implies that the events of the cartoon were no accident! At the very least, it was neat to see Elmer and Bugs with their roles reversed, to the point that they even say the other's line. The part about tax evasion brings to mind the corporate scandals of the past few years. No telling how much Ken Lay owed in back taxes.

Anyway, really funny.

"I may be a Scwewy Rabbit . . . "

[oscaralbert · 8/10 · 1 February 2018]

" . . . but I'm not going to Alcatraz," Warner Bros.' Elmer J. Fudd says at the end of HARE BRUSH, another prophetic fable for We Americans of (The Then) Far Future from Warner's Animated Shorts Seers division (aka, The Looney Tuners). HARE BRUSH begins with billionaire Fudd facing impeachment by his corporate board for impersonating Bugs Bunny (right down to wearing a long-eared rabbit suit, and hopping around on all fours). Obviously, this ill-spoken alleged financial titan has a lot more in common with the current deplorable White House occupant than just his middle initial. Like the Real Life miscreant Fat Cat One Per Center, this cartoon Elmer prefers leisure jaunts through the great outdoors to performing his expected duties of office. It turns out that there is method to this madness, as Elmer J. Fudd in under investigation for--you guessed it--tax evasion! It doesn't take long for Robert Mueller to show up at Fudd's retreat with a bill of indictment. However, this notorious tax cheat tricks Bugs Bunny into boarding the slow boat to Alcatraz and taking the rap for him, just as Gen. Flynn is doing in Real Life now. In these days of Spy and Counter Spy, who did not expect a SOUND OF MUSIC moment when the House Sergeant of Arms came out to announce the dishonored guest delivering the State of the Union address this week--and, after a long chaotic pause--some flunky coming at a run out of the tunnel shouting "He's defected to the Kremlin!" Perhaps that will happen when next year's joint session rolls around. Don't say that Warner Bros. didn't warn you, with HARE BRUSH and many similar cartoons.