Difference between revisions of "Wideo Wabbit"

Wideo Wabbit
	; Lobby card.
Production company	Warner Bros. Cartoons
Distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures; The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date	October 27, 1956
Starring	Mel Blanc; Arthur Q. Bryan; Daws Butler
Producer(s)	Edward Selzer
Music composed by	Carl Stalling
Story by	Tedd Pierce
Animation	George Grandpré; Keith Darling; Ted Bonnicksen; Russ Dyson
Director(s)	Robert McKimson
	Series navigation
← Previous	Next →
	Title card

Latest revision as of 15:29, 14 June 2024

Wideo Wabbit is the four hundred and seventeenth Merrie Melodies theatrical short. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation on October 27, 1956. It was written by Tedd Pierce, produced by Edward Selzer, and directed by Robert McKimson.

When Bugs learns that a television station is in need, he doesn't realize that the role is solely for Elmer's TV show, where he goes hunting for wabbits.

Detailed summary

Memorable quotes

Bugs: Geeze, what a Groucho. Va-va-va-voom!

Characters

Legend
Character debut	Speaking debut	Ep. debut	No lines	Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character	Actor
Narrator	Robert C. Bruce
Bugs Bunny	Mel Blanc Daws Butler (as Groucho and Norton)
Television producer	Mel Blanc
Elmer Fudd	Arthur Q. Bryan

Organizations

Locations

Earth
- United States
  - Forest
    - Bugs' residence
  - QTTV TV station

Objects

Newspaper
Ladder
10,000 volt battery
Piano
Dynamited candelabra
Groucho disguise
Norton Disguise

Production

Second lobby card.

Development

Filming

Music

The music was composed by Carl Stalling. This was the last time that the theme, "What's Up Doc?" was used for the title sequence. Beginning with To Hare Is Human, all Bugs Bunny cartoons would use different title themes.

Additionally, a unnamed music cue from A Wild Hare is used when Elmer follows "wabbit twacks".

Release

Dates are in order of release:

United States: October 27, 1956 in theatres

Behind the scenes

The title is a play on "Video Rabbit," only the V and R's are replaced with W's to match with Elmer's speech patterns.
The working title was "Omni Bunny", which is likely a pun on "omni man." Not to be confused with the Invincible character, though.
This short updates Bugs' design on the Bugs Bunny introductory card for the first time since Hare Trigger, which would be used up to False Hare in 1964.
When Bugs impersonated the voices of both Groucho Marx and later Ed Norton from The Honeymooners in two scenes, Mel Blanc did not provide the voices in those two sequences; Daws Butler instead provided those voices.
- Blanc admittedly found himself to be terrible at celebrity voice impersonations, despite the fact that his voices for Pepé Le Pew and Foghorn Leghorn are based on actual actors.
- Additionally, this is the second instance where Bugs played Groucho Marx to avoid Elmer. The first time was Friz Freleng's cartoon Slick Hare, but Elmer comes much closer to catching Bugs in that Groucho scene than in the one in Wideo Wabbit, by means of disguise as Groucho's brother Harpo.
The animation of Bugs as Liberace playing Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 on the piano, and getting his fingers tied in a knot is reused from Rhapsody Rabbit. Coincidentally, Tedd Pierce wrote that cartoon alongside Michael Maltese.

Legacy

Station QTTV would be seen again in two more shorts: The 1959 Merrie Melodies short People are Bunny, and the 1963 Looney Tunes short The Million Hare.
- People are Bunny would also reuse some elements from this short, but Daffy Duck takes the place of Elmer.
This short was used in the television special Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television.

Critical reception

In other languages

Language	Name	Meaning

Home availability

In the United States:
- Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3

References

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Wideo Wabbit''}}
 {{Infobox movie
 |image= [[File:Wideo Wabbit Lobby Card V1.png|300px]]
-|caption=Lobby Card
+|caption= Lobby card.
 |prodcompany= [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]]
 |distributor= [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]<br />[[The Vitaphone Corporation]]
@@ Line 10: / Line 11: @@
 |music= [[Carl Stalling]]
 |story= [[Tedd Pierce]]
-|animation=[[George Grandpré]]<br>[[Keith Darling]]<br>[[Ted Bonnicksen]]<br>[[Russ Dyson]]
+|animation= [[George Grandpré]]<br>[[Keith Darling]]<br>[[Ted Bonnicksen]]<br>[[Russ Dyson]]
 |director= [[Robert McKimson]]
 |previous= Yankee Dood It
@@ Line 18: / Line 19: @@
 '''''Wideo Wabbit''''' is the four hundred and seventeenth ''[[Merrie Melodies (theatrical shorts)|Merrie Melodies]]'' theatrical short. It was distributed by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[The Vitaphone Corporation]] on [[October 27]], [[1956]]. It was written by [[Tedd Pierce]], produced by [[Edward Selzer]], and directed by [[Robert McKimson]].
-When Bugs Bunny learns that the TV Station, ''QTTV'', needs a rabbit for a TV show, he doesn't realize that the  role is solely for Elmer Fudd's TV Show, ''The Sportsman's Hour'', where he goes hunting for wabbits.
+When Bugs learns that a television station is in need, he doesn't realize that the role is solely for Elmer's TV show, where he goes hunting for wabbits.
 ==Detailed summary==
 ==Memorable quotes==
-'''Bugs (as Morton):''' Geeze, what a Groucho, VA-VA-VA-VOOM!
+'''Bugs:''' Geeze, what a Groucho. Va-va-va-voom!
 ==Characters==
 {{CastTop}}
@@ Line 30: / Line 32: @@
 |-
 |style="background-color:#clear"| [[Bugs Bunny (character)|Bugs Bunny]]
-|style="background-color:#clear"| [[Mel Blanc]] (as himself)<br>[[Daws Butler]] (Groucho and Norton Disguises)
+|style="background-color:#clear"| [[Mel Blanc]]<br>[[Daws Butler]] (as [[Groucho Marx|Groucho]] and Norton)
 |-
-|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Looney Tunes theatrical shorts|Producer]]
+|style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| [[List of unnamed Looney Tunes theatrical shorts|Television producer]]
 |style="background-color:#aaffaa"| [[Mel Blanc]]
 |-
@@ Line 39: / Line 41: @@
 |-
 {{CastBottom}}
-==Locations==
-*[[Earth]]
-**[[America]]
-***Forest
-***Bugs' Rabbit Hole
-***[[QTTV TV Station]]
 ==Organizations==
-*The French Fried Fresh Frozen Rabbit Company of Walla Walla, Washington
+* [[QTTV TV]]
+*[[The French Fried Fresh Frozen Rabbit Company|The French Fried Fresh Frozen Rabbit Company of Walla Walla, Washington]]
+==Locations==
+* [[Earth]]
+** [[United States]]
+*** Forest
+**** [[Bugs' residence]]
+*** QTTV TV station
 ==Objects==
-*Newspaper
+* Newspaper
-*Ladder
+* Ladder
-*10,000 Volt Battery
+* 10,000 volt battery
-*[[Piano]]
+* Piano
-*Dynamited candelabra
+* Dynamited candelabra
 *Groucho disguise
-**Groucho Glasses (with eyebrows and stache)
-**Groucho's Cigar
 *Norton Disguise
 ==Production==
-[[File:Wideo Wabbit Lobby Card V2.png|200px|thumb|right|alt=Second Lobby Card|Second Lobby Card]]
+[[File:Wideo Wabbit Lobby Card V2.png|200px|thumb|right|Second lobby card.]]
 ===Development===
 ===Filming===
 ==Music==
-The music was composed by [[Carl Stalling]].
+The music was composed by [[Carl Stalling]]. This was the last time that the theme, "[[What's Up Doc? (song)|What's Up Doc?]]" was used for the title sequence. Beginning with ''[[To Hare Is Human]]'', all Bugs Bunny cartoons would use different title themes.
-This was the last time [[Bugs Bunny]]'s theme, ''What's Up Doc?'' was used for the title sequence. Starting with ''[[To Hare Is Human]]'', all Bugs Bunny cartoons would use different title themes.
+Additionally, a unnamed music cue from ''[[A Wild Hare]]'' is used when Elmer follows "wabbit twacks".
-Also, a music cue from ''[[A Wild Hare]]'' is reused in this cartoon when Elmer follows the wabbit twacks.
 ==Release==
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 ==Behind the scenes==
-* The title is a Elmer Fudd-ese pun of 'Video Rabbit' only the 'V' and 'R' are replaced with W's.
+* The title is a play on "Video Rabbit," only the V and R's are replaced with W's to match with Elmer's speech patterns.
-* The working title was ''Omni Bunny'', which is a pun of ''omni man''.
+* The working title was "Omni Bunny", which is likely a pun on "omni man." <small><small>Not to be confused with the ''Invincible'' character, though.</small></small>
-* This short updates Bugs' design on the Bugs Bunny introductionary card for the first time since ''[[Hare Trigger]]'', which would be used up to ''[[False Hare]]'' ([[1964]]).
+* This short updates Bugs' design on the Bugs Bunny introductory card for the first time since ''[[Hare Trigger]]'', which would be used up to ''[[False Hare]]'' in [[1964]].
-* When Bugs impersonated the voices of both Groucho Marx and later Ed Norton from ''The Honeymooners'' in two scenes, Mel Blanc did not provide the voices in those two sequences; instead [[Daws Butler]] provided those voices. Blanc admittedly found himself to be terrible at celebrity voice impersonations, despite the fact that his Pepe Le Pew and Foghorn Leghorn characters are based on celebrity impressions.
+* When Bugs impersonated the voices of both Groucho Marx and later Ed Norton from ''The Honeymooners'' in two scenes, Mel Blanc did not provide the voices in those two sequences; [[Daws Butler]] instead provided those voices.
-** Also, this is the second time that Bugs has played Groucho Marx to avoid Elmer. The first time was [[Friz Freleng]]'s cartoon ''[[Slick Hare]]'' ([[1947]]), but Elmer comes much closer to catching Bugs in that Groucho scene than in the one in ''Wideo Wabbit'' by means of disguise as Groucho's brother Harpo.
+** Blanc admittedly found himself to be terrible at celebrity voice impersonations, despite the fact that his voices for [[Pepé Le Pew]] and [[Foghorn Leghorn]] are based on actual actors.
+** Additionally, this is the second instance where Bugs played Groucho Marx to avoid Elmer. The first time was [[Friz Freleng]]'s cartoon ''[[Slick Hare]]'', but Elmer comes much closer to catching Bugs in that Groucho scene than in the one in ''Wideo Wabbit'', by means of disguise as Groucho's brother Harpo.
-* The animation of Bugs as Liberace playing ''[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2]]'' on the piano and getting his fingers tied in a knot is reused from ''[[Rhapsody Rabbit]]'' (1947). Coincidentally, [[Tedd Pierce]] cowrote that cartoon with [[Michael Maltese]].
+* The animation of Bugs as Liberace playing ''[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2]]'' on the piano, and getting his fingers tied in a knot is reused from ''[[Rhapsody Rabbit]]''. Coincidentally, [[Tedd Pierce]] wrote that cartoon alongside [[Michael Maltese]].
-==Everlasting Influence==
+==Legacy==
-* Station QTTV would be seen again in two more shorts: The [[1959]] ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' cartoon, ''[[People are Bunny]]'', and the [[1963]] ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' cartoon, ''[[The Million Hare]]''.
+* Station QTTV would be seen again in two more shorts: The [[1959]] ''Merrie Melodies'' short ''[[People are Bunny]]'', and the [[1963]] ''[[Looney Tunes (theatrical shorts)|Looney Tunes]]'' short ''[[The Million Hare]]''.
-** Additionally, ''People are Bunny'' would also reuse some elements from this short. However, [[Daffy Duck]] would take Elmer's place in said short.
+** ''People are Bunny'' would also reuse some elements from this short, but [[Daffy Duck]] takes the place of Elmer.
-* This short was used in the TV Special, ''[[Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television]]''.
+* This short was used in the television special ''[[Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television]]''.
 ==Critical reception==