A Witch's Tangled Hare
| A Witch's Tangled Hare | |
|---|---|
 Lobby card. | |
| Production company | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Release date | October 31, 1959 |
| Run time | 6:23 |
| Starring | Mel Blanc June Foray |
| Producer(s) | John W. Burton |
| Music composed by | Milt Franklyn |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Animation | Richard Thompson Ken Harris Ben Washam Keith Darling |
| Director(s) | Abe Levitow |
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A Witch's Tangled Hare is the four hundredth Looney Tunes theatrical short. It was published by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation on October 31, 1959. It was written by Michael Maltese, produced by John W. Burton, and directed by Abe Levitow.
A lone playwright arrives at the castle of Macbeth for inspiration, where Witch Hazel chases after Bugs Bunny, who needs him for an ingredient for a witch's brew.
Detailed summary
Memorable quotes
Hazel: Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble!
Bugs: Eh... What's up, Zsa Zsa?
Hazel: Zsa Zsa? Oh-ho-ho, you're sweet.
Hazel: Let Mother scrub your back... Mother? Hee hee hee hee hee... Zsa Zsa? Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!
Hazel: Modesty is one of my girlish qualities.
Hazel: Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee! Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!
Bugs: Hehehehehehehehehe...
Hazel: Yeah.... Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee...
Bugs: Oh yeah? Well... (weird, exaggerated laughter) Top that, Lollobrigida!
Bugs: Hark, what light through yonder window breaks? Tis the east and Juliet is the sun.
Hazel: Juliet? Hee hee hee hee hee... Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Bugs: Herefore I art.
Hazel: Well, just don't stand there like a ninny. Come on up!
Bugs: No. I art bashful? You come down. I'll catch ya.
Hazel: As you like it.
Hazel: Sam Crubish? Don't you recognize me, Sam Honey?
Sam: Witch Hazel! Is it really you?
Hazel: Yes! Why didn't you show up that night to meet my folks?
Sam: I went to Apartment 2B, like you said, but...
Hazel: 2B? I never said "2B".
Sam: Oh, yes you did say so. "2B", remember? You said "2B".
Hazel: I didn't say "2B"!
Bugs: (to audience) To be, or not to be... That is the question.
Characters
In order of appearance: | ||||||||||
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Locations
Objects
- Cauldron
- Witches' Brews
- Cleaver
- Flying broomstick
- Anvil
Production
Development
Filming
Music
The music was composed by Milt Franklyn.
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: October 31, 1959
Behind the scenes
- Part of the title is a play on "tangled tale." You're welcome.
- The MPAA certificate number is 19254.
- This is the first Witch Hazel cartoon to not be directed by Chuck Jones. It was instead helmed by Levitow, who worked under Jones' division.
- It is the last theatrical short to pair Bugs Bunny with Witch Hazel.
- The short makes several references to William Shakespeare's plays:
- Sam writes a draft for act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth upon entering Macbeth's castle.
- The line Hazel says in the beginning, "Double, double toil and trouble," is directly lifted from the witches in act 4, scene 1 of Macbeth.
- Additionally, the imagery of Hazel using a cauldron calls back to the witches' scenes in the play.
- Bugs and Hazel spoof the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, which occurs at act 2, scene 2.
- Hazel makes a quick title reference to As You Like It before jumping out of the balcony.
- Sam and Hazel's banter on Apartment 2B is play on the "To be, or not to be" speech from act 3, scene 1 of Hamlet. Bugs later quotes the first line of the speech at the end of the short.
- When Bugs first meets with Witch Hazel, he calls her "Zsa Zsa." This is a reference to Hungarian-American socialite and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor.
- After performing an exaggerated fit of laughter in front of Hazel, Bugs calls her "Lollobrigida" in reference to Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida.
Errors
- Hazel ties her broomstick on a witching post, but she later calls for it, the broomstick appears without explanation.
Legacy
- Some scenes were reanimated in the 1966 short A-Haunting We Will Go, the last classic era short to feature Witch Hazel.
- The short was used as part of Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special, but with a new scene of Bugs running away after leaping out of the pot.
- The title card from this cartoon as well as some plot elements would be used in the video game, Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time.
Home availability
- In the United States:
- November 15, 2011: Warner Home Video releases Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 on Blu-ray Disc.
- July 3, 2012: Warner Home Video releases Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 on DVD.
