Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd is a major character and antagonist in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical shorts. He often appears as the archenemy of Bugs Bunny, who he aims to hunt in many occasions. However, he would end up being foiled by both Bugs' wise tricks and his own gullibility. He is one of the few human characters that appear in the main cast, alongside Yosemite Sam and Granny. His voice was originated by Mel Blanc, but is best known by his replacement Arthur Q. Bryan, who provided his distinct vocalization.
Elmer's protégé in Tiny Toon Adventures is Elmyra Duff.
Character description
Elmer is one of Bugs Bunny's most recurring antagonists, usually portrayed as a big-game hunter armed with a double-barrel shotgun. However, Elmer is slow-witted and is largely seen as a foolish, timid "nimrod" who cannot deal great harm to the rabbit. As such, Bugs uses his incompetence as an advantage to foil Elmer and his schemes. Elmer's catchphrase is, "Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits," as well as his trademark laughter.
Elmer is also the type of person who is "afraid of someone going to interfere him," as director Chuck Jones had described him,[2] although he does share some moments where he tries to be meanacing or a genuine threat.
Elmer-speak
He speaks with an unusual speech impediment, in which he nearly vocalizes [r] and [l], pronouncing them as [w] instead, when he would talk in his slightly raspy voice. This trait is prevalent since his official debut in Elmer's Candid Camera, where the writers of the cartoons would give him lines filled with these letters to further exaggerate his nebbish qualities. An example of would be in the 1942 short The Wacky Wabbit, in which he says the line, "Thewe's something awfuwwy scwewy going on awound here." Some of the others lines given to Elmer include doing Shakespeare's Romeo as "What wight thwough yonduh window bweaks!" (in the 1944 short, Stage Door Cartoon), or Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries as "Kiww the wabbit, kiww the wabbit, kiww the wabbit!" (in 1957's What's Opera, Doc?). Animation historian Leonard Maltin describes Elmer's speech patterns as "Elmer Fudd-ese".[2]
Ironically, part of the joke is that while he is incapable of pronouncing words correctly, he address own first name right. Elmer would properly pronounce an "r" or "l" sound on occasion, depending on whether or not it was vital for the audience to understand what the word was. In The Old Grey Hare, for instance, he clearly pronounces the "r" in the word "picture".
Appearances
TV series
Movies
Shorts
Comics
Video games
Biography
Wabbit Season
We're All a Little Looney
Come On and Slam! and Welcome to the Jam!
Elmer Gets Modern
Going Down the Rabbit Hole
Elmer Gets Retro
Elmer Sells Out
Development
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Gallery
- Main article: Elmer Fudd/Gallery
Toys and merchandise
Behind the scenes
In popular culture
- In the 1972 film What's Up, Doc?, during the final scene where Howard and Judy kiss each other in an airplane, a portion of Bugs and Elmer's musical number from the similarly titled What's Up, Doc? plays, before the cartoon cuts to Porky Pig saying "That's all, folks!"
- In the Family Ties episode "Read It and Weep Part 1," Mallory is rather critical of the shape of Alex's head, comparing it to the shape of Elmer Fudd's.
- In The Golden Girls episode "Larceny and Old Lace," Blanche asks Rose what Mozart composition is a serenade in G for two violins, viola, cello, and double base, in four movements, which the latter replies that was Ein klien Nachtmusic. When Blanche asks her where she got it from, she says that it played in The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show, during a chase scene with Elmer Fudd and Bugs.
- In the Seinfeld episode "The Bubble Boy," George quotes Jerry on his answering machine that his girlfriend (who's in the room) laughs like Elmer Fudd sitting on a juicer. Jerry then argues that it was a compliment and talks like him.
- In the March 20, 1993 (Miranda Richardson/Soul Asylum) episode of Saturday Night Live, Rob Schneider appears in the Weekend Update sketch defending cartoons after the FFC ruled out that they should not be considered educational. Schneider counters that kids learned "Ride of the Valkyries" from this short, although he then says that Elmer Fudd wrote it, instead of Richard Wagner. He then sings "Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!" to the march of "Ride of the Valkyrie."
- In "Episode Two" (series 5) of the BBC Radio 4 impressionist sketch program Dead Ringers, Elton John is replaced by Phil Collins in singing for Disney's animated movies, so the former goes to other cartoons who need the "Elton John magic," such as Elmer Fudd failing to shoot Bugs Bunny in the back, set to the tune of "Candle in the Wind."
- In the 2011 animated DTV film Batman: Year One, when Selina is enraged that there are no jewels inside of the toys, after stealing them from Commissioner Loeb's collection, she throws an Elmer doll at the TV.
- In the Fresh Off the Boat episode "License to Sell," Louis said that Eddie looked like an Indian Elmer Fudd with his hunting cap.
- In the Doom Patrol episode "Doom Patrol Patrol," Robotman described Cyborg's hand blowing up as looking like Elmer Fudd's shotgun after Bugs Bunny had stuck a cock in it.
- In the Blockbuster pilot, Carlos regrets not tweeting Walter Mercado when he had the chance, but Percy says that Mercado was always old for as long as Louis was alive like Colonel Sanders and Elmer Fudd.
- In the Velma episode "Private Velmjamin," Fred wants to return a nativity miniature model with the Looney Tunes to Father O'Rourke, after Fred briefly became Catholic. Elmer is baby Jesus, Sylvester is Joseph, Granny is Mary, and Daffy, Porky, and Bugs are the three wise men.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- "Did the Earth Move for You?:" Geoffrey mockingly comments on Will saying he "wuvs" his new girlfriend on the phone by saying, "Isn't that romantic? He's quoting Elmer Fudd."
- "Be My Baby Tonight:" Will picks up a cookie that Geoffrey apparently made to look like Elmer Fudd.
Full House
- "The Return of Grandma:" It is a Saturday morning and Stephanie wants to watch Bugs Bunny, but Joey who would prefer to watch Yogi Bear, says Bugs Bunny is kid's stuff and that every episode is the same. He then does impressions of the usual routines of Elmer and Yosemite shooting at him. Joey thinks Bugs has a death wish and wonders why he even pokes his head out his rabbit hole. Despite this, Stephanie thinks it's less boring than watching Yogi always steal picnic baskets.
- "But Seriously Folks:" In his return to standup comedy, Joey does an impression of Elmer Fudd when he says that people sound and like Elmer after having just woken up, especially if you have to answer the phone.
- "D.J.'s Very First Horse:" After tricking Stephanie into thinking a barn horse could talk, Joey says he will make it up to her by showing her a talking duck that sounds like Elmer Fudd, and then proceeds to say in Elmer's voice, "Quack, quack, quack. Hewwo."
- "Jingle Hell:" To help Jesse with his cat food jingle commercial, Joey warms up by doing cartoon impressions such as Elmer when he said, "Hewwo." This was also followed by Yosemite Sam.
- "Blast from the Past:" Joey gets a visit from his ex-college girlfriend, Patty, who says that one of the reasons she broke up with him is because he would only say he loved her in cartoon voices such as Bullwinkle (from Rocky and Bullwinkle), Yosemite Sam, and Elmer Fudd.
- "Nicky and/or Alexander:" When Jesse and Becky bring home the twins for the first time, Joey compares them to looking like little Elmer Fudds, and greets them in Elmer's voice, "Hewwo, you little wascally wugwats," followed by his laugh.
References
- ↑ Barrier, J. Michael (1999). "Hollywood cartoons : American animation in its Golden Age", p.358-359. ISBN 0-19-503759-6. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Behind the Toons: Forever Befuddled (Bonus featurette on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 DVD, 2003). Warner Home Video.
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