The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
| The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster by Chuck Jones | |
| Production company | Chuck Jones Enterprises Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. |
| Release date | September 14, 1979 |
| Run time | 97 minutes |
| Starring | Mel Blanc Stan Freberg Paul Julian Arthur Q. Brian Nicolai Shutorev |
| Producer(s) | Chuck Jones |
| Music composed by | Dean Elliot Milt Franklyn Carl W. Staling William Lava John Seedly |
| Screenplay by | Chuck Jones Michael Maltese |
| Director(s) | Chuck Jones Phil Monroe (co-director) Classic material: |
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The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, originally released under the title The Great American Chase Movie, is an American animated package film directed by Chuck Jones, consisting of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoon shorts and newly animated bridging sequences. It was distributed by Warner Bros. on September 14, 1979, in celebration of Bugs Bunny's 40th anniversary.
Bugs, while giving a tour of his home, talks about some of the famous rivalries, battles, and chases from the Looney Tunes shorts, which serves as introductions to footage from the classic short subjects. The final segment of the film consists of an extended chase sequence between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.
The combination of classic animated footage and new scenes in the film would become the template for all of the theatrically released Looney Tunes films, until Daffy Duck's Quackbusters in 1988.
Summary
The film begins with Bugs Bunny giving a tour his luxourious mansion, which is cantilevered over a carrot-juice waterfall. He gives an explanation on the tounge-in-cheek history of the chase, and how it led to the invention of comedy. After introducing his "several fathers", consisting of notable people involved in Looney Tunes productions, Bugs discusses some of his famous rivalries, battles, and chases, all of which are provided by footage from the classic shorts.
The film's last segment focuses on Wile E. Coyote and his many attempts to catch the Road Runner. At the end of Bugs' tour, they appear as constellations in a chase in the night sky.
Cartoons in order of appearance
Cartoons with Bugs Bunny and others
- Rabbit Seasoning
- Hare-Way to the Stars
- Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century
- Robin Hood Daffy
- Duck Amuck
- Bully for Bugs
- Ali Baba Bunny
- Rabbit Fire
- For Scent-imental Reasons
- Long-Haired Hare
- What's Opera, Doc?
- Operation: Rabbit
Cartoons with Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote
- Zoom and Bored
- Zip 'n Snort
- Wild About Hurry
- Guided Muscle
- Zipping Along
- Hip Hip-Hurry!
- Hot-Rod and Reel!
- There They Go-Go-Go!
- Whoa, Be-Gone!
- Going! Going! Gosh!
- Stop! Look! And Hasten!
- Scrambled Aches
- Fast and Furry-ous
- Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z
- Hopalong Casualty
- To Beep or Not to Beep
- Beep Prepared
Memorable quotes
Bugs: Eat ya hart out, Burt Reynolds.
Characters
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Locations
Crew credits
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: September 14, 1979
Behind the scenes
- The film was dedicated to the memory of Chuck Jones' first wife, Dorothy Webster, who died a year before it was released.
- Bugs' mansion is modeled on Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house in Bear Run, Pennsylvania.
- The scene in which Bugs discusses his "several fathers" was written by Chuck Jones as a way to debunk fellow animation director Robert Clampett's claims throughout the 1970s that he alone created Bugs; Clampett's name is notably missing from Bugs' list, as a result of a personal conflict between Jones and Clampett. The documentary movie Bugs Bunny: Superstar featured Bob Clampett, and is another compilation of cartoon shorts, which under-played Bugs' other "several fathers" and is part of the aforementioned conflict.
- In some cable TV airings, the second half of the Rabbit Fire segment (following the scene with Bugs and Daffy disguised as each other) was removed.
Errors
Home availability
- In the United States:
