The Unmentionables
| The Unmentionables | |
|---|---|
| Production company | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date | September 7, 1963 |
| Run time | 6:22 |
| Starring | Mel Blanc Ralph James Julie Bennett |
| Producer(s) | David H. DePatie |
| Music composed by | Bill Lava |
| Story by | John Dunn |
| Animation | Gerry Chiniquy Virgil Ross Bob Matz Art Leonardi Lee Halpern |
| Director(s) | Friz Freleng |
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The Unmentionables is the four-hundred and eighty-seventh Merrie Melodies theatrical short. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures on September 7, 1963. It was written by John Dunn, produced by David H. DePatie, and directed by Friz Freleng.
In a parody of "The Untouchables", Bugs Bunny is appointed by the President of the United States as Special Agent Elegant Mess and is tasked with rounding up all of the gangsters and gunmolls. He decides to go after Rocky and Mugsy, the source of all the crimes going on in the city.
Detailed Summary
Memorable Quotes
Bystander Witness: Operator! Operator! Get me the police!
Gunmoll-accented Phone Operator: Just a moment, pah-lease...
(The gangsters and gunmolls shoot across the phone booth, cutting it in half)
Gunmoll-accented Phone Operator: Sahry... you've been dis-connected.
Untouchables Narrator: On October 28: Agent Mess slapped the handcuffs on Rocky and Mugsy... (Bugs brings both Rocky and Mugsy to the Joliet State Prison) And brought them to justice. (The prison doors close) They were sentenced to 20 years of hard labor... (Mugsy is now pounding a rock) Which was a little tough on Agent Mess... (Rocky is also pounding a rock) who was never able to find the keys... (Bugs keeps watch since his hands were stuff cuffed to the convicts) to his handcuffs.
Characters
In order of appearance: | ||||||||||||||
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Places
- Earth
- America
- Chicago (The Roaring 20s Era)
- Washington, D.C.
- Rocky's Hideaway
- Acme Cereal Factory
- Joliet State Prison
Organizations
Objects
- Gunmoll Flapper Disguise
- Carrot Gun
- Acme Cereal
Production
Development
Filming
Music
The music was composed by Bill Lava.
Crew credits
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: September 7, 1963 in theatres
Behind the scenes
- The title is a play and parody the classic TV series, The Untouchables. As this cartoon was very special to Friz, he and his team studied the works of John Held, Jr., and the TV series, The Unmentionables. This cartoon combines plot elements together, from Bugs and Thugs and Golden Yeggs. As well as some new gags and twists.
- This was the final cartoon to pair Rocky and Mugsy together with Bugs, and the last cartoon to feature the gangster duo as they were not seen again in over 32 years.
- Some factory animations were reused from both I Gopher You (1954) and Chili Weather.
- This is the final Bugs Bunny cartoon to be made by Friz Freleng for sixteen years, until Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol and The Fright Before Christmas.
- This is also one of a few cartoons in which Bugs has less dialogue than any other character.
- In this cartoon, Mugsy's character design is somewhat reverted back to his original design in "Bugs and Thugs". Even though he now has a necktie and yellow newsie cap, this design of Mugsy would later be used in subsequent appearances later on in the modern era.
Everlasting Influence
- During the scene where Rocky gets shot by Bugs in the dark inside of the ACME cereal factory, this gag is somewhat reused in a DePatie-Freleng Enterprises-produced cartoon in the United Artists cartoon series The Inspector, in the short Sicque! Sicque! Sicque!
- The plot of this cartoon would be used in the second act of The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie as well as some scenes from this cartoon. The ending of this cartoon would be used at the end of the second act.
Title Card of Act 2 from "The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie" - The Carrot Factory's level design, from Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time, was based on the ACME Cereal Factory from this cartoon.
Critical reception
Home availability
- In the United States:
