What's Up Doc?

This page is about the theatrical short. For the song, see What's Up, Doc? (song).

What's Up Doc?
Lobby card.
Production company	Warner Bros. Cartoons
Distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date	June 17, 1950
Starring	Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan Dave Barry
Producer(s)	Edward Selzer
Music composed by	Carl Stalling
Story by	Warren Foster
Animation	J.C. Melendez Charles McKimson Phil DeLara Wilson Burness
Director(s)	Robert McKimson
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Title card

What's Up Doc? is the two hundred and seventy-first Looney Tunes theatrical short. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation on June 17, 1950. It was written by Warren Foster, produced by Edward Selzer, and directed by Robert McKimson.

In an interview with the Disassociated Press, Bugs recounts the life story of how he went to show business, and how he developed his stage personality along with Elmer.

Memorable quotes

Bugs: I give up, Mr. Fudd. Why is da state of Ohio different?
Elmer: Because it's high in the middle and wound on both ends. O-HI-O! Hyuck, hyuck, hyuck, hyuck, hyuck, hyuck!

Characters

Legend
Character debut	Speaking debut	Ep. debut	No lines	Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character	Actor
Bugs Bunny	Mel Blanc
Bing Crosby	Dave Barry
Eddie Cantor	Dave Barry
Jack Benny	N/A
Al Jolson	Dave Barry
Elmer Fudd	Arthur Q. Bryan

Organizations

• Disassociated Press

Locations

• Earth
  • United States
    • California
      • Hollywood
    • New York
      • Manhattan
        • Broadway
      • Buffalo
    • Ohio (mentioned)

Objects

• Elmer's rifle gun

Vehicles

• None of importance.

Production

Second lobby card.

Filming

The short was copyrighted in 1949 (MCMXLIX).

Music

The music was composed by Carl W. Stalling.

The song "What's Up, Doc?", which at that point was used in instrumental form for the opening sequences of several Bugs Bunny shorts since Stage Door Cartoon, was sung with lyrics for the first time in this cartoon. It was performed by Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan.

The unnamed song performed by Bugs and the chorus boys was sung by Blanc and The Sportsmen Quartet.

Songs

• "Hooray for Hollywood" - The Sportsmen Quartet
• Unnamed "Boys of the Chorus" song - Mel Blanc and The Sportsmen Quartet
• "What's Up, Doc?" - Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan

Release

Dates are in order of release:

• United States: June 17, 1950

Behind the scenes

• It was released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Bugs Bunny's official debut.
• One of the scripts Bugs throws out is for Life With Father, which actually ran for 3,224 performances on Broadway 1939 to 1947, and was the longest-running non-musical play in Broadway history. By the time this short was made, the play was also the longest running Broadway show of any kind.

Legacy

• This cartoon was used in the television specials Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television and Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars.

In popular culture

• In the 1972 film What's Up, Doc?, the opening sequence of the cartoon plays as an in-flight movie, during the final scene where Howard confesses his love to Judy at an airplane. After they both kiss to each other, a portion of Bugs and Elmer's musical number plays, before the cartoon cuts to a closing scene of Porky Pig saying "That's all, folks!"

Home availability

• • October 28, 2003: Warner Home Media releases Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 on DVD.
  • December 1, 2020: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection on Blu-ray.