Hare Ribbin' is a 1944 animatedshort film in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Robert Clampett and featuring Bugs Bunny.[1] The plot features Bugs' conflict with a red-haired hound dog, whom the rabbit sets out to evade and make a fool of using one-liners, reverse psychology, disguises and other tricks. It was released in theaters by Warner Bros. on June 24, 1944.[2] The title is a pun on "hair ribbon".
It is also the first Warner Bros. cartoon to include Bugs' head in the opening title sequence.
Plot
A dog with a Russian accent (reminiscent of comedian Bert Gordon's "Mad Russian" persona), sets out to hunt a rabbit. However, his plans are foiled when he encounters Bugs Bunny, who proceeds to tease and outwit him. During their chase, Bugs uses a humorous tactic involving a radio commercial for Lifebuoy soap to escape the dog's clutches.
The chase leads them to a lake, where the action continues underwater. Bugs continues to outsmart the dog with various antics, including disguising himself as a mermaid and Elmer Fudd. Eventually, Bugs tricks the dog into believing he has died after the dog demands a rabbit sandwich. The dog, overcome with grief, wishes that he was dead too, prompting Bugs to "grant" his wish in a comical twist.
As Bugs dances away, seemingly victorious, the dog unexpectedly sits up, revealing he is still alive, and humorously comments on his misfortune.[3]
Analysis
Michael S. Shull and David E. Wilt consider it ambiguous if this cartoon contain a World War II-related reference. While underwater, Bugs disguises himself as a mermaid. The dog transforms into a torpedo to pursue "her".[4]
The two alternate versions of the ending were based on the perception of someone that Bugs could not be seen killing another animal. This someone was perhaps a studio administrator.[3]
Censorship and alternative endings
The two alternate endings to Hare Ribbin'. Both endings portray the dog's demise through gun violence, a depiction now deemed too severe for family audiences.
Hare Ribbin', known for its two controversial endings, presents the Russian Dog character grappling with guilt over Bugs Bunny's apparent demise. In the original theatrical ending, Bugs hands the dog a gun to end his own life so he can shoot himself in the head, a scene that has been removed from television broadcasts but aired uncensored on select occasions. The "director's cut" ending depicts Bugs pulling out a gun and shooting the dog through the mouth,[3] a version never shown theatrically or on television until its release on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5 DVD set.
Additional scenes in the director's cut include an extended search for Bugs by the dog, and an enhanced sequence of them playing tag. Notably, a scene where Bugs avoids being eaten by the dog is absent from the director's cut, suggesting it may have been a later addition before the theatrical release.[3][5]
Home media
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 5 laserdisc set has the "director's cut" version of this cartoon, unrestored. The fifth volume of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD set has the original cut of Hare Ribbin', restored and remastered, and the director's cut as a special feature, unrestored and unremastered (the difference between both cuts can be determined by the tinting of the color).
Sources
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons, by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald (1989), Henry Holt, ISBN0-8050-0894-2
^Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 151. ISBN0-8050-0894-2.
