Baseball Bugs

Baseball Bugs
Baseball Bugs
Directed by	I. Freleng
Story by	Michael Maltese
Produced by	Edward Selzer
Starring	Mel Blanc; Frank Graham (uncredited); Tedd Pierce; Bea Benaderet
Music by	Carl W. Stalling
Animation by	Manuel Perez; Ken Champin; Virgil Ross; Gerry Chiniquy
Layouts by	Hawley Pratt
Backgrounds by	Paul Julian
Color process	Technicolor
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	February 2, 1946;
Running time	7:36
Language	English

Baseball Bugs is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng.^[1] The short was released on February 2, 1946, and stars Bugs Bunny.^[2] ^[3]^[4]^[5]

Plot

A baseball game takes place at the Polo Grounds in New York City, featuring the Gas-House Gorillas and the Tea Totallers. The former, a burly and intimidating team reminiscent of the real-life Gashouse Gang, dominates the elderly players of the home team and intimidates the umpire with their aggressive play. Bugs Bunny, observing from his burrow in the outfield, becomes incensed by the unfair tactics of the Gorillas and challenges them.

Forced to play all positions against the Gorillas, Bugs employs clever strategies to level the playing field. Despite initial setbacks, Bugs showcases his athleticism and wit, thwarting the Gorillas' attempts to maintain their dominance. Through comedic antics and resourcefulness, Bugs manages to score runs and outsmart his opponents, much to their chagrin.

As the game progresses, Bugs finds himself in a decisive moment in the final inning, with the Gorillas closing in on victory. In a dramatic climax, Bugs embarks on a daring pursuit to retrieve a home run ball launched out of the stadium. With ingenuity and determination, Bugs ultimately secures the ball atop the Umpire State Building, ensuring victory for his team.

Voice cast

Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny, Tea Totaller, Umpire, Gas-House Gorilla, Second Sportscaster
Frank Graham as Sportscaster^[6]
Tedd Pierce as Lead Gas-House Gorilla
Bea Benaderet as Statue of Liberty

Production notes

Baseball Bugs, directed by Friz Freleng and written by Michael Maltese, features voice characterizations by Mel Blanc, along with additional uncredited performances by Bea Benaderet, Frank Graham, and Tedd Pierce. The title serves as a double entendre, playing on the term "Bugs" as both a nickname for eccentric individuals and a nod to sports fandom. This cartoon also draws inspiration from a previous Columbia Pictures production, Football Bugs, released in 1936.

Billboards

The outfield wall features an ad for "Mike Maltese, Ace Dick," a nod to writer Michael Maltese, with "Dick" being slang for "detective" from the comic strip Dick Tracy.
Another ad on the wall promotes "Filboid Studge," a fictional breakfast cereal from a short story by British writer Saki.
Adjacent to "Filboid Studge" is an ad for "Culvert Gin," a humorous take on Calvert Gin.
On the third base side, wall ads include "Manza Champagne," "Lausbub's Bread," and "Ross. Co. Finer Footwear for the Brats," paying homage to animator Virgil Ross.
Left field wall ads feature "Camuel's," a play on Camel Cigarettes, and "Urbo."
An outfield sign reading "Daltol" references animator Cal Dalton, with a nearby product named "Chi-Chi."
Bugs Bunny's sign after the second out, reading "Was this trip really necessary?," alludes to gas rationing during World War II.^[7]

Reception

According to animation historian Michael Barrier, there was a noticeable shift in the portrayal of Bugs Bunny's adversaries before and after World War II. Prior to the war, his foes were often portrayed as bumbling fools whom Bugs held in disdain. However, in films directed by Freleng and others post-war, the antagonists became more formidable and menacing. This change added an extra layer of satisfaction to Bugs' clever maneuvers and triumphs. In Baseball Bugs specifically, the antagonists take the form of the Gas-House Gorillas. "A whole team of interchangeable ... hulking, blue-jawed, cigar chewing monsters".^[8]

Bugs launches a fastball from the pitcher's mound, accelerates past it, and moves in position at home plate to catch it. This is a demonstration of cartoon physics, since such acceleration would be impossible in real life.^[9]

Home media

VHS:

Cartoon Moviestars Bugs! (1988)
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 9, A Looney Life (1999; 1995 U.S. Turner Dubbed Version)

LaserDisc:

Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs! and Elmer! (1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 3, Side 7 (1992)

DVD:

Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc One (2003)
The Essential Bugs Bunny, Disc 1 (2010)
Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection, Disc One (2020)

Blu-ray:

Looney Tunes Showcase: Volume 1 (2012)
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection, Disc 1 (2020)

DVD/Blu-ray:

Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc 1 (2011)

Sources

Barrier, Michael (1999), "What's Up, Warner Bros., 1945–1953", Hollywood Cartoons : American Animation in Its Golden Age, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0198020790
Van Riper, A. Bowdoin (2002). "Acceleration". Science in Popular Culture: A Reference Guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0313318221.

References

^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 164. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 58–62. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
^ "Bugs Bunny, role model with a cottontail". Los Angeles Times. 12 October 2010.
^ "Looney Tunes Offer to Help Losing Baltimore Orioles". 9 May 2018.
^ "This National Bugs Bunny Day, let's remember his simply unhittable pitching career". MLB.com. 30 April 2018.
^ Beck, Jerry (September 1, 2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. Insight Editions. p. 15. ISBN 978-1647221379.
^ Guion, Robert M. (2009). "Was This Trip Necessary?". Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 2 (4): 465–468. doi:10.1111/j.1754-9434.2009.01174.x. S2CID 144241654.
^ Barrier (1999), p. 471
^ Ripper (2002), p. 4