Ballot Box Bunny
Ballot Box Bunny | |
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The Vitaphone Corporation | |
Release date |
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Running time | 7 minutes 35 seconds |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Ballot Box Bunny is a 1951 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon short directed by Friz Freleng and written by Warren Foster.[2] The cartoon was released on October 6, 1951, and features Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.[3]
The two main characters are depicted as rival candidates in elections for the position of mayor in a small town.
Plot
Yosemite Sam is running for mayor of a small town, offering such empty promises as: "There's enough fresh air and sunshine in this great country of ours for everybody – and I'll see to it, that you'll get your share!". Bugs Bunny is underneath the podium drinking carrot juice when Sam makes a pledge to make good on his previous promise "to rid this country of every last rabbit" if elected. Bugs is horrified and then decides he needs to fight Sam by running against him for mayor. Both of them proceed to engage in various stereotypical election ploys.
Bugs tries to win the townspeople over with Theodore Roosevelt's famous "I speak softly, but I carry a BIG stick!" quote, even dressing up like Roosevelt. However, Sam declares "I speak LOUD and I carry a BIGGER stick, and I use it too!" He uses it on Bugs. Sam starts kissing babies (one of whom reacts by spitting the kiss off); he goes to kiss disguised Bugs, who plants one on Sam first then yells that "a bad man bit my wittle nose" (imitating Red Skelton's "Mean Widdle Kid"), attracting some women of the town who chastise Sam and rough him up as punishment.
Sam then steals Bugs' cigar stand at gunpoint ("If there's any giving away cigars, Yosemite Sam'll give 'em!"). Bugs switches his free "SMELLO" cigars for five-cent ATOM explosive ones. Sam lights one for a voter, and it immediately explodes, resulting in Sam receiving a solid punch in the face.
Sam then sends a boxful of "assorted" picnic ants to steal the food from Bugs' free picnic. As they march by carrying the food, Bugs inserts a stick of dynamite inside a watermelon. Sam is taking the food from the ants and packing it into a sack; he stuffs the watermelon in and cheerfully scurries behind a wall. After the explosion blows up the sack, everything in it, and much of Sam's clothing and hair, Sam emerges saying, "I hate that rabbit!"
Next, he rigs a cannon at the front door of Bugs' headquarters and greets Bugs with friendship at the back door; he knocks his boot heel against the floor to fool Bugs into going to answer the front door. The plan backfires when Bugs pretends that the person at the door is a girl from "Saint Louie" there to see Sam. Sam believes it's an old flame, Emma, and rushes to greet her, triggering the cannon.
Sam then challenges Bugs, asking him if he can play the piano, and Bugs accepts the challenge; Sam rigs explosives in the piano, attached to a specific key, and presents the piano to Bugs to play "
A quick chase through the streets leads the pair to the parade for the newly elected mayor. But as it turns out, a literal "
Trivia
- The statue contains a list of crew members from the film. It reads, "Pro Patria 1865: Batchelder, Champin, Farren, Julian, Nicholson, Perez, Pratt and Ross."[4]
- Building names to look out for: Ross & Co, Josiah Freep, Frizby, M. Perez, P. Julian Yard Tools.[4]
Home media
Ballot Box Bunny is available, uncut, with the ending restored, on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc 1.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-57806-696-4.
- ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Ballot Box Bunny". www.bcdb.com, August 31, 2013
External links
- Ballot Box Bunny at IMDb