Long-Haired Hare
Long-Haired Hare | |
---|---|
The Vitaphone Corporation | |
Release date | June 25, 1949 |
Running time | 7:36 |
Language | English |
Long-Haired Hare is a 1949 American animated short film directed by
Plot
On a hillside, Bugs is singing "
On the night of Jones's concert, Bugs disrupts his performance with a series of pranks: vibrating the concert stage, spraying
Voice cast
- Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny, Giovanni Jones (speaking), Maestro, Musicians, and Delivery Boy
- Nicolai Shutorov as Giovanni Jones (singing, uncredited)[5]
Music
The film's musical score includes original music by
Giovanni Jones' singing voice remained uncredited and unknown for many years, but the DVD commentary identifies him as baritone Nicolai G. Shutorov (1914-1948). Long-Haired Hare was the only known film role for Shutorov, who had otherwise worked in Hollywood as a choral singer.[6]
Also noted on the DVD commentary is Bugs Bunny's conducting performance as "Leopold", as a send-up of conductor
Analysis
According to Daniel Goldmark, the director of the Center for Popular Music Studies at Case Western Reserve University, the first two minutes of the cartoon establish a struggle between classical music and popular music.[4][7] Giovanni acts as if he is protecting the world of "good" music from the ignorant masses which Bugs represents. The folk melodies sung by Bugs are also featured as infectious and treated as disease by Giovanni, acting as a representative of the musical establishment.[4] Each time that Giovanni finds himself singing to one of Bugs' songs, his first reaction is shock, followed by fury that he is wasting his voice on less refined music.[4] Goldmark finds similarities with The Band Concert (1935), where Donald Duck insists on playing Turkey in the Straw and infuriates Mickey Mouse.[4]
Bugs is established as an anti-aesthete first by his initial choice of musical instrument, the banjo. Secondly, he performs in a backwoods setting, as opposed to Giovanni's modern house. Thirdly, he sings from memory while Giovanni uses sheet music. He is also implied to be an untrained musician, contrasting with the trained Giovanni. A further contrast is implied through the geographic origin of their songs. Bugs sings American popular songs, while Giovanni's repertoire is Western European in origin.[4]
The orchestral musicians featured in the short have little to no personality. Their identity depends only on their instrument. Chuck Jones would follow this idea with similar personality-less depictions in the Rabbit of Seville (1950) and Baton Bunny (1959). This contrasts with orchestra-driven animated shorts by other creators.[4]
By assuming the position of the conductor, Bugs places himself at the top of the musical hierarchy. He forces Giovanni into an improvised vocalization which spans his entire range and an exercise of all his technical skills. He then forces Giovanni to hold a painful, long high G, which brings the Hollywood Bowl crashing down on the singer.[4] Bugs assumes the stereotypical attributes of famous conductors, displaying majesty, arrogance, and tyrannical behavior. He also follows the dress code of the concert hall by wearing white tie and tails, formal wear which is still associated with performers.[4]
Home media
- An edited version of Long-Haired Hare forms part of The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979).
- Long-Haired Hare is available, uncensored, uncut and digitally remastered, on the 'Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 DVD set, Disc 1. It is available in high definition on the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2 Blu-ray set, Disc 1. It is also available on "Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures" VHS, the "Looney Tunes: Musical Masterpieces" VHS, and the "Looney Tunes: Curtain Calls" laserdisc.[8]
Sources
- Goldmark, Daniel (2005), "Corny Concertos and Silly Symphonies: Classical Music and Cartoons", Tunes for 'Toons: Music and the Hollywood Cartoon, ISBN 9780520941205
See also
References
- ^ "Animation Breakdown #22". Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Goldmark (2005), p. 114-125
- ISBN 979-8-88771-010-5.
- ^ "Entertainment". The Berlin Sentinel. 1945-10-20.
- ^ "Daniel Goldmark", faculty profile, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University website, Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Long-Haired Hare at IMDb