Barbary-Coast Bunny (1956)

Perfect cast and a good story

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Bugs Bunny is tunneling to see his cousin in San Francisco when he hits his head on a large gold nugget. Bugs doesn't enjoy his gold for long as he's soon swindled out of it by a crook called Nasty Canasta (love that name!). Six months later, Canasta has used the gold to build himself a profitable casino. Bugs shows up and decides to get even with the swindler by taking him for all he's worth. A funny and nicely-animated short from director Chuck Jones. I liked how the action starts during the opening credits, something Jones did quite a bit. Since the cartoon's only 7 minutes or so I appreciate how he tried to get in as much as he could. I liked the villain Nasty Canasta a lot. Aside from having a cool name, he's voiced by the great Daws Butler. Bugs is in top form here, especially when in disguise at the casino. Some hilarious gags like 'draw poker' and 'bigger hand.' Just a fun short.

Once again, a thoroughly enjoyable Looney Tunes cartoon. The animation is great, you can never go wrong with lovely backgrounds and audacious, crisp colours, and this cartoon had both. The music is lively and energetic as always, while there is a good story, a wonderful script and some funny sight gags. Not to mention an invigorating pace, in fact Barbary-Coast Bunny may be a little too short, however there is so much that compensates so this is a minor issue in comparison. Bugs is a delight here, I loved both his dialogue and his facial expressions which were priceless and Nasty Canasta is a surprisingly good foil. Once again, Mel Blanc is superb with the voice characterisations, is there anything this man cannot do. Overall, delightful and hugely enjoyable. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Chuck Jones's 'Barbary Coast Bunny' is a hilarious cartoon which benefits greatly from a terrific script by Tedd Pierce. Jones goes for a minimal look in his layouts which proves to be a wise choice since 'Barbary Coast Bunny' is very much a cartoon based heavily around the interaction of two characters. This interaction, as per usual, is realised with impeccable timing by Jones. When Bugs Bunny accidentally finds an enormous gold nugget, the villainous Nasty Canasta (a dopier re-imagining of the villain from 'Drip Along Daffy') steals it and uses it to build his own casino. Bugs turns up at this casino, disguised as a know-nothing out-of-town type and proceeds to get more than his money back. The gambling sequences get progressively funnier as Bugs manages to win money even from sources that are not supposed to dispense it! 'Barbary Coast Bunny' was a cartoon that I loved as a child and its unexpected twists and deftly imaginative script ensure that I still love it equally as much as an adult.

"Barbary-Coast Bunny" portrays Bugs Bunny on his way to San Francisco to visit his cousin Herman (he has a cousin Herman?) when he runs into a giant slab of solid gold. When big, ugly thug Nasty Canasta - who previously appeared in the Daffy Duck-Porky Pig vehicle "Drip Along Daffy, although looking a little different - steals the gold, Bugs says something that basically means "this means war".True, I don't understand why it takes Bugs six months to arrive in San Francisco, or why they just let him win so easily; part of what made these cartoons so great was how he ended up in sticky situations but messed with them. But, as far as I'm concerned, as classic Bugs cartoon is a good one, especially when directed by Chuck Jones. Not the best, but still worth seeing.I wonder how the San Francisco area got the name "Barbary Coast". That moniker originally referred to North Africa, in reference to the Berbers.