Hair-Raising Hare (1946)

Expected more

A lot of fun.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Classic Bugs Bunny short from the great Chuck Jones that gives us a Peter Lorre mad scientist, a female rabbit robot, and the first appearance of Gossamer, the big hairy orange monster that wears sneakers. A very funny cartoon with lots of clever gags and witty lines. Some really lovely animation with nicely-drawn characters and backgrounds. Rich Technicolor is always a plus in my book. Energetic score from Carl Stalling. Excellent voice work from the incomparable Mel Blanc. So many great moments but my favorite might be the "doctor in the house" gag. A truly wonderful cartoon that should bring a smile to even the most curmudgeonly of faces.

There are so many reasons why I loved this cartoon. One significant reason is the characters, I loved all of them. Bugs is great here, he is drawn well and he has some great lines, but this is one instance when he is overshadowed by not one but two characters. One is the monster who looks very like the one in Water Water Every Hare, he is scary at first, but he is very fuzzy and cute as well. The other is the scientist, he looks and acts exactly like Peter Lorre, and he is priceless, his looks, his voice, everything. I also loved the animation, it isn't the very best looking of all the Looney Tunes cartoons, but the opening sequence is suitably atmospheric and there are some nice backgrounds, lovely simple colours and crisp character features. The music is great too, I always look for this and I wasn't disappointed, it had some haunting moments but it was also fun. The dialogue is inspired and really funny, the story is well constructed, the visual gags are just as funny as the dialogue and the pacing is fine. Oh, and Mel Blanc's vocals are superb. Overall, a wonderful Looney Tunes cartoon. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Hair-Raising Hare (1946)*** (out of 4)Fun Merrie Melodies short has Bugs Bunny being lured into a creepy castle where a mad scientist wants to feed him to a large, red-headed monster. This film was semi remade six years later as WATER, WATER EVERY HARE and I enjoyed that one more. That doesn't mean this one isn't any good but it is a case where I prefer the remake. With that said, this one here spoofs the horror genre fairly well with the mention of Dracula and Frankenstein. The best thing is the mad scientist, which is a carbon copy of the great Peter Lorre. Another plus is good ol' Bugs who is full of great one-liners and some fun action.

Chuck Jones's 'Hair-Raising Hare' pits Bugs Bunny against a genuinely disturbing Peter Lorre scientist caricature and his huge orange monster. The monster (later named Gossamer and also featured in Jones' luscious sequel to this short, 'Water, Water Every Hare' under the name Rudolph) is an extremely memorable villain who, despite his size, never poses much real threat to Bugs once he turns on his heckling. Although it is not as visually luscious as 'Water, Water Every Hare', Tedd Pierce has turned in a great script which includes some viciously amusing eye-poking, a priceless scene involving a suit of armour and the best "What's up, Doc" joke you'll ever hear. Bugs' wisecracks are top drawer ("Don't go up there, it's dark") and the high energy level is kept up throughout. It's also the only cartoon in which you'll get to hear Gossamer speak. All in all, then, 'Hair-Raising Hare' is a blast and makes a cracking double bill with its less gag-driven sequel.