Hare Trigger (1945)

Overrated

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

PLAYERS: "Bugs Bunny", "Yosemite Sam".Director: I. FRELENG. Story: Michael Maltese. Animation: Manuel Perez, Virgil Ross, Ken Champin, Gerry Chiniquy. Lay-outs: Hawley Pratt. Backgrounds: Paul Julian. Voice characterizations: Mel Blanc. Music director: Carl Stalling. Technicolor. Producer: Edward Selzer. Copyright 29 May 1945 by the Vitaphone Corp. Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. (Bugs Bunny Specials) Merrie Melodies. U.S. release: 5 May 1945. 1 reel. 7 minutes.COMMENT: Everyone likes this one. Not only does it mark the first appearance of our favorite Bugs antagonist, Yosemite Sam, but it's a very funny film in its own right. The stage is set right from the start when a train runs right over the diminutive Sam who is then forced to wheel in a set of aeroplane steps to mount his horse. He introduces himself to Bugs (who mistakes him for Jesse James) with these immortal words: "Yosemite Sam, the meanest, roughest, rip-roaringest, Edward Everett Hortonest hombre what ever packed a six-shooter!" There follows a delightful lampoon of typical western clichés, both aural and visual, ending with a neat piece of cliff-hanging fantasy. I also love Bugs' introductory gibberish version of "A Boy's Best Friend Is His Mudder".

. . . in Yosemite Sam's Looney Tunes debut, HARE TRIGGER. Sam and Bugs Bunny appear to be the ONLY passengers on the Multi-car "Super Chief" Amtrak Western Excursion Train, particularly during their early drawn-out dueling scene. However, when Bugs opens the door to the "Club Car," Live Action Dance Hall Gals appear on a distant stage, separated from the wily hare by a large Real Life audience. Clearly, the Looney Tuners are anticipating Science's upcoming discoveries in Quantum Physics, especially String Theory, with this glimpse of Another Dimension. A few minutes later, Bugs opens the Club Car door again for another peak, which reveals an on-going Live Action bar room brawl. America's favorite hare gives Sam the bum's rush into this action (while remaining aloof from it himself). Sam soon emerges, worse for wear, prompting Bugs to try to trick him off the train by using Black Voice. Sam sees through Bug's Racist Ploy, leaving HARE TRIGGER to close in that Cartoon Limboland beyond the so-called Fourth Wall.

And thus was born the self-proclaimed rip-roaringest, Edward Everett Horton-est hombre what ever packed a six-shooter. Friz Freleng created Yosemite Sam because he didn't consider the dim-witted Elmer Fudd a formidable opponent for Bugs Bunny. So, he created the smallest man possible and gave him the loudest voice possible. "Hare Trigger" stresses Sam's diminutive stature by having the train pass right over him, and then he has to use a staircase to board his horse.It's worth noting that Sam is sort of a composite of a few previous characters. There was Cottontail Smith in "Super-Rabbit", the southern sheriff in "Stage Door Cartoon" and Red Hot Ryder in "Buckaroo Bugs" (that last one is usually considered Sam's definitive prototype, albeit without the mustache or loud voice). Whatever Sam's origin was, you can't deny that with his loose cannon personality, he is truly one of the funniest of the Warner Bros. animated characters. And it all started with this cartoon three score and three years ago. Thank you Friz Freleng!

Bugs Bunny is riding cross country in the mail car section of a train when it is held up by infamous train robber Yosemite Sam. Keen to continue his journey without disturbance, Bugs uses little tricks to foil Sam's attempts to rob the train.Although this cartoon has nothing that will set the world alight, it is a pretty funny little cartoon that is very well put together. The plot is full of nice little sketches, be it Bugs hiding from his scab relatives or drawing his gun ultra-fast, it's all pretty funny and well worth seeing.The animation is quality and feels like it was painstakingly drawn rather than rushed together. This is a big deal, the cartoons where care has been put in are usually better in all other regards as well and don't just look good. The characters here as also good, Bugs is very sharp and Sam is a great foil who helps carry the load of the cartoon.Overall this looks good and that quality is shown throughout. The plot is good, the jokes are funny and the characters are well scripted and delivered to be more than just animated rabbits or people but actually have characteristics of their own!