Acrobatty Bunny

Acrobatty Bunny is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.[1] The short was released on June 29, 1946, and stars Bugs Bunny and Nero the Lion.[2] This was the first cartoon McKimson directed that starred Bugs Bunny.

Acrobatty Bunny
Directed byRobert McKimson
Produced byEdward Selzer (uncredited)
Story byWarren Foster
StarringMel Blanc
Music byMusical Direction:
Carl W. Stalling
Orchestration:
Milt Franklyn (uncredited)
Animation byRichard Bickenbach
Art Davis
Cal Dalton
Uncredited animation:
Don Williams
Anatolle Kirsanoff
Effects animation:
A.C. Gamer (uncredited)
Layouts byCornett Wood
Backgrounds byRichard H. Thomas
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • June 29, 1946 (1946-06-29)
Running time
7:43
LanguageEnglish

Plot synopsis
Bugs Bunny meets Nero in Acrobatty Bunny, animated by Richard Bickenbach.

A circus is being set up just above Bugs' rabbit hole, causing much noise and vibration. The lion cage is set up directly above the hole, and the lion takes deep sniffs (alternatively yanking Bugs towards the hole or throwing him back) to determine that the animal below is Bugs. When the lion (whom Bugs eventually refers to as "Nero") roars again, Bugs comes to the surface to see what's going on, riding an elevator that makes twists and turns. Bugs tries to reason with the lion, but soon makes a hasty escape when Nero takes a swipe at him.

Nero manages to get out of his cage, and chases Bugs around the circus grounds. Bugs at one point ducks into a dressing room, coming out as a clown trying to convince Nero to laugh, which he eventually does — until Bugs takes some whacks at the lion with a wooden board. The lion then chases Bugs into the big top, where they swing around acrobat swings. Eventually, Bugs tricks Nero into a cannon and sets the cannon off, causing Nero to do a hula in his 'skirt', plays the ukulele.

Reception

Animation critic Jerry Beck writes, "Nonstop action and gags, Acrobatty Bunny is a pure Bugs Bunny cartoon, demonstrating what the rabbit does best: using his brains to heckle an aggressive bully and stay one step ahead of his opponent. Robert McKimson's very first Bugs Bunny cartoon is one of the funniest ever made."[3]

Crew
  • Animation: Arthur Davis, Cal Dalton, Richard Bickenbach, Don Williams, Anatole Kirsanoff
  • Inbetween: Lloyd Turner
  • Character Design: Jean Blanchard
  • Story: Warren Foster
  • Layouts and Backgrounds: Cornett Wood, Richard H. Thomas
  • Film Editor: Treg Brown
  • Voice Characterizations: Mel Blanc
  • Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling
  • Orchestrations: Milt Franklyn
  • Production: Edward Selzer
  • Direction: Robert McKimson

Availability

The cartoon can be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 DVD. It is also available on the Marx Brothers' Night in Casablanca DVD (2004).

References
  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 60. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 168. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  3. Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-1-64722-137-9.
Preceded by
Hair-Raising Hare		 Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1946		 Succeeded by
Racketeer Rabbit


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