Buckeroo Barrier

[Der Captain]

I've heard that Mike Barrier did the commentary for "Buckeroo Bugs" in the last -released "Looney Tunes" DVD. Who's heard it? I'm curious because Barrier has been writing about the film on his site and he seems to care very little for it. Does he feign enthusiasm in the commentary or just offer cold facts?

It makes me wonder. Did Barrier choose this film for commentary or was it assigned? I can't imagine choosing to do a commentary for a film I dislike.

[jonmayo15]

Not to turn this into a John K hating page, but he doesn't like Wackiki Wabbit and Claws For Alarm and he did commentary on them.

[Daffysleftfoot]

It sounds to me like Barrier did the Buckaroo Bugs commentary to indirectly counter John k.'s commentary for that same cartoon. K further spreads the Clampett myth that Red Hot Ryder is the birth of Yosemite Sam. In Mr. Barrier's commentary, he somewhat dismisses that although in a rather passive way.

[Mark J]

Two commentaries for that toon is overkill. I watched that cartoon again and it is really bad. Probably my least favorite pre 1958 Bugs. Bugs' character is bizarre and unlikable, the gags are not funny and repetitive (how many times do we have to see the magnet pulling everything metal off Red Hot Ryder revealing his underwear?), the story has no logic and goes nowhere, and the animation is sloppy and inconsistent. I don't have a problem with allowing animators to show their individual style, but Bugs entire appearance changes dramatically sometimes in the same scene, like the disappearing handkerchef around his neck. This happens a lot in Clampett Bugs toons (especially Falling Hare) but this is the worst offender. I also don't see any connection between this odd character and Yosemite Sam besides the facts that they are short and Sam dressed as a cowboy in his first short. They look and behave completely different and have a completely different voice. Clampett's Bugs toons for me are either amazing or awful, this is the worst of the batch.

[Leviathan]

If it's a bad Clampett cartoon, then there HAS to be a gushing commentary to counteract any critiques. Sort of like a throwback to the Fairness Doctrine.

But if it's a bad Jones cartoon, it's fair game.

[Paul Penna]

As long as the Fairness Doctrine is being invoked, I'd like to point out that there are plenty of us out here who place it on their all-time top WB cartoon lists. A non-stop laugh riot in all respects: animation, characterization, gags, music, sound fx, and even Robert C. Bruce out-does himself. As funny to me today as it was over 50 years ago when it literally had me rolling on the floor (which is where I usually happened to be when watching TV).

[gdX]

I love Buckaroo Bugs.

It wouldn't surprise me if RHR was casually referenced in one way or another while Yosemite Sam was being created... "remember that dopey little sherrif in the Clampett short?"... not a direct link, but not altogether removed... either way, we weren't there at the time.

I never buy the notion that Bugs only "works" in certain prescribed ways... that's too restrictive for a Golden Age cartoon... you know, Chuck Jones made up all those Roadrunner "rules" after the fact, and it's evident when you simply watch the material – he likely recalled that certain things worked well previously, and so did 'em again with a twist.

Good art stumbles into rules as it goes along, and then goes out of its way to cheerfully break those rules... sometimes, that will result in a laff-out-loud crazy cartoon like Buckaroo Bugs.

:ysam:

[Speedy Boris]

Two commentaries for that toon is overkill. I watched that cartoon again and it is really bad. Probably my least favorite pre 1958 Bugs. Bugs' character is bizarre and unlikable, the gags are not funny and repetitive (how many times do we have to see the magnet pulling everything metal off Red Hot Ryder revealing his underwear?), the story has no logic and goes nowhere, and the animation is sloppy and inconsistent. I don't have a problem with allowing animators to show their individual style, but Bugs entire appearance changes dramatically sometimes in the same scene, like the disappearing handkerchef around his neck. This happens a lot in Clampett Bugs toons (especially Falling Hare) but this is the worst offender. I also don't see any connection between this odd character and Yosemite Sam besides the facts that they are short and Sam dressed as a cowboy in his first short. They look and behave completely different and have a completely different voice. Clampett's Bugs toons for me are either amazing or awful, this is the worst of the batch. I couldn't disagree more. I thought it was a hilarious cartoon, with some solid animation. And when I showed it to my mom (who had never seen it before), she laughed at quite a few parts.

[Thad]

Two commentaries for that toon is overkill. I watched that cartoon again and it is really bad. Probably my least favorite pre 1958 Bugs. Bugs' character is bizarre and unlikable, the gags are not funny and repetitive (how many times do we have to see the magnet pulling everything metal off Red Hot Ryder revealing his underwear?), the story has no logic and goes nowhere, and the animation is sloppy and inconsistent. I don't have a problem with allowing animators to show their individual style, but Bugs entire appearance changes dramatically sometimes in the same scene, like the disappearing handkerchef around his neck. This happens a lot in Clampett Bugs toons (especially Falling Hare) but this is the worst offender. I also don't see any connection between this odd character and Yosemite Sam besides the facts that they are short and Sam dressed as a cowboy in his first short. They look and behave completely different and have a completely different voice. Clampett's Bugs toons for me are either amazing or awful, this is the worst of the batch.

I couldn't agree more with this insightful post.

[Bugsy-Kun]

Two commentaries for that toon is overkill. I watched that cartoon again and it is really bad. Probably my least favorite pre 1958 Bugs. Bugs' character is bizarre and unlikable, the gags are not funny and repetitive (how many times do we have to see the magnet pulling everything metal off Red Hot Ryder revealing his underwear?), the story has no logic and goes nowhere, and the animation is sloppy and inconsistent. I don't have a problem with allowing animators to show their individual style, but Bugs entire appearance changes dramatically sometimes in the same scene, like the disappearing handkerchef around his neck. This happens a lot in Clampett Bugs toons (especially Falling Hare) but this is the worst offender. I also don't see any connection between this odd character and Yosemite Sam besides the facts that they are short and Sam dressed as a cowboy in his first short. They look and behave completely different and have a completely different voice. Clampett's Bugs toons for me are either amazing or awful, this is the worst of the batch.


I don't agree with your comment. "Buckaroo Bugs" is one of the most imaginative cartoons ever realised at Warners. The Bugs design style is great and hilarious and the animation is a nice touch to watch. I like Red Hot Ryder, he's a funny character and i want to admit that Clampett's Bugs style was very clever to the official design. (like in "Falling Hare")

I know the animation is a bit sloppy but the gags are fun and very well timing.

[cpdavison]

I've heard that Mike Barrier did the commentary for "Buckeroo Bugs" in the last -released "Looney Tunes" DVD. Who's heard it? I'm curious because Barrier has been writing about the film on his site and he seems to care very little for it. Does he feign enthusiasm in the commentary or just offer cold facts?

I've listened to both commentaries exactly once, apiece.

Barrier's, as I recall, tended to lean toward explaining many of the then-current pop culture references with a few who-mighta-done-what tid bits sprinkled in.

He included an extract of a Bob Clampett interview to explain why Bugs' personality seemed to differ from cartoon-to-cartoon during this era.

That's about all I can remember about it. He did not go into a highly detailed laundry lists of his beefs with this short as he has, recently, at michaelbarrier.com.

Craig D.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

I think Buckaroo Bugs is an alright cartoon, but it's certainly not one of Clampett's best. (I would chose The Great Piggy Bank Robber, Baby Bottleneck or Coal Black for that.)

I disagree with Mark J's comment about the sloppy animation, though. I think Manny Gould and Rod Scribner did some nice work here. The horse's reaction and scrambling action when he realizes he's going to fall off the cliff is great.

I don't think Red Hot Ryder is the genesis for Yosemite Sam, either. I think the only connection they have in common is that they both stole the deep voiced "Whoa, horse!" from Red Skelton.

[larriva9/11]

I don't think Red Hot Ryder is the genesis for Yosemite Sam, either. I think the only connection they have in common is that they both stole the deep voiced "Whoa, horse!" from Red Skelton.

To say nothing of the red hair and short stature, if that meant anything.

It's not to say that Friz didn't have RHR in mind when he conceived Sam; but maybe more as a ready physical paraphrase than as a direct Egghead-to-Elmer precursor...

[Thad]

Red Hot Ryder is mentally retarded. Sam, while an idiot, is not.

>Poof< goes the myth.

[Daffysleftfoot]

Red Hot Ryder is mentally retarded. Sam, while an idiot, is not.

>Poof< goes the myth.

I wouldn't call Yosemite Sam an idiot really. Bugs moreso uses Sam's stubbornness to do him in. A good example is in Sahara Hare inwhich Bugs has nailed several doors together and rigs the last one with explosves. He then walks away saying "I wonder if he's stubborn enough to open all those doors."

I think that's why Friz preferred using Sam. Bugs couldn't just rely on his stupidity like with Elmer Fudd, Pete Puma, or Red Hot Ryder.

I'd say that further >poofs< the myth.

By the way, I remember having a similar discussion with John K. about this on his blog about 1 1/2 years ago. His last words to me was "I never said he [Red Hot Ryder] was Yosemite Sam, I said he sounded kind of like him." That satisfied me at the time. Imagine how I felt when I heard his commentary on LTGC5 reiterating the Clampett myth. :rolleyes: