The Great American Chase

[speedy fast]

I've read that The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie was originally titled The Great American Chase. Does anybody know why the title was changed? Does anybody know when the title was changed? Does anybody know if the original title card still exists?

The later title, The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie, is a better title, but I also find it misleading. Road Runner doens't appear until the end of the movie, in a montage of clips from various Road Runner cartoons. This movie does feature cartoons starring other characters besides Bugs and Road Runner. There are a lot of pictures of various characters in Bugs' house, but Road Runner's picture isn't seen until the end. The original video cover shows many other characters along with them, though the rerelease just shows Bugs Bunyn and Road Runner on the cover, being more misleading, making it look like they interract in the special when they don't interract.

I wonder if Warner Bros. wanted the title to match The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Show. I think that show, with that title, was still on TV at the time. It would make sense for a television series and movie to have similar titles.

[JERRY BECK]

I've read that The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie was originally titled The Great American Chase. Does anybody know why the title was changed? Does anybody know when the title was changed? Does anybody know if the original title card still exists?

I wonder if Warner Bros. wanted the title to match The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Show. I think that show, with that title, was still on TV at the time. It would make sense for a television series and movie to have similar titles.

I have a one sheet poster for the film as "The Great American Chase". So it was test marketed (or given a limited release) with that name.

My guess is that "American Chase" is the title Jones made the film under - and that Warner Bros. insisted it be released under the more commercial "Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie" name.

[speedy fast]

Do you know if all of the compilation movies were given limited releases? It's a shame that there isn't more behind-the-scenes information available about the compilation movies. I don't know if any are worthy of having audio commentary.

[Studio Toledo]

Do you know if all of the compilation movies were given limited releases? It's a shame that there isn't more behind-the-scenes information available about the compilation movies. I don't know if any are worthy of having audio commentary.
I would assume they were probably given decent wide releases. I used to see spots for some of them on TV as a tyke, though perhaps they were shoved into "Kiddie Matinee" type screenings if they still existed. I'm personally not a big fan of them otherwise.

[captchucky]

I saw this one at the movies, and "Bugs Bunny Superstar" numerous times. There was a great interest in these fims in the later 70's. Before VHS became popular, this was the easiest way for adults to view the classic cartoons. Both these films seemed to be the most popular of the compilation films. These weren't kiddie-matinee releases.

[JERRY BECK]

I saw this one at the movies, and "Bugs Bunny Superstar" numerous times. These weren't kiddie-matinee releases.

Chuck is correct - all five (counting BB SUPERSTAR, BB/RR MOVIE, LLLLBB MOVIE, 101 RABBT TALES and QUACKBUSTERS) recieved legitmate theatrical releases - even in New York City where I saw each in a movie theatre.

[Matt the Y]

Chuck is correct - all five (counting BB SUPERSTAR, BB/RR MOVIE, LLLLBB MOVIE, 101 RABBT TALES and QUACKBUSTERS) recieved legitmate theatrical releases - even in New York City where I saw each in a movie theatre.

There's another you left out, Jerry... Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantasic Island (tho, I don't blame you for slighting it... that movie was horrible!!!).

[nickramer]

There's another you left out, Jerry... Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantasic Island (tho, I don't blame you for slighting it... that movie was horrible!!!).

You should pick up his Movie Guide, his review of this film is the same as are's.

[speedy fast]

Jerry Beck has a movie guide?

[speedy fast]

I saw this one at the movies, and "Bugs Bunny Superstar" numerous times. There was a great interest in these fims in the later 70's. Before VHS became popular, this was the easiest way for adults to view the classic cartoons. Both these films seemed to be the most popular of the compilation films. These weren't kiddie-matinee releases.

Were they rereleased frequently? Or at all? otherwise, I don't see how this could be the easiest way (sure, when they were released it would be easy to buy a ticket and see them, but I would think that watching them on television would have been the easiest way to see them).

[nickramer]

Jerry Beck has a movie guide? Yes, but Jerry didn't write all the reviews. Also, this book was released two years ago, so it doesn't have all the animated films to date. It is a good book, however, and it also has a top-50 section of films that did not have an American theatrical release, were only show on television, were direct-to-video only (there's some surrprise choices here, including some of the Disney sequals), and films that are mainly live action but have some animation in it. You can get this at Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556525915/ref%3Dnosim/cartoonresearch/TARGET%3D/102-8700031-9032957

[Matt the Y]

You should pick up his Movie Guide, his review of this film is the same as are's.

The Movie Guide isn't available where I live and I'm not sure if I want to order it soooo....

what exactly are the opinions on Fantastic Island expressed on Mr. Beck's tome? :D

[Thad]

That movie guide is seriously terrible. I don't even think Jerry's point of view is in much of it. How else could "Aladdin" get four stars and "Dumbo" only three?

TK

[nickramer]

The Movie Guide isn't available where I live and I'm not sure if I want to order it soooo....

what exactly are the opinions on Fantastic Island expressed on Mr. Beck's tome? :D I think it got 1 or 1 1/2 stars, but do rember that the plot is lame which is pretty much true, though I like the pairing of "Taz Boy" and Sam.

And Thad, while I agree it's not the best book(I didn't buy book either), isn't thare a book of animation related that you like that been relaese in that last 3 year, besides "Mickey and the Gang"? I am still shock that you didn't like anything in "Animation Art"?

[JERRY BECK]

Jerry Beck has a movie guide?

Why of course: The Animated Movie Guide (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556525915/ref%3Dnosim/cartoonresearch/TARGET%3D/102-8700031-9032957)

I was putting together this book concurrently with writing the Pink Panther book and enlisted my friends Martin Goodman, Fred Patten, Bob Miller and Andrew Leal to help me out. DUMBO is my favorite animated film of all time, but I allowed my contributors to have their say.

[Matt the Y]

Why of course: The Animated Movie Guide (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556525915/ref%3Dnosim/cartoonresearch/TARGET%3D/102-8700031-9032957)

I was putting together this book concurrently with writing the Pink Panther book and enlisted my friends Martin Goodman, Fred Patten, Bob Miller and Andrew Leal to help me out. DUMBO is my favorite animated film of all time, but I allowed my contributors to have their say.

Wow! Someone else whose favorite all-time aniamted movie is "Dumbo".

Actually, it's not MY all-time favorite animated movie but, specifically, it was my now-late grandfather's fave... mostly for nostalgic reasons. When my family (grandparents included) visited Disney World in 1992, Harry Holt was there drawing greetings with Disney characters for the crowd and he drew one of Dumbo and Timothy Mouse for my grandfather (with one small error; he wrote, "To Billy", when my grandfather always went by Bill, not the less-formal Billy. Oh, well... :D ;) ).

[Sogturtle]

I've read that The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie was originally titled The Great American Chase. Does anybody know why the title was changed? Does anybody know when the title was changed? Does anybody know if the original title card still exists?

The later title, The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie, is a better title, but I also find it misleading. Road Runner doens't appear until the end of the movie, in a montage of clips from various Road Runner cartoons. This movie does feature cartoons starring other characters besides Bugs and Road Runner. There are a lot of pictures of various characters in Bugs' house, but Road Runner's picture isn't seen until the end. The original video cover shows many other characters along with them, though the rerelease just shows Bugs Bunyn and Road Runner on the cover, being more misleading, making it look like they interract in the special when they don't interract.

I wonder if Warner Bros. wanted the title to match The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Show. I think that show, with that title, was still on TV at the time. It would make sense for a television series and movie to have similar titles.

Speedy Fast~

I (somewhere:p ) have an article or two from back during the making of the film where Jones clearly talked about it under its original title... The title changed evidently just before it went into general release as these credits were copied off of the original video release (300 years ago;) and which were identical to what I saw in its theatrical release... "The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie"
"The slightly disarranged mind of Chuck Jones presents: The Chase Movie".
Lastly, the film's other title shows up in the dedication "The Great American Chase- is dedicated to Dorothy".

Soooooo Chuck evidently made the name-change at the last minute and under some duress since the two other titles of the film are preserved in these credits. So there you have THREE titles, "The Chase Movie", "The Great American Chase", and "The Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Movie".