Case Of The Missing Hare

[Marty26]

I think this is actually one of the most underrated and underappreciated Chuck Jones cartoons ever. And I say that because I really feel this is the cartoon where his version of Bugs really developed (side note: it's also pretty much the entire template for the later Long-Haired Hare). It more or less firmly established the rule that Bugs is supposed to be provoked in some way before going after his nemesis, and I feel this cartoon is where his style of humor really started to shine (Iie. Ali Bama getting blown up at the end, Bugs using all those disguises, etc).

What does everybody else think?

[J Lee]

It's underrated mainly for the plot template it developed more for the execution. Jones' pacing was still a little bit too slow in 1942 to make "Case of the Missing Hare" fully successful, but it was the first of Chuck's cartoons to really use the Bugs-minding-his-own-business-until-he's-pushed-too-far theme.

One of my main criticisms of Michael Barrier's "Hollywood Cartoons" book on the TTTP board when it came out (way back in ye olden days of 1999) was how he snubbed Tedd Pierce's story work on "The Case of the Missing Hare" in order to use "Long-Haired Hare" to prove his point about how well the Jones-Maltese relationship meshed in the late 1940s. While it is a better cartoon than "CotMH", the idea that the personality for Bugs that Chuck used was crystalized by the latter cartoon takes away from the story framework Jones and Pierce came up with for the earlier short (and it's not as if Barrier didn't know about "CotMH"; he spends several paragraphs talking about Jones' background designs of that period, and cites the work there as receiving a special acknowledgement from Leon Schlesinger).

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Maltese and Pierce worked as writing partners in the early forties, if memory serves me. They had a falling out later on and split up.

[Geezil]

I think this is actually one of the most underrated and underappreciated Chuck Jones cartoons ever.

I certainly agree, to the point where I chose "CotMH" as the very first entry in P.U.P. Toons Episode 1. (My favorite moment there is the "swords in the basket" scene and its aftermath.) Perfect launch! :D

[Stanislav]

(My favorite moment there is the "swords in the basket" scene and its aftermath.)

"Does it hurt very much, sonny boy?" :D

[Eugene the Jeep]

I just love the backgrounds in Jones' cartoons in this period.

[BloodyChamp]

Wasn't this Bugs' first time saying "...this means war!"? I love that line out of Bugs Bunny - really lets you in on the havoc he's about to unleash and when he does that, you know they reeeeeally deserve it.

[J Lee]

Wasn't this Bugs' first time saying "...this means war!"? I love that line out of Bugs Bunny - really lets you in on the havoc he's about to unleash and when he does that, you know they reeeeeally deserve it.

Jones' proto-Bugs said it in "Elmer's Pet Rabbit". But that was more of a stalling tactic with Elmer than anything else. "The Case of the Missing Hare" was the first time he said it and backed it up with action.

[Douglas E.]

Jones' proto-Bugs said it in "Elmer's Pet Rabbit". But that was more of a stalling tactic with Elmer than anything else. "The Case of the Missing Hare" was the first time he said it and backed it up with action.
The Proto-type Bugs in "Porky's Hare Hunt" says it also.

-Doug

[J. B. Warner]

I remember having this short on an old PD video when I was a kid, which is why I was so happy to see it included on LTGC3. Aside from the backgrounds, it also features some excellent writing (the line "Yes, me! Ya didn't expect to see me again, eh, Svengali?" has permanently affixed itself in my vernacular).

[mmtper]

(the line "Yes, me! Ya didn't expect to see me again, eh, Svengali?" has permanently affixed itself in my vernacular).

Yep, mine too. And in high school, among my circle of friends, was a young lady on the fencing team. Our little gang would go see her practice, mainly to heckle her, I'm ashamed to say (well, we were young & sophmores, so I guess we were sophmoric). "En garde! Cafe au lait!" we'd cry...."Wotta performance D"Artagnan! Wotta performance!" we'd shout. To her credit she wasn't entirely unamaused..."

I never knew "Missing Heir" was unappeciated. I always thought it was a masterpiece and as funny as they come. Every clicks for me in this one, the animations great, and Blanc and Stalling are in top form, too.

[Treadwell]

I love the twisted gag where the magician thinks he's peircing a little boy with his swords but nervously continues jabbing more swords anyway.