Hillbilly Hare (1950)

I love this movie so much

Just what I expected

Admirable film.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

. . . to the Men and Culture of the American South. Warner Bros. was never in ideological lock-step with studios such as MGM (which released the infamously revisionist and harmful public nuisance labeled GONE WITH THE WIND). HILLBILLY HARE opens with the "Martin Brothers" demonstrating to Bugs Bunny that guys in such Southern regions as the Arkansas Ozarks have never heard tell of razors. It goes on to show that such dudes feel naked without an over-sized gun in their fists to compensate for whatever phallic inadequacies or short-comings they may feel at the moment. When Bugs is able to tie up the barrel of Curt Martin's shot gun into a pretzel, it's a clue that Warner's animators want their audience to know that a Southerner's gun is not simply cold, hard blue steel, but also a warm, pliable tube more likely to spit out on themselves than anyone else as they manipulate it. Next, Bugs demonstrates that Southern gentleman are prone to be taken in by transvestites. Bugs throws on some Daisy Dukes, and the Martins begin drooling all over themselves. Finally, Bugs demonstrates how Sons of the South are dumber than posts--so dense, in fact, that all it takes is a malicious square dance caller's perverse rhymes to make them clobber each other with fence posts! It's hard for anyone who's seen Will Smith's CONCUSSION to believe that the NFL still will be in business five years from now. But as HILLBILLY HARE indicates, as long as there are Southern boys, we'll always have football!

Warner Bros. cartoons had previously focused on less-than-intelligent hicks in "A Feud There Was" (the first time that the name Elmer Fudd appeared), but they took this focus to a really hilarious extent in "Hillbilly Hare". While on vacation in the Ozarks, Bugs Bunny encounters a pair of trigger-happy yokels, but of course manages to trick them. He's absolutely unbeatable! If there arises a debate about whether or not this cartoon makes fun of rural people, just remember that it's a total joke (think "The Beverly Hillbillies"). And besides, how can you not like how Bugs gets the two bumpkins to engage in the wacky dance? A really funny cartoon.

Directed by Bob McKimson, "Hillbilly Hare" is a lively and funny Bugs Bunny cartoon involving square dancing, which was quite a favorite pastime among the staff at the Warner Bros. cartoon department. Director Chuck Jones was probably the most notorious square dancer of them all! (Don't read the next few paragraphs if you haven't seen this cartoon.) The funniest highlight of "Hillbilly Hare" involves the climactic (and hectic) square dance sequence in which Bugs, disguised as a slinky female, entices two hillbilly brothers to actively participate. (As usual, Bugs minds his own business until someone comes along and tries to give him a hard time. In this case, these two "persistenant little cusses" try to shoot him.) After briefly dancing in drag with the two brothers, Bugs very quickly changes his disguise and becomes the square dance caller, with a violin to boot. Taking full advantage of his new role, Bugs has the brothers literally bending over backwards in order to adhere to his calls. Before the final iris-out, these two hillbillies promenade out of the dance hall, pull each other's beards, splash into the brook, wallow into a pigpen, bash each other with fence posts, get themselves baled into squares of hay, run like crazy, and finally fall off a cliff.Other highlights involve a couple of other tricks that Bugs pulls on these two men before the square dance. As one of the brothers aims a rifle at Bugs, Bugs switches the position of the gunstock so that the gentleman actually blasts himself instead! And Bugs allows the two men to chase him into a powder shack, where it is completely dark inside; Bugs offers them his lighter as he quietly slips out! All you avid square dancers out there will love "Hillbilly Hare." Lesson learned: if you pick on Bugs Bunny and afterwards follow his square dance calls, you will be in big trouble!

'Hillbilly Hare' is a Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs is on vacation in the Ozarks. He meets two hillbillies, not that smart, with long beards. They are brothers and looking for some animals to shoot. Of course Bugs talks a lot before the two hillbillies will take a shot at him and of course he will not be the one who gets shot. It is the usual stuff here.The second part though is terrific. Bugs dresses up as a lady and asks the two brothers for a dance. The lyrics tell the dancing characters what to do so at one moment Bugs pulls the plug from the juke-box and takes over the singing. Now the lyrics make the two hillbillies do some crazy stuff which is pretty funny. The song is very good too, I must admit!