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Ali Baba Bunny is a 1957 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones.

Title[]

The title and story are a very loose parody of the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

Plot[]

In the middle of the Arabian Desert, a rich Sultan has stored all his treasure in a cave, the door of which he closes with the command "Close, Sesame." He leaves a burly, dimwitted guard named Hassan to watch the cave, ordering him to let nobody enter, or else he will be punished. As the Sultan leaves on his tiny camel, the trail of a burrowing rabbit crosses the desert towards the cave. Hassan spots the burrow tunneling under the entrance of the cave and attempts to chase out the intruders, but finds he cannot remember the command to open the door again, trying "Open, sarsaparilla", "Open, Saskatchewan", "Open, septuagenarian", "Open, saddle soap" and so on. Hassan noticeably loses his fierceness and appears dumbfounded when he struggles to remember the proper command, until he correctly guesses it, to which he immediately regains his toughness and bellows out his usual favorite saying; "HASSAAAN CHOP!"

Inside the cave, Bugs Bunny and his traveling companion Daffy Duck emerge from the burrow, believing they have arrived at Pismo Beach "and all the clams we can eat," but having once again missed that important left turn at "Alba-koi-kee". Daffy complains about having to travel underground, "What a way for a duck to travel; underground!" Seeing that they're not at the right place he gripes, "Hey, wait a minute! Since when is Pismo Beach inside a cave?" He is soon silenced when he spots the mound of treasure. Determined to keep it all for himself, he stomps repeatedly on Bugs to force him back into the burrow. "It's mine, you understand?! Mine! All mine! Get back in there! Down, down, down! Go, go, go! Mine, mine, mine! Mwahahahahahaha!" He dives into the treasure pile with whoops of joy to the tune of the song "We're in the Money". "I'm rich! I'm wealthy! Yahoo! I'm comfortably well off."

Outside the cave, Hassan eventually says the correct command to open the door and storms in to deal with the intruders. He is met by Daffy, who is wheeling a trolley full of loot. Daffy, believing him to be a Redcap, addresses him as "Boy" and asks him to call a cab. In response, Hassan brings his sword down on Daffy's head, splitting in half both the diamond-adorned hat he is wearing and a single upstanding hair underneath. Daffy, clearly amazed that he has not been cut in half himself, flees in terror and uses a large gem to try bribing Bugs into saving him, but Bugs simply tosses Daffy's gem aside, only concerned with dusting himself off from the earlier abuse.

Ali Baba Bunny scene

Bugs uses a disguise to fool Hassan.

Hassan rushes towards them both, sword raised, with the cry of "HASSAAAN CHOP!" Daffy tells Hassan to chop the rabbit instead, but Bugs has already concocted a plan. He has squeezed into a tiny glass bottle, proclaiming himself to be a genie and offering Hassan a rich reward for releasing him. Hassan is fooled and shakes Bugs out of the bottle, though Daffy isn't, saying "He's lying! Chop him, chop him!" In return, Bugs rewards Hassan by proclaiming him the new owner of the treasure, performing his "magic" to do so with a bizarre "iggity-aggity-oop" dance and chant. Daffy sardonically mocks Bugs for allowing Hassan access to the treasure he wanted for himself.

Later, outside the cave, Bugs surveys the desert and concludes that he has indeed come to the wrong place. A scream comes from the cave as Daffy runs out carrying an enormous diamond, with the enraged Hassan in hot pursuit shrieking "HASSAAAN CHOP!" Daffy begs Bugs to save him, and this time Bugs reluctantly complies while berating Daffy for his greed. He sets up an Indian rope trick behind a rock, and when Hassan finds him, tells him that Daffy climbed up the rope. As Hassan disappears into the clouds, Bugs pulls the rope down, and, as with some variants of the fabled trick, Hassan has disappeared completely. With the coast clear, Daffy runs back to the cave to claim the treasure saying, "I'm rich! I'm wealthy! I'm independent! I'm socially secure!"

Some time later, Daffy has emptied the cave of treasure and is taking one last look around for any missed trinkets. He spots an old oil lamp and rubs the dust off it. A genie emerges from the lamp, but Daffy thinks the genie is after the treasure and proceeds to stomp him back into the lamp like he did with Bugs earlier, "Oh, no you don't! You want my treasure! Well, it's mine, understand?! All mine! Down! Down! Go! Go! Mine!" The furious genie erupts from the lamp, declaring Daffy will suffer the consequences for "desecrating the Spirit of the Lamp," and Bugs, knowing that nothing can save Daffy now, is so terrified that he utters a frightened Yipe and hurriedly escapes via burrow. Daffy dismissively tells the genie, "Consequences, schmonsequences, as long as I'm rich!" but the genie zaps Daffy with magic bolts from his fingertips.

Daffypearl

Much later, Bugs has finally made it to Pismo Beach and, while tucking into the area's famous clams, casually wonders how Daffy's encounter with the genie worked out. Opening one clam and discovering a pearl inside, he soon finds out; Daffy, shrunk to a few inches in height, emerges from Bugs' burrow trail in the sand and claims the pearl for his own, "It's mine, you understand? Mine! Mine! All mine! Go! Go! Go! Do you hear me? Out! Out Out! Mine! Mine! Mine! There's only enough for me! I'm rich! I'm a happy miser!" Bugs closes the clam on the greedy duck, saying "Close, sesame."

Pop Culture References[]

  • In the English dub of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime, there is an episode where one of the main characters, Joey Wheeler, is transformed into the Duel Monster, Flame Swordsman. During a scene in which he swings his sword to destroy a rival creature, he accompanies it with the cry of "HASSAAAN CHOP!" parodying this film.
  • In the comic series Cable and Deadpool, Deadpool exclaims "Mine mine all mine! Pismo Beach here I come!" while fighting over a hard drive with the Mutant Senyaka, a clear reference to the cartoon.
  • During his SportsCenter tenure, Rich Eisen would occasionally use the "Hassan chop!" phrase when a highlight showed a baseball player tossing his bat in disgust.[1]
  • In the animated show Robot Chicken, a rap battle is held between Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. At one point Bugs asks Daffy where the stage is to which Daffy replies by pointing to a sign. The sign reads "Pismo Beach" with a directional arrow and "the stage" on a sign below it with a directional arrow.

Availability[]

Streaming[]

Censorship[]

  • When shown on the syndicated Merrie Melodies Show and CBS's Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show, the part where Hassan slices Daffy's hat in half with his sword was cut.[2]

Notes[]

  • The film was edited into two of the Looney Tunes feature films:
    • Barring the opening credit scene, it was used in The Bugs Bunny Road-Runner Movie. When introducing the short, Bugs states how travelling alone can be boring and while he'd rather travel with "some foxy rabbit chick", he often found himself travelling with Daffy Duck while using a rather flowery description for Daffy.
    • It was also used in Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales, but some of the scenes were altered and cut out. For example, the scene where Daffy angers a genie has been altered to make it look like Bugs is absent and to have Daffy get zapped and chased out of the caves instead of being shrunken down.
  • In 1994 it was voted #35 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.[3]
  • Several lines spoken by Daffy—among them "Mine mine mine!", "I can't help it, I'm a greedy slob—it's my hobby" and "I'm rich—I'm a happy miser!"—have become popular catch phrases amongst fans and students of Chuck Jones' style of animation and fans of Daffy Duck as well; the line "HASSAAAN CHOP!" has also become a favorite quote.
  • Hassan re-appeared as the Arabian Era boss character in the video game Bugs Bunny and Taz: Time Busters with the name 'Babba Chop'. He is less obese than he appeared in this short, and also has a beard and waist-jacket in the game. When Daffy finds himself in the Babba's Cave, all of the lines he speaks are taken from this short, with the exception of asking Babba where the exit was, only Daffy's quote of response to Babba's directive is "Take that as a NO!"

Gallery[]

References[]

External Links[]

Preceded by
To Hare Is Human
Bugs Bunny Cartoons
1957
Succeeded by
Bedevilled Rabbit


Bugs Bunny Shorts
1938 Porky's Hare Hunt
1939 Prest-O Change-OHare-um Scare-um
1940 Elmer's Candid CameraA Wild Hare
1941 Elmer's Pet RabbitTortoise Beats HareHiawatha's Rabbit HuntThe Heckling HareAll This and Rabbit StewWabbit Twouble
1942 The Wabbit Who Came to SupperAny Bonds Today?The Wacky WabbitHold the Lion, PleaseBugs Bunny Gets the BoidFresh HareThe Hare-Brained HypnotistCase of the Missing Hare
1943 Tortoise Wins by a HareSuper-RabbitJack-Wabbit and the BeanstalkWackiki WabbitFalling Hare
1944 Little Red Riding RabbitWhat's Cookin' Doc?Bugs Bunny and the Three BearsBugs Bunny Nips the NipsHare Ribbin'Hare ForceBuckaroo BugsThe Old Grey HareStage Door Cartoon
1945 Herr Meets HareThe Unruly HareHare TriggerHare ConditionedHare Tonic
1946 Baseball BugsHare RemoverHair-Raising HareAcrobatty BunnyRacketeer RabbitThe Big SnoozeRhapsody Rabbit
1947 Rabbit TransitA Hare Grows in ManhattanEaster YeggsSlick Hare
1948 Gorilla My DreamsA Feather in His HareRabbit PunchBuccaneer BunnyBugs Bunny Rides AgainHaredevil HareHot Cross BunnyHare SplitterA-Lad-In His LampMy Bunny Lies over the Sea
1949 Hare DoMississippi HareRebel RabbitHigh Diving HareBowery BugsLong-Haired HareKnights Must FallThe Grey Hounded HareThe Windblown HareFrigid HareWhich Is WitchRabbit Hood
1950 Hurdy-Gurdy HareMutiny on the BunnyHomeless HareBig House BunnyWhat's Up Doc?8 Ball BunnyHillbilly HareBunker Hill BunnyBushy HareRabbit of Seville
1951 Hare We GoRabbit Every MondayBunny HuggedThe Fair Haired HareRabbit FireFrench RarebitHis Hare Raising TaleBallot Box BunnyBig Top Bunny
1952 Operation: RabbitFoxy by Proxy14 Carrot RabbitWater, Water Every HareThe Hasty HareOily HareRabbit SeasoningRabbit's KinHare Lift
1953 Forward March HareUpswept HareSouthern Fried RabbitHare TrimmedBully for BugsLumber Jack-RabbitDuck! Rabbit, Duck!Robot Rabbit
1954 Captain HareblowerBugs and ThugsNo Parking HareDevil May HareBewitched BunnyYankee Doodle BugsBaby Buggy Bunny
1955 Beanstalk BunnySahara HareHare BrushRabbit RampageThis Is a Life?Hyde and HareKnight-Mare HareRoman Legion-Hare
1956 Bugs' BonnetsBroom-Stick BunnyRabbitson CrusoeNapoleon Bunny-PartBarbary-Coast BunnyHalf-Fare HareA Star Is BoredWideo WabbitTo Hare Is Human
1957 Ali Baba BunnyBedevilled RabbitPiker's PeakWhat's Opera, Doc?Bugsy and MugsyShow Biz BugsRabbit Romeo
1958 Hare-Less WolfHare-Way to the StarsNow, Hare ThisKnighty Knight BugsPre-Hysterical Hare
1959 Baton BunnyHare-abian NightsApes of WrathBackwoods BunnyWild and Woolly HareBonanza BunnyA Witch's Tangled HarePeople Are Bunny
1960 Horse HarePerson to BunnyRabbit's FeatFrom Hare to HeirLighter Than Hare
1961 The Abominable Snow RabbitCompressed HarePrince Violent
1962 Wet HareBill of HareShishkabugs
1963 Devil's Feud CakeThe Million HareHare-Breadth HurryThe UnmentionablesMad as a Mars HareTransylvania 6-5000
1964 Dumb PatrolDr. Devil and Mr. HareThe Iceman DuckethFalse Hare
1979 Bugs Bunny's Christmas CarolFright Before Christmas
1980 Portrait of the Artist as a Young BunnySpaced Out Bunny
1990 Box Office Bunny
1991 (Blooper) Bunny
1992 Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers
1995 Carrotblanca
1997 From Hare to Eternity
2004 Hare and Loathing in Las VegasDaffy Duck for President
Daffy Duck Cartoons
1937 Porky's Duck Hunt
1938 Daffy Duck & EggheadWhat Price PorkyPorky & DaffyThe Daffy DocDaffy Duck in Hollywood
1939 Daffy Duck and the DinosaurScalp TroubleWise Quacks
1940 Porky's Last StandYou Ought to Be in Pictures
1941 A Coy DecoyThe Henpecked Duck
1942 Conrad the SailorDaffy's Southern ExposureThe Impatient PatientThe Daffy DuckarooMy Favorite Duck
1943 To Duck .... or Not to DuckThe Wise Quacking DuckYankee Doodle DaffyPorky Pig's FeatScrap Happy DaffyA Corny ConcertoDaffy - The Commando
1944 Tom Turk and DaffyTick Tock TuckeredDuck Soup to NutsSlightly DaffyPlane DaffyThe Stupid Cupid
1945 Draftee DaffyAin't That DuckyNasty Quacks
1946 Book RevueBaby BottleneckDaffy DoodlesHollywood DaffyThe Great Piggy Bank Robbery
1947 Birth of a NotionAlong Came DaffyA Pest in the HouseMexican Joyride
1948 What Makes Daffy DuckDaffy Duck Slept HereThe Up-Standing SitterYou Were Never DuckierDaffy DillyThe Stupor SalesmanRiff Raffy Daffy
1949 Wise QuackersHoliday for DrumsticksDaffy Duck Hunt
1950 Boobs in the WoodsThe Scarlet PumpernickelHis Bitter HalfGolden YeggsThe Ducksters
1951 Rabbit FireDrip-Along DaffyThe Prize Pest
1952 Thumb FunCracked QuackRabbit SeasoningThe Super SnooperFool Coverage
1953 Duck AmuckMuscle TussleDuck Dodgers in the 24½th CenturyDuck! Rabbit, Duck!
1954 Design for LeavingQuack ShotMy Little Duckaroo
1955 Beanstalk BunnySahara HareStork NakedThis Is a Life?Dime to Retire
1956 The High and the FlightyRocket SquadStupor DuckA Star Is BoredDeduce, You Say
1957 Ali Baba BunnyBoston QuackieDucking the DevilShow Biz Bugs
1958 Don't Axe MeRobin Hood Daffy
1959 China JonesPeople Are BunnyApes of Wrath
1960 Person to Bunny
1961 The Abominable Snow RabbitDaffy's Inn Trouble
1962 Quackodile TearsGood Noose
1963 Fast Buck DuckThe Million HareAqua Duck
1964 The Iceman Ducketh
1965 It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the HouseMoby DuckAssault and PepperedWell Worn DaffySuppressed DuckCorn on the CopTease for TwoChili Corn CornyGo Go Amigo
1966 The AstroduckMucho LocosMexican MousepieceDaffy RentsA-Haunting We Will GoSnow ExcuseA Squeak in the DeepFeather FingerSwing Ding AmigoA Taste of Catnip
1967 Daffy's DinerQuacker TrackerThe Music Mice-TroThe Spy SwatterSpeedy Ghost to TownRodent to StardomGo Away StowawayFiesta Fiasco
1968 Skyscraper CaperSee Ya Later Gladiator
1980 The Yolks on YouThe Chocolate ChaseDaffy Flies NorthDuck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½th Century
1987 The Duxorcist
1988 The Night of the Living Duck
1990 Box Office Bunny
1991 (Blooper) Bunny
1992 Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers
1995 Carrotblanca
1996 Superior Duck
2003 Attack of the Drones
2004 Daffy Duck for President
2012 Daffy's Rhapsody
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