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Hare Splitter is a 1948 Merrie Melodies short directed by Friz Freleng.
Title
The title is a play on "hair splitter", one who focuses on fine details, and on how Bugs, a hare, tries to "split up" Casbah and Daisy so that he can date her himself.
Plot
This cartoon features Bugs Bunny and both Casbah and Daisy Lou Rabbit. The character of Casbah is referenced from the movie Casbah, which was released in April 1948. Casbah and Bugs fight over the affection of Daisy. The cartoon begins with Bugs and Casbah getting dressed up to go visit Daisy.
The fighting for Daisy begins as soon as they exit their rabbit holes. Bugs and Casbah both leave their holes with flowers for Daisy. Seeing each other's gifts, they try to outdo each other with bigger and better gifts. Bugs finally throws a weight on Casbah’s head to get rid of him.
When Bugs arrives at Daisy’s home, he finds a note on her door saying she will be back shortly (The fact that Daisy lives in a house instead of a rabbit hole like Bugs or Casbah is an oddity that goes unremarked upon.). Bugs sees Casbah coming and dresses up as Daisy. He lures Casbah over to the porch swing and starts flirting with him. When Casbah isn't looking, Bugs hits him over the head, puts a mouse trap down, and gives him an explosive carrot.
In addition to tricking Casbah on the swing, Bugs pretends to kiss Casbah by using a plunger and hitting him on the head. He continues tricking Casbah by painting a bomb to look like Daisy. Casbah is so excited by explosion of the bomb, he runs into the house.
Once again, Bugs tries to trick Casbah by pretending to be Mr. Daniel Cupid and shooting him with an arrow. Casbah figures out it's Bugs ("You're that screwy rabbit!" he shouts, clearly not realizing this description applies just as well to himself) and begins chasing him. Casbah chased Bugs into the house and Bugs slammed the front door on him.
Suddenly, Bugs sees Daisy and runs around the side of the house. Casbah sees Daisy coming up the porch and thinks it is again Bugs dressed up as her. When Daisy enters the house, Casbah hits her upside the head with a vase. Daisy proceeds to beat up Casbah and kick him out of her home.
The cartoon ends with Bugs showering Daisy with compliments and kissing Daisy after she has eaten an explosive carrot. Both Bugs and Daisy think the explosive effect the carrot lends to the kiss is due to the other's romantic capabilities ("What a man!"/"What a woman"), and they enthusiastically kiss again.
Availability
- VHS - Stars of Space Jam: Bugs Bunny
- DVD - Adventures of Don Juan (same as for Stars of Space Jam: Bugs Bunny VHS, but with the original MM end card removed possibly due to "time allotment")
Goof
- When Bugs first dresses like Daisy, he wore just a green dress, later Bugs has shoes and pantyhose on him, then they disappeared in the next scene.
Notes
- The cartoon was the first to be reissued in the 1957-58 season, evident from the WARNER BROS. PICTURES INC. both with dots and blue rings red background. The 1958-59 season was the same rings but no dot after BROS and INC so it would be WARNER BROS PICTURES INC, without the dot.
- The question of whether or not any of the girls in the audience have to put up with what was going on in a scene was previously used in The Big Snooze.
Censorship
- On the ABC airing, the part where Casbah (the big brown rabbit) punches Bugs in the face after Bugs asks him, "You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would ya'?" was cut ("Ya' know? I believe he would!").
- When Cartoon Network aired this cartoon as part of the infamous 2001 June Bugs special that banned 12 cartoons for having racial and ethnic stereotypes in them, a rather innocuous part (possibly for time reasons) where, after the novelty-carrot-induced explosive kiss between Bugs and Daisy Lou, Daisy Lou responds with "What a man!" while Bugs responds with "What a woman!" was edited out and immediately went to the scene of them happily jumping around the room before the iris-out. On Cartoon Network's other installment shows (such as The Looney Tunes Show and Bugs and Daffy) and current airings on Boomerang, the "What a man!"/"What a woman!" scene was left intact.
External Links
Hare Splitter at SuperCartoons.net
Hare Splitter at the Internet Movie Database
| Preceded by Hot Cross Bunny |
Bugs Bunny Cartoons 1948 |
Succeeded by A-Lad-In His Lamp |