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Southern Fried Rabbit is a Looney Tunes cartoon by Warner Bros. and was directed by Friz Freleng. The film was first released on May 2, 1953. A newspaper date however places the events on September 3, 1952.
Plot
This film features Bugs Bunny attempting to flee to Alabama to escape a carrot famine. His attempt to cross the Mason–Dixon line is stopped by Yosemite Sam, a zealous soldier of the Confederate States of America.
Sam was reportedly ordered by General Robert E. Lee to guard the borders between the Confederate States and the United States during the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). He is oblivious to the fact that the war ended "almost ninety years ago" ("I ain't no clock watcher!") and continues to await new orders that will never come from the now long-deceased General Lee, refusing to allow any Yankee to cross the line.
Bugs finds himself fighting to cross the line. He disguises himself as a slave, Abraham Lincoln, Stonewall Jackson (as "General Brickwall Jackson") and Scarlett O'Hara (from Gone with the Wind, whose film adaptation is now owned by Warners) to little effect. He at last succeeds in removing Sam from his guarding post when he disguises himself as an injured Confederate soldier and informing him that "the Yankees are in Chattanooga" in Tennessee. Sam marches to "Chattanoogee", and the finale has him using a rifle to threaten the New York Yankees, preventing them from competing in an exhibition baseball game against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
External Links
Southern Fried Rabbit at SuperCartoons.net
Censorship
- The Cartoon Network version of this cartoon cuts out Sam yelling "CHARGE!" after Bugs first tries to cross the Mason-Dixon Line due to the short scene featuring the Confederate "bars and stripes" flag (which is considered a very controversial flag in American culture/history). Cartoon Network also cuts out the entire part where Bugs poses as a slave, then gets his cover blown when he sings "Yankee Doodle," shoves a whip into Sam's hands, begging Sam not to beat him, and Bugs posing as Abraham Lincoln to chastise Sam about whipping slaves. Instead, it goes from Sam yelling, "So, scram Yankee!" to Bugs diving into a tree hole. These edits were also seen on the version shown on the former Kids' WB as well as on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang.
- In contrast to the Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and Kids' WB versions, the version shown on the syndicated Merrie Melodies left in the part with Sam yelling "CHARGE!" and the sight of the Confederate flag. However, the part where Bugs poses as a slave returning to the South was slightly altered. The Merrie Melodies version omits the "Don't beat me, Massa!" dialog from Bugs after Sam threatens him with his sword. Instead, it cuts right from where Bugs shoves the whip into Sam's hands to him scurrying away from Sam. This version also replaced the shot of Sam getting blasted in the face by a cannon with Bugs (dressed as a Southern belle) blocking the door.
Availability
- Southern Fried Rabbit is available (uncut, uncensored, and digitally remastered) on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 4 DVD set (disc one). It was omitted from the Region 2 United Kingdom release due to the racist imagery (the appearance of the Confederate flag and Bugs posing as a slave). It is also available (uncut and uncensored, but not digitally restored/remastered) on the "Yosemite Sam's Yeller Fever" VHS.