Frigid Hare

Frigid Hare is a 1949 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles M. Jones. 
== Title ==
The title is a play on Frigidaire, a company that specializes in kitchen appliances. In addition, "frigid" is an adjective meaning something cold, tying into the short's setting of the South Pole.
== Plot ==
While traveling to Miami Beach for an overdue vacation from Warner Bros., Bugs Bunny mistakenly ends up at the South Pole, having yet again missed the left turn at Albuquerque. While there, he meets a young penguin being pursued by an Eskimo hunter. Bugs sends the hunter in the opposite direction, but he finds the penguin has grown attached to him because of this. Wanting to get back to his vacation, Bugs distracts the penguin, then pushes him down a snowbank, only to see him land in the hunter's bag. Bugs starts to resume his journey but is overcome by his better nature and rescues the penguin, griping, "Oh, always somethin'! I'll never get to Miami!" Although successful, Bugs angrily grumbles that he only has four days of vacation left, only to learn from the penguin that, at the South Pole, the nights are six months long. Figuring this means he can stretch his four-day vacation until July 1953, Bugs dons a top hat and tails and accompanies the penguin on "a nice long formal vacation."
== Availability ==
W UK10551 LooneyTunesVideoShowNo16The.jpg|(1984) VHS The Looney Tunes Video Show, Volume 16
Lt longitude.jpg|(1994) LaserDisc Longitude and Looneytude: Globetrotting Looney Tunes Favorites
Bumper03.jpg|(1996) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 3)
Christmas Collection Looney Tunes UK VHS.jpg|(2003) VHS Christmas Collection Looney Tunes
LT Golden Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc Three (restored with DVNR)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 1, Disc 1 (restored with DVNR)
Lt cas1.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 1 (restored with DVNR)
Lt 3sdt.jpg|(2010) DVD 3 Spooky DVD Treats
LooneyTunes CenterStageV1.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Center Stage Volume 1
Lt cas12.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volumes 1 & 2, Disc 1 (restored with DVNR)
Lt cs.jpg|(2015) DVD Looney Tunes Center Stage
Lt triple feature.jpg|(2016) DVD Looney Tunes Triple Feature
Lt spotlight v1-3.jpg|(2018) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 Repack
== Censorship ==
* In 1965, when this short aired as part of The Bugs Bunny Show, Bugs' line about not going back to work until July 1953 had "1953" changed to "1968" to keep the short current at the time.
* On the syndicated version of The Merrie Melodies Show, Bugs' line after the ice cliff stops from falling and Bugs sees the Inuit hunter still clinging to it -- "What a dope! What an Eskimo pie-head" was shortened to "What a dope!", as shown on the Cartoon Network/Boomerang version that aired years after this. The line about Bugs not returning to work until July 1953 was left intact.http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-e-f.aspx
* This cartoon was part of the "Twelve Missing Hares" that were barred from airing on Cartoon Network's June 2001 Bugs marathon due to Inuit stereotyping that would be deemed offensive to modern audiences.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHNTv3oQoE8 As with the other members of the "Twelve Missing Hares" as described in the unreleased ToonHeads episode, it was originally intended to air in the marathon, but was pulled due to executive backlash from AOL Time Warner.
* "Frigid Hare" first aired on Cartoon Network during a special four-hour installment of The Looney Tunes Show in February 2002 dedicated to the deceased Chuck Jones, albeit with minor cuts. When the cartoon was first aired, the line of Bugs not going back to work until 1953 was cut to keep the short relevant. In subsequent airings, the Eskimo pie-head line was also cut. The short was aired regularly (albeit censored) on Cartoon Network and Boomerang, with the most recent airing on the former being on 27 March 2015 and 31 May 2018 on the latter, but was later pulled out of rotation.
* This short has aired uncensored on MeTV, although rather rarely and outside of the Toon In With Me block which is targeted towards younger audiences. This makes the short one of only three of the "Missing Hares" to have aired on the network, with the other two being "What's Cookin' Doc?" and "Bushy Hare".
== Notes ==
* The beginning scene with Bugs mistakenly ending up at the South Pole believing it was Miami Beach would be reused for "Sahara Hare", albeit replacing the background and setting with the Sahara Desert.
* This cartoon premiered with Under Capricorn.
== Gallery ==
FrigidHareCredits1.png
FrigidHareCredits2.png
Rs101c.jpg|Lobby card
Tg8a2t2abgt72a0gyt.jpg|Lobby card preliminary sketch
Ltajw&m-13.png|Bugs disguised as a female Eskimo
Ltajw&m-14.png|The Hunter attempts to kiss Bugs Bunny who is disguised as a female Eskimo
569-PC1.png|Production cel setup with key master background
569-PB2.png|Production background
569-PB1.png|Production background
== References ==
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Shorts
Category:1949
Category:Bugs Bunny Chuck Jones
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Gribbroek
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Peter Alvarado
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons animated by Abe Levitow
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer