Rabbit Hood

RabbHood.jpg
Uh Oh.png
Rabbit Hood is a 1949 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones.
== Title ==
The title is a parody of Robin Hood.
== Plot ==
The Sheriff of Nottingham catches Bugs eating the King's carrots and is about to arrest him, when Little John shows up and tells them that Robin Hood is on his way.
"The real" Robin Hood finally appears in a clip from the classic 1938 movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood, which starred Errol Flynn. 
== Animation Breakdown ==
The film starts out with a lengthy sequence animated by Phil Monroe where Bugs tries to silence an alarmed carrot patch. Monroe did the scenes up to where the Sheriff is lying on the ground with little kings spinning around his head.
Ken Harris handles the next short bit where Bugs is standing examining a wall and musing how he might get out. He is interrupted by the Sheriff who chases him.
Ben Washam animates the entire section where Bugs and the Sheriff are in the Royal Rose garden and Bugs turns the whole situation around and acts like a real estate agent. Washam's scenes continue to the point where Bugs is climbing the same brick wall that we saw him musing over before. The sheriff, who we see in the distance brandishing a bow and arrow, shoots Bugs down by grazing him.
Bugs falls into Little John's arms (he was introduced ignominiously in the first part of the film) in a Ken Harris scene.
Phil Monroe animated the introduction sequence between Little John and the 
Sheriff.
Lloyd Vaughan handles the next sequence, a protracted one in which Bugs laboriously heralds the arrival of an unseen king. The Sheriff knows it's probably a trick but because Bugs is so insistent he almost challenges Bugs to prove his assertions.
Ken Harris animates Bugs Bunny emerging in royal garb, bedecked with a crown and holding a sceptre, much to the surprise of the Sheriff, who bows down to him, and the knighting speech above. Harris' animation continues as the Sheriff sings "London bridge is falling 
down" while he's staggering in a stupor.
Lloyd Vaughan does the cake baking sequence, then it's back to Ken Harris as Bugs positions the cake so the Sheriff's face will fall into it when he collapses. Harris continues with Bugs' head nod and a lovely acting scene where he makes fun of Little John continually talking about Robin Hood's arrival.
Ben Washam animates the close-up of Little John and Bugs' take when he sees the live-action Errol Flynn from The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Cutting back to Ken Harris animating Bugs, the latter ends the cartoon with, "Nah, that's silly. It couldn't be him."
== Availability ==
CARTOON CAVALCADE BUGS BUNNY.jpg|(1988) VHS Bugs Bunny's Hare-Raising Tales
BUGS BUNNY WINNER BY A HARE.jpg|(1993) LaserDisc Bugs Bunny: Winner by a Hare: 14 of Bugs Bunny's Best
CARTOON CAVALCADE BUGS BUNNY 2.jpg|(1997) VHS Bugs Bunny's Hare-Raising Tales Time-Life edition
lt sbc9a.jpg|(2001) VHS Looney Tunes Special Bumper Collection Volume 9
Lt the adventures of robin hood.jpg|(2005) DVD The Adventures of Robin Hood
lt rh hd.jpg|(2006) HD DVD The Adventures of Robin Hood
LTGC Vol.4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc One
LTSC4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 4 Disc 1
lt cbobb4.jpg|(2007) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Best of Bugs Bunny Volume 4
lt rh blu.jpg|(2008) Blu-ray The Adventures of Robin Hood (restored)
51LA0AzTVqL. SL500 AA300 .jpg|(2011) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc One
LTPC VOL 1 DVD.jpg|(2012) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc One
Looney Tunes Showcase - Volume 1.jpg|(2012) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Showcase: Volume 1
Best of Warner Bros. 50 Cartoon Collection- Looney Tunes.jpg|(2013) DVD Best of Warner Bros. 50 Cartoon Collection: Looney Tunes
lt spotlight df2.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 4-5 Repack
lt robin7 blu.jpg|(2015) Blu-ray Robin and the 7 Hoods (restored)
Looney Tunes Parodies Collection.jpeg|(2020) DVD Looney Tunes: Parodies Collection
Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection.png|(2020) DVD Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection
=== Streaming ===
Lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang App (2017 - )
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2023)
lt max.jpg|Max (2023 - )
File:Lt itunes.jpg|iTunes ( - ) (restored)
== Censorship ==
The ABC version of this cartoon cut two scenes involving head-bashing violence:http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-q-r.aspx
* The part after The Sheriff of Nottingham is duped into building a house in the King's garden was edited to remove the part where The Sheriff gnashes his teeth (with carpenter nails in them) and shouts, "Oooh! I hate myself!" then hits himself over the head with the hammer several times while yelling, "I do, I do, I do!"
* The infamous "knighting scene" (where Bugs bashes the Sheriff over the head several times with a scepter) was drastically cut short so Bugs only bashes the Sheriff over the head once instead of seven times, which makes the "Got lots of stamina!" line inexplicable.
== Notes ==
* Errol Flynn received a personal copy of this film in exchange for the right to use his earlier live-action footage.
* This cartoon is the origin of the infamous "knighting" exchange, where Bugs Bunny is dressed up like a king, and proceeds to brain the Sheriff with his scepter while dispensing an oddball title with each strike:
*:Sheriff: Your most gracious majesty. *bows*
*:Bugs: In the name of my most royal majesty, I knight thee. *strikes Sheriff over the head with his sceptre* “Arise, Sir Loin of Beef!” *strike*
*:“Arise, Earl of Cloves!” *strike*
*:“Arise, Duke of Brittingham!” *strike*
*:“Arise, Baron of Münchhausen!” *strike*
*:“Arise, Essence of Myrrh!” *strike*
*:“Milk of Magnesia” *strike*
*:“Quarter of Ten” *strike*
*:Sheriff: (dazed, slurred) “You are too kind, your majesty.”
*:Bugs: (to audience) “Got lots of stamina!”
* The original "Bugs Bunny In" title to the cartoon was plastered over when it was reissued in the 1959–64 season.
* This is the final Warner Bros. cartoon to be released in Leon Schlesinger's lifetime; he died the following day (25 December 1949).
*When Bugs and the Sheriff are walking through the royal garden, Bugs' left arm briefly flickers between holding the Sheriff's arm and gesturing out towards the grounds.
*The "King Bugs" picture used in the background for the ending credits for TNT's 1990 Bugs Bunny 50th anniversary TV special What's Up, Doc? A Salute to Bugs Bunny comes from this cartoon, specifically the shot where Bugs remarks to the audience “Got lots of stamina!” after bashing the Sheriff over the head seven times.https://vk.com/video-58512634_456242321 This is despite the fact that this TV special came out six years before the 1996 Time Warner-Turner Entertainment merger, and TNT did not have the rights to air "Rabbit Hood" or any post-1948 Looney Tunes cartoons in general at the time.
== Gallery ==
RabbitHoodCredits1.png
RabbitHoodCredits2.png
43195924 480417659028508 4071469331198771200 n (8).jpg|Lobby card
RabbitHoodPreliminaryLobbyCard.jpg|Lobby card preliminary sketch
File:Rabbit Hood (1949) - Wanted.jpg
== References ==
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:1949
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Bugs Bunny Chuck Jones
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Gribbroek
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Peter Alvarado
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
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist