Devil May Hare

Devil May Hare is a 1954 Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.
== Title ==
The title is a pun on the phrase "devil-may-care."
== Plot ==
Bugs Bunny is doing a bit of spring cleaning, getting rid of carrot heads. He ducks into his hole when a small bird (Bugs refers it as a low-flying plane) zooms past. He sees a deer jump over him, and wonders what's going on. A whole stampede of animals appears, and Bugs tries to ask them why they are runny, but all his queries go unanswered. He manages to block the path of a turtle (who looks like Cecil Turtle) with a shovel and asks him what was happening, with the turtle explaining that "the Tasmanian Devil's on the loose! Run! Run! Run for your life!" as he runs off. Not knowing what a Tasmanian Devil is, Bugs goes back into his hole to look in an encyclopedia and find this character in it. However, at that moment the Tasmanian Devil spins into the area and comes upon Bugs' hole as the latter reads the following: "Q..R..S..T, Tas... Tasmanian ... Here it is! 'A strong, murderous beast, jaws powerful as a steel-trap — has ravenous appetite, eats tigers, lions, elephants, buffaloes, donkeys, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, giraffes, octopuses, moose, ducks...'" The Tasmanian Devil appears behind him and interjects, "Rabbits". Bugs, not knowing Taz is behind him, notes that the entry doesn't say "rabbits", until Taz hand writes "and Rabbits" onto the page.
As Taz tries to eat Bugs, the rabbit convinces Taz that he would not satisfy his appetite. Bugs then suggests to Taz that if they work together, he could provide the Devil with a substantial meal; he first suggests finding groundhogs. Later, out in the forest, Bugs and Taz arrive at a spot supposedly to dig for groundhogs. Taz starts digging into the ground, only for Bugs to then bury him alive. Just when Bugs thinks he's done with him, Taz appears right next to him asking, "What for you bury me in the cold, cold ground?" Taz tries to attack him, but Bugs feigns smelling chicken nearby which excites Taz. Bugs makes the chicken from liquid bubble gum and baking soda which Taz immediately devours. He starts hiccuping and creates a giant bubble and begins to drift away. Bugs takes out a slingshot and shoots Taz down causing him to become entangled in the gum caught in a tree branch.
Next, Bugs makes a pig out of an inflatable raft. Taz swallows it and Bugs pulls the string causing the raft to inflate inside of him. Later, Bugs creates a crude deer out of wood, a barrel and a bucket. He sees the Tasmanian Devil after him and climbs up a tree, which Taz chomps down on causing it to become smaller with each bite. Just as Bugs is brought down to ground level, he diverts Taz's attention to the "nice, fat deer" and tells him to knock it out with a giant slingshot made from another tree before getting the "deer". As Taz pulls down on the slingshot, Bugs jumps down a nearby hole and saws down the tree by the trunk, causing Taz to go flying off and crash into more trees.
As Bugs laughs at Taz's misfortune, a real fawn appears next to him. He warns the fawn of the Tasmanian Devil, making some insulting comments about the Devil as he does so, not knowing that Taz is right behind him. "Flattery will get you nowhere," Taz says, "and you can't fool me again." Bugs attempts to convince him that the fawn is made of straw, though Taz simply replies "But you're not!" After an attempt to bite Bugs' face off, he starts to chase him, devouring everything he comes across. Bugs hides in a treehole and, once the coast is clear, brings out a telephone with which he calls the Tasmanian Post-Dispatch newspaper in Tasmania, informing them to insert a singles ad: "Lonely Tasmanian Devil would like to meet lonely lady Devil. Object, matrimony." No sooner does the call end than an airplane from Tasmania arrives seconds after, from which the "She-Devil" emerges, with whom Taz immediately falls in love. Bugs dons a preacher's hat and, after asking them in gibberish if they take each other for better or for worse, pronounces them "Devil and Devilish." The couple kiss and board the airplane that the female Tasmanian Devil arrived on, which takes off for Tasmania. The cartoon closes with Bugs telling the audience "All the world loves a lover, but in this case we'll make an exception."
== Availability ==
LTVS1'82.png|(1982) VHS The Looney Tunes Video Show, Volume 1
879ikyujhgft.jpg|(1989) The Birthday Cartoon Collection
Bugs Bunny (1990) (UK VHS).jpeg|(1990) VHS Bugs Bunny (1990)
StarsOfSpaceJam Taz.jpg|(1996) VHS Stars of Space Jam: Tasmanian Devil
Lt collection bugs bunny.jpg|(1996) VHS Bugs Bunny
Bumper04.jpg|(1996) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 4)
Space Jam Double Feature.jpg|(1997) VHS Space Jam Double Feature
Bumper05.jpg|(1997) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 5)
51Rir IkqCL.jpg|(1997) VHS Classic Bumper Collection
lt ccmns.jpg|(1997) VHS Looney Tunes Classic Collection (Marks and Spencer UK VHS)
Spacetaz.jpg|(1997) LaserDisc Japanese Looney Tunes LaserDiscs Tasmanian Devil
Taz's Jungle Jams.jpg|(1998) VHS Looney Tunes Presents: Taz's Jungle Jams
LTCE VOL 3 THE VOCAL GENIUS.jpg|(2000) VHS Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 3: The Vocal Genius
LT Golden Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc Four
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 1, Disc 2
lt cas2.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 2
lt cas12.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volumes 1 & 2, Disc 2
lt kfc sdlt2.jpg|(2009) DVD KFC Scooby-Doo/Looney Tunes DVDs (Australia) Volume 2
51LA0AzTVqL. SL500 AA300 .jpg|(2011) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc Two
LTPC VOL 1 DVD.jpg|(2012) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc Two
LooneyTunes CenterStageV2.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Center Stage Volume 2
lt sosj td dvd.jpg|(2018) DVD Stars of Space Jam: Tasmanian Devil
lt sosj cv1.jpg|(2018) DVD Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1
lt spotlight v1-3.jpg|(2018) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 Repack
=== Streaming ===
lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang App (2017 - )
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - )
== Censorship ==
* Versions of this short shown in CBS's "The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour" cut out the scene of Bugs using a slingshot to pop the bubble that Taz blew. The edited version plays out as if the bubble broke without provocation.http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-d.aspx
== Goofs ==
* When Bugs hums "Tales from the Vienna Woods" as he empties his vacuum cleaner, his mouth does not move, hence he is out of sync.
* During the wedding ceremony between Taz and She-Devil, the voices for the two are switched before Bugs pronounces them "Devil and Devilish."
== Notes ==
* This was Taz's only appearance in the Looney Tunes series. The rest of his Golden Age appearances were in the Merrie Melodies series.
* This is the debut of Tasmanian Devil and the Tasmanian She-Devil.
* This cartoon was featured in Bugs Bunny's Valentine, but it was shortened for time.
* This cartoon premiered with Them!.
== Gallery ==
File:(1954-6-19) Devil May Hare @.mkv 20230817 154636.679.png
File:(1954-6-19) Devil May Hare @.mkv 20230817 154639.115.png
Devil-may-hare-600.jpg|Lobby card
Looney-Tunes-Taz-Devil-May-Hare-Ornament-root-1599QXI2963 QXI2963 1470 1.jpg Source Image.jpg|Lobby card ornament
Devil-may-care-draft1.jpg
Devil-may-draft-2.jpg
File:Hare Devil Hare.jpg|Concept sketches 
=== TV Title Cards ===
Screenshot 2021-02-25 at 9.52.11 AM.png|The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show
lt devil may hare tbbats.jpg|The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show (Final Season)
Screenshot 2020-10-05 at 3.30.44 PM.png|The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show
== References ==
== External links ==
* Baxter's Breakdowns
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Robert McKimson
Category:Shorts
Category:1954
Category:Taz Cartoons
Category:Looney Tunes Shorts
Category:Bugs Bunny Robert McKimson
Category:Cartoons animated by Charles McKimson
Category:Cartoons with music by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Givens
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Richard H. Thomas
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc