Hair-Raising Hare

Hair-Raising Hare is a 1946 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles M. Jones.
== Plot ==
One night, in a dark, empty forest, Bugs Bunny is singing a stanza of "Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart". He pokes up out of his hole, dressed in a nightshirt and holding up a candle, and says, "Eh, I don't know but, did you ever have the feeling you was being watched?" He is, via remote TV, as an evil scientist (a caricature of Hollywood actor, Peter Lorre) is planning to catch a rabbit to provide dinner for his large, hairy, orange, sneaker-wearing monster named Gossamer. The scientist lures Bugs to his castle via a shapely robotic female rabbit, complete with a large wind-up key in the back, and accompanied by "Oh, You Beautiful Doll". Once Bugs gets to the castle labeled "evil scientist" in neon lights, the evil scientist locks the door behind him. Bugs looks at him and says, "You don't need to lock that door, Mac. I don't wanna leave." Then he clicks his tongue and raises his eyebrows and begins kissing the mechanical rabbit on the hand. The robot short-circuits and breaks into pieces. Bugs faces the audience and says, "That's the trouble with some dames, kiss 'em and they fly apart!"
Nonchalantly shrugging off this odd encounter, Bugs heads for the door, but the scientist persuades him to stay and meet another "little friend." When it becomes clear that this "friend" is a ferocious beast, Bugs sizes up the situation, vigorously shakes the scientist's hand "Goodbye!" and launches into a schtick where he packs luggage for a vacation trip, accompanied by a very brassy rendition of "California, Here I Come". Just before bolting for the door, he tells the scientist, in typical Groucho Marx fashion, "And don't think it hasn't been a little slice of heaven, 'cause it hasn't." The scientist releases Gossamer to chase Bugs. As Bugs is behind a door and Gossamer is trying to break through, a desperate-sounding Bugs cries out, "Is there a doctor in the house?" A silhouette, seemingly from the theater audience, stands up and offers, "I'm a doctor." Bugs suddenly relaxes, grins, starts munching a carrot, and asks, "What's up, Doc?" just before Gossamer breaks through, and the chase resumes.
Bugs and Gossamer pass by a mirror, Gossamer looks at the mirror, then his reflection runs away toward the door, screaming in horror. Gossamer shrugs. Bugs rushes up a staircase, but rushes back down and knocks down Gossamer, telling him he can't go up there because it's dark. Bugs acts as a lamp; he dances to the tune of "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" and taunts Gossamer by calling "Hey, Frankenstein!" Bugs and Gossamer keep running until a door on the floor opens and a rock falls into the empty space. While Bugs is tiptoeing backwards and praying, he bumps into Gossamer. He comes up with an idea and gives him a manicure. After filing Gossamer's nails, Bugs says, "Now let's dip our patties in the water," and puts the monster's fingers into the water to have his fingernails cut, but it contains two mousetraps which snap on his hands. Gossamer yelps in pain and starts weeping.
Bugs twice thinks he has escaped. The first time, the monster is hiding behind a picture frame and Bugs apparently isn't aware until he wises up and pokes Gossamer in the eyes. Gossamer gets out from behind the wall, and while looking for Bugs, finds him in a painting. Gossamer then gets the idea to poke Bugs in the eyes, too. But before he can fully carry it out, Bugs jumps the gun and quickly pokes Gossamer in the eyes again, and disappears from the painting, making Gossamer go behind the wall again. The second time, Gossamer is following Bugs behind the wall, which Bugs knows is happening because Gossamer is copying Bugs' footsteps, until Bugs marks where he previously was and smashes the mark with a giant mallet when Gossamer appears behind it. The wall crumbles and a barely conscious Gossamer quickly follows.
The third time, Gossamer's in a knight's armor, holding an axe above his head. He gets hit by Bugs in his locomotive-style knight-riding horse, causing him to hit the wall to turn into a can labeled "Canned Monster". However, as Bugs saunters off toward the exit, singing to himself, Gossamer gets the bunny in his clutches. Bugs repeats his opening line, "Did you ever have the feeling you were being watched?", and Gossamer's expression changes from anger to anxiety, and Bugs points to the audience. Horrified, Gossamer shrieks, "PEOPLE!" and runs away screaming, breaking through a series of walls, leaving his cartoon outline in all of them. Having "re-re-disposed of the monster", Bugs is about to "exit stage right" (although he's actually going stage left), when the female robo-rabbit reappears, intact, and again accompanied by "Oh, You Beautiful Doll".
Bugs snickers, "Mechanical," but then the robot smooches him on the cheek, leaving a lipstick mark on the smitten bunny, who says, "Well, so it's mechanical!" and assumes a robot-like gait with his tail magically rotating like the robot's wind-up key and follows her.
== Caricatures ==
* Peter Lorre
== Availability ==
Lt vo uk hrh.jpg|(1986) VHS Bugs Bunny Cartoon Festival Featuring "Hair Raising Hare"
Lt bbss ld.jpg|(1988) LaserDisc Bugs Bunny: Superstar
Lt bbs.jpg|(1988) VHS Bugs Bunny: Superstar
Bugs Bunny Collection VHS 1.jpg|(1991) VHS Bugs Bunny Collection: Bugs Bunny: Hollywood Legend
Golden Age LT Vol 1.jpg|(1991) LaserDisc The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Vol. 1, Side 8: 1940s Zanies
The golden age of looney tunes vhs 8.jpg|(1992) VHS The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Vol. 8: 1940s Zanies
LTCE VOL 2 RUNNING AMUCK.jpg|(1999) VHS Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 2: Running Amuck (1995 USA Turner Dubbed Version)
LT Golden Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc 3 (restored with DVNR)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volume 1, Disc 1, cartoon #4 (restored with DVNR)
Lt cas1.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 1
Lt cas12.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volumes 1 & 2, Disc 1
Golden Collection box 3.jpg|(2005) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc 3 through What's Up Doc? A Salute to Bugs Bunny
LTGC Vol.4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc 2, through Bugs Bunny Superstar (restored, but uses opening and closing titles from the 90s scan of Bugs Bunny Superstar)
Lt kfc sdlt1.jpg|(2009) DVD KFC Scooby-Doo/Looney Tunes DVDs (Australia) Volume 1
Howl-Oween Special DVD.jpg|(2010) DVD Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (Same print as Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1)
The Essential Bugs Bunny.jpg|(2010) DVD The Essential Bugs Bunny, Disc 1
Lt 3sdt.jpg|(2010) DVD 3 Spooky DVD Treats
BB SS DVD Warner Archive.jpg|(2012) DVD Bugs Bunny: Superstar (restored with DVNR)
LTPC Volume 3 Cover.png|(2014) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc 1 (restored without DVNR)
LooneyTunes CenterStageV1.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Center Stage Volume 1
LT Platinum Collection VOL 3 DVD Cover.png|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc 1 (restored without 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
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection.jpg|(2020) Blu-ray Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection, Disc 1 (restored without DVNR)
=== Streaming ===
Lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang (2017 - )
Lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2023)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2023 - )
File:Lt itunes.jpg|iTunes ( - ) (restored)
== Notes ==
* This is the first appearance of Gossamer.
* The opening music is identical to "The Hare-Brained Hypnotist".
* This is the first cartoon to use the red background blue-red Color Rings.
* This is the final Chuck Jones short to feature Jones' variant of Bugs' original 1940 design created by Bob Givens as seen from "Hold the Lion, Please!" up till this short, as beginning with "A Feather in His Hare" Jones uses Robert McKimson's modern design of Bugs like the other Warners directors.
* This is the first cartoon to have MERRIE appear before MELODIES in the "MERRIE MELODIES" text. Cartoons before that had MERRIE MELODIES appearing at the same time.
* The title card to the Brandy & Mr. Whiskers episode "Bad Hare Day" is somewhat similar to this cartoon's title card.
* The evil scientist, Dr. Lorre, later makes a cameo appearance in Looney Tunes Back in Action.
* This cartoon was used in the documentaries Bugs Bunny: Superstar and What's Up Doc? A Salute to Bugs Bunny.
* Footage from this cartoon is used in the Ozzy and Drix episode "Double Dose". Bugs Bunny and Gossamer also have cameo appearances within the episode.
* Gossamer's character design in Looney Tunes Cartoons is based off his design from this short.
== Goofs ==
* When Bugs asks if there is a doctor in the house, his head vanishes for a split second.
* When Bugs whispers, "Out there in the audience" to Gossamer, his mouth does not move.
== Gallery ==
51dmA06NGrL.jpg|Lobby card
Hrh.jpg|Lobby card
1db10b39b54d6adcfaa0d384b7ab8fe6.jpg|Lobby card
Main.jpg|Colorized lobby card
Hair-raising-hare-rear-from-left-sniffles-the-mouse-henery-hawk-bugs-E5NCMA.jpg|Poster
MV5BOWY2YjY3ZmItOGM3MS00OTRkLThjODMtNDllN2M0ZDM0OTVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzg5OTk2OA@@. V1 UY268 CR9,0,182,268 AL .jpg
473-PC.png|Production cel
473-SB.png|Storyboard panel
HairRaisingHareSTORYBOARD.png|Storyboard panel
Aif.jpg|Drawing by Virgil Ross
Hair-Raising Hare credits.png|Credits
Hair-Raising Hare Director Credit.png|Directors' credit
File:Lola Bunny in hair raising hare 4.jpg
File:Lola Bunny in hair raising hare 3-4.jpg
==References==
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Shorts
Category:1946
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Bugs Bunny: Superstar Cartoons
Category:Cartoons written by Tedd Pierce
Category:Bugs Bunny Chuck Jones
Category:Cartoons animated by Basil Davidovich
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Earl Klein
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Gribbroek
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Earl Klein
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Robert Gribbroek
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 produced by Eddie Selzer
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons in a.a.p. package