The Wabbit Who Came to Supper

The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is a 1942 Merrie Melodies short directed by I. Freleng.
== Title ==
The title is a reference to the 1942 Warner Bros. film version of the 1939 George S. Kaufman Broadway comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner, in which an overbearing house-guest threatens to take over the lives of a small-town family.
== Plot ==
Bugs is seen running for his life from hunting dogs that are chasing after him. While out on the hunt for rabbits, Elmer receives a telegram from "Eastern Union" saying his Uncle Louie will leave him three million dollars in his will, as long as he doesn't harm any animals, especially rabbits. "We're in the Money" plays in the underscore. Elmer, with his rounded L's and R's speech impediment, of course cannot pronounce "Uncle Louie" correctly; it sounds more like "Uncoh Wooie". Bugs takes full advantage of the situation by moving in with Elmer.
As he showers and shaves, Bugs sings "Angel in Disguise". Elmer tries to coax Bugs into leaving, gently patting him on the head, which Bugs claims is terribly hurting him. When Elmer does get Bugs out the door, Bugs fakes a sickness, forcing Elmer to take him *back* in, fearing that any chance of him receiving the three-million-dollar inheritance may have gone down the drain.
After fulfilling the stipulations of the will and suffering all manner of hijinks from Bugs, Elmer gets a special delivery letter from his uncle's lawyers showing that, after taxes and fees, he has no money left to spend and keep for himself; in fact, he owes them $1.98 on the inheritance ("pwease wemit"). Realizing that even if he fulfills the will's conditions, he will not receive any spending money anyway, Elmer is then free to vent his anger on Bugs, and a chase ensues. Bugs escapes, but Elmer is given a large, garish Easter egg containing several baby Bugs Bunnies who simultaneously ask, 'Eh, what's up, Doc?' and start leaping around the house.
== Caricatures ==
* Jim Jordan
== Television ==
* A.A.P. (1958-mid 1990s)
* Bugs Bunny and Friends [TBS] (1979-late 1980s)
* Tom and Jerry's Funhouse [TBS] (1986–1997)
* Bugs Bunny and Friends [TNT] (1988–1998)
* The Bugs Bunny Show [TBS] (early 1990s-1997)
* Bugs and Daffy Tonight [Cartoon Network] (1992–1994)
* The Bugs and Daffy Show [Cartoon Network] (1995–2004)
* Acme Hour [Cartoon Network] (1998–2003)
* The Bugs Bunny Show [Boomerang] (2000–2002) 
* The Looney Tunes Show [Cartoon Network] (2001–2004)
* Looney Tunes on Boomerang (2003–2005; 2019–present via streaming)
* TCM (2004–2007)
* Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network (2009–2012)
* Bugs Bunny and Friends [Me TV] (2021–present)
* Toon In with Me [Me TV] (2021–present)
== Availability ==
Lt supper 8mm.jpg|8mm
Lt cel elmer.jpg|(1987) VHS Elmer!
Cartoon Moviestars 8.jpg|(1988) VHS Cartoon Moviestars: Elmer!
LT Laserdisc 1.jpg|(1988) LaserDisc Cartoon Moviestars: Bugs! and Elmer!
Bugs Bunny Collection VHS 4.jpg|(1990) VHS Bugs Bunny Collection: Bugs Bunny's Festival of Fun
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Vol. 4.jpg|(1993) LaserDisc The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 4, Side 1: Bugs Bunny
Lt larceny.jpg|(2005) DVD Larceny Inc. (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Golden Collection box 3.jpg|(2005) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
Lt cbobb3.jpg|(2005) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Best of Bugs Bunny Volume 3
Lt cv3.jpg|(2018) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Volume 3
=== Streaming ===
Lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang (2017 - ) (restored)
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2023) (restored)
lt max.jpg|Max (2023 - 2024) (restored)
== Goofs ==
* Elmer Fudd misreads the postscript to the telegram, as he reads "harm" instead of "hurt." 
* Telegrams do not have postscripts.
* The numbers on the inheritance letter do not add up correctly, as Elmer ends up owing $1.98; however, by right, the final balance Elmer would be receiving, including the tax deductions, should be $902,932.04.
== Notes ==
* Like "Wabbit Twouble", "The Wacky Wabbit", and "Fresh Hare", Bugs plays a more antagonistic role to the short-lived fat Elmer design.
* This cartoon was one of only four shorts to feature the fat Elmer design. However, two lobby cards erroneously show him in his regular design.
* The song "Angel in Disguise" is from the 1940 Warner Bros. film It All Came True which, like The Man Who Came to Dinner, starred Ann Sheridan.
* Bugs references a running gag from the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly when he threatens to call Uncle Louie: "Operator, give me Walnut three three fifty... Ohhh, that you, Myrt? How's every little thing?" Arthur Q. Bryan, the voice of Elmer Fudd, also played "Doc Gamble" on the show.
* This is the first cartoon where Bugs cross-dresses; at one scene, Bugs disguises as a woman in lingerie when entering one of the rooms in Elmer's house, and Bugs (in drag) screams when Elmer opens, causing Elmer to close the door, only to realize that he has been tricked (this gag would later be re-used in "Hare Trigger" [1945]).
* Bugs fakes catching pneumonia when getting thrown out of the house in one scene, which he remarks that scene will win him the Academy Award. Despite this comment made by Bugs, this cartoon was neither nominated for nor did it win an Academy Award. Bugs would repeat this gag again in Freleng’s "Hare Force" (1944), when Sylvester the Dog throws him out of the house and into the cold.
* This is the only cartoon where Elmer does not hunt Bugs in his usual hunting clothes.
* This short is one of several pre-August 1948 Warner Bros. shorts that lapsed into the public domain due to United Artists failing to renew the copyright by 1970.
* A Tom and Jerry cartoon short entitled "The Million Dollar Cat" (1944) from MGM shares a similar premise as this short.
* The gag involving Bugs using Elmer's piano to get his singing in tune was later reused in "Upswept Hare".
* Most of the paintings on Elmer’s wall appear to be of scantily-clad women, in clear violation of the Hays Code.
== Gallery ==
360-Credits.png
The wabbit who came to supper-1.png
Wabbit-came-supper-600.jpg|Lobby card
PS200.jpg|Lobby card
360-PD1.png|Production drawing
Wabbit came to supper.jpg|Production background
Wabbit.jpg|Production cel
Background.jpg|Production background
Cel.jpg|Production cel
== References ==
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Friz Freleng
Category:Public domain films
Category:Elmer Fudd Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:1942
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons produced by Leon Schlesinger
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons in a.a.p. package