Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt

Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt is a 1941 Merrie Melodies short directed by I. Freleng.
== Plot ==
Bugs is reading "The Song of Hiawatha" out loud to himself, and the saga turns real as a pint-sized, Elmer Fudd-like Hiawatha turns up, paddling his canoe. Hiawatha is looking for a rabbit for his dinner. Hiawatha finds Bugs in the cooking pot washing himself. Then he tricks Bugs into thinking he is preparing a hot bath for him. Bugs quickly vacates once Hiawatha casually mentions that he is having rabbit stew for supper. Bugs begins tormenting his would-be devourer. Hiawatha attempts to tie Bugs up, but it happened the other way around as Bugs circled around him tied to a tree. Bugs, disguised as a tribal chief, tricked Hiawatha by pointing to the direction in which "him go that way". After taking off his disguise, Hiawatha held Bugs at arrow point until the rabbit bounced around many times and landed on a stray branch at the cliffside. Hiawatha mimic the same thing Bugs did only to end up falling all the way to the ground. Angered by Bugs' trickery, he finally breaks his bow in disgust and paddles his canoe away while Bugs finishes his reading of the poem. However, the miffed-looking Hiawatha suddenly returns to the foreground where Bugs is reading the narrative, and after a second of wordless staring at each other, Hiawatha gives Bugs the "insulting kiss" that the bunny usually bestows on others. Hiawatha then paddles away again as Bugs "spits out" the kiss.
== Caricatures ==
* Ward Kimball - Hiawatha is a caricature of him.
* Lon Chaney Jr. - "Which way did he go? Which way did he go?"
== Availability ==
Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt Super 8mm Home Movie.jpg|8mm
MV5BMzg0NGRmMzctZDRkYy00MjQyLTk5Y2ItNzk0ZDZjY2RkNTZjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTk4MDgwNA@@. V1 SY1000 CR0,0,1013,1000 AL .jpg|Super 8
MV5BMmM1ZTgyNTktNzY4ZS00NDNmLTk3NGYtYjY4NTQxODVmZWFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzg5OTk2OA@@. V1 .jpg|Super 8
Viddy-Oh! For Kids VHS 2.jpg|(1986) VHS Bugs Bunny Cartoon Festival, Little Red Riding Rabbit (blue borders, Blue Ribbon, original closing)
Golden-Age-of-Looney-Tunes-2-F.jpg|(1992) LaserDisc The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 2 (blue borders, Blue Ribbon, original closing)
lt maltese dvd.jpg|(2000) DVD The Maltese Falcon (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Lt academy award animation collection.jpg|(2008) DVD Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection (original titles, restored closing)
lt maltese blu.jpg|(2010) Blu-ray The Maltese Falcon (restored, original titles, restored closing)
LT Platinum Collection VOL 3 DVD Cover.png|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc 1 (original titles, restored closing)
LTPC Volume 3 Cover.png|(2014) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc 1 (original titles, restored closing)
=== Streaming ===
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2020) (original titles, restored closing)
== Censorship ==
Due to its stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans, this cartoon and "What's Cookin' Doc?", which featured a clip from this short, were part of the "Twelve Missing Hares" that was pulled from Cartoon Network's 2001 June Bugs marathon by its then-owner, AOL Time Warner.http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-h.aspxhttps://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. Although the cartoon does air on international networks, and "What's Cookin' Doc?" has aired more often in recent years, this cartoon in full has rarely aired on American television.
== Goofs ==
* The Blue Ribbon reissue title card erroneously shows the Vitaphone release number instead of the MPAA number.
== Notes ==
* In 1995, the original opening and credits were restored for the American and European 1995 Turner "dubbed" version prints, but the original ending was replaced by the 1937–38 Merrie Melodies dubbed closing card, though the original ending music cue is kept intact on both dubbed version prints. The original closing was restored with the original titles when the cartoon was released on DVD 12 February 2008 on Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection. This restored print was double-dipped in the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3 release for DVD and Blu-ray.
* The Blue Ribbon print from the LaserDisc has the original closing, like most Schlesinger-credited Blue Ribbon reissues.http://my.mail.ru/mail/1217527/video/82850/85214.html
* In 1942, this cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoon), alongside "Rhapsody in Rivets". However, it lost to the Disney cartoon "Lend a Paw".http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1942
** The cooking-pot sequence from this cartoon would be directly incorporated three years later in the 1944 Bugs Bunny cartoon "What's Cookin' Doc?", directed by Bob Clampett, although Bugs' facial appearance had subtly changed in the interim. The central joke in that film is Bugs losing the Oscar to fellow Warner actor James Cagney. Showing clips specifically from "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" provides some context to that storyline.
* This is the second and last Bugs Bunny short in that was reissued in the Blue Ribbon program that had its original titles replaced; the other being "A Wild Hare". Both shorts were nominated for an Academy Award.
** The reissue of this cartoon is unique in that it has Bugs Bunny on top of the WB shield; this is the only unique Blue Ribbon reissue with this opening.
*** However, unlike all of the times Bugs Bunny has been on the shield from 1941 to 1944, there is a small goof; Bugs Bunny always bites on his carrot twice. But in the BR opening, he bites it only once, and munches on the carrot for a much longer time. Though when Bugs reappears on the WB shield from 1945 to 1949 with the updated character design by Robert McKimson, he bites on his carrot only once and munches on the carrot for a much shorter time.
*Hiawatha’s design is based on Disney animator Ward Kimball.
== Gallery ==
Tumblr mw0v3mBciL1s92nono1 1280.jpg|Model sheet by Bob Givens
Hwh.jpg|Lobby card
HRHLC.jpg|Lobby card
ScanE535 20121025 135913.jpg|Lobby card
1941 - Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt - Full waterfall view.jpg|Full waterfall background
== References ==
== External links ==
* "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" CHOF
es:Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Friz Freleng
Category:Academy Award nominees
Category:Shorts
Category:1941
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
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 Leon Schlesinger
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons in a.a.p. package
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist