Tortoise Beats Hare

Tortoise Beats Hare is a 1941 Merrie Melodies short directed by Fred Avery. 
== Plot ==
Bugs wanders onto the title card, absentmindedly reading the title card with gross mispronunciations. Once he finally reads the title of the cartoon, he becomes outraged, accusing the makers of not knowing what they are talking about. He tears apart the title card and rushes to find Cecil Turtle's house. When he confronts Cecil, he strongly insists that he can beat him any day of the week. Then he bets the little, sleepy-eyed turtle ten dollars that he can beat him in a race.
Cecil accepts Bugs' bet and quickly (for him, anyway) calls up Chester Turtle and eight other cousins, all of whom look and sound like Cecil (some have deeper voices, some have higher voices). After talking to Chester about the bet, he tells him to call the other cousins and tell them to be ready when he comes to their position, and to "give him all the works". The race begins several days later, and as Bugs runs relentlessly toward the finish line, Cecil and his relatives take turns showing up at just the right moment to baffle the bunny. In the end, Bugs is convinced he has won, only to see Cecil or one of his kin across the finish demanding the money. Bugs suggests that he has been tricked, and all ten turtles approach and reply, "Mmm, it's a possibility!" And they all kiss Bugs.
== Caricatures ==
* Artie Auerbach - "Mmm, it's a possibility!"
== Production Details ==
Mel Blanc supplies Cecil's drowsy drawl, which is like a slowed-down version of Blanc's later characterization of Barney Rubble.
"Tortoise Beats Hare" is a takeoff on the Aesop fable "The Tortoise and the Hare", but even more directly, it is Avery's parody of the 1934 Disney Silly Symphony, "The Tortoise and the Hare". Max Hare, from the earlier Disney film, is often cited as one of the inspirations behind Bugs Bunny.
Avery left Warner Bros. before he could produce any new cartoons featuring Cecil. However, he introduced a similar character in 1943, Droopy. Droopy would even take some of his tricks from his slow-and-steady predecessor, such as using his relatives to help him outsmart a wolf.
== Availability ==
Viddy-Oh! For Kids VHS 2.jpg|(1986) VHS Viddy-Oh! For Kids Cartoon Festivals: Bugs Bunny Cartoon Festival Featuring "Little Red Riding Rabbit"
Bugs Bunny Collection VHS 6.jpg|(1991) VHS Bugs Bunny Collection: Bugs Bunny's Zaniest Toons
Golden Age LT Vol 1.jpg|(1991) LaserDisc The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 1, Side 10: The Art of Bugs
lt galt vhs 10.jpg|(1992) VHS The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 10: The Art of Bugs
BigTopBunny VHS.jpg|(1998) VHS Looney Tunes Presents: Bugs Bunny: Big Top Bunny (1995 Turner dubbed version)
LTCE VOL 8 TEX-BOOK LOONEY.jpg|(2000) VHS Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 8: Tex-Book Looney (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Golden Collection box 2.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2, Disc One
lt cbobb2.jpg|(2005) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Best of Bugs Bunny Volume 2
Bugs Bunny - Wasically Wabbit Front Cover.jpg|(2011) DVD Looney Tunes Super Stars' Bugs Bunny: Wascally Wabbit
LTPC VOL 2 DVD.jpg|(2012) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc 2
LTPC VOL 2 Blu Ray.jpg|(2012) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc 2
LooneyTunesSpotlightVol8-210x300.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 8 Disc 1
61VYb0ajzBL._SL1000_.jpg|(2023) Blu-ray The Strawberry Blonde
=== Streaming ===
lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang App ( - )
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2023)
lt max.jpg|Max (2023 - )
== Notes ==
* The working title was "Tortoise + Hare".
* When Bugs sees Cecil sitting at the finishing line, he calls him a "blankety, blank, blank turtle", which is meant to reference curse words, which is a violation of the 1934 Hays Code.
* This was Tex Avery's 54th cartoon and Bugs Bunny's third appearance.
* This is the first time Bugs Bunny loses in the end, proving that Bugs is not completely unbeatable; this is confirmed by animation historian Will Friedwald in the documentary King Size Comedy: Tex Avery and the Looney Tunes Revolution as part of Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2 Blu-ray bonus features.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=III4mVWV_2I
* A sign reading "Bell Turtlephone Co." can be seen in the short. It is a parody of Bell Telephone Co., the first owner of AT&T.
* This short was featured in the final episode of The Bugs & Daffy Show that aired on 11 April 2004.https://cnas.fandom.com/wiki/April_11,_2004
== Gallery ==
Tortoise-beats-hare-550.jpg|Lobby card
TBHLC.jpg|Lobby card
20526651 1941282329461551 1376477057 n.jpg
Sdaesadnfo;uinfsd;nb;ouiasdenebrsdguobgsno'.png|Cecil's model sheet #1 by Bob Givens
CecilMSBC.jpg|Cecil's model sheet #1, signed by Bob Clampett
Weeeeeeeeeee.png|Cecil's model sheet #2 by Bob Givens
Tortoise Beats Hare (1941) - Obstacles.jpg
Tortoise-Beats-Hare-Draft-600.jpg|Animator draft
== References ==
== External links==
* Animator Breakdown: "Tortoise Beats Hare" (1941) on Cartoon Research
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Tex Avery
Category:Shorts
Category:1941
Category:Cecil Turtle Cartoons
Category:Cartoons animated by Charles McKimson
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons animated by Sid Sutherland
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by John Didrik Johnsen
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
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 characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Givens
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Cartoons in a.a.p. package