A-Lad-In His Lamp

A-Lad-In His Lamp is a 1948 Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.
== Title ==
The title is a play on Aladdin's Lamp.
== Plot ==
While digging a new rabbit hole, Bugs finds Aladdin's lamp. Initially believing it to be junk, Bugs starts cleaning it off so he can use it as an ashtray. a genie (ultimately dubbed "Smokey" by Bugs) soon appears and claims that he can grant any wish that Bugs wants. After trying but failing to make some wishes (due to Smokey interrupting him), Bugs ultimately requests two carrots, which the genie produces.
When Smokey claims that he wants to return to his home in Baghdad, Bugs (imagining how amazing a trip to Baghdad would be) wishes that he could go as well—interpreting this as an actual wish, Smokey stuffs Bugs into his lamp and then fires him from it like a cannon, and the two fly off all the way to Iraq. The two soon arrive at their destination, eventually landing in a royal palace belonging to Caliph Hasenpfeffer. Though initially angry at being disturbed, the caliph gets excited upon discovering Aladdin's lamp. Bugs refuses to give the lamp to the caliph, which just makes him incensed and soon leads to him chasing Bugs throughout his palace.
While trying to escape the enraged caliph, Bugs tries hiding out in a room. He exits after a group of women scream. After coming out, Bugs sheepishly says, "Er, uh, a 'hare-um', I think." This encourages Smokey to come out of his lamp and take a peek himself, prompting another shriek from the ladies inside, after which he informs Bugs, "Oh, that was a harem, alright! I know a harem when I see one!" But then the caliph catches up to them, causing Smokey to dive back into his lamp to escape the ruler's wrath.
Bugs tries summoning the genie to help him, but Smokey (who is in the middle of taking a bath) refuses and tells Bugs not to bother him. Bugs starts running away from the irate caliph again and tries summoning Smokey's help a second time, but the genie (now in the middle of eating) once again refuses to help Bugs. Annoyed at the lazy genie's refusal to help him, the rabbit starts repeatedly ramming a stick into the genie's lamp, but all this does is earn Bugs a whack in the face with said stick from Smokey (who sticks his arm out of the lamp to do so). After avoiding the caliph again (who blindly charges into a wall offscreen), Bugs briefly manages to escape him by flying away on a magic carpet (that's rigged with an outboard motor). The rabbit tries summoning Smokey again, who's now in the middle of a date with a female genie. Just as the two genies are about to kiss, the female genie is startled away by Bugs. Angered at having his date interrupted, Smokey threatens to beat Bugs to a pulp if the rabbit disturbs him again before diving back into his lamp.
Bugs' carpet soon loses power and he crash lands back into the palace, with the lamp falling into the hands of Caliph Hasenpfeffer. The villain is excited upon finally gaining possession of the lamp and starts rubbing it to get the genie. Bugs (with a smile on his face) warns the caliph not to do so, claiming, "You'll be sorry!" Smokey (much larger and angrier than before) emerges and starts beating up the caliph, with Bugs cheering him on. After giving the caliph a good thrashing, Smokey thanks Bugs for his part in it and offers to grant him a wish. After deciding what he wants, Bugs whispers something into Smokey's ear. The genie produces a ball that ends up as a puff of smoke when dropped.
The short ends with Bugs (now a caliph) surrounded by a harem of female rabbits and wonders "what the poor rabbits are doing this season."
== Availability ==
Lt vs7 uk.jpg|(1982) VHS The Looney Tunes Video Show Volume 7
CARTOON CAVALCADE BUGS BUNNY.jpg|(1988) VHS Bugs Bunny's Hare-Raising Tales
Lt wince.jpg|(1994) LaserDisc Wince Upon a Time: Foolhardy Fairy Tales and Looney Legends
Bumper01.jpg|(1994) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 1)
LTSPB Vol. 2.jpg|(1995) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 2)
CARTOON CAVALCADE BUGS BUNNY 2.jpg|(1997) VHS Bugs Bunny's Hare-Raising Tales Time-Life edition
LTCE VOL 4 DAFFY DOODLES.jpg|(2000) VHS Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition: Daffy Doodles
== Censorship ==
* When this short aired on Cartoon Network's 2001 June Bugs marathon, the part where Caliph Hassan is smoking from his hookah before Bugs Bunny lands on him (though not Caliph Hassan smoking during his introductory scene) was cut.https://archive.org/details/june-bugs-2001-marathon
*When MeTV aired this short in May 2021 as part of their Saturday Morning Cartoons block, the smoking part was left in, but Bugs singing "In the Cold, Cold Ground" in the beginning of the cartoon was cut for time reasons. In November 2021, the cartoon re-aired with the beginning reinstated. The short has not aired on MeTV since.
*This short seldom airs on American television due to Caliph Hassan being an Arabian stereotype that would be deemed offensive to modern audiences. Though Kids WB! had this cartoon in its library around the time the channel aired Bugs 'N' Daffy, this cartoon never aired in the program for this reason.https://www.kevinmccorrytv.ca/tv/thatswb/ Despite this, the short did aired on Nickelodeon, MeTV, Cartoon Network and Boomerang, albeit infrequently on both networks.
==Notes ==
*Jim Backus, who voiced Smokey the Genie, would also work with Mel Blanc in UPA's Mr. Magoo series, the former voicing canned vegetable tycoon Mr. Quincy Magoo, and the latter voicing his uncle Tycoon Magoo, his manservant Worcestershire, and a number of incidental characters.
* The gag where Smokey is summoned out of his lamp while bathing in this cartoon would later be referenced in Disney's Aladdin (1992).
* The working titles were "Genie's Lite Brown Hare" and "The Fair-Haired Hare", the latter of which would be later used as the title of a Friz Freleng cartoon released in 1951.
==Gallery==
A-LAD-IN-A-LAMP-Bugs-600.jpg|Lobby card
A-Lad-In-A-Lamp-Bugs2-600.jpg|Lobby card
A-Lad-in-his-Lamp-lobbydrawing600.jpg|Lobby card preliminary sketch
File:Lola and her sisters in A lad in his lamp.jpg
File:A232321rwef.jpg|Background layout
Draft-pg-1-600.jpg
Draft-pg-2-600.jpg
Gahg46we8ygat.png|Part of the animator draft along with two other drafts for "The Grey Hounded Hare" and "The Windblown Hare"
File:A Lad Layout.jpg|Background layout
File:His.jpg|Background layout
File:In.jpg|Background layout
File:Lap.jpg|Background layout
File:Layout-drawing-600.jpg|Background layout
===TV Title Cards===
lt a lad tbbs.jpg|The Bugs Bunny Show
==References==
==External links==
*"Bugs Bunny in "A-Lad-In His Lamp" (1948) on Cartoon Research"
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Robert McKimson
Category:Shorts
Category:1948
Category:Looney Tunes Shorts
Category:Bugs Bunny Robert McKimson
Category:Cartoons written by Warren Foster
Category:Cartoons animated by Charles McKimson
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
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 Cornett Wood
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Richard H. Thomas