Prince Violent

Prince Violent is a 1961 Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt.
== Title ==
The original title is a play on the comic strip character Prince Valiant. The alternate title is derivative of one of Yosemite Sam's choice insults at Bugs Bunny in this cartoon: "You better open up that gate, Prince Varmint, or I'll bust it down!"
== Plot ==
A Viking named Sam the Terrible is rowing upriver towards a castle, and he is noticed by two people on a nearby riverbank, who retreat to the castle sensing an invasion. As he passes by Bugs Bunny's hole, Bugs peeks out and thinks that Sam's outfit is that of an "electric can opener broken loose". As Bugs sees Sam enter the castle, Bugs takes it upon himself to fight Sam.
In Bugs' first confronting Sam, who is trying to get the locals to come out, Bugs calls Sam's outfit a Halloween costume, and takes the sword from Sam and dulls it, rendering it useless, and kicks Sam out of the castle. Sam tries to re-enter, only to see the horns of his cap get stuck in the castle door. In the meantime, Bugs paints a door on the castle walls to trick Sam, and Sam (this time with the help of a pink elephant) tries to break the "door" down, only to instead knock in some of the stones where the door was painted.
Next, Sam, with the help of the elephant, is catapulting rocks over the castle walls. Bugs sees an opportunity to ruin Sam's plans and pours pepper on the elephant, making him sneeze a rock right into Sam, flattening him. Thinking that Sam has retreated, Bugs asks for the bridge to be lowered. Sam, however, reappears and tries to cross the bridge with the elephant, but the elephant is so heavy that Sam and the elephant both fall through into the moat.
Sam then decides to try to sail in the back way, using the elephant's belly as a boat. Bugs, however, notices this and while Sam is sailing, he plugs the elephant's nose with a cork, forcing him back to land for air and forcing Sam to use his hat to sail back to shore, where he chases away the pink elephant.
Frustrated, Sam tries to mine his way into the castle under one of the towers, only to have the tower pancake onto him. After this attempt fails, Sam attempts to blow open the castle door with TNT. When Sam tries to leave, however, the drawbridge has been raised and Sam is forced to wait with the lit explosives. After the door blows open, Sam rushes in, only to meet the elephant that he chased away earlier, now on Bugs' side. The elephant chases Sam with a hammer to chase him away. Bugs comments about what can be accomplished with peanuts, as the elephant chews on some.
== Availability ==
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection.jpg|(2020) Blu-ray Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection, Disc 3 (restored with original titles)
=== Streaming ===
Lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang App (2018 - ) (1998 TV "USA" transfer)
Lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022) (restored, with original titles)
== Censorship ==
* This cartoon was retitled Prince Varmint when originally aired on television due to the intimidating title for TV broadcasts. This retitled version was used on ABC, CBS, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, the syndicated Merrie Melodies Show and the former Fox Kids and Kids' WB! blocks. This edit applies to all TV versions of the cartoon worldwide that airs the unrestored version, regardless of the channel (due to original title cards being reinstated on restored prints used in most modern airings and on home media, the "Prince Varmint" version is becoming less popular).http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-p.aspx
** On a 1992 episode of The Merrie Melodies Show, the original title card showing a Viking ship with the title on the sail was replaced with a title card where Bugs Bunny (in Viking garb) is sitting on the side of a castle along with new credits being issued. The intro and outro cards were also replaced with 1958 Blue Ribbon opening cards with the 1946-1955 Looney Tunes opening music cue playing over it (both plastered from "From A to Z-Z-Z-Z") and 1953 closing cards with 1946-1955 Looney Tunes ending music cue playing over it (both plastered from "Dr. Jerkyl's Hide"). This version is also used when aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang in the United States.http://chomikuj.pl/SSNN/*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac+*e2*97*84*e2*9d*b6*e2*96*ba+Bajki+*e2*97*84*e2*9d*b6*e2*96*ba/*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac*e2*96*ac+*e2*97*95+Zwariowane+Melodie/Wersje+Angielskie/Rok+1961/090261+Prince+Violent+LT+BR+CN+TITLE,1989615269.avi(video)
** The version currently shown on Boomerang's streaming service is taken from Bugs 'n' Daffy, showing only the new title card from Merrie Melodies. Instead of actual credits, the full Bugs 'n' Daffy credits sequence is played at the end.https://watch.boomerang.com/watch/77/19
** An alternate version of this retitled version that airs in other countries (e.g. on the Italian TV station Mediaset Italia 1, and on the French TV station Canal+ Family) has the original title card showing a Viking ship with the title on the sail replaced by a plain title card as on an episode of The Bugs Bunny Show (as pictured below). The intro cards were replaced with 1950 Merrie Melodies opening cards (plastered from "Hare We Go" (note production code of 1156)), and uses the 1959-1960 Merrie Melodies closing cards, albeit preserving its original ending music cue.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8zOZubn57w
* In addition to the above cut, the version shown on ABC's The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show also edits the part where Bugs pulls up the drawbridge and traps Yosemite Sam on the castle's doorstep with the a pile of dynamite he had lit by replacing the scene with a repeat shot of Sam running away from the explosion (although the shot of Sam looking disheveled after the explosion was left intact).
== Goofs ==
* On a German broadcast, the opening rings from "Birds of a Father" were used (with production number 1559).https://ok.ru/video/1311020943994
* As with several 2020 restorations of Bugs Bunny cartoons released after "Wideo Wabbit", there is reversed animation on Bugs eating his carrot from when the "Bugs Bunny In" title card fades in. This error is only present in the restored print that was on HBO Max and on the Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection print.
* The restored version incorrectly uses the 1955-64 ending rendition of "Merrily We Roll Along" instead of the 1955-64 ending rendition of "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down".
== Notes ==
* Bugs’ hourglass timepiece (17 Jewels Bruin), is a reference to the Gruen Watch Co., a U.S./Swiss manufacturer of fine wristwatches.
* This is one of the only two post-1948 Looney Tunes shorts which were shown censored with a minor edit on the unrestored TV prints (even on the PAL masters) worldwide regardless of the TV channel. The other one is "Gonzales' Tamales". Both shorts would have their censored scenes reinstated when released to home media.
== Gallery ==
PrinceViolentCredits1.png
PrinceViolentCredits2.png
PrinceViolentRestoredSmall.jpeg|Cropped screenshot of 2020 restoration
Prince violent.jpg|Lobby/title cards
Prince-violent-600.jpg|Lobby card
Hteg08qtygaG.jpg|Lobby card
=== TV Title Cards ===
lt prince varmint tbbs.jpg|The Bugs Bunny Show
Prince Varmint.png|Reissue title card shown on The Merrie Melodies Show, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang
== References ==
== External links ==
* "Prince Varmint (or Prince Violent)" at the SFX Resource
also see the List of Bugs Bunny cartoons and the List of Yosemite Sam cartoons
Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Category:Yosemite Sam Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:Cartoons directed by Friz Freleng
Category:1961
Category:Looney Tunes Shorts
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Cartoons directed by Hawley Pratt
Category:Cartoons with music by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons written by Dave Detiege
Category:Cartoons animated by Bob Matz
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Tom O'Loughlin
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons produced by David H. DePatie
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist