Hare Conditioned (1945)

. . . Warner Bros.' Nostradamus-like warnings to America of Coming Cataclysmic Catastrophes, often 50 to 75 years before the fact, through both its live-action features and its animated shorts) often ask, "Why didn't Warner warn us of the Most Terrible Tragedy of All, America's 9-11 Terrorist Attacks?" Of course, such a query only pops up during Warnology 101 Classes, since Warner warned America Early and Often about September 11. (Scandalously, some of these films have been "lost," others were heavily redacted during alleged "restorations," and some may have been buried among the Forbidden Eleven Looney Tunes, which Warner has permanently barred you and me from seeing). However, viewers will note an absence of substance in HARE CONDITIONED. It simply seems notable as the only Looney Tune in which Bugs is falling to his death from a high-rise rooftop as it concludes. That Bugs' fatal plunge is preceded by the Death Dive of the Middle Eastern Taxidermist who's trying to shoot and stuff America's favorite rabbit may have been lost upon the contemporary viewers of 1945, still reeling from Japan's infamous Sneak Attack against Pearl Harbor. But the caricatured sheikh's suicide charge--which takes down Bugs, as well--portends great harm to a nation which insists upon being asleep at the wheel.

Directed by Chuck Jones, "Hare Conditioned" is a very entertaining Bugs Bunny cartoon. Bugs works in a department store, where the big, burly, sinisterly smiling floorwalker plans to have him stuffed. Stuffed?! Yep.My two favorite scenes from "Hare Conditioned" are greatly enhanced by the music score of Carl W. Stalling. First, in the opening scene, Bugs hops out of his hole, around in a circle, and back in the hole. And second, the floorwalker chases Bugs into different store departments, and they emerge wearing ridiculous clothing appropriate for each department."Hare Conditioned" is a terrific cartoon that can be found on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2. "Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh! Kind of outsmarted you, eh, little chum?"

Hare Conditioned (1945) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Looney Tunes short has Bugs Bunny working in a department store as part of an outdoor display. His mean boss then wants to use him in a taxidermy display, which Bugs isn't too fond of. This has never been one of my favorites even though I know it has a rather large following amongst other animation fans. For me I've never been too thrilled with any of the action because it simply doesn't make me laugh. I think Bugs is up to his usual good standards and I think the yellow-skinned owner is also quite good. The two work well together but that didn't really matter because it still didn't make me laugh. Heck, even the animation is good but this one just isn't for me.

Not being familiar with the subject of this parody - "The Great Gildersleeve," from the hit radio program "Fibber McGee and Molly," I guess I couldn't appreciate the humor in here. This guy - the store manager - wasn't funny to me.Bugs is working in a department store and things are going fine until he's transferred to the taxidermy room where he's going to be the next animal stuffed. To no surprise, Bugs is not thrilled with that prospect and does what he can to outwit "Gildersleeve."When the two start chasing each other all around the huge department store is when this cartoon gets funny....and very clever with the changing-clothes bits. That made up for slow first half.