Haredevil Hare (1948)

CAST: Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian and his dog "reserve".Director: CHARLES M. JONES. Story: Michael Maltese. Animation: Ben Washam, Lloyd Vaughan, Ken Harris, Phil Monroe. Lay-outs: Robert Gribbroek. Backgrounds: Peter Alvarado. Effects animation: A. C. Gamer. Voice characterizations: Mel Blanc. Music director: Carl Stalling. Color by Technicolor. Producer: Edward Selzer. Copyright 20 December 1947 by The Vitaphone Corp. A Warner Bros "Looney Tunes" Bugs Bunny Special cartoon. U.S. release: 24 July 1948. 7 minutes.COMMENT: This clever Bugs Bunny entry marks the first of five appearances of the little Martian - a character far more memorable than his short filmography might suggest. Mel Blanc hasn't quite got the voice right, but otherwise this is a must-see debut for all connoisseurs of Warner Bros cartoon-land. Aside from a too-extended sequence in which Bugs seems to take forever to straighten himself out after a bumpy moon landing, the pace is fast, the effects often dazzling

This is a highly amusing Bugs Bunny romp from Chuck Jones. This time the bunny is a reluctant astronaut who wants nothing to do with the spaceship to Mars, only changing his mind at the last minute when he spots the carrots being loaded.Turns out he's not alone when he lands there. Seems that Marvin the Martian has also landed and is intent on blowing up the earth. When Bug realizes the Martian's sinister intentions--and has some amusing conversations with Marvin and his henchman--a silly looking dog--he goes into action to prevent the catastrophe.Crisply drawn, with Bugs Bunny benefiting from Mel Blanc's colorful vocal assistance, it's a very amusing spin on all the Buck Rogers type of stuff audiences were lapping up in the late '40s and well into the '50s.Timely and terrific.

Bugs Bunny 'volunteers' somewhat reluctantly (kicking and screaming) to be the first earthling blasted into space. He perks up however when they fill the rocket to the brim with carrots. After a bone-crushing spell of g-force he lands a little too roughly on the moon and decides to go for a little sight-seeing. On his journey he meets Marvin the Martian (who sounds a little bit different than usual) and his usual plans to blow up the earth for some insane reason.As usual, hijinks and endless outsmarting follow, all to wonderful effect. It's in this type of anarchy and imagination that Bugs and the rest of the Looney Tunes prove how ingenious they really are.

This is the first cartoon featuring Marvin the Martian and his sidekick, K-9. Marvin has become even more popular today than he was when Warner Bros. was making those fabulous shorts in the 40's and 50's., much like Taz (although why the adoration for that simple character is beyond my comprehension - but that is a comment for another section). Marvin is trying to blow up the Earth and of course Bugs tries to stop him, because everyone he knows is there. This is a great cartoon, not my favorite with the Martian, but a very good beginning for him. Of note is that Mel Blanc would change the voice for him in subsequent cartoons, and the later interpretation is an improvement, but the one he has in this one takes nothing away from it.