Hare Trimmed (1953)

Yosemite Sam sets out to court Granny, having just learned she's inherited a fortune. Bugs steps in to put a stop to Sam's gold-digging scheme. A hilarious short with great characters doing what they do best. The scenes of Sam trying to woo Granny are priceless. The incomparable Mel Blanc is in rare form here. Bea Benaderet is terrific, as well. The music is lovely and the animation is very nice. The colors in this are just wonderful. Lots of funny gags and lines. "How many lumps" never gets old to me. For those who have a problem with the final scene, it's a bleeping cartoon about a talking rabbit. Open a window and get some fresh air, please.

. . . given the topical reference to the Battle of Gettysburg by rich widow "Emma" here, it was NOT too early to kick off Hollywood's decades-long campaign to cram Gay Marriage down America's throat. In the final scene of HARE TRIMMED, Bugs Bunny--in a wedding dress, no less!--is being pronounced Yosemite Sam's husband. When Sam leaves him at the altar, Bugs confesses it's not the first time he's had a groom bolt away. Bugs is pictured along the lines of a blushing bride, in a clearly feminine sense. Though the prospect of imminent honeymoon gay sex causes Sam to develop cold feet, and hot-foot it out of the wedding chapel at the last second possible, it's clear that Bugs is hot to trot, following the previous night's exercises in Sadomasochism with Sam, shown immediately prior to this cartoon's nuptials scene. At the time HARE TRIMMED was first released, many people might have pooh-poohed my frank recounting of its bold-faced Pro-Gay Agenda by saying something such as, "God made Adam and Eve--NOT Bugs and Sam: Hell will freeze over before any U.S. Court or Church will allow two males to marry each other!" Obviously, those people either underestimated the Power of Suggestion wielded by Warner Bros., or failed to understand how far down underground temperatures would plunge as global warming sucked all the hot air upwards!

A fast-moving Bugs Bunny cartoon where he puts all his energies into saving the old widow with lots of cash from the attentions of red-whiskered Sam the fortune-hunter.Chasing, dressing-up, lumps on the head, shotguns, lumps of sugar, the kitchen sink, and a fun wedding scene all add up to an entertaining few minutes in the company of our favourite rabbit.Seeing Bugs as a sharp dresser and with, for once, thoughts for others besides himself make this cartoon very enjoyable and a lot of fun. And the title is pretty funny too.Mel Blanc's voice characterisations - he portrays all the characters - are as excellent as ever and add greatly to the impact of the cartoon, which also boasts the sharp animation we've come to expect from the Looney Tunes team.

**Spoilers are more than likely to be in here. Fair warning.When I was a kid, I remember seeing this cartoon. Of course, it was an edited version where many scenes of violence and sexual innuendo (and a short scene where Granny sees Yosemite Sam staggering and thinks he's drunk) were cut by the PC Gestapo that is the censors of the now-Disney owned channel, ABC. I went through life not knowing it was edited until I looked on a website about Looney Tunes cartoons being censored on TV, cable, and in syndication. That's when I found out that this very stylish, very comically sharp cartoon was ripped to shreds by those who are devoid of a sense of humor.When Cartoon Network started airing this as part of last year's "June Bugs" special, I was overjoyed, especially since CN did the smart thing and aired the "offensive" scenes.What really intrigues me about this cartoon is that it has the formula of a Pepe Le Pew cartoon, except it's done by Freleng, Sam and Bugs are more interested in Granny's money than her affections, and it doesn't seem like it's a Pepe cartoon at all (with the exception of Sam's so-called playful "I can see you through the keyhole!" which can be associated to the many innuendos that roll off the tongue of Pepe Le Pew). What disturbs me is the ending involving Bugs and Sam walking down the aisle.I would tell you more, but I don't wanna spoil it completely. Besides, Cartoon Network airs this a lot, so go see it if you haven't already.