Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953)

This is the third and final part of the "Hunting Trilogy" pitting Bugs against Daffy and Elmer. Bugs once again uses Daffy's excitability and Elmer's gullible nature to stay one step ahead of them.This particular cartoon is noted for taking place during winter (as evidenced by the snow) and Bugs tricking Daffy into identifying himself as various animals then convincing Elmer that hunting season for that animal is now open.The choice of the animals is hilarious in its own right. Mixed with Daffy's frantic reactions, it's comedic gold. At one point, Daffy's so frustrated by the constant shotgun blasts to the face, he doesn't even need Bugs to set him up for the punchline. This is proof that on some level, Daffy knows he'll never be able to outwit Bugs.

I lose count of how many cartoons there are in which Elmer Fudd is hunting, and both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck try to get him to shoot the other. No matter how many there are, "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" certainly stands out just because of the lengths to which they go in trying to succeed. In the dead of winter, it's duck season, and Daffy is looking for ways to avoid getting shot. So, he tells Elmer that it's rabbit season. But, as soon as Elmer is about to shoot Bugs, Bugs has a way to avoid getting shot...and it naturally involves Daffy getting shot.One of the things that was so great about these cartoons was that they showed Daffy always trying to undermine Bugs' integrity, but Bugs always exposed Daffy for who he really was. In this case, Daffy's bill bears the brunt of Daffy's embarrassment.And of course, it wouldn't be a Bugs Bunny cartoon without that "wascawy wabbit" posing the question: Eh, what's up doc?

With duck season in full swing, Daffy has no choice but to turn attention from himself by pretending that it is actually rabbit season. With Elmer Fudd on the hunting trail, Daffy points him onto where Bugs is living, but he finds that Elmer is easily turned back onto Daffy by Bugs.I'm not usually a fan of Daffy where he is greedy and manipulative, as I prefer his manic period much more. However here is one of his best cartoons that I have seen where he is partnered with Bugs in the role of greedy, selfish and untrustworthy sidekick. True to form, Daffy has told Elmer that it's rabbit season and not duck season. As one would expect, Bugs tricks Elmer into shooting Daffy instead. This happens about 10 times in the cartoon and in fact is actually the only joke in the cartoon. However, the more it is repeated the funnier it gets - it's hard to imagine that one single gag repeated over again would do this but it totally works here!Bugs is fantastic but for once it is Daffy that actually steals the cartoon. The manner in which Daffy reacts to getting shot is hilarious and the little black duck shows that he is a character with great timing regardless of him being crazy or selfish! Fudd is also very funny and he plays his character very easily befuddled - we don't see him as a threat we just think his bemusement is good for our amusement!Overall this is a very funny cartoon that had me rolling! Usually if someone says that something is a `one-joke affair' they meant it as a criticism; but when the one joke is as funny as the running gag is here then it can only be a good thing!

There is an absolutely beautiful line that floors me every time I hear it in this short which I want to discuss, so here there be a spoiler or two:This is the last of three cartoons with Elmer, Bugs and Daffy that were similar in theme and attitude. The best of the three was, at least for me, Rabbit Fire. But Rabbit Seasoning and this one were also quite good. Strangely enough, verbal jokes hold their own in the three with very funny sight gags and, even stranger for a cartoon featuring Bugs as well, Daffy has some of the funniest stuff. But that doesn't save him from his karma. Daffy has an incredibly funny line toward the end of the short, after he's been shot at point-blank range yet again by Elmer which sums up the rage and frustration which arise from all the misfortune that dogs him throughout the short. I have to quote it here:"Shoot me again! I love it! I love the smell of burnt feathers-and gunpowder-and cordite!" Clearly, Daffy snapped there and had reached the end of his rope. Very good cartoons, almost uniformly. Recommended.This short is available on Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 3 and is well worth the purchase price all by itself, though the rest of the set is marvelous.