A Witch's Tangled Hare

Looney Tunes along with Disney shaped my childhood. A Witch's Tangled Hare is not one of their finest, finishing with a terribly contrived and wholly predictable pun, but it is still a fun cartoon. The rapport between Bugs and Hazel is what drives A Witch's Tangled Hare, and it is very well-done here. Bugs is cunning and smart, while Hazel matches him in her craftiness and somewhat absent-mindedness. The dialogue on the whole is a witty spin on Shakespeare, especially with the Romeo and Juliet re-enactment. "I could be rinsing out a few things", "Screwy driver, I had the silly thing in reverse" and "Hello/Goodbye/Good grief/Good riddance" are classics. The gags are just as clever, it was nice to see a familiar gag of Bugs climbing into a boiling cauldron mistaking it for a bath, but it was Bugs and Hazel's laughing contest(and he owns her) that raised the biggest laugh from me. The animation is nicely drawn and beautifully coloured, while the pace is crisp, the music has vibrant energy and Mel Blanc and June Foray's voice talents are superb. All in all, apart from the final pun this is a fun and well-done cartoon. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Behold!

The Bard arrives at the setting of 'The Scottish Play'

(where even the mail box is shaped castle-like).

But woe, the players all are off to wager war,

lest our attention be turned to Witch Hazel and her brew 1002.

When the fourth ingredient, a bunny named Bugs takes leave,

"Zsa Zsa" gives chase on a broomstick from 'Fantasia' borrowed.

A duel follows of cackles, wits and Shakespearean quotes.

While all of the time, the bard takes notes



As becomes a character in this Renaissance setting,

Hazel offers many a self indulging aside to her public.

Had she spent on her hair a jot more care,

she might not have as many creatures living there.

Bugs Bunny proves adept at handling the words of the bard,

while ever ahead remaining of the old broad.

"T is the bard himself who sets up the final gag

(which is not as funny as it ought).



For never was there an ending with such a contrived pun

As that of Witch Hazel, and her Bugsy Bun.



A five out of ten must be my rating.

Bugs Bunny runs afoul of Witch Hazel while a struggling writer watches it all go down. Lots of funny lines in this one. Love all the Shakespeare references. Bugs and Hazel are a great comedy pairing; she's probably the best of his later foes. June Foray does a wonderful job providing the voice for Hazel. Mel Blanc is excellent as usual as Bugs and the writer. Energetic music from Milt Franklyn. The animation is a little sketchy for my taste but at least it appears to be a stylistic choice not denoting some cheapness on the part of the studio, as was sometimes the case with later Looney Tunes shorts. It's actually very nice to look at. The colors are bright and lovely. It's a funny cartoon with enjoyable characters and lots of laughs.

As his usual rule-trashing, New York-attitude self - despite being in Renaissance-era Scotland - Bugs Bunny pulls various tricks to escape cackling Witch Hazel, who wants very much to turn him into rabbit stew. All the while, William Shakespeare records everything that happens. I will say that I predicted the ending of "A Witch's Tangled Hare" a few seconds before it happened, so maybe that weakened the cartoon just a little bit. But just seeing all of Bugs's gags more than makes up for that, especially when they reach the castle (it probably does cost a lot to heat a place like that). So, maybe it's not the best Looney Tunes cartoon ever, but still worth seeing.

Rabbit! Hee hee hee hee!