8 Ball Bunny

8 Ball Bunny is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.^[2] The short was released on July 8, 1950, and stars Bugs Bunny and Playboy Penguin.^[3]

Plot

The Brooklyn Ice Palace closes, and the Ice Frolics crew accidentally leaves behind Playboy Penguin, one of their star performers. A chance encounter between Playboy and Bugs Bunny results in the latter undertaking the responsibility of returning Playboy to his home at the South Pole. However, Bugs' initial enthusiasm wanes upon realizing the considerable distance involved in reaching the South Pole.

Embarking on a journey southward, Bugs and Playboy encounter various challenges, including hitching a ride on a freight train to New Orleans, where they navigate encounters with a hobo and the deceptive allure of a ship bound for Brooklyn.

Despite Bugs' valiant attempts to steer the voyage toward the South Pole, unforeseen circumstances lead them astray to the tropical island of Martinique. Amidst their odyssey, Bugs' resourcefulness and ingenuity are juxtaposed with Playboy's plight, as the latter is tasked with constructing a dugout boat while Bugs entertains himself with musical pursuits. The appearance of Humphrey Bogart (in a whimsical nod to cinematic tropes) injects a surreal element into their journey.

As Bugs and Playboy navigate through perilous terrains and near the South Pole, their journey culminates in a bittersweet revelation. Despite Bugs' efforts to fulfill his promise, the realization that Playboy's true destination actually lies in Hoboken, New Jersey, elicits sheer despair.

Production notes

8 Ball Bunny is the second appearance of Playboy Penguin; his first appearance was in 1949's Frigid Hare.^[4] The Bogart voice was performed by impressionist Dave Barry (no relation to the humor columnist).

While the film is introduced by the Looney Tunes music The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down, the opening card indicates a Merrie Melodies Blue Ribbon release with the 1959–1964 red rings, as does the end card billed as a "Vitaphone Release", replacing the original green opening and ending sequences.

Reception

Cartoonist Jeff Smith writes, "8 Ball Bunny feels more like one of Chuck Jones' one-shot cartoons, such as Feed the Kitty (1952) or One Froggy Evening (1955) than the standard Bugs vs. Elmer outing. 8 Ball Bunny involves long time spans, days of travel, very few blackout gags, and a story with an actual beginning, middle, and end. Also, the little performing penguin is a bit of a cross between Michigan J. Frog and Marc Antony's adorable kitten: He's a performer with a top hat, and he's so cute, he's unbearable. In a perfect Chuck Jones kind of way, of course."^[4]

Edited version

When the short aired on ABC, the part where Bugs and Playboy are captured by South American natives is edited to remove the part where one of the natives runs to warn the group of "El Bwana" Humphrey Bogart coming and the group scattering. The scene was replaced with a frozen shot of Bogart's feet while the sound of the group muttering and fleeing was heard. However, the short has been aired uncensored (as recently as 2015) on Cartoon Network, Boomerang and the Canadian cable channel Teletoon Retro. MeTV aired it unedited on June 26, 2021.

Home media

The short is included in the VHS release Looney Tunes Video Show Volume 3, can be seen as a bonus feature on the DVD releases of the movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (the Humphrey Bogart caricature in this cartoon short is based on Bogart's character in the film) and the documentary film March of the Penguins. It is also featured uncensored and uncut and digitally remastered on the fourth volume of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD set, as well as disc one of The Essential Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, and Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection.

References

External links

• 8 Ball Bunny at IMDb