Rabbit Fire

Rabbit Fire is a 1950 Looney Tunes cartoon starring Bugs Bunny, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short, also starring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd, is notable for being the first film in Jones' "hunting trilogy"—the other two films being Rabbit Seasoning and '''Duck! Rabbit, Duck!'''. It is also the first film to feature a feud between Bugs and Daffy. Produced by Edward Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc., the short was released to theaters on May 19, 1951 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is widely considered among Jones' best and most important films.

The film marks a significant change in Daffy's style, away from the "screwball" and toward the "foil" for Bugs' jokes.



Plot
Daffy Duck lures Elmer Fudd to Bugs Bunny's burrow, and watches from aside when Elmer attempts to shoot Bugs. Bugs informs Elmer that it isn't rabbit season, but instead duck season. Daffy emerges, irate, and attempts to convince Elmer that Bugs is lying. Their conversion breaks down into Bugs leading Daffy to admit it is duck season by a number of verbal plays and reverse psychology, for example:

Bugs: "Duck season!" Daffy: "Wabbit season!" Bugs: "Duck season!" Daffy: "Wabbit season!" Bugs: "Duck season!!" Daffy: "Wabbit season!!" Bugs: (reversing the flow) "Wabbit season!" Daffy: "Duck season!!!" Bugs: "Wabbit season!!!" Daffy: "I say it's duck season, and I say, FIRE!" Once Daffy admits it is duck season, Elmer fires his shotgun at Daffy, causing the duck to suffer a temporary setback before he comes back and tries again. This repeats several times during the short, with Daffy trying different ploys to get Elmer to shoot Bugs, but Bugs continues to outwit him.

The cartoon climaxes when Elmer finds the two arguing by a tree with a sign that starts with the words "Rabbit Season"; Bugs and Daffy continue to pull off the sign to alternatively reveal it is "Duck Season" or "Rabbit Season" until they hit a final sign, proclaiming it to be "Elmer Season". The tables turned, Bugs and Daffy, dressed as hunters, begin to chase Elmer, telling the audience to be "vewwy, vewwy quiet...we're hunting Elmers!" with Daffy imitating Elmer's laugh.

Video Releases

 * Daffy Duck: The Nuttiness Continues
 * From Hare to Eternity
 * Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1