This Is A Life?

This Is a Life? is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon of the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Friz Freleng, written by Warren Foster, and produced by Edward Selzer, with music directed by Milt Franklyn. Originally released to theatres on July 9, 1955, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Yosemite Sam are voiced by Mel Blanc, while Arthur Q. Bryan voices Elmer Fudd, and June Foray voices Granny.

Summary
In a parody of 1952's This is Your Life, Elmer Fudd (aping Ralph Edwards) is the host and Bugs Bunny is the guest of honor, much to the disgust of Daffy Duck ("How do you like that?! This was supposed to be MY life! So what do they do? They take an unknown and of all things, a rabbit! Who's interested in a rabbit?!"). On several occasions, Granny has to whack Daffy over the head to get him to be quiet(when Sylvester was hit from Gift wrapped). He mutters "Easy, stomach, don't turn over now. Easy does it." Meanwhile, Bugs reminisces with Elmer and Yosemite Sam about their previous encounters (reviewed via footage from past Bugs Bunny cartoons A Hare Grows In Manhattan, Buccaneer Bunny, and Hare Do). Elmer and Sam plan to present Bugs with a special gift &mdash; a time bomb &mdash; in appreciation of their "friendship," but Daffy &mdash; stubbornly refusing to believe that he was not the guest &mdash; grabs the gift and takes the resulting explosion. Naturally, Daffy ends up telling the rabbit, "You're despicable!".

Cast
Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam

'Arthur Q. Bryan as Elmer Fudd(uncredited)

June Foray as Granny (uncredited)

Censorship

 * When this cartoon aired on the syndicated version of "The Merrie Melodies Show", the hipboard cannon blasts to Yosemite Sam's face (taken from Buccaneer Bunny) was cut.
 * When this cartoon was shown on ABC, in addition to the Merrie Melodies Show cut, gone were:
 * Granny hitting Daffy with her umbrella (to keep him from ranting about not being chosen for "This is a Life?") after Daffy finds it on the ground
 * Daffy shouting, "Throw him out! Throw him out!"(when the dude threw porky pig from You ought to be in pictures) during the show and Granny hitting Daffy with her umbrella again ("SHUT UP!!").
 * Elmer and Sam placing a bomb in the gift package before giving it to Bugs.
 * Daffy returning on stage after foolishly taking the package for himself (and getting blown up by it) and growling, "You're despicable" to Bugs.

Trivia

 * This is one of the rare Bugs Bunny cartoons not to feature the "Bugs Bunny In" title card before the opening credits.
 * The introduction to This Is A Life after the credits is also voiced by Mel Blanc, in a voice of Foghorn Leghorn, despite the fact that Foghorn Leghorn doesn't appear in this cartoon. ("Brought to you by the Wishy Wahsy Washing Machine Company of Walla Walla, Washington")
 * An enhanced version of the Merrie Melodies theme is used at the beginning of this cartoon on video releases and later TV airings.

Availability
This Is a Life? will be featured on the new Looney Tunes Superstars DVD set, "Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl."