Bewitched Bunny



Bewitched Bunny is a Looney Tunes cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. Jones created the character Witch Hazel which debuted in this episode. Witch Hazel later appeared in Broom-Stick Bunny (1956) and A Witch's Tangled Hare (1959). She also has a brief cameo appearance in Transylvania 6-5000 (1963).

Plot
The story begins with Bugs reading the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. Witch Hazel plays the witch who tries to cook and eat the children. Bugs witnesses Witch Hazel coaxing the children inside and goes in her house, disguised as a truant officer, and saves the youths from Witch Hazel's clutches. However, once Hazel realizes that Bugs is a rabbit, she tries to cook him instead, using a carrot filled with sleeping potion as a lure. Bugs eats the carrot and falls asleep and Witch Hazel puts him into a pot to make rabbit stew.

While the witch is occupied, a character resembling Prince Charming enters the house and kisses Bugs' hand. Bugs wakes up and says, "You're looking for Snow White, this is the story of Hansel and Gretel", and the Prince leaves. Bugs then tries to escape down a corridor but is trapped by Hazel. As she approaches, Bugs finds her magic power and uses it to transform her into a gorgeous lady bunny who has a feminine voice but still has Hazel's laugh.

As he gets ready to leave with the bunny beauty, Bugs looks at the audience, breaking the fourth wall, and comments, "Ah sure, I know. But aren't they all witches inside?".thumb|300px|right

Trivia

 * Animator Chuck Jones, of his own admission, got the idea of Witch Hazel from the Disney cartoon Trick or Treat (1952), which featured a good-natured witch squaring off with Donald Duck. Enamored of the character's voice characterization, provided by June Foray, Jones developed his own Witch Hazel character for Bewitched Bunny. As Jones was unable to get Foray to play the role, Bea Benaderet supplied the witch's voice. Foray provided the voice for Witch Hazel in subsequent cartoons.