Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears
From Loonipedia
Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears is a Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon short released in 1944, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. This short marks the first appearance of Jones' dysfunctional version of the Three Bears, and of course is a parody of the old fairy tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Mel Blanc provides the voices of Bugs and Papa Bear (for the latter using a raucous voice similar to Yosemite Sam, only a little higher-pitched). Mama Bear is voiced by Bea Benaderet, while Stan Freberg voiced dim-witted Junior in his first ever Warner cartoon. Freberg was just 18 at the time. (Billy Bletcher would voice Papa in subsequent appearances.)
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
The Three Bears want something new to eat and decide to try and lure Goldilocks to them with porridge. However, all they have is carrot soup to lure Bugs Bunny instead. In an attempt to stop them from chasing him, Bugs tells Mama Bear that she's beautiful, compliments her eyes and plants a big kiss on her lips. The plan works, but Bugs now must escape from a love-stricken Mama Bear, now so smitten she can't keep her hands off of him ("Now, now, cut it out! Stop it! Hey, people are lookin' at us! Compose yourself!! STOP!!!").
Mama Bear hugs him, tries to kiss him and runs her fingers up and down his arms. Bugs tries to get away but Mama Bear is behind every door he opens. She tries to seduce him while wearing a loose fitting nightgown with a brown wig, a curve hugging green evening gown with a blonde wig (a la Veronica Lake), and finally appears before him in a bathtub taking a bubble bath. Bugs plows through a wall to escape. He makes it back to his hole to find Mama Bear already there. She giggles like a school girl and says "Tell me more about my eyes!" She has her way with him, kissing him several times. Bugs appears out of the hole, his face covered in lipstick.
It ends with Bugs running away screaming and Mama Bear being happy that she got to make out with Bugs Bunny. She is also shown wearing the same shade of lipstick Bugs has all over his face.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- While Bugs is making himself at home in the bears' house, he hums part of the melody and sings the title line of the song "King for a Day," composed by Ted Fio Rito.
- Bugs says to Mama Bear, "I feel like a sister to you". It could be just for humor, but the statement itself is impossible.
Notes[edit | edit source]
The plot device of an older woman falling for and chasing after a younger man to the point where he finds it difficult to escape from her loving embraces and passionate kisses has been featured in other cartoons such as Red Hot Riding Hood and Swing Shift Cinderella (Grandma/Fairy Godmother after a Wolf), A Fine Feathered Frenzy (Gorgeous Gal after Woody Woodpecker) and Red Riding Hoodlum (Grandma Woodpecker after a Wolf). Donning several outfits in attempts to seduce these younger men along with appearing behind every door they open are similar tactics that these women use.
Availability[edit | edit source]
This cartoon is found on Volume 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.