Studio: Leon Schlesinger Productions
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Produced by: Leon Schlesinger
Short Synopsis
At "Corny-gie Hall", Elmer Fudd appears as the concert's host, unshaven, in glasses and an ill-fitting tailcoat that keeps betraying him, in a parody of Deems Taylor's introductions in Fantasia. The first piece is Johann Strauss's "Tales from the Vienna Woods". Porky Pig is out hunting with his dog, and a sign explains: "I'm hunting that @!!*@ rabbit!!". The rabbit is Bugs Bunny, and a series of gags follows, all timed to the waltz, until a squirrel gets hold of Porky's rifle and all three think they have been shot. Porky and his dog try to give first aid to the apparently dying Bugs, and when Porky pries his hands from his chest, Bugs is wearing a brassiere. He screams, slaps Porky three times, pulls the cups over the hunters' heads and dances off in a tutu. The second piece is "The Blue Danube". In a reversal of The Ugly Duckling, a scruffy black duckling, an early Daffy Duck, tries to join a family of graceful swans and is rejected. A hep-cat vulture swoops down, seasons the cygnets with salt and pepper and carries them off; he grabs the duckling too, then drops him back with a sign reading "Rejected 4F". The insulted duckling fights the vulture, rescues the cygnets and is welcomed into the family.
Why It Matters
- It is Warner's answer to Fantasia, and every gag is a deflation: classical music, Disney's reverence and the solemn presenter are all brought down to Looney Tunes level, with the action timed precisely to Strauss. Bugs's ballet exit, and Elmer's battle with his own dress shirt, are among Clampett's funniest moments.
- It shows Bob Clampett at his peak, with McKimson's animation and Tashlin's story, using the studio's stars together in a single musical parody. It also entered the public domain in 1970, when its copyright was not renewed, which is why it is so widely seen.
Notes and Trivia
- Elmer is the only character who speaks.
- Animation professionals voted it number 47 in The 50 Greatest Cartoons in 1994.
- Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 plays over the opening titles.
- See also: Fantasia (1940), Falling Hare (1943).