Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt

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Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt
Merrie Melodies/Bugs Bunny series
Directed by I. Freleng
Produced by Leon Schlesinger
Story by Michael Maltese
Voices by Mel Blanc
Music by Carl Stalling
Animation by Gil Turner
Gerry Chiniquy
Manuel Perez
Cal Dalton
Richard Bickenbach
Herman Cohen
Jack Bradbury
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s) June 7, 1941
Color process Technicolor
Running time 7:30 (one reel)
Language English

Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt is a Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, starring Bugs Bunny and Hiawatha, first released on June 7, 1941. The short makes several direct references to The Song of Hiawatha, an epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The short was directed by Friz Freleng, written by Michael Maltese, animated by Gil Turner, and the musical director was Carl Stalling.

The voices of Bugs Bunny and Hiawatha were both provided by Mel Blanc.


Bugs is reading The Song of Hiawatha out loud to himself and the saga turns real as a pint-sized, Elmer Fudd-like Hiawatha (minus the speech impediment) turns up, paddling his canoe. Hiawatha is looking for a rabbit for his dinner. Hiawatha manages to trick Bugs into thinking he is preparing a hot bath for him. It is actually a cooking pot, which Bugs quickly vacates once Hiawatha casually mentions that he is having rabbit stew for supper.

As with Elmer, Bugs spends the rest of the cartoon tormenting his would-be devourer, who finally breaks his arrows in anger and disgust, and paddles his canoe away while Bugsy finishes his reading of the poem. However, in the closing gag, the miffed-looking Hiawatha suddenly returns to the foreground where Bugs is reading the narrative, and after a second of wordless staring at each other, Hiawatha gives Bugs the "insulting kiss" that the Bunny usually bestows on others. Hiawatha then paddles away again, as Bugs "spits out" the kiss.

Production notes[edit]



  1. ^ "1941 academy awards". Retrieved 2013-02-10. 
  2. ^ [1]

External links[edit]

Preceded by
Tortoise Beats Hare
Bugs Bunny Cartoons
Succeeded by
The Heckling Hare