1. Merrie Melodies

 

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During the Golden Age of American animation, Warner Bros. studios produced two companion series, Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes. Both featured the same cast of characters, so what was the difference? Well, at first, Merrie Melodies emphasized color animation, while Looney Tunes were black and white. When Bugs Bunny broke out as the star of both series, and when Looney Tunes started producing full-color toons in the early 1940s, the differentiation was completely dropped. So why was The Untouchables a Merrie Melodies cartoon? No reason! it was completely arbitrary!

2. Speakeasy peephole

 

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Before the title card even has the chance to announce itself, the animators cram in a gag. Here, an unseen hand slides back the peephole in a speakeasy door to peer out. This style of peephole, also sometimes called a "Judas hole" allowed prohibition-era proprietors to see who was knocking at their door without the bar-owner revealing their identity.

3. The triple-entendre title

 

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The first rule of The Unmentionables is you do not mention The Unmentionables. Obviously, criminals aren't going to speak on their goings-on. In addition, the title is a parody of the hugely successful 1959 series The Untouchables. Funnier still? "Unmentionables" is a synonym for underwear.

4. Oh, You Kid!

 

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Even the most eagle-eyed fan was sure to miss this gag in 1963! Before the title card is over, a car carrying revelrous merry-maker scoots by, sporting the words "Oh, You Kid" on the side. 

"Oh, You Kid!" was the title of a scandalous pop song from 1909. The controversy stemmed from the adulterous implication of the lyrics "I love my wife- but oh, you kid!" 

5. Credit where credit's due

 

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So much of what made the Looney Tunes funny came from director Friz Freleng. A master of comic timing, Freleng either created or developed some of the most iconic Warner Bros. cartoon characters. Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, and Yosemite Sam all came from Friz Freleng.

Unfortunately for Freleng fans the world over, "The Unmentionables" would mark the last Friz-directed Bugs Bunny cartoon for sixteen years.  

6. Frank Nitti gritty

 

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Continuing the parody of The Untouchables as evidenced in the title, Bugs Bunny here plays "Elegant Mess," a clear pastiche of real-life Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. 

7. Bugs is speechless

 

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Speaking of bugs Bunny, the usually-motor-mouthed mammal is here rendered more of the strong, silent type. This is the rare cartoon where Bugs has less dialogue than his onscreen co-stars. Stranger still, Bugs doesn't once ask anyone "What's up, doc?"

8. Rocky and Mugsy's last hurrah

 

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Fans of animated outlaws may be dismayed to learn that this was Rocky and Mugsy's final theatrical appearance for 32 long years.

Fortunately, the hilariously inept hoodlum pair would play a prominent role in the televised Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries.  

9. Juliet prison

 

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Like usual, Bugs Bunny comes out on top, and here he lands Rocky and Mugsy in jail. The name of this big house? "Juliet Prison," a nod to real-life Illinois penitentiary Joliet Prison. 

Blues Brothers fans will remember the movie starting with Jake Blues exiting the coorectional facility after a three-year sentence.