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Eight behind-the-scenes fun facts about ''Bully for Bugs''
These details aren't just a load of bull.
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are ™ of & © WBEI
Bugs Bunny has taken on many jobs throughout his life in the public eye. He's been a detective, an opera star, he's even hawked war bonds. But one of his most recognizable one-off gigs, mostly because of his stylish get-up, was Bugs' role as a bullfighter. Here, the fashion-forward furry fellow fought ferociously to save his hide from an enraged bull. Is he safe, or is this the end of Bugs Bunny?
For diehard fans and casual Looney Tunes viewers alike, here are eight fun facts about the cartoon short "Bully for Bugs!"
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LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are ™ of & © WBEI
When "Bully for Bugs" premiered in 1953, it was the 100th Bugs Bunny cartoon. Some anniversary celebration... Bugs' big reward is a bullhorn to the gut.
2. Chuck Jones
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"Bully for Bugs" is the 151st Warner Bros. cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. Other Chuck Jones toons from 1953 included "Duck Amuck" and "Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century."
3. "I don't want no gags about bullfights. Bullfights aren't funny".
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are ™ of & © WBEI
That was the decree from producer Edward Selzer, Chuck Jones' boss. Jones and writer Michael Maltese immediately booked a trip to Mexico, where they witnessed their first bullfight. They came back from the experience to create one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons ever.
4. Bugs' Destination
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Obviously, Bugs didn't mean to end up in the middle of a bullfight. His real destination was Coachella Valley, home to a fictional carrot festival. In real life, Coachella Valley is home to the annual two-weekend Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. We think Bugs would make a great headliner!
5. A left turn where?
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are ™ of & © WBEI
As is often the case, Bugs Bunny was headed somewhere else and landed in the thick of this plot by accident. Classically, Bugs attributes his mixup to an errant "left toin at Albuqoique." This isn't the first time he made that mistake. That distinction belongs to the wartime toon "Herr Meets Hare."
6. Toro the Bull
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are ™ of & © WBEI
This is the debut of Toro the Bull, a justifiably angry bull who does his best to dispatch Bugs Bunny. He'd later reappear in "Mexican Cat Dance," Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Space Jam.
7. Cuadrillas
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are ™ of & © WBEI
Before Bugs triumphantly re-emerges, donned in new duds, the door he enters through is emblazoned with the word "Cuadrillas." In this context, "cuadrillas" refers to assistants who help a matador in a bullfight. Typically, the group consists of three banderilleros and two picadors.
8. Music to his ears
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are ™ of & © WBEI
Bugs' successful attempts at bullying the bull are soundtracked by two traditional Mexican melodies. First is the famous and instantly recognizable "La Cucaracha." Later, Bugs slaps the bull around to "Las Chiapanecas."
17 Comments
“Of course your realize this means WAR.”
So how could there possibly be a shortage of them?
By the way - anybody who remembers that infotainment show "Feeling Good" on PBS in 1974-75 will know that snippet of "Bully for Bugs" is shown on a TV during the opening sequence. (Sesame Workshop produced "Feeling Good.")
