Director Chuck Jones had one regret about his iconic cartoon 'What's Opera, Doc?'

A missing sound effect "bugged" the creator to the end.

Warner Bros.

Chuck Jones, one of the great animation directors of all time, brought inventive ideas and museum-worthy artistry to some of the wackiest adventures that Bugs, Daffy, and co. ever had. The short What’s Opera, Doc? is arguably his greatest achievement, though it's hard to choose just one out of his incredible body of work.

For What’s Opera, Doc?, Jones chose to parody the grandiose drama of the opera, specifically Richard Wagner's Die Walküre from his famous "Ring Cycle," Der Ring des Nibelungen. The setting is a perfect juxtaposition for the silliness of Elmer Fudd hunting Bugs Bunny. It also provides a rare sad conclusion to a Looney Tunes short, although Bugs cuts the tension with his characteristic wit at the end.

Right from the start, the short differentiates itself from typical Bugs vs. Elmer stories with striking imagery punctuated by booming orchestral music. There are plenty of gags and hilarious moments, but it's also a serious work of art that marries drawing, music, and Mel Blanc's performance, including his singing chops, into one amazing cartoon. Don't just take our word for it, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the Nation Film Registry.

It took a lot of work to make What's Opera, Doc? as good as it is. In fact, took it about six times more labor than usual. Chuck Jones told his production team to report that they had moved on to a Road Runner short, so none of the brass would catch on. The attention to detail was worth it to create such a flawless cartoon. Well, almost flawless, in Jones' mind.

Stephen Fossati, who started his animation career working with Jones in the 1990s, told The Dot and Line that the legendary director had one regret about his operatic short.

"It's, like, at least probably a dozen, two dozen times that I had the privilege of watching that cartoon with Chuck," Fossati recalled. "Every time, we'd get to the point where Elmer Fudd is jabbing the spear into the rabbit hole, and Bugs Bunny pops up and freezes, and Elmer Fudd freezes looking at Bugs Bunny, and the plates of his skirt fumble around. It's one of the things that bothered Chuck to the very end."

Warner Bros.

Fossati revealed that there were supposed to be sounds associated with the skirt tips falling one by one onto Elmer Fudd's armor — a quick dink, dink, dink, dink. Unfortunately, the sound editor forgot to put them in and it still bothered Chuck Jones decades later.

Fossati learned that his mentor's greatness didn't come from talent alone but also the willingness to try over and over again to make things as perfect as possible.

"I realized that here was a guy who not only was arguably one of the greatest drafts people ever in the history of animation, had single-handedly helped to define a style of animation that didn’t exist before him, had created these characters, had made some of the greatest cartoons ever, and yet he was still working to get precisely the exact attitude, pose, and silhouette that he was looking for," Fossati said.

But Chuck Jones was able to see What’s Opera, Doc? the way he intended in special situations.

According to Fossati, "George Doherty — who did Bugs Bunny on Broadway where he plays with a live orchestra — he plays the music to the cartoons on the big screen behind it. He very happily gave Chuck the gift in all of the performances. He did actually put in the Dink, dink, dink, dink, dink, dink, dink, just so that Chuck could always have that."

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12 Comments

pshields79 18 months ago
"...but it's also a serious work of art that marries drawing, music, and Mel Blanc's performance, including his singing chops, into one amazing cartoon."

Arthur Q. Bryan provided Elmer's voice...no love for his singing chops?
Deleted 39 months ago
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lynngdance 39 months ago
You mean this? 🙂 it’s probably Toony’s grandfather 😆
39 months ago
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lynngdance 39 months ago
no, not a “Senior moment” 😆 it does pay quite a resemblance to Toony 😄
texasluva 39 months ago
These cartoons were made in such imagination, wit and just plain fun to watch. I know, we can't have this and we can't have that but we already did Doc
texasluva 39 months ago
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texasluva stephaniestavr5 39 months ago
I will check this out today. I have never tried or heard of Wilkins Coffee. I do order some on-line I like.
texasluva 39 months ago
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texasluva stephaniestavr5 39 months ago
Look at all my pics during my reign. Young boy, boy, young teen, teen and 20's. I hope to shout I am male. No offense whatsoever.
texasluva stephaniestavr5 39 months ago
Well the first one were Muppets with one trying to get a correct answer and if not punish the other for not saying Wilkins Coffee. I guess if you pictured Tony The Tuna it could be. I guess if you don't agree with Wilkins coffee you do not get to pass GO and obliterated in all kinds of ways. Too funny. Those characters also do other coffees. Boy they sure hammer it down . Maybe I get off the next town- Next town....Bam! straight down. Never seen these characters. Though a billion+ things in the world you can't know everything but learn something new most days. Maybe Tony got old and went bald . Interesting never the less.
texasluva stephaniestavr5 39 months ago
In 1958, 25,000 pairs of vinyl Wilkins and Wontkins puppets were sold. By 1992, Wilkins Coffee was no longer the presence it once was. (It seems to be defunct today.)
texasluva stephaniestavr5 39 months ago
Go to. https://instantrimshot.com/
Turn on sound and then click red button. Well, you asked for it
justjeff 39 months ago
...sounds like a "dinky" rather than a massive problem... but a great cartoon short nonetheless...
jaelinsmith40652 39 months ago
It's still a very nice episode like I saw it on the looney tunes show (2011-2014)
LittleMissNoName 39 months ago
Who says cartoons can't be educationally stimulating?
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