Oscarless Cartoons Part 4

Oscarless Cartoons Part 4: What's Opera, Doc? (1957)

In another great cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, Elmer Fudd plays a Viking. As usual, he's hunting rabbits (this time using a spear instead of a gun), but this time, to the tune of Wilhelm Richard Wagner's 'Flight of the Valkyries'.

While Elmer is sticking his spear in the ground, Bugs Bunny notices him and asks 'What's up, Doc?' Elmer responds by saying 'Killing wabbits!' in a singsong voice.

 
Bugs Bunny responds by asking, in song form, 'How would one do such a task?' Elmer responds by saying his 'spear and magic helmet'.

Bugs doubts Elmer's helmet, so Elmer walks up a mountain, makes it rain, and strikes a tree with lightning.

Bugs Bunny runs after the strike, and Elmer chases him. Soon, Bugs  dresses up as a Valkyrie riding a fat white horse.

Elmer instantly falls in love and dances with the cross-dressed rabbit.

Bugs soon leads Elmer to a gazebo, and Elmer holds Bugs in a bridal fashion. However, the rabbit's helmet falls off, and Elmer learns the maiden's true identity.

Elmer then declares that he will kill the rabbit and summons every single natural disaster imaginable. However, after he actually did kill Bugs, the Viking mourns over the rabbit's death.

While Elmer is carrying Bugs, the rabbit wakes up and tells the audience "What do you expect in an opera? A happy ending?" If Bugs Bunny actually got killed for good, he wouldn't be able to appear in more cartoons for twelve more years, star in his own TV series, or make his special guest appearance in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

While What's Opera, Doc didn't get any Oscar nominations, it's considered by many fans as the greatest Looney Tunes cartoon of all time. It was also voted #1 in the book The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals and was registered into the National Film Registry in 1992.
That's all I have to say about this week's Oscarless Cartoon. Tune in next week when we travel to the Hundred Acre Wood for Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree!