From Hare to Heir

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From Hare to Heir Merrie Melodies series
Directed by	Friz Freleng
Story by	Friz Freleng
Voices by	Mel Blanc
Music by	Milt Franklyn
Animation by	Gerry Chiniquy Art Davis Tom O'Loughlin Hawley Pratt Virgil Ross
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	September 3, 1960 (USA premiere)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7 min (one reel)
IMDb profile

"From Hare to Heir" is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon short released on September 3, 1960 starring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam as Sam, Duke of Yosemite at Bedlam Manor. The cartoon was directed and written by Friz Freleng.

[edit] Plot

The cartoon takes place at Bedlam Manor, in 17th Century England. Yosemite Sam finds out from his big-nosed servant that his uncle, the King, has decided to cut off his allowance. Sam punishes the servant for this message by giving him the nose-in-the-book penalty (slamming a heavy book on the servant's big nose). Yosemite Sam is desperate for money. Bugs Bunny comes to his door offering one million pounds to a mild-tempered person. Whenever Yosemite Sam loses his temper, a fraction of the one million pounds will be deducted. Yosemite Sam welcomes Bugs Bunny into his home, anxious to receive the one million pounds.

Bugs Bunny plays the role of an annoying house guest, provoking Yosemite Sam to lose his temper. Bugs Bunny asks Yosemite Sam for multiple items at dinner. Each time he is asked for something, Yosemite Sam loses his temper, and shouts out phrases like “Rackin’ Frackin’ Varmit Rabbit”. Each time Yosemite Sam loses his temper, he loses money as well. This gets him even madder, causing him to lose his temper over and over again. Going into a closet to rant and rave doesn't help as Bugs can hear him, so Sam has to run outside to rant and rave.

That night, Bugs Bunny keeps provoking Yosemite Sam by playing the piano and singing his version of "I Dream of Genie" obnoxiously while Yosemite Sam is trying to sleep. After Bugs deducts some more money for Sam losing his temper, Sam asks Bugs to sing him to sleep by playing "Brahms' Lullaby." Bugs then becomes a one-man band and ticks off Sam even more.

Next morning, Bugs hogs the bathroom and when Sam knocks on the door, Bugs opens it quickly and accidentally smashes Sam between the door and the wall. When Sam shouts at him to get out, Bugs deducts even more money. Already furious, Sam pounds his head on the piano, making Bugs think Sam's playing a song. Realizing he's not going to have any money left if the temper-money deductions keep up, Yosemite Sam gets an idea to kill Bugs Bunny in order to receive all of the one million pounds. He says he will make it look like an accident.

Each time Yosemite Sam tries to kill Bugs Bunny it backfires, causing Yosemite Sam to fall into his own trap and get injured. First, he saws a hole in the floor outside the bathroom door and tries to get Bugs to come out by telling him somebody wants to see him, but Bugs orders Sam to tell whoever it is to come back the next day as he'll be in the bathroom all day. This makes Sam mad enough to bust into the bathroom and push Bugs out, only to fall through the hole intended for Bugs and land in the river below. When Sam returns and Bugs tells him he's done with the bathroom, Sam rushes at him to strangle him, but falls through the hole and into the river again.

Later, Bugs climbs up a really long staircase. At the top, Sam, dressed in a suit of armor, tries to chop off Bugs' head, but he misses and falls down the stairs. While falling down the stairs, Sam continues to rant and rave, and Bugs continues the deductions.

Finally, the next day, Yosemite Sam gets control of his temper. He tries to show Bugs Bunny this by having his servants kick him, throw pies in his face, and hit him with a rolling pin. Bugs Bunny looks at the camera and says, “I ain’t got the heart to tell him he’s used up all the money”.

[edit] Censorship

The ABC version of this cartoon shortens the part at the end of the cartoon where Yosemite Sam shows Bugs that he "...don't get mad no more" and lets his servants kick him, hit him in the head, and slam a pie in his face (before Bugs asides to the audience that he doesn't have the heart to tell Sam that he lost all his money).