The three discs in this set offer a historic sweep of Bugs Bunny’s birth and development from the 1930s to 1964. At the same time, the many titles here represent more than 160 short cartoons starring the wily rabbit, who morphed from thug to beloved trickster as the character passed from hand to hand between his successive creators. For an idea of Bugs’ origins, the set begins with his first appearance in Elmer’s Candid Camera, in which his conception, original visual design, and voice are markedly different than in his Oscar-nominated official debut, A Wild Hare, offered here as the second title. There we find the more familiar Bugs, with a voice supplied by the great Mel Blanc.
Unfortunately, the history lesson sort of ends there in this collection, as subsequent titles are gathered for the pure pleasure of presenting them to happy viewers. Nothing wrong with that. Among good things here are Bugsy and Mugsy, in which a rain-soaked Bugs finds shelter in an abandoned building, only to discover the premises are serving as a hideout for a pair of thieves. The criminals—diminutive boss Bugsy and imposing big lug Mugsy—are set against one another by the crafty Bugs. The episode recycles a favorite theme from this animated series: variations on George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men.
In Rabbit of Seville, set to Rossini’s music for The Barber of Seville, Bugs torments his frequent foil, Elmer Fudd, in a barbershop where Elmer, the hapless hunter, holds an elaborate ice cream dessert while a snaky electric razor chases him around.
In the great, What’s Opera, Doc, the never-ending drama between Bugs and Elmer reaches Wagnerian proportions when the two are locked into scenes from The Ring Cycle, in an elaborate episode rightfully pegged as a high point in animated comedy. And in What’s Up, Doc? The duo takes their schtick to Hollywood, where Bugs’ brand of one-upmanship finds a big audience. This Blu-ray set includes commentary and various extras. Strongly recommended.