{"id":42286,"date":"2015-07-27T00:00:29","date_gmt":"2015-07-27T07:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=42286"},"modified":"2015-07-25T23:08:27","modified_gmt":"2015-07-26T06:08:27","slug":"this-day-in-history-july-27th-a-wild-hare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/this-day-in-history-july-27th-a-wild-hare\/","title":{"rendered":"This Day in History: July 27th- A Wild Hare"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Day In History<\/a>: July 27, 1940<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A_Wild_Hare\"<\/a>On July 27, 1940, a legendary, world-renowned rabbit was born in Brooklyn, New York. (Actually, he was born in Hollywood, but you\u2019d never know it from the accent.) He\u2019s the wise-cracking, street-smart, self-assured star of the screen, Bugs Bunny. But he didn\u2019t just appear out of nowhere.<\/p>\n

The bunny that became Bugs was a group effort by a bunch of cartoonists at Warner Brothers studios in the late 1930s. The earliest version of Bugs was drawn by animator Ben \u201cBugs\u201d Hardaway and was seen in the 1938 black and white cartoon \u201cPorky\u2019s Hare Hunt.\u201d The simply drawn character was a super-hyper combination of Woody Woodpecker and Donald Duck.<\/p>\n

Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, and Chuck Jones continued to work out the kinks in the still- unnamed character\u2019s persona, and Mel Blanc provided him with his now-legendary Brooklynese delivery. By the time \u201cA Wild Hare\u201d was released on July 27, 1940, they had it down pat (although poor Bugs was still without a name). Producer Leon Schlesinger was immediately sold on the new character and called for more cartoons starring the gregarious and witty rabbit.<\/p>\n

The plot line for \u201cA Wild Hare\u201d is a now iconic one. It centers on the mighty hunter Elmer Fudd in hot pursuit of our hero. This cartoon is the first time we hear the catchphrases that have now become part of our shared cultural heritage: \u201cBe vewy, vewy quiet, I’m hunting wabbits!\u201d and \u201cEh, what\u2019s up, Doc?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bugs got his famous carrot-chewing stance from another famous screen idol of the day \u2013 Clark Gable. As Chuck Jones, Fritz Freleng, and Bob Clampett all remembered, the carrot twirling and munching was based on Gable\u2019s character Peter Warne leaning against a fence eating carrots faster than he could swallow them while talking to Claudette Colbert (or Ellie Andrews) in the comedy classic \u201cIt Happened One Night<\/a>\u201d. This scene was so familiar to contemporary audiences that everyone immediately made the connection.<\/p>\n

Tex Avery added the \u201cWhat\u2019s up, Doc?\u201d line pretty much as a throw-away phrase; it was simply a common expression in his home state of Texas at the time. But when the short aired, the sight of Bugs nonchalantly chomping on his carrot and inquiring, \u201cWhat\u2019s up Doc?\u201d was so far removed from the audience\u2019s expectations of what a rabbit would do when confronted by a hunter that it brought the proverbial house down. And so, the gag stayed, and was a part of virtually every Bugs Bunny cartoon thereafter.<\/p>\n

Bugs Bunny has been one of America\u2019s most consistently popular cartoon characters for 75 years. He has starred in feature-length films, prime-time television specials, and over 175 animated shorts. What makes his appeal so enduring?<\/p>\n

Unlike many cartoon characters, Bugs Bunny is multi-dimensional. He has a well-developed personality, which makes him more interesting and engaging than other animated characters. He doesn\u2019t back down from confrontation, which was a novel concept in the world of animation until Bugs came along.<\/p>\n

As the Looney Tunes website explains: \u201cThe gregarious but truly lovable Bugs Bunny always wins, no matter who he\u2019s battling, and no matter what the situation. No bully is too big, no hypocrite safe, no pompous adversary so powerful, that Bugs can\u2019t joyfully whittle him down to kindling wood.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the incomparable Mel Blanc, who gave Bugs his voice and personality for so many years, puts it best: \u201cHe\u2019s a little stinker. That\u2019s why people love him. He does what most people would like to do but don\u2019t have the guts to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, Google Play Music<\/a>, Feed<\/a>), as well as:<\/p>\n