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Rabbit of Seville

Rabbit of Seville is a seven-minute theatrical animated short released on December 16, 1950. Directed by and written by Michael Maltese, the film features —voiced by —and —voiced by —in a parody of Gioachino Rossini's 1816 opera . In the cartoon, Bugs Bunny flees from hunter Elmer Fudd into the backstage area of the Hollywood Bowl during an outdoor performance of the opera. Disguising himself as Figaro the barber, Bugs tricks Elmer into a barber's chair and subjects him to a series of escalating comedic mishaps, including explosive shaves, hair tonic mishandling, and manicure mayhem, all synchronized to the overture, the aria "Largo al factotum", and other selections from Rossini's score, adapted by composer Carl Stalling at a brisker tempo. The short exemplifies Chuck Jones's sophisticated animation style, blending precise timing, visual gags, and musical integration that elevate the formula. It received critical acclaim upon release and was later ranked #12 on the list of in the 1994 book The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals, edited by .

Background and Production

Concept and Development

"Rabbit of Seville" originated as a theatrical short conceived by director during 1949–1950. Initially pitched as a non-musical and scenario set in a barber shop, the concept evolved into a comedic of Gioachino Rossini's famous from the The Barber of Seville, incorporating the music to heighten the humor and chase elements. The screenplay was crafted by writer Michael Maltese, who skillfully blended operatic motifs with the established dynamic of outwitting , ensuring the narrative unfolded entirely through synchronized action and song without traditional spoken dialogue. In keeping with the parody of productions, the film's opening credits employed Italianized pseudonyms for the key creative team, including "Carlo Jonzi" for , "Michele Maltese" for Michael Maltese, and "Eduardo Selzeri" for producer . Storyboarding and pre-production emphasized precise gag timing to the adapted score by Carl Stalling, aligning visual comedy with the overture's rhythm.

Direction and Animation Techniques

" Rabbit of Seville was directed by , who employed a stylized approach emphasizing fluid and exaggerated movements to heighten the comedic effect and align actions precisely with the musical rhythm of Gioachino Rossini's overture. This directorial choice created a sense of seamless integration between character antics and the score, with Bugs Bunny's gestures—such as sweeping shaves and playful dances—stretching and contracting in exaggerated arcs to amplify the humor. Jones' technique drew on principles of , allowing characters to convey elastic energy that mirrored the overture's lively tempo." "The animation featured full cel techniques typical of Warner Bros. shorts in the era, focusing on detailed facial expressions to capture the characters' evolving emotions, from Elmer Fudd's bewildered grimaces to Bugs Bunny's sly smirks during the barber sequence. Props played a key role in the visual dynamism, with Bugs' barber tools transforming fluidly—such as a simple extending into a choreographed dance partner or a chair morphing into a makeshift —to support the escalating gags without breaking the scene's operatic flow. These elements contributed to a rich, layered visual style that balanced economy in backgrounds with intricate foreground action." "The cartoon's staging adopted a theatrical framework, opening with a proscenium view of the stage complete with an audience and curtain pulls, which manipulates to frame the as a live . Audience silhouettes react subtly in the background, applauding and gasping to underscore the mock-serious tone, while curtain reveals punctuate transitions between gags, enhancing the sense of a grand, satirical production. This setup reinforced the operatic by treating and shave sequences as acts." "Key animators, including Phil Monroe, Ben Washam, Lloyd Vaughan, , and Emery Hawkins, contributed to the precise timing of gags. Washam handled sequences like the that escalates into a vegetable garden and the snake charmer routine, where Bugs' chisel-toothed grin and fluid poses synchronized to the music's whimsy. Harris animated sequences such as the dance and beauty clay scene, capturing frantic dodges and balletic movements in tight, rhythmic beats that matched the overture's crescendo. These contributions exemplified Jones' system's collaborative precision in crafting the short's enduring visual comedy."

Music and Synchronization

The musical score of Rabbit of Seville is an adaptation of the overture to Gioachino Rossini's 1816 opera The Barber of Seville, arranged by composer Carl Stalling to fit the cartoon's comedic action. Stalling's arrangement preserves the original's lively orchestral fabric while integrating variations to underscore the animation, performed by the Warner Bros. studio orchestra, with orchestration by Milt Franklyn, who served as Stalling's primary arranger. The score was recorded live in 1950, a standard practice for Looney Tunes productions that allowed for dynamic, expressive playback synchronized to the visuals. This synchronization is central to the short's rhythm and humor, with the predetermined music dictating the timing of gags in a choreographed manner, such as Bugs Bunny's elaborate sequences aligned precisely to the overture's crescendos and thematic shifts. Stalling employed numerous short musical cues, enabling seamless integration where visual beats—like rapid cuts or exaggerated movements—match the score's and for comedic effect. The result is a ballet-like flow that heightens the without relying on spoken words, marking a departure from the verbal banter typical in other entries. The absence of dialogue further emphasizes the music's role, with comedy derived entirely from sound effects, brief lyrical interjections sung by , and the orchestra's whimsical flourishes, such as harp glissandos accentuating his theatrical entrances. This approach showcases Stalling's mastery in using classical motifs—here, Rossini's effervescent themes—to propel narrative and character dynamics, transforming the into a versatile comedic engine.

Synopsis

Plot Summary

The cartoon opens with an audience filling an outdoor theater for a performance of Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville. Elmer Fudd pursues Bugs Bunny backstage during the show, leading Bugs to duck through a door onto the stage just as the curtain rises. Bugs quickly disguises himself as the barber Figaro and lures the unsuspecting Elmer into a barber chair, initiating a series of humiliating treatments synchronized to the opera's music. Bugs wraps Elmer's head in a steaming hot towel that nearly suffocates him, then applies a lather that explodes in a fiery shave, leaving Elmer's face scorched. Next, Bugs performs a manicure using oversized garden shears, clipping Elmer's nails dramatically while the hunter squirms in discomfort. The gags escalate as Bugs splashes aftershave from a bouquet of flowers, triggering an explosive sneezing fit in Elmer, followed by a mud pack application that hardens into a mask, cracking comically when Elmer tries to speak. Bugs then gives Elmer a vigorous scalp massage, transforming his hair into a towering fruit salad topped with a cherry, before using an electric razor that behaves like a mischievous snake, chasing Elmer around the stage. In a playful twist, raises their barber chairs to a precarious height on the stage , dropping a on Elmer for good measure. continues with a using a power sander, grows an enormous beard on Elmer only to shave it off repeatedly, and applies a beauty treatment that results in floral growth from Elmer's head after dousing it with "Figaro Fertilizer." The sequence builds to a mock where dances with the bewildered Elmer across . The climax arrives with proposing a mock , donning a and tails as the groom while Elmer, in a bridal , recites vows to the "Wedding March." As the concludes, carries the 'bride' up a flight of stairs and drops him headfirst through a into a towering multi-tiered below , where he emerges covered in frosting. breaks the with a , munches a , and quips, "Next!" as the curtain falls.

Characters and Voice Acting

In Rabbit of Seville, serves as the clever protagonist and barber, outwitting his adversary through a series of comedic antics set to operatic music. Voiced by , the character's portrayal incorporates his signature accent for sly commentary, blended with exaggerated operatic singing, such as the repeated "Figaro! Figaro!" lines drawn from Rossini's to mimic the aria's flair during the shaving sequence. Elmer Fudd appears as the hapless hunter and unwitting victim, enduring Bugs's pranks with frustrated outbursts amid sparse spoken lines. Voiced by in an uncredited performance, he delivers the character's distinctive lisping speech—marked by substituting "w" for "r" sounds—and vocal reactions like yelps, sneezes, and grunts to heighten the humor. The production features non-speaking supporting roles for the and , which animate the stage-like environment and underscore the musical parody without requiring . Mel Blanc's broader voice work in shorts, including this one, relied on isolated recording sessions to capture layered audio elements such as Bugs's flourishes and incidental sound effects, ensuring precise comedic timing for reactions like screams and exaggerated exclamations.

Release and Reception

Theatrical Release

Rabbit of Seville was theatrically released on December 16, 1950, as a short subject produced by and distributed through cinemas in the United States. The 7-minute, 31-second cartoon was filmed in Technicolor and targeted family audiences during the post-World War II era, when animated shorts experienced a surge in popularity as affordable entertainment often paired with live-action feature films in double bills.

Critical Response

Upon its release in , trade publications praised "Rabbit of Seville" for its technical achievements and broad appeal. Analyses of the cartoon consistently appreciate its non-verbal comedy, driven by exaggerated physical gags, and its clever of through the opera setting and barber motif. Some modern critiques acknowledge minor dated elements in the hunter-prey dynamic between and , viewing it as a product of its era's comedic conventions. As of November 2025, "Rabbit of Seville" maintains an 8.4/10 user rating on IMDb based on nearly 6,000 votes, underscoring its lasting popularity among animation enthusiasts.

Accolades and Rankings

"Rabbit of Seville" has received several notable accolades and rankings from animation experts and institutions over the decades. In 1994, it was ranked number 12 on the list of "The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals," compiled by animation historian Jerry Beck with an introduction by Leonard Maltin, highlighting its innovative use of music and humor in the golden age of American animation. The short has been considered for preservation in the of the , appearing on lists of films suggested for inclusion due to its cultural and historical significance, though it has not yet been selected. In modern recognitions, "Rabbit of Seville" was featured prominently in the "Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection" Blu-ray release in 2020, which included the short along with audio commentary by animator Eric Goldberg, celebrating its enduring appeal within the canon. Additionally, as of 2025, it consistently ranks in the top 10 shorts according to user polls, often placing third behind "Duck Amuck" and "One Froggy Evening" based on user ratings and votes.

Legacy

Cultural Impact

The "Rabbit of Seville" has left a lasting mark on by blending with humor, inspiring numerous parodies and references across television and . Its iconic barber sequence, where Bugs Bunny gleefully torments Elmer Fudd, has echoed in modern shows through opera-inspired chaos in comedic gags. The short has been adapted for live performances in the "Bugs Bunny at the " concert series, launched in the 1990s by conductor George Daugherty, where projected synchronizes with a full playing Carl Stalling's score based on Rossini's overture. This format, which debuted classics like the cartoon alongside new segments, toured major venues and saw a sequel in "Bugs Bunny at the II" in 2016, continuing into the 2020s to introduce generations to orchestral music through . In animation, "Rabbit of Seville" established a benchmark for musical shorts by tightly integrating action with operatic rhythms, influencing Chuck Jones's later parody "What's Opera, Doc?" (1957) and broader techniques in comedic timing that modern creators reference in discussions of classical music's role in cartoons. As a cornerstone of history, the cartoon symbolizes Bugs Bunny's urbane wit overpowering Elmer Fudd's hapless pursuits, cementing the rabbit's archetype as a sly in American pop culture and contributing to his enduring icon status through lighthearted class without notable controversies.

Home Media and Availability

"Rabbit of Seville" has been released on various home media formats since the early 2000s, primarily as part of larger anthology collections produced by . The short first appeared on DVD in the ": Volume 1," a four-disc set issued in 2003 that features 56 restored cartoons, including classic entries. It was later included on "The Essential ," a two-disc DVD compilation released in 2010 to mark the character's 70th anniversary, containing 20 selected shorts with bonus features like commentaries. Another DVD inclusion came with the " Platinum Collection: Volume 1" in 2011, a three-disc set highlighting 50 high-profile cartoons from the library. On Blu-ray, the cartoon is featured in the "Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection," a three-disc set released in that compiles 60 digitally restored shorts, many making their high-definition debut. No major standalone releases of "Rabbit of Seville" have occurred between 2021 and 2025, though it remains accessible through bundled archive collections and reissues of prior sets, such as updated editions of the Platinum Collection. As of November 2025, "Rabbit of Seville" is available for streaming on , where it appears in curated playlists and can be purchased or rented individually. It is also free to stream (with ads) on as part of its collection. Additionally, it is available for purchase or rental on . It is not currently offered on Max, following the platform's removal of numerous classic shorts in 2023 and additional purges in early 2025. Official Warner Bros. channels on occasionally upload the short for promotional purposes, such as anniversary events or holiday specials. The cartoon has undergone HD remastering for several 2010s collections, including the Platinum and 80th Anniversary sets, with efforts focused on enhancing the original palette and audio while preserving the 1950 film's vibrant and orchestral score. These restorations utilize newly scanned elements to minimize artifacts and restore the short's dynamic visuals, making it suitable for modern displays without altering its classic aesthetic.

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