" . . . children!" Bugs Bunny scolds Witch Hazel near the beginning of the Warner Bros. seven-minute Looney Tune, BEWITCHED BUNNY. "Call it a weakness," Hazel replies, without an ounce of compunction. Since this animated short hit the Big Screen, video stores, and You Tube, countless American kiddies have been cooked to death in Real Life stoves, microwaves, and (in at least one case), scrap metal smelters. Demographers estimate the U.S. population would have topped 400 million by now if not for the Satanic Subliminal Suggestions imprinted upon our brains by BEWITCHED BUNNY and other similar Looney Tunes. Just take a gander at the index of Hazel's Recipe Book here: "Waif Waffles, Page 7; Moppet Muffins, Page 16; Urchin Pie, Page 23; Kiddie Kippers, Page 35; Children Chops, Page 37; and Smorgas Boy, Page 92 (we had a Powerball entry developing until that last page number). Of course, Warner Bros. won't consider Pop-Tarted Tots as being eligible for its infamous "Forbidden Eleven List," since a Tyke Truffle is nowhere near as bad as a cartoon that might hurt the Fweewings of one of America's Dictatorial Minority Group Members. You can have your fill of twisted sadism, but Heaven Forbid exposure to a possible slur!

This is the first appearance of Witch Hazel in the Looney Tunes universe. Her voice is patterned after another character named "Witch Hazel" from the 1952 Donald Duck cartoon "Trick or Treat." Because the character was named after a household product, Disney did not have a copyright on the name. Jones originally wanted June Foray, who originated the voice for the Disney cartoon to do the voice for the Warner Brothers' Witch Hazel. At first she refused, thus Bea Benaderet (i.e.- "Kate" from PETTICOAT JUNCTION) is imitating June Foray's voice in this cartoon. One of the most notable things about this cartoon is Maurice Noble's crazy backgrounds, where the furniture seems to be painted onto the background with no rhyme of reason, thus the curtains and windows start on the ceiling and end on the wall and the end table with the lamp is painted on the wall sideways. Also note, Looney Tunes took a shot at everyone, this one includes German stereotypes, but as this cartoon was made just 9 years after the ordeal of WWII, I'm sure the Germans were still fair game in the minds of the Looney tunes writers.

What can I say about Bewitched Bunny that hasn't been said already? The cartoon is wonderful, a very clever and somewhat cute take on Hansel and Gretel. The animation is lush, with lovely backgrounds and colours, while the music is playful and has plenty of energy. The humour is actually very clever and has a darkly humorous touch to it, this is all reflected in the dialogue. Then there are the characters. Bugs is a delight here, and he is always watchable, and the kids are cute and funny. Witch Hazel stole the show though, Bea Beanderet(in alternative to June Foray, who I marginally preferred) does a wonderful job with the voice. And Mel Blanc is also wonderful, well he always is, so it was not surprising. Overall, cute, funny and clever. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of the all-time classic Bugs Bunny Cartons. It is so funny, I find myself rolling on the floor with laughter every time that it is on. Witch Hazel is a scream. Look for it the next time Lonney Tunes are on.