" . . . Carson City," Bugs Bunny blabs to a couple Conservative-looking bank professionals near the beginning of the Warner Bros. animated short, BUGS AND THUGS. "He knows too much," concludes the lead Acquisitions Banker. It's already been shown by this point that Bugs is a sharp enough banking services consumer to keep his assets in a safe deposit box, rather than risking exorbitant banking penalties and fees, tellers' errors, identity theft, Russian hackers, and worse by maintaining a "bank account." When the bank's money managers realize that Bugs' financial savvy is paired with a detailed knowledge of the Seats of Government Power, they conclude that Bugs is the sort of person who can upset their applecart. The remainder of this cartoon consists of a virtual fight-to-the-death between Bugs and the financiers who've kidnapped him. Though Bugs is able to twice maneuver them into a gas chamber (where the worst Public Enemies were Euthanized during the 1900s), the Big Money pair get off on technicalities both times. However, even today BUGS AND THUGS constitutes a valuable Personal Finance Primer for Young Americans.

Bugs and Thugs (1954)*** 1/2 (out of 4) Bugs Bunny jumps into what he thinks is a cab but it turns out to be the car of gangsters Rocky and Mugsy. The two think Bugs knows too much so they drive him to a cabin where they plan on shooting him but we all know the rabbit is a lot smarter. This is yet another winning short for Bugs who manages to get involved in some really nice action as well as some great gags. The gag involving him checking to see if a train is coming is certainly predictable but the laugh is still there. Another great gag has to do with a gas stove. Rocky and Mugsy are great characters as well and you can't help but laugh at them.

Bugs inadvertently hitches a ride with bank robbers. They have all the loot in bags which Bugs, at first, thinks is just laundry. However, he quickly discovers the little guy in the backseat is a crook and the big oaf in front is the driver.They escape, despite being hit head-on by a train, to this little hideaway perched literally on the edge of the cliff. The house is cool-looking as was the bright red '52 car, by the way. However most of the gags are so-so, interesting to watch but nothing here to evoke any laugh-out-loud moments. There were too many clichés, especially the big, dumb second- banana hood and the Irish cop.

Bugs is just wondering out loud how lucky he is to live in the city away from all the rabbit hunters in the country side. Distracted, he gets into a getaway car thinking it is a taxi and finds himself caught by gangsters who feel he knows too much.Although this is not really a great Bugs Bunny film, it is still a pretty funny cartoon and should be funny to anyone who has seen a single Jimmy Cagney gangster film in their life. The usual Bugs stuff doesn't come till near the end where Bugs finally gets to play them for the upper hand, but all of it is funny simply because it works as a nice little Bugs film-come-gangster spoof.The main gangster is a great little cliché and works very well indeed. He is milked for more laughs by having his sidekick be a big dumb gangster not unlike baby bear in Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears. They play off each other well. Bugs is good throughout no matter what he does and he is as good as always.Overall, this may not be the usual formula for Bugs Bunny cartoons but it still works as it has that as it's basic foundation but adds a clever little gangster spoof to the mix that will be funny to those familiar enough with that genre to laugh at the little stereotype involved.