The third in the classic hunting trilogy featuring Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer. The premise is simple but effective. Elmer goes hunting during duck season. Daffy tries to convince him it's rabbit season and goads him into going after Bugs. But, of course, Bugs is too smart for that and points Elmer back in Daffy's direction. It's back and forth throughout the short about whether it's duck, rabbit, goat, skunk, pigeon, or mongoose season! Full of hilarious lines and gags like "fricasseeing rabbit" and "Good heavens! He disintegwated!" This is one of the all-time classics from Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese. Great voicework from Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan. No matter how many times I've seen this one, it never gets old.

"Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" is a brilliant Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck/Elmer Fudd cartoon, the third in what became known as the "Hunter Trilogy" from director Chuck Jones & writer Michael Maltese (the first two cartoons being "Rabbit Fire" [1951] and "Rabbit Seasoning" [1952]). Once again, Daffy tries to manipulate Elmer into blasting Bugs with his shotgun. Once again, Daffy fails, and HOW he fails. Once again, Bugs is just way too smart for Daffy to outwit! The most memorable running gag in "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" involves Daffy unwittingly claiming to be certain kinds of animals, Bugs holding up a sign (to the musical accompaniment of "A-Hunting We Will Go") declaring open season for these animals, and Elmer blasting Daffy's bill off his face with the shotgun. (On one of these occasions, Daffy is absolutely hilarious as he looks back at Elmer and squeaks "What?" before getting blasted.) Another memorable scene involves Daffy spotting Bugs in a duck disguise, after which Daffy shouts to Elmer, "Shoot the duck! Shoot the duck!"; who do you suppose Elmer shoots? One other thing to watch for in "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" is the palette of facial expressions from Daffy and Bugs, particularly when Bugs feels the muzzle of Elmer's shotgun directly behind his head, when Daffy learns that Elmer cannot shoot "a fwicasseeing wabbit," and when Daffy spots Bugs dropping down from the sky in a lame angel disguise. Catch this marvelous cartoon on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3, featuring a well-done additional commentary by contemporary animator Eric Goldberg.

"Duck! Rabbit! Duck!" is the best of the "Hunter Trilogy." From the ubiquitous sign gags that only get funnier (Daffy: You dirty dog... Bugs: And YOU'RE a dirty skunk! Daffy: I'm a dirty skunk? I'M a dirty skunk!? Sign: Dirty Skunk Season Elmer: Blam!) to the wonderful ending where poor Elmer gets driven mad, this short is a laugh a second, and one of the prime examples why Chuck Jones will be missed.

There is an absolutely beautiful line that floors me every time I hear it in this short which I want to discuss, so here there be a spoiler or two:This is the last of three cartoons with Elmer, Bugs and Daffy that were similar in theme and attitude. The best of the three was, at least for me, Rabbit Fire. But Rabbit Seasoning and this one were also quite good. Strangely enough, verbal jokes hold their own in the three with very funny sight gags and, even stranger for a cartoon featuring Bugs as well, Daffy has some of the funniest stuff. But that doesn't save him from his karma. Daffy has an incredibly funny line toward the end of the short, after he's been shot at point-blank range yet again by Elmer which sums up the rage and frustration which arise from all the misfortune that dogs him throughout the short. I have to quote it here:"Shoot me again! I love it! I love the smell of burnt feathers-and gunpowder-and cordite!" Clearly, Daffy snapped there and had reached the end of his rope. Very good cartoons, almost uniformly. Recommended.This short is available on Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 3 and is well worth the purchase price all by itself, though the rest of the set is marvelous.