Directed by Friz Freleng, "Herr Meets Hare" is a fine Bugs Bunny cartoon released at the tail end of World War II. Specifically, this cartoon makes a hilarious spoof of Field Marshal Hermann Goering, nicknamed "Fatso" in this film. Fatso is the epitome of mental retardation as he pursues Bugs Bunny in the Black Forest.My favorite moments from "Herr Meets Hare" include the following (DO NOT read any further if you have not yet seen this cartoon). I love Bugs' Hitler disguise and mock German dialect as he gives Goering a verbal dressing-down and rips off all his medals. Bugs is also really funny with his Stalin disguise at the very end of the cartoon. AND watch for Bugs' Wagnerian Brunhilda disguise (predating "What's Opera, Doc?" [1957]) and his subsequent dance with Goering (as Siegfried)."Herr Meets Hare" was supposedly unseen from the time of its theatrical release until the time it was released on DVD (the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 Disc 2). But unless my memory deceives me, I DO recollect seeing this cartoon on TV during my high school days (early 1990s), because I distinctly remember Bugs Bunny's lame Hitler disguise. Maybe he paraded as Hitler in other cartoons besides this one.

In one of the many WWII-themed Looney Tunes cartoons, Bugs Bunny misses that left turn at Albuquerque for the first time and ends up in the Black Forest, where he meets Nazi official Hermann Goering. One scene in particular in "Herr Meets Hare" reminded me of Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator", where Bugs starts ripping Goering's clothes off. But probably the most fascinating scene is when Bugs rides in dressed as Brunhilde, as he later would in his all-time masterpiece "What's Opera, Doc?". As for the end...well, I assumed that Bugs was going to pull something, but I didn't predict that one! I just always love how they poke fun at the Nazis, in this case making Hitler say "Heil me!". Bugs Bunny is just the greatest.

This was the last of the three World War II cartoons shown on the TURNER CLASSIC FILM "Cartoon Alley" show yesterday. This one is of interest because of it's connections with the future Bugs Bunny cartoons. First off, this is the cartoon where Bugs is driven off course in his underground travels by making the wrong turn at Albuquerque, New Mexico for the first time. Secondly, in his confronting Goering (a fat, blond figure in lederhausen, who vaguely resembles horrible Herman), Bugs vanishes for a few seconds, and reappears (to the strains of the "Venusburg" music of Wagner's TANNHAUSER) as Brunhilde on a fat German horse. This, as mentioned elsewhere here, is the original for the classic scenes between Bugs and Elmer Fudd in WHAT'S OPERA DOC? But there is a trifle more here which I don't believe is in the later cartoon. Goering sees "the beautiful" Brunhilde, runs off and returns in Wagnerian - Middle Ages costume, complete with Viking helmet - and as he looks at Brunhilde again the horns on the hat take on an "erection" appearance that is unexpected.The cartoon is set on Goering's estate in the Black Forest, where the second man of the Reich hunted and acted like his own idea of what a "Rennaisance" man was like. In fact, Goering did more than shoot game on his estate - he shot up. Goering became a total drug addict, and his system was not cleaned out until the Allies put him under medical control at Nuremburg. Ironically, in real life, when that happened his brain power actually resurrected itself, and he was able to present a formidable presence at the war crime trial.This aspect is not in the cartoon (it was barely known in early 1945). Instead we see Goering relaxing at his estate, which Bugs accidentally invades. Bugs is able to momentarily trick Goering into believing he is Hitler (and into confessing that Hitler annoys Goering - which leads Bugs as Hitler in stripping Goering of all his decorations). But eventually Bugs is captured by Goering's pet vulture, and Herman takes Bugs in a bag to Berlin to give to Der Fuhrer. Hitler is playing solitaire at his desk, and barely seems to hear Goering, but stops his game, and starts talking like a pitchman (saying "Tell you what I'm going to do!"). He gives another medal to Goering, and then opens the bag, screams in fear, and flees. Goering follows suit, and does the same. Then we see Bugs rise out of the bag, made up to look like Joseph Stalin - which explains why this cartoon did not get shown on television in the 1950s and 1960s when I first got into Bugs Bunny cartoons.

A lost Bugs Bunny hits the surface in Germany's Schwarzwald where he meets up with Goering (Eh Doc, which way to Las Vegas?). Goering tries to catch him with his bird as this Bugs short is taking all the well-known steps: Bugs dresses up a couple of times (including one time as Hitler), and Goering is foolish enough to fall for it. Then Goering finally catches Bugs and takes him to Hitler. This is such a funny scene! As Goering goes in he shouts 'Heil Hitler'. Hitler doesn't even look up from his solitaire card-game (!) and says: 'Heil Me'. That really cracked me up.A funny propaganda short, this one: 7/10.