Mississippi Hare is not one of the greatest Looney Tunes cartoons, and Chuck Jones has done better and perhaps been more original. The story is rather predictable, Bugs disguising himself as a woman(southern belle here) has been seen many times though here it's still pretty amusing. However it didn't and doesn't deserve to be banned, the opening scene is stereotypical in a sense but as far as I'm concerned it wasn't racist(believe it or not black people did actually pick cotton). Much makes up for the story's predictability, for one thing it's always crisply paced and doesn't come across as dull. It's beautifully animated, bright and colourful with very well-rendered backgrounds and character designs. Carl Stalling's music is perfectly in sync with the action and is very characterful, the way the music is orchestrated also still impresses. The dialogue still maintains the freshness and wit you expect from Looney Tunes- who doesn't love the ending line?- while the gags are similarly funny, strictly speaking the one with Colonel Shuffle setting fire to his pants is hilarious. Bugs is still cunning and likable as well as smart and arrogant, while Colonel Shuffle is a fun foil, like the southern answer to Yosemite Sam. Mel Blanc's vocals are still nigh-on perfect, likewise with Billy Bletcher. Overall, fun, witty, well-voiced and beautifully animated and scored if a little predictable that was/is undeservedly banned. 8/10 Bethany Cox

While I can agree that many of the cartoons that Warner Brothers pulled from circulation were quite racist, I think they made a big mistake in the case of "Mississippi Hare". First, I doubt if many people would in any way consider it racist--and I don't think we should always cater to those who the easily offended. Second, it is a pretty good cartoon and it's a shame to ban it (officially or unofficially).The film is set in what appears to be the antebellum South. It begins with a black worker picking cotton and accidentally dropping Bugs Bunny into a hopper that then transfers him to a river boat. What, exactly, is racist about this? In those days and after, a huge majority of people working in the cotton fields WERE black Americans. Should they have made them white or green so as not to offend?! Plus, the person is just a person--no stereotypical facial features (or ANY) are seen--just a brown-skinned arm. My attitude about this is just get over it--it IS a part of our history, like it or not! As for what happens next, Bugs has a run in with Colonel Shuffle--a gambler who is angry Bugs beat him so badly at poker (or course, Bugs having six Aces might also have something to do with it). During the rest of the film, Bugs does he did best with Elmer or Yosimite Sam--he terrorizes the victim repeatedly for our viewing pleasure. It's all pretty funny--particularly the final line. My advice is to download it from archive.org--you're bound to enjoy it.

This is a short which I haven't seen in ages, as it was declared off-limits by Ted Turner when Turner acquired the rights to the shorts. While I can understand his trepidation, I'm grateful to finally see the short again, because it has one of the funniest scenes I remember from watching these close to 40 years ago. As I want to talk about the short in a bit of detail, this is a spoiler warning: The short starts with a scene which likely helped pull it from circulation for years-blacks working in the cotton fields, one of whom grabs Bugs's "cotton" tail and tosses him in the sack. We then watch Bugs make his way from field-sack to cotton bale bound for the Southern Star, a paddle-wheel on the Mississippi, bound for all sorts of ports, including "Cu-cka-mong-a" (an old inside joke Mel Blanc has fun with in quite a few shorts).Bugs happens to observe what happens to stowaways on board and so "borrows" a gentleman's suit (and presumably his ticket as well). This scene is hilarious. Bugs then winds up in a card game with Colonel Shuffle (think Yosemite Sam with a Southern accent). Bugs puts up $100, which buys one half of a white chip, Col. Shuffle deals and the scene fades out. The fade in shows Bugs with a mountain of chips and Shuffle with half a white chip. Bugs wins the hand, with both players cheating. Shuffle contrives to be insulted and challenges Bugs to a duel. A few very funny bits later, Shuffle winds up in the Mississippi River to start a running gag and the chase is on.In a short with some very funny bits, my personal favorite comes after Col. Shuffle has set his pants on fire in the ship's furnace. He races to a water dispenser which takes only pennies and turns to Bugs, asking in very courtly speech if he might have change for a "tenspot", adding that "I would prefer a profusion of pennies!". Bugs slowly checks the bill over (he bites it at one point) and slowly begins counting change. When he reaches $1.21, Shuffle grabs the change, thanks him, tells him he can keep the rest and buys a cup of water and finally puts himself out.Bugs disguises himself as a Southern belle and begins whacking Shuffle with an umbrella, with Shuffle apologizing abjectly (and futilely) until he discovers it's Bugs. Bugs as a belle persuades a Southern gentleman to kick Shuffle off into the river again. When the gentleman realizes the "belle" is a bunny, he exits jerkily, stage right, into the river himself. The closing line is perfect.This short is available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 4 and is well worth seeing. Recommended.

One of the better Bugs shorts, although not seen much today due to its depiction of blacks picking cotton and parodies of Uncle Tom's Cabin. If you can forgive those misgivings, then this is a definite must see short. Bugs takes on a Mississippi Colonel on a riverboat.