Directed by Tex Avery, "The Heckling Hare" is a wildly funny Bugs Bunny cartoon featuring some terrific animation. The term "wascawwy wabbit" doesn't even begin to describe Bugs as he takes advantage of a dopey canine who tries to track him down.My favorite moments from "The Heckling Hare" include the following (DON'T read any further if you have not yet seen this cartoon). The best and most memorable sequence in this film is the lengthy, hilarious fall off the cliff (which, by the way, was the cause of some seriously bad blood between producer Leon Schlesinger and Tex Avery, who decided to part ways with Warner Bros. and move on to the cartoon studio at MGM). Bugs does his nonchalant "Strollin' Thru the Park One Day" walk with a carrot jutting from his mouth, after which he and the dog exchange a myriad of funny faces, ending with Bugs applying a baseball bat to the dog's head. And when the dog chases Bugs underwater, Bugs' ears incongruously circle around a tree stump! "The Heckling Hare" is one of those Bugs Bunny cartoons you just gotta see! Catch it on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2 Disc 1.

After watching a bunch of 1950s Bugs Bunny cartoons, it was shock to see him in this early 1941 effort. He looks different, with a more oblong shaped head (glad they changed that) and the artwork looks different (no complaints in that department with the nice watercolors- type look). The next thing I noticed was Bugs' voice. Even though it was the same Mel Blanc doing Bugs, the voice was deeper. Frankly, it didn't right, probably because most of us aren't used to seeing him and hearing him like this.The story is one that was shown many times afterward except hunter Elmer Fudd was playing the role that a dog did in here, namely going after Bugs and the latter outsmarting him at every turn. The two animals making faces at one another was good, as were a few other comedy bits involving Bugs' ears or the dog's tail. Bugs' rhetorical question sums it up best: "Let's see; what can I do to this guy now?" Overall, a fair effort. I think these were better-written in the '50s, and what's with all the kissing? That's overdone.

The last Tex Avery Bugs Bunny short is not only his best, but one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons if not ever, then certainly the early years of the rabbit. We follow Bugs Bunny as he cons Willoughby the mentally retarded dog over and over again.Every single gag in this short is hilarious and makes this film a timeless classic. This animated short can be seen on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2. It also features an optional commentary by Greg Ford.which is interesting in itself. Furthermore it has a little featurette "Behind the Tunes - A Conversation with Tex Avery" that I'll get more into in the listing for that on this site.My Grade: A+

This short led directly to the exit of Tex Avery from Warner Brothers. Some sources say he was fired, others that he quit, but Leon Schlesinger's mistake was Avery's, animation's and MGM's gain. Avery did some fantastic work at MGM, animation gained from his influence on another studio and MGM gained by having the competition between Avery and Hanna and Barbera, which improved both teams. Avery's influence can be seen on the Tom and Jerry series in the mid to late 1940s and it's open to question whether Droopy or Screwball Squirrel would have developed at a crowded Warner Brothers. Who knows what would have developed (or not developed) at Warner Brothers had Avery NOT gone to MGM. Excellent short. Most highly recommended.