The Wabbit Who Came to Supper

The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is a 1942 American Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring early appearances by Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The Elmer character is in a transitional state from his earliest appearances in Bob Clampett's shorts and the appearance which he adopted around 1943.

This short is one of several pre-August 1948 WB cartoon shorts that lapsed into the public domain due to United Artists failing to renew the copyright in time.

The title of the short is a reference to the 1942 Warner Brothers film version of the 1939 George S. Kaufman Broadway comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner, in which an overbearing house-guest threatens to take over the lives of a small-town family.

Plot
As Elmer has Bugs Bunny cornered on his hunting trip, Elmer receives a telegram from his Uncle Louie who leaves him $3 million in his will, as long as he doesn't harm any animals, especially rabbits. Elmer changes his tune to one of uncharacteristic niceness and lets Bugs free.

Bugs, with characteristic élan, takes full advantage of the situation by sneaking into Elmer's house (already shown to be that of at least an upper middle class person) while Elmer is gone and making himself at home. As Elmer returns, the audience hears Bugs singing "Angel in Disguise", while taking a shower and later shaving; Bugs uses the opportunity to purposely aggravate Elmer, knowing that he has Uncle Louie as blackmail and because of this Elmer cannot effectively punish Bugs in any way without losing his inheritance.

Elmer tries to coax Bugs into leaving, gently patting him on the head, which Bugs claims is hurting him and threatens to call Uncle Louie. Elmer apologizes to Bugs then tricks him into walking out of the house. Bugs resorts to faking a serious illness (with a level of melodrama that, in a moment of breaking the fourth wall, Bugs is convinced will garner him an Oscar) prompting Elmer to take him back in.

Later a special delivery letter arrives for Elmer, which inform him that his Uncle Louie died and that he now inherits the $3 million. However, the amount of the various estate taxes claims the entirety of the inheritance and leaves Elmer owing Uncle Louie's lawyer $1.98. Furious at Bugs' torment and intrusion for all that, Elmer chases Bugs round the house until Bugs escapes out the front door. Elmer then receives a large Easter egg delivery. Upon opening it, an impossibly large litter of baby Bugs Bunnies who say 'Eh, what's up Doc?' in unison, begin to leap around the house.

Crew
Friz Freleng, the man most responsible for developing Bugs' personality, was the director of this short cartoon. This short film was written by Michael Maltese and animated by Richard Bickenbach. The music was selected, composed and arranged by Carl W. Stalling with sound effects and editing by Treg Brown. Mel Blanc performed the voice of Bugs Bunny, and Arthur Q. Bryan performed the voice of Elmer Fudd.

Availability
Being in the public domain, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper was featured on several low-budget VHS releases of public domain cartoons. (The use of "Angel in Disguise," which remains under copyright, has complicated the short's public domain status.)

On the 2005 Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 DVD release, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is presented in a restored unedited version with a commentary track provided by animation historian Jerry Beck and Warner Brothers' inker Martha Sigall, one of about 40 uncredited inkers and painters who labored on the Looney Tunes shorts.