Don't Believe the Hype

Disturbing yet enthralling

Charming and brutal

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

In another one of Bugs Bunny's hare-raisingly wacky shorts, the famous leporid* works in a department store display case, when owner Gildersleeve decides to stuff him. Of course, this proves nearly impossible, as Bugs apparently knows the store better than Gildersleeve (and knows when to cross-dress). As always, they keep everything coming at top speed, and so you have to wonder how hilarious this cartoon must have seemed when it first debuted! Among other things, "Hare Conditioned" is a fine example of how the Looney Tunes looked in the '40s before the Termite Terrace crowd polished them. But don't get me wrong, the cartoons were still really good after the refined forms arrived.Anyway, this is a great one.*Leporids are rabbits and hares.

This, along with "Hare Tonic," ranks as one of the best Bugs cartoons, indeed one of the best Bugs, ever. There are some comments about how Bugs in these cartoons is "basic," meaning, I guess, that he is as yet not fully developed. I actually prefer this "basic" version from the mid-40s (Chuck Jones' was the best version) who is actually more rabbit-sized and far more amusing than the eventual long-legged version who towered over Yosemite Sam and Daffy Duck. The latter-day Bugs came to be too suave and sophisticated for my liking. Also check out "Hair Raising Hare" (1946) and "Rabbit Punch" (1948) for great examples of classic Bugs and classic Chuck Jones.

This is an above-average pre-1948 Bugs Bunny cartoon, one of my earlier favorites.The story is better than the majority, plus it's completely new. Bugs is the innocent victim here. Often, he antagonizes the predator as well. But here he chooses evasive action.The animation is great, I like the way they drew the manager. Bugs Bunny is basic, he still has to evolve quite a bit. The store is done in great detail. Kudos to the team.The ending is great, and the jokes are good throughout: Bugs dresses not only as a woman, but both hunter and quarry run through different departments, wearing appropriate clothing when they reappear. That sequence was great.Bugs manages to outwit his foe, but there's a nice twist in the tail at the end, with great penultimate and closing jokes.The manager's character is huge, about fifteen times the size of Bugs, and the perfect foil. But he's not nearly as dim-witted as he seems. Bugs has reason to be genuinely insecure about his safety.Hare Conditioned (1945) is a great cartoon, and I certainly recommend it.

Is it a good idea to use live animals for department store window displays?No, and here's why....In "Hare Conditioned" the sale that Bugs is helping promote is over and the store manager (Nelson) is transferring him to a new department: taxidermy. Naturally, Bugs objects and the fun begins.using nearly every department in the store (children's wear, sports, shoes, costumes, women's nightgowns - don't ask.), Bugs comes out on top at every turn, even referring to the manager as "The Great GilderSNEEZE". Even when trapped in the confines of an elevator, Bugs makes the best of the situation.Director Jones is on top of his pictorial game as always, as are Blanc (as Bugs, natch) and Nelson (the manager - who DOES sound like radio mainstay Gildersleeves - go ask your grand-parents).And a sage word of advice: when confronted by a fuzzy-looking woman wanting to try on bathroom slippers, always check her ears.Ten stars for "Hare Conditioner", the best argument yet for animal labor laws.