Who payed the critics

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Blistering performances.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

. . . (aka, The Looney Tuners) knew that the BIG FIGHT this week was NOT Mayweather vs. McGregor Saturday, but Yankees vs. Tigers a couple days earlier in Detroit. Warner's always meticulous prognosticators start their warning to America (and the thousands of geezers at Comerica Park for "Grandparents' Day") by depicting the trio of obnoxious geriatric Yankee gear-clad Yanks fans sitting in Row 3 of Section 337 as an ape, hippo, and giraffe (spot-on caricatures, if you saw them!). As Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera pushes his walker to the plate for perhaps the final time, you can hear this Deplorable Fat Cat One Per Center Trio muttering the EXACT opening lines of HOLD THE LION, PLEASE: Oldster #1 "He ain't kidding anybody--he's all washed up!" Ancient Bozo #2: "He's been through for years!" Creaky Clown #3: "A has been--nothing but a has been!" Warner's animators also nail Miggy with another Big Cat representation in the wheezing lion of this cartoon. Soon Yankee Catcher Gary Sanchez arrives on the scene (fresh from hitting his fourth home run against the hapless home town team in three days) in the form of Bugs Bunny. Bugs constantly lips off this-lion-with one-foot-in-the-grave, caring not a whit whether or not Leo-as-Miggy is a future Hall of Famer. Bugs than preempts Sanchez by 75 years in delivering a Spanish curse word in Sotto Voice, and all Hell breaks loose. Warner accurately forecasts ALL four bench-clearing brawls and all eight ejections, as well as every twist and turn of the 4 hour, 13 minute (9-inning!) game. HOLD THE LION, PLEASE ends with the Tigers' ultimate triumph (when they inject some young blood into the mix, such as teenager Dixon Machado taking third strikes on Miggy's behalf), and even wrap up with an otherwise mystifying tiff between Mr. and Mrs. Lion (not to mention Mr. and Mrs. Bugs Bunny), Clairvoyantly Presaging the Tiger dugout battle between their superannuated designated double play ground-out man Victor Martinez and fading pitching ace Justin Verlander, when the latter says that he'd be defecting to the Yankees by the Aug. 31 post-season eligibility trade deadline because Super Model Kate Upton wears the pants in the Verlander Family.

Chuck Jones directed this excellent cartoon in 1942, when he was still heavily influenced by both Tex Avery and Bob Clampett, and it shows. It has some extremely good "gags" and dialog and has a wildness to it that Mr Jones would (sadly) avoid in his later cartoons. Because of this influence this cartoon remains one of Jones' cleverest and most inventive.Jones' humor would become drier and more satirical in his 1950s cartoons and, of course, they are wonderful. But when he was under the Avery/Clampett influence some of those 1940s efforts were great, like this one.Bugs Bunny had not quite yet reached his perfect design (which would occur the following year) but that is no detriment here simply because the action, words and story are strong. I was particularly pleased with the overall color scheme, which has a very pleasing pastel-like quality (especially if you see a good film print of it).The dumb lion character is delightful and beautifully animated. I am at a loss to explain why others who have commented didn't care for this character. The humor conveyed by the character is quite sophisticated.As others have mentioned Tex Avery provided one of the voices, that of the hippo, and he is terrific. Very, very amusing.I cannot recommend this cartoon highly enough.

Mocked by the other animals for being too timid to be the real King of the Jungle, the lion sets out to hunt and kill a rabbit as part of proving himself. However when he picks bugs Bunny as his prey of choice, he isn't prepared for what a tricky wabbit Bugs can be.Despite the fact that the cartoon takes too long to introduce bugs into the film, this is actually an enjoyable run of Bugs Bunny doing his usual tricky stuff. The range of jokes is as normal and altered to the situation and characters. Mostly it is pretty funny throughout, although the ending is a bit of a letdown as an poorly drawn (in both sense) character is introduced as the punchline.Bugs is always good value for money and, although he does the same stuff every time, he is almost always funny. What he does need though, is a good foil to bounce off of. Here the lion doesn't quite fit the bill and is too weak and wishy-washy a character to suffice. His side of the film is a little weaker as a result although Bugs does cover well for it.Overall this is a good cartoon that basically does what Bugs does all the time – be tricky and slippery. If you find that as funny as I do then you'll enjoy this film even if the lion will make you find of Elmer Fudd with a wistful look in your eye.

When a lion has to prove himself by hunting down a small, defenseless animal, don't you think he could have picked a better target than Bugs Bunny?In "Hold the Lion, Please", the Lion of the title must lure Bugs out of hiding by bribing him ("Carrots are good for rabbits"), faking him out of position by dirt-swimming (spitting all over himself - hilarious!) and doing that old stand-by: standing on either side of a propped-up outside door each thinking they're safe from the other (Bugs even taunts the lion with the key!).Then, the lion finally corners him, and.... But no, that would spoil the surprise.Chuck again runs amuck and creates funny visual time and again, and there's even a surprise voice-over by fellow animation giant Tex Avery as a condescending hippo. Perfect compliment to Mel Blanc's voicework, including that of our man Bugs!Ten stars for this "Lion". Hilarity from the animal kingdom!