My Top Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies Cartoons That Might Make You Think Twice About L'amour...
Wish you were hare! - Bugs Bunny xxoo💋With the most overrated and overly commercialised traditional lovey dovey holiday just around the corner, what better way to laugh it off with some WB classics? Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies have provided us with some hilarious laughs in many ways, romance included. But...love is not just a beautiful thing! It's not all loudest wolf whistles calling "BAAAAABY!", it's not all excited lustful barking and growling, it's not all rabbit baby wants, rabbit baby gets! Nope! Love sucks! And I'm pretty sure Looney Tunes will tell us so with it's tongue in cheek to dark and tragic humor. Or will it inspire us to love again?
I SHAN'T be including any specials, so no Bugs Bunny's Valentine, or anything after the golden age, I'm only focusing on the classic theatrical shorts. If WatchMojo dare touch on this and copy my list...ooooohhhh willl I blow my stack!?!?! LOL So, ladies bunnies in drag, before you start emerging out of rabbit holes, dressed up hollering "Yoo hoo!" with a flirty little wave, fluttering your mascara covered eyelashes, making smoochies with your red lips, making the guys go gaga, holler, howl, wolf whistle and go straight up Tex Avery, before you go strutting past with your hands on your hips as they sway and wave, with sultry bedroom eyes, lots of makeup on, giggling like a girl, blowing kisses accompanied to Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby or Oh You Beautiful Doll, before you accidentally get your skirt caught and ripped off exposing your scut, sneakily dancing with scissors and snipping off a man's trousers, hurting hunters with your naughty guns (and I mean shotguns...not err...those...), putting on a high falsetto and claimiing that Chivelry ain't dead and of course, going in for the kill kiss making the other go red as a tomato, then take off that disguise after they have fallen into the trap making you shout rather approrpirately "What a maroon!" (see what I did there?) HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, BUGS! Wascally wabbit! (NOTE: a scut is a short tail, that of a deer or rabbit or a hare) Men, before you think twice about bringing out the finest wine, expensive champagne, flowers, chocolates, your best formal wear, rose petals on the bed, candles burning, soft music playing in the background and doing your best Charles Boyer/Pepe Le Pew impression with a red rose between your teeth playing smoochy face and dancing with a striptease to It Had To Be You, growling and purring suggesstively, putting on your sexiest smirk and puckering up your lips uttering "Let us play games!", offering/baring gifts to your new gir (or Bugs in disguise), leaning in waiting for that kiss and then getting smacked in the face with a fish, these cartoons may make you change your mind on what love is...or just straight up make you laugh, shrug it off, yet still poo-poo the holiday all together! Whatever tickles your fancy! With that being said, here we go. Sit back, relax and enjoy this read, just make sure your wardrobes are locked, or else Bugs Bunny will be trying on ladies clothes! I'm pretty sure I saw him shopping at Ann Summers not too long ago shopping for lingerie! (SPOILERS, also keep in mind, this blog post is meant to be humorous. Also this blog is not targetting the LGBT community. LOVE IS LOVE! <3) These cartoons were also a product of their time. So things like cat calling and wolf whistling nowadays may be considered offensive. I respect you and respect everyone. These though however, just cartoons. WARNING, these cartoons may not be suitable for children at a young age, especially with several gags way too dangerous and strong. Best be accompanied with an adult. I shall also be listing recommended availabilities of DVD and Blu Rays that include these cartoons. It is also recommended to own a region free DVD player IF you are hunting down these dvds worldwise just in case neither of them play on a regular dvd player. Also if you don't have a Blu Ray player, Blu Rays play on PS4/PS5, Xbox One, XBox Series S/X (if they have a disc drive)Porky's Romance- Frank Tashlin, 1937AVAILABILITY: Porky Pig 101, Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3 WARNING: CONTAINS ATTEMPTED SUICIDE!
Well, there's flowers, there's candy in a heart shaped box, there's a proposal and there's...the stuck up girl who gets what she wants (dang, Petunia was a total...sow in her early days). This cartoon was notable for several things. Petunia Pig's first appearence and Joe Dougherty's final time playing the voice of Porky Pig. The poor guy's stutter caused so much time in the studio that it got expensive and he was let go. Such a sad and bitter end to his career. Porky's Romance is definitely a cartoon for those with some questionably dark humor, no? When Porky proposes to his love interest Petunia, she snobbily turns him down...(love hurts, whether it's right or wrong), poor Porky's heart is broken to the point where tears stream down his cheeks and he decides to end his life...ouch, such a grim time for WB cartoons. Mind you, this was before the time Bob Clampett put the "looney" in Looney Tunes that we all know and love today.
Porky's attempt backfires however when he's too heavy for the noose and he is knocked unconcious, causing him to have a rather unpleasant dream on what married life would be like. While this isn't the most pleasant of Looney Tunes cartoons, it does kind of feel like a cautionary tale on those who are not ready to settle down and have kids. Not saying everyone will grow up to be fat, lazy and a glutton like Petunia in the dream sequence, but settling down with your spouse will change your life forever, especially IF you have kids. It's not one to be taken light-heartedly, but it does feel like a satire on what married life can be. Either way, love is a complicated feeling for some and when/if you're not ready for it, best stay away from it. Not exactly my favorite cartoon but it's still worth a mention. The only rings you'll want to be seeing aren't on your fingers, but the coloured rings on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies opening.
Muscle Tussle - Bob McKimson, 1953AVAILABILITY: Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Volume 4 (Blu Ray)
Poor Daffy Duck...can't he ever get the time to settle down with his girlfriend Melissa? Sometimes you can't help but feel sorry for him, just because someone has more muscles and a killer body, doesn't mean they're perfect, right?Alas, this is Looney Tunes and it's all done for laughs. This is another typical "she's my girl" story, I'm pretty sure a lot of cartoons have done this trope, sure, not all Daffy Duck cartoons land, but when they do, this isn't one of them.
This being a cartoon, it's obvious satire...unless you're one of those people just in for the money and into that kinda stuff haha. The ending is kinda sweet as it goes to show that even the tough snobs still get the girl in the end.
Lovelorn Leghorn - Bob McKimson, 1951Availability: Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 1. (These sets are now available as ONE reissued set, made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros.)
Trying to find your significant other half can be tough, especially when others tease and jeer. In this case, Prissy. Just remember, when finding a husband, always carry a rolling pin with you. Poor old Prissy, an old fashioned Spinster hen just wants to settle down with a rooster to call her own. If you've never been lucky in love, then I'm sure you can relate, but at the same time laughing at this cartoon.
Ding Dog Daddy - Friz Freleng, 1942AVAILABILITY: Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Volume 2 (Blu Ray)
Another cartoon that is kind of mixed for me, but none the less a rather bittersweet cartoon. This cartoon centers on a yellow/orange dopey dog Goofy (say, why hadn't Disney filed a lawsuit huh? Also doesn't he look a little like Pluto) is out enjoying the lovely spring weather declaring to the audience how beautiful love is.
After failing once to court a dog who turned him down and even mocked him, he eventually falls for Daisy. The only catch is, poor Goofy is smitten over a metal statue shaped like a dog. Complete wtih lightning strikes with every kiss and a vicious bulldog chasing him around the garden and yard to boot, you really feel for Goofy.
To really add fuel to this cartoon, Daisy is then carted off to be melted into scrap and then turned into a bomb for the wars. Hearing Goofy call out Daisy's name and then having her reeled into his paws really is soul crushing. As Goofy mourns over her changes, he gives her one last kiss...and...Goofy's still smitten and happy....phew! I thought something tragic was gonna happen but ouch, still pretty soul crushing.
Still, a bittersweet ending as Goofy doesn't shed tears straight after. TRIVIA: Goofy was voiced by Disney legend Pinto Colvig (who also happened to voice...Goofy, as well as Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves).
The Hep Cat - Bob Clampett, 1942AVAILABILITY: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2, Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 3.
From dippy dogs to confident cats that are self proclaimed hunks, this is a great cartoon. Definitely one of Clampett's finest. A suave, charasmatic cat is girl crazy and is on the search for the perfect mate. After being given the cold shoulder by a lady cat, a dog called Rosebud toys with the Hep Cat, using a puppet that resembles the one who turned him down. The Hep Cat's reactions and exlaimations are priceless and performed perfectly by Mel Blanc as always. The delivery of the cat's lines are fantastic and who can forget the line "Something new has been added!". Throw in some rather smooth L'Amour scenarios and gags, and you have got yet another cartoon that makes you want to forget about love and just enjoy the laughs. But remember this, sock puppets aren't sexy! But to quote the Hep Cat: WELL I CAN DREAM CAN'T I?
What's Opera, Doc? - Chuck Jones, 1957AVAILABILITY: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2Looney Tunes Platinum Collection volume 1Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection (KEEP IN MIND that this set is limited to 30,000, so good luck on trying to get this one)
Okay, I'm kind of cheating here, there's not really any romance here but...it's a Bugs Bunny cartoon! He dresses up as a girl, he fools Elmer, leading him into a beautiful part de deux, Bugs doesn't just get into the act. He's still practically playing hard to get to the helpless oblivious Elmer. It may sound like nothing new, Bugs Bunny dresses up like ladies all the time! From mermaids, to Southern Belles, Bobby Soxers, to elderly grannies, to sexy country girls, to temptresses, to Eskimos, to seductresses, to 1920s flappers, to a simple ballet tutu, to can dan dancers, to even his own female look alike in Hare Splitter to Brunhilde. Can we all just admit that this disguise was pretty damn cute on him? With his blonde braids, gold headpiece, cute little dress and gorgeous pink eyeshadow and thick black mascara, riding a large horse, galloping it's way down the hill, nothing screams "Oh Brunhilde you're so lovely" than this getup. Also who knew Bugs Bunny had a beautiful singing voice and he can really bat those thick mascara lashes and yes, he did look mighty nice in that outfit! It's one of his most iconic drag queen moments of all time. Poor Elmer, dropping his spear to the ground for this? No wonder he was enraged! Everyone's seen this cartoon! It's hailed as a masterpiece and has been crowned the "Greatest cartoon of all time" by cartoon historians, including Jerry Beck. "Kiww the wabbit" has become somewhat iconic as the rest of the cartoon, nearly every line is sung and there is not one sign of slapstick, pretty unique for comedic Looney Tunes short with an operatic outing.
While in my opinion, I'm not a massive fan of this cartoon, I don't hate it, but I do appreciate it, it's gorgeous backgrounds, sweeping usage of Wagner's music and rather dramatic flair, this cartoon has it all, tragedy, drama, comic-opera and beauty, as well as a faux romance between Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny..
While not the most lovey-dovey of cartoons on this list, we still get a wonderful duet sung by Elmer and Bugs, performed by Arthur Q. Bryan and Mel Blanc. Don't ask! If you've seen enough Looney Tunes cartoons, you'll understand that Elmer isn't always bright when it comes to telling a wascally wabbit and a beautiful woman apart. The poor guy never catches a break since he clearly is a gentleman. Probably just timid but waiting for the right move. See Rabbit Seasoning for example...but then you realize that is Bugs Bunny in disguise! LOLReturn My Love, sung to Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture is something remarkable, yet silly. We get what feels like the most romantic moment in any Looney Tunes cartoon ever, with the camera going back and forth to Elmer climbing the stairs and Bugs lying on a bench under a beautiful set of pillars, batting his newly added lashes to one fine embrace. Despite being a parody, it does have what all operas have...a downer ending. Luckily, Bugs Bunny softens the blow with "Well, what did you expect in an opera, a happy ending?" No anvils, no outwitting smart alec remarks from Bugs, just rushing down the stairs after his headress came off, nothing but one big dramatic outcry of terrifying natural disasters summoned by Elmer's magic helmet. To make it more dramatic, Bugs looks back, maybe that's why he was killed!?!? Overall, another beautifully tragic cartoon. We get drama, comedy, a ballet, a duet, sweeping music and...tragedy, hey it's an opera, right? Parody or not? Why doesn't Disney do something like this? Maybe I should review this cartoon fully sometime. Who knows? ANYTHING with Pepe Le Pew - Chuck Jones, 1945-1962 Availability: Ranging from Looney Tunes Golden Collections, Platinum Collections and the whole disography is available on Looney Tunes Super Stars: Pepe Le Pew: Zee Best of Zee Best.
Wait who? Oh yeah! *snerk* How can I pick just one? From For Scent-imental Reasons, to Wild Over You, to Really Scent, All but one Pepe cartoon scent-re round the same thing...chasing a helpless she-victim that has somehow gotten her coat into a sticky situation. Pepe really needs to go to Specsavers, was that a thing in the 40s to the 60s? LOLPepe, a suave, calm French skunk, always the helpless, hopeless romantic hopped onto the scene in the 40s, with his smooth expression, sexual desires and...now sadly, controversial character traits, he wasn't the favorite, or was he? You decide!Winning an oscar for For Scent-imental Reasons, he had gone on to star in almost two decades worth of cartoons. With a calm suave flirtatious demeanour, sexual, lustful desire and...err...habit of not bothering to properly introduce himself, shake hands/paws with his chosen target and give'em time to reply, it's no wonder they (or mostly in this case, Penelope Pussycat) had been running from him...or could it be that he's the obvious...a skunk! This horny striped cassanova never gave up, unless somehow the plan backfired (which was occasionally). Despite all his failures, Pepe Le Pew cartoons prove that...love stinks. Even poor Sylvester fell victim briefly to Pepe and this was only just a minor cameo! Hare Trimmed - Friz Freleng, 1953AVAILABILITY: Looney Tunes Super Stars: Hare Extraordinaire The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie
From skunks with French accents to...err...Bugs Bunny putting on a French accent, it really is the sexiest accent...or that's what the heck they say haha! YOU DECIDE! NOTHING TO DO ME WITH MOI! BTW On a site note, was there anything Mel Blanc could NOT do? Any voice? Any accent? Any vocal range? God bless this man! When Yosemite Sam learns about a local widow inheriting a fortune, his evil and selfish greed decides to take advantage on the lady, much to her giddy delight, she accepts, little does Sam know that Bugs (disguised as handsome man? SHOCK! NOT A LADY FOR ONCE?) steps forward to try and save the poor widow from Sam's clutches (Seriously, Bugs can wear that suit...err...just put some pants on and that accent...SA-WOON!). Emma (who is actually Granny) is delighted to have a suitor, but she can only choose one. With lots of funny gags, mischief and yes...later on, Bugs going from a sexy French gentleman to Granny in disguise...to a bride, this will make you think before you decide to marry when you are filthy rich. Also where does Bugs get all his lovely clothes? He should get into modelling for fashion shows, I'd totally watch him at the NEC Clothes Show any day. LOL Rabbit Romeo - Bob McKimson, 1957AVAILABILITY: Looney Tunes Golden Collection volume 4
Before Bugs was seeing twinkly hearts and curvy cute girl bunnies with sultry figures, basketball skills and having every head turned on the basketball court, before he received a victorious "my hero" style kiss much to his Looney delight, before grabbing her in return later for a smacker right on the lips sending her with hollering vibes, he was met face to face with Millicent, a rabbit with a thick Slavic accent and a rather large bulky and unattractive phsyque. Bugs was never one to settle down with a girl of his own in the golden age. He has cat called and wolf whistled lust over Lauren Bacall, chased mechanical and robotic bunnies on race tracks and into castles, even went out with Witch Hazel in bunny form! Does Bugs really need a girlfriend? After all, he is the one who wears the pants dress. Given to Elmer Fudd as a present by his uncle, Millicent broke down in tears and trashed the house due to loneliness, so Elmer set off to find the perfect mate to calm the destructive doe down. That's where Bugs Bunny comes in and, who would have guessed? He's repulsed by her hagged appearence...poor Millicent, she just needed a mate. The rest of the cartoon writes itself, but no matter how you look, don't treat them as if they were Quasimodo.
HONORABLE MENTIONS...or DISHONORABLE? LOLLove and Curses - Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton, 1938Holiday Highlights - Tex Avery, 1940I Got Plenty of Mutton - Frank Tashlin, 1944 Hare Splitter - Friz Freleng, 1947 And finally...MY PICK for the number 1 cartoon to get you in and or out of love is...The Stupid Cupid - Frank Tashlin, 1944Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 4 (REGION 1 ONLY) Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 3
WARNING: THIS CARTOON CONTAINS SUICIDE JOKES! WHERE do I begin with this cartoon? It is overlooked, outrageously funny and directed by the ever so underrappreciated Tish Tash. This cartoon either screams Valentines Day or screams stay away from ze love! Starting off with the beautiful music of Voices of Spring by Johan Strauss a mischievous cupid (Elmer Fudd?) makes his rounds hoping his arrows strike two and two together. With some rather risque adult jokes, fantastic animation and Daffy Duck at his...horniest, this is THE ultimate Valentines Looney Tunes cartoon to watch and either appreiciate or avoid. The expressions on Daffy's face in this short are just straight up priceless, the moment Cupid's arrow strikes him and he spots his target, we get some of the most bizarre and unseen Daffy like never before. With a suggestive wriggle of his eyebrows, a sneaky glance at the camera, a cheeky grin and some outrageous clicking of his cheek, Daffy Duck is more than just crazy, he is crazy in love. Unfortunately, this cartoon feels incomplete as the original ending is completely lost. It is said that Daffy was originally going to end the cartoon with a rather cheeky, raunchy line that was way too saucy for the WB executives. Daffy was supposed to utter: "If you haven't tried it, don't knock it."There is no doubt about it, The Stupid Cupid is hands down one of the funniest and most outrageous cartoons to watch during Valentines Day.
With that being said, what are your thoughts? Your favorites? Before time goes by, have a happy Valentines and don't eat too much chocolate! Stay safe, happy, make sure your loved ones are happy and ...don't overdo the mush, okay? That's all folks!
