The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie

The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is a 1979 American animated package film directed by Chuck Jones, consisting of a compilation of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies shorts and newly animated bridging sequences hosted by Bugs Bunny.[1] The bridging sequences, which had been produced in 1978, show Bugs at his home, which is cantilevered over a carrot-juice waterfall (modeled on Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house in Bear Run, Pennsylvania).

The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChuck Jones
Phil Monroe (co-director - "Bugs at Home" segments)
Produced byChuck Jones
(classic material staff are uncredited)
Written byChuck Jones
Michael Maltese
(classic material staff are uncredited)
StarringMel Blanc (voice characterization)
Paul Julian (Vocal Effects, uncredited)
(classic material voices are uncredited)
Music byDean Elliott
Classic material:
Milt Franklyn (music arranger, musical director, orchestra)
Carl Stalling (also musical director)
William Lava (additional musical director, uncredited)
John Seely Productions (music production, uncredited)
Edited byTreg Brown
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • September 28, 1979 (1979-09-28)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Early on, Bugs discusses the wild villains he had co-starred with in his cartoons, which is followed by a tongue-in-cheek sequence depicting the history of comedy and a scene in which Bugs discusses his "several fathers". The latter scene was written by Chuck Jones as a way to debunk fellow animation director Bob Clampett's claims throughout the 1970s that he alone created Bugs, and Clampett's name is notably missing from Bugs' list, as a result of the conflict between Jones and Clampett. The movie Bugs Bunny: Superstar featured Bob Clampett, and is another compilation of cartoon shorts, probably the first to examine the history of Warner cartoons, which under-played Bugs' other 'several fathers' and is part of the mentioned conflict.

All of the shorts featured were directed by Chuck Jones.

The combination of classic animated footage along with new animation would become the template for the theatrically released Looney Tunes movies for this film up until Daffy Duck's Quackbusters in 1988.

Plot

Bugs Bunny, while giving a tour of his home, talks about some of the famous rivalries, battles, and chases from the Looney Tunes shorts, which serves as introductions to footage from the classic short subjects. The final segment of the film consists of an extended chase sequence between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

The film features a new gag involving the "That's all, Folks!" endline, apparently the idea of Chuck Jones (credited in the opening credits with a "slightly disarranged mind"). When it appears at the start, an annoyed Bugs places a "NOT" into it so that it says "That's NOT all, Folks!". Then before the end credits roll, as it starts to write out, Bugs forces it to rewrite itself as "That's not quite all, Folks!". Finally, after the credits finish, it appears, already written, as "That's really all, Folks!".

Voice characterizations

Uncredited

Cartoons

Cartoons with Bugs Bunny and others

Cartoons with Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote

Release

The film was shown at the 17th New York Film Festival on September 29, 1979 at Alice Tully Hall.[2] The film opened at the Guild 50th Theatre on September 30, 1979.[3] It set an opening day record at the theater with a gross of $6,280.[4]

Home media

Warner Home Video released The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie on VHS and Betamax cassettes, and on CED in the 1980s. After its second home video release in 1986, the film was re-released on VHS and LaserDisc on February 3, 1998 (as part of the Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary VHS promotion). The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie returns with Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales on the Looney Tunes Movie Collection two-disc DVD set in 2005. It is also available for purchase or rent in the Apple iTunes Store.

References
  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 170. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. Buckley, Tom (September 29, 1979). "Film Festival: What's Up, Road Runner?". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  3. "Post-Fest 'Bugs Bunny'". Variety. September 12, 1979. p. 5.
  4. The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie at the American Film Institute Catalog
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