Bully for Bugs (1953) Online

Bugs, arriving underground, discovers this isn't the destination he was looking for - the big Carrot Festival at "Coachella Valley." Instead, it's the inside of a bull ring. It's also where a gigantic, terrifying black bull is chasing a scared matador around the ring. Bugs figures he must have taken the wrong turn around Albuquerque. The big bully of a beast winds up belting Bugs out of the area across town. "Of course, you know this means war," the airborne Bugs informs us viewers.

Moments later, another matador is ready to take on the huge bull. Of course, that matador is Bugs, who teaches the animal a few lessons, and gloats "What a nin-cow-poop!" His cockiness comes back to haunt him as the bull blasts him again.

This "war" goes back and forth, back and forth, with many funny gags. Lots of laughs.

Famed cartoon director Chuck Jones has said that this cartoon came about because his then-producer, Edward Selzer, caught him doodling a drawing of a bull one day and told Jones that he was *not* to make cartoon about bullfighting. Of such defiant acts are great cartoons made. This is one of the all-time great Looney Tunes, with great camera angles (note the ant's-eye view of a confident Bugs as the bull gains ground on him), hilarious give-and-take between Bugs and his adversary, and a gut-busting ending (beautifully scored by Carl Stalling). For years, CBS was stupid enough to broadcast this cartoon with its fantastic climax cruelly edited. You can now find the whole thing intact in Jones' The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie and on the Jones compilation videocassette From Hare to Eternity, as well as in intermittent broadcasts on Cartoon Network

This is one of my all-time favourite Bugs Bunny cartoons -- it contains everything that sets the classic Warners animation stuff apart from the stuff that's mass produced today. I especially love the way that the fortunes of Bugs and the bull waver back and forth; I also love the synchronization with the "La Cucaracha" music (see also "Rabbit of Seville (1950)") and the elaborate contraption that Bugs builds.

If you're trying to show someone a classic WB cartoon, this is a great one to start with.

It has been reported by Chuck Jones that Edward Selzer (then Warner Bros. cartoon producer) saw his drawing of a bull and immediately said, "no bullfighting pictures!" Lucky for us that Jones and his crew ignored these hasty words, because what resulted was one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons ever made.

We are fortunate that Bugs never learned how to read a map, because this time out, his "wrong turn at Albuquerque" brought him into a Spanish bullfighting arena with the bull chasing the matador around the ring. We are also indebted to Jones and Michael Maltese's other famous words they put into the rabbit's mouth, "Of course you know this means war!" And with those words, Jones and co. build around this situation as no one ever has before or since.

The bull is noteworthy as being only a one-shot character, but one of the many Looney Tunes "character actors" that we do not soon forget.

A brilliant Chuck Jones Bugs Bunny short that finds Bugs accidentily becoming a bull fighter and having to fight El Toro after he takes a wrong turn at the same place he always does. This is a hilarious Loony Tunes short and Even though this is El Toro's one & only appearence, He is still a fondly remembered character in the Looney Tunes stable. And rightly so.This cartoon is uncut on Disk 1 of the 'Loony Tunes Golden Collection' and also has a commentary track . On a side note as a kid, I enjoyed playing the one level of a Loony Tunes videogame for the PS2 that was based on this short as it was fun.

My Grade: A+

I could watch this one a hundred times over and still laugh myself to tears. It is incredibly funny, perfectly timed and just when you expect it to become formulaic, the Jones crew start to throw in some comical curveballs (which I refuse to spoil here) My personal favorite Bugs Bunny short and one of the jewels of the WB catalog.

This is a masterpiece, a veritable classic! Bugs is cast in the perfect situation with the bull as a perfect foil. Sight gags galore, including a bit with a rifle that is absolutely priceless! The ending is gloriously funny! Catch the look on the bulls' face in the last part of the closing bit, it's wonderful! Good to see it's available. You have to see this. Most highly recommended!

"Bully for Bugs" is a very good Bugs Bunny cartoon--which is no surprise since the franchise was going very strong at the time. Receiving a score lower than 8 actually would have been a surprise--these films were that consistently good. However, in one way this isn't exactly the typical sort of Bugs Bunny cartoon--as his nemesis is a lot more successful against him than normal.

The film begins in a bull ring in Mexico. After dispatching the matador, the bull is ready for another fight when, suddenly, up pops Bugs. He naturally made a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ended up in the ring. As I mentioned above, however, the bull often gets the best of Bugs...that is, until the end. Overall, it's a high quality cartoon--with nice animation and plenty of laughs. Worth seeing.

Bugs Bunny finds fun and hi-jinks at the big Carrot Festival in the Coachella Valley—or he would have had he not taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Instead, he ends up in a Mexican bullring during what can only be described as a bull-flight: the matador is a coward and the bull is one mean machine. Bugs is less impressed, but when he slaps the bull's face for steaming up his tail, the bull butts him out of the ring. "Of course you realize this means war." It will be a war of wits fought with such tools as an anvil; a slingshot; a rifle, elephant bullets; axle grease; and a crude Rube Goldberg device that employs TNT. Think the bull's brawn is a match for Bugs's brain? "What an ultra maroon!"

Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese made a bullfighting picture because their boss told them never to make bullfighting pictures; and we end up with this funny, memorable short that gives Bugs one heck of an intimidating opponent. This huge black bull is scary; and he seems to be forever posing for a toro edition of Muscle Magazine. Bugs has more nerve than I do. Give me Elmer Fudd as an adversary any day.

This short is available on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume One," Disc 1.

Bugs is on his way to a carrot convention, but a wrong turn along the way means that he accidentally turns up in Spain, popping up in the middle of a bull fight. When he gets charged out of the building, bugs declares war on the bull and returns to get revenge.

Yet again, Bugs takes a wrong turn at the same place and this time ends up getting his tail steamed up by a bull. When he smacks the bull off him it just kicks things off and the fun begins. The trickery Bugs uses here is very much of a more physical nature than when he uses word play and characters to trick his way around the bull. While I prefer a mix of humour, all the physical stuff is still very funny.

The bull is a pretty good support character for Bugs as he tries to give as good as he gets. He may just be a big bull but that is what is needed where most of the humour is physical. Bugs may not get to play other roles but he is still good with his physical work here - he is on good form and he makes the material funnier.

Overall, not Bugs best as it is just not as clever as some of his wittier stuff; but for out and out physical comedy this is a good example of Bugs at work.

Fun Bugs Bunny short, directed by the great Chuck Jones and written by the also great Michael Maltese. Bugs, after failing yet again to make that left turn at Albuquerque, winds up in a bullfighting arena with a particular nasty bull named Toro. Excellent voice work from the incomparable Mel Blanc. Lively music from Carl Stalling. The animation is crisp and colorful. There's plenty of funny gags and lines, including the classic "Of course you know, this means war." It's a textbook Bugs cartoon from the '50s in many ways. About the only thing missing is that Bugs never dresses up as a female bull. This cartoon is part of The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner movie, which was how I first saw it as a kid. Nostalgia may be affecting my opinion a little but I think this is a great Bugs cartoon and ranks high on the list of those shorts he did without any of his usual nemeses like Elmer, Yosemite Sam, and Daffy.

Unlike most of the people on this website, I do not think that this Bugs Bunny episode is a classic. It is not bad, I do quite like it, but I cannot see how so many people would consider this a "classic Looney Tune".

I do find this short quite funny, but I find the animation and the theme quite mediocre. Bugs Bunny is clever, but he is not clever enough... I can understand why Bugs Bunny would have been fooled in his earlier cartoons, but not this one.

In this episode, Bugs Bunny is trying to reach a carrot festival, but has ended up in Mexico in the middle of a dangerous bullfight. He replaces the matador and tries to fight the bull. Who will eventually earn his true victory?

I recommend this to people who like very slapsticky Bugs Bunny episodes and to people who only like Looney Tunes because it is funny. Other people may like it, but not all that much. Enjoy "Bully for Bugs"! :-)

7 and a half out of ten.

Bully for Bugs (1953)

*** (out of 4)

Fun Looney Tunes short has Bugs Bunny taking a wrong turn and ending up inside a bullring. Being a comedy, Bugs soon finds himself up against the meanest and toughest bull around. It seems everyone has a favorite Looney Tunes short and while I know this is a favorite to many, to me it's just a good one. Not classic but still very entertaining. There are many funny scenes but my favorite involves one of the final jokes of the bull going through a trap set by Bugs, which starts with some grease and ends with some TNT. The animation is very good as Jones keeps the action moving. Another strong gag deals with the bull accidentally swallowing a gun, which leads to some nice action.

This is another cartoon in which Bugs should have taken a "left turn at Albuquerque" and ends up at a place not of his choosing, in this case a bullfighting ring. After Bugs insults the bull, the bull butts the rabbit sky high as Bugs declares, "Of course you realize, this means war!" Boy, does it ever! Watch Bugs one-up the stubborn animal at every turn. Love the slaps the rabbit gives him to the beats of some Mexican music. Like Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam, this animal will not give up no matter how much Bugs manages to defeat him at every turn. Once again, kudos to Chuck Jones and Micheal Maltese for making another hilarious classic cartoon. And special thanks to their boss Eddie Selzer for telling them "bullfights aren't funny"!

Not my absolute favourite of the Looney Tunes canon but it is very funny. The animation as usual is beautiful, the jokes come by thick and fast(especially the elephant bullet one), the music is lovely and the bull is a good support character. And I loved Bugs here, he is still a rascal yet to the bull he is delightfully cocky with hilarious lines such as "what a nin-cow-poop!" I think this was primarily to do with how Mel Blanc delivered those lines, and speaking of Blanc he does a superb job as always. He brings so much life into these brilliant characters, and anything to do with Looney Tunes or with the characters are not quite the same without him, or that's what I think anyway. All in all, this is delightful, and definitely recommended. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Despite his boss Edward Selzer's protestations that bullfight pictures aren't funny, Chuck Jones went ahead and made 'Bully for Bugs' anyway. He proved Selzer wrong to some extent, although 'Bully for Bugs' hardly deserves the classic status which it is afforded by some. Arriving in the middle of a bull ring because of his continual inability to take a left turn at Albuquerque, Bugs Bunny ends up locking horns with Toros the Bull. The result is a fairly standard Bugs Bunny cartoon with some predictable gags and a couple of standout moments. The best scenes involve Toros swallowing a gun intended as part of a hilariously violent booby trap and Bug's climactic assault involving glue, sandpaper, TNT and a flying bull! 'Bully for Bugs' is an enjoyable and handsome cartoon which falls short of genius but never fails to entertain.

Bugs Bunny takes a wrong turn and ends up fighting a cocky bull. The kind of cartoon that Bugs Bunny is famous for as he seeks clever revenge on a vile opponent. The musical slapping gag where Bugs slaps the bull to the music is classic as is when the bull swallows a gun and starts shooting bullets out of it's horns by slamming it's tail on the ground. It is a lot more interesting to see Bugs tackle an opponent that is much larger then him. We know the bull doesn't stand a chance, but we love giving Bugs a challenge to test his strength. The music, animation, and voice work are commendable as usual. Bugs looks quite good in his matador outfit as well.

*Bugs Bunny: Stop steaming up my tail! What do you want to do? Wrinkle it!*

On his way to a carrot festival in Mexico, Bugs Bunny typically gets lost and ends up burrowing right into the middle of a sports arena just as a Matador is smashed out of the stadium by an angry bull. Annoyed at losing his way Bugs repeatedly tries to ask for directions and ends up get smashed out of the stadium himself.

Of course you realize, this means war.

What follows is a match of wits in which Bugs is always the winner. He's got a zillion times as much cunning and clever as any rival and before long the poor bull is in no condition to ever fight again. Don't mess with the Bunny.

I love this cartoon. The sight gags are hilarious. Michael Maltese might not have had too much to do with this cartoon, but when Bugs talks, it's impossible not to laugh. His rather one-sided conversation with the bullfighter in the weird clothes always makes me anticipate that moment when the bull appears from behind. Bugs, for the first time, forgets the left turn at Albuquerque. I heard somewhere that on a certain channel the final, beautiful running-gag was deleted. This is simply unacceptable. I, fortunately, have never suffered censorship in a cartoon, and no-one should see this cartoon if not in its entirety. The climax is what makes this classic. Who could forget the bull's facial expression as his situation worsens as every part of Bugs's plan flawlessly unfolds? Bugs is on the losing side for a while, but when he gathers himself up again, he is absolutely side-splittingly funny as he calmly gets his own back by wearing the bull down to ground beef. It's great that it's on about two or three videos plus DVD; it truly deserves the wide release. I'm giving it one high recommendation.

One day, while digging through the ground, Bugs Bunny accidentally winds up in the middle of a bullfight. When the matador flees, Bugs has to take his place. At first, the bull has the upper hand (or is that "the upper hoof"?), but then, Bugs unloads a series of tricks: an anvil, a rifle (which the bull swallows), and finally, the most elaborate trap imaginable.

One thing that you can say about everyone's favorite rabbit, he was as indomitable as his creators. His best line in this cartoon is: "Okay. Whenever you can spare time, toro." No matter how you look at it, "Bully for Bugs" is a most formidable classic.

. . . he'll ask for a cup of milk, and Bugs Bunny applies this Principle of Animal Psychology to the medium-horn bull upon which he's declared war in Warner Bros.' animated short, BULLY FOR BUGS. As most Americans learned in High School Civics Class, you cannot fight a war without someone having a gun. Bugs decides to bless his bovine foe with this conflict's lone firearm. Of course, if you give a bull a gun, he'll ask for bullets. Since Animal Psychology suggests that if one tiny bullet is good, two bigger bullets are better, this incautious bull quickly ingests an entire box of exploding elephant ammo to "feed" his security crutch, which is now an inseparable part of himself. As at least 72,306 sets of U.S. parents have learned in recent years, toddlers, kids, pets, and farm animals lacking expert tutoring in weaponry wind up stone-cold dead when paired with a loaded Death Projectile Spray Tube (that is, a gun). This is pretty much how the bull bullying Bugs finishes. Warner is showing us that guns are the domain of angry losers.

This is another cartoon from the 1950s directed by Chuck Jones, written by Michael Maltese and starring Mel Blanc as voice actor. Bugs took the wrong turn and ends up in a heated bull arena battle between a heavy cow and a scared fighter. Two minutes into the movie, the fighter is out of the picture and Bugs takes his place after the bull declared war on him. The two are having quite a battle here and the bull even seems on par occasionally with the smart rabbit, something the likes of Daffy and Elmer can only dream of. Then again, they do not have the bull's muscles. Now if only, he would be as fast with his brain as he is with his legs. I thought this was a fun watch, definitely among the best Looney Toons from the 1950s. The two going all in on their opponent is well-done and with a few exceptions (the explosions, sadly also the very last scene), these 7 minutes are absolutely worth the watch.

Sometimes motion pictures are made in defiance of the studio heads, and "Bully for Bugs" is one such picture. The head of the Warner Bros. cartoons at that time, a humorless man named Eddie Selzer, told director Chuck Jones that he didn't want any cartoons about bullfights. Jones and writer Michael Maltese looked at each other and decided they had to do it! What resulted was one of the most popular Bugs Bunny cartoons. Indeed, Bugs literally gets his butt whipped by the bull a few times, but he ultimately wins the day by using his ultra-quick wits, rather than physical strength, to defeat the bull.

Here are my favorite moments from "Bully for Bugs" (DON'T read any further if you haven't yet seen this classic cartoon). Bugs sets up a myriad of booby traps (a ramp, grease, glue, sandpaper, a match, and ultimately, a keg of TNT!) for the charging bull during the grand finale. (The arena must be excessively huge for all the time that the bull traverses the air!) Earlier, Bugs does his own interpretive dance to "La Cucaracha," followed by the half-conscious bull. Donning an over-sized sombrero, Bugs repeatedly slaps the bull in time to another familiar Mexican theme. And Chuck Jones really makes good use of facial expressions in this cartoon, as for example the human bullfighter's smirk & panicked expression upon the bull's first appearance, and the bull's sinister grin when he realizes he can actually shoot Bugs with his horns (he swallowed Bugs' rifle).

"Bully for Bugs" is a winner, no question about it. The moral: Don't mess with Bugs Bunny, no matter how big you are!

Whenever there is a TV special, where the best of the Bugs Bunny cartoons are introduced, this cartoon always shows up. In it, Bugs ends up at a Bullfighting rink and must outwit a bull who has it out for our favorite rabbit. Any bets?