#65 -- Knight-Mare Hare


Title - Knight-Mare Hare
Director - Chuck Jones
Released - 1955

Interesting Fact -- This was the first cartoon for Chuck Jones where stopped crediting himself as 'Charles M. Jones'.  

Reason for Placement -- 

It was common place to stick Bugs Bunny in different locations or times in his shorts for the purpose of plot; we never asked how he ended up at that particular spot, we just accepted it.  In Knight-Mare Hare, however, Jones gives a bit more set-up to the story.  Namely, Bugs gets conked on the head by an apple, and when he wakes up, he finds that he's somehow been transported to medieval times and is staring down the lance of a rather angry knight.  

OK, I didn't say it made a lot of sense, but at least they tried.

This is a great short, showcasing a lot of Jones' signature style and humor.  However, credit must also go to Friz Freleng for inspiration: Sir O of K (the knight previously mentioned) bares more than a passing resemblance to the Black Knight from Knights Must Fall, directed by Freleng and released in 1949.  

My favorite part is easily when Bugs challenges the knight to a duel, only to find he can't lift the sword he's been given.   Unable to defend himself, Bugs ties a blindfold over his eyes and prepares to meet his maker... and that's when he leans to the side, sticks out his foot, and trips the horse, sending the knight flying into a nearby castle!  That's always been one of Bugs' best attributes in his toons: just when you think he's down for the count, he shows us that he had a plan all along.  

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