Watch Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt For Free

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Too much of everything

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Although IMDb indicates that Warner Brothers pulled this one from circulation because of the way it portrayed Indians, it IS available from at least two sources--as an extra with "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) as well as on "Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Award-Nominated Animation: Cinema Favorites" (which is how I saw it).The film is pretty much like a Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd cartoon except that instead of Elmer, you have a cute American Indian character that is a lot like Elmer. Whether folks actually find this offensive, I have no idea at all. However, ALL of Bugs' foils look stupid--so I don't think Looney Tunes was singling out Indians.This cartoon, by the way, marks the second year in a row that this brand-new character, Bugs, was nominated for an Academy Award. Previously he was nominated for "A Wild Hare". And, like "A Wild Hare", the animation in "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" is exquisite--much nicer than the later Bugs cartoons.

I have loved Looney Tunes since childhood, and to this day I really like, love even, a vast majority of the cartoons. Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt is not one of the best, nor is it one of my least favourites. The story is on the routine side, and there are stereotypes that are far from subtle that you can understand why some will be offended. These aside, there are many reasons to like about Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt. The animation is just great, with lots of colour and fluidity. The character designs are also well done, though I do prefer Bugs' look later on. The music is lively and beautifully orchestrated, bringing an infectious energetic flavour to the proceedings. The cartoon is crisply paced, has some witty dialogue and some clever gags such as Bugs climbing into the boiling pot mistaking it for a bathtub, very Bugs Bunny behaviour but you love him for it. The scenes on the river and the poetic beginning and end are delightful too. Bugs is great here, smart, arrogant and still likable. I do like that when he does make mistakes and I think he makes at least one in every cartoon he's made while perhaps not learning from them he at least realises he makes them. Mel Blanc's voice work is impeccable, no surprises there. Overall, not one of Freleng's(a promising start by the way) and Bugs' very best but an interesting and enjoyable cartoon regardless of whether it was banned or not. 8/10 Bethany Cox

As this short opens Bugs is reading part of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem Hiawatha; it concerns the eponymous Indian hunting a rabbit in the forest. At this point Bugs realises that he is himself a rabbit! He also soon realises that he is being hunted by an Indian. The Indian searches for bugs and eventually finds him bathing in his own cook pot; when he attempts to light a fire under the pot Bugs helps him; commenting that he hasn't had a hot bath for a while! It isn't until some time later that bugs realises that his nice hot bath is intended to become a rabbit stew! He runs off and the Indian keeps trying to catch him with the inevitable lack of success.This early Bugs Bunny cartoon was pretty funny in places; the Indian hunter bears a clear resemblance to Elmer Fudd. I didn't think the portrayal of the Indian was particularly offensive although Bug's mimicry of stereotypes of Native Americans could be seen as offensive to some I suspect. The best gag was the cook pot scene although the time Bugs lures her pursuer over a cliff was pretty funny too. The appearance of Bugs may seem odd to people who are more used to the way he looks in later shorts but I quite like the way he looks here.

Understanding the racial stereotypes in "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt", it's got some funny stuff, as Bugs Bunny avoids getting trapped by the eponymous Native American. As I understand it, this cartoon is a parody of a Silly Symphony from Disney, but I've never seen that one. I first saw clips from this cartoon in "What's Cookin', Doc?", in which Bugs submits this cartoon for an Oscar nomination. Watching the later cartoon in "Bugs Bunny Superstar" as a little boy was the first time that I'd ever heard of the Academy Awards.Anyway, it's an OK cartoon. The tricks with the river are the best part. The cartoon even has a little twist at the end.PS: This was the first time that Friz Freleng directed Bugs Bunny, and also the first time that Gerry Chiniquy helped animate Bugs.