A Wild Hare 1940

Comedy

Animation

Runtime

8 mins

Language

English

Made by

Leon Schlesinger Productions

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A Wild Hare Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for A Wild Hare (1940). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

In a sun-dappled woodland setting, Elmer Fudd moves with quiet precision, muttering his iconic line as he stalks near Bugs Bunny’s warrens, laying a carrot as bait and concealing himself among the leaves. The scene unfolds with a playful rhythm: Bugs retrieves the carrot, and a lighthearted scuffle erupts as Bugs teases with Elmer’s firearm, bending the metal into a goofy, bent bow that suits the cartoon world they inhabit. The chase zigzags through brush and shadow, each beat punctuated by quick wit, visual gags, and a sense that nothing here is truly dangerous—just mischievous entertainment between two legendary characters.

Shh. Be very, very quiet. I’m hunting wabbits.

As the pursuit continues, the rabbit reappears almost nonchalantly, brandishing another carrot and flaunting his understanding of rabbit traits. Bugs uses the moment to toy with Elmer, revealing his true identity and turning the game into a game of perceptions. The hunter’s confidence frays as Bugs slips away again, leaving Elmer both confounded and briefly amused by the rabbit’s apparent cunning. Elmer’s attempts to trap his taunting quarry backfire in a series of comic misreads, culminating in a moment where he mistakes a skunk for Bugs, triggering a humorous and humiliating encounter that sideslides into embarrassment for the hunter.

Bugs then threads together a flawless ruse: he pretends to be defeated or dead, prompting Elmer to swing between victory and doubt, only to be struck with a final, playful reversal that leaves him dazed and defeated. The rabbit’s clever deception dissolves Elmer’s composure, and the hunt dissolves into a cartoonish shrug of inevitability as Bugs escapes with a wag of his tail and a sly smile. The chase ends with Elmer storming off, red-faced and muttering in disbelief at his own misadventure.

As the dust settles, Bugs pauses by his burrow and—still in the mood for mischief—offers a final, whimsical toast: he transforms a carrot into a tiny fife and begins to march, almost proudly, toward his home in a little display that nods to patriotic imagery. The moment leaves a lingering sense of clever triumph—the kind that only a Bugs Bunny caper can deliver—while Elmer’s latest snafu lingers as a humorous reminder of the rabbit’s cunning and the hunter’s persistent, tongue-in-cheek misfortune.

A Wild Hare Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of A Wild Hare (1940) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Elmer sets bait and hides

Elmer Fudd moves stealthily near Bugs' warren while muttering his iconic line. He places a carrot on the ground as bait and crouches behind the foliage, hoping to stay unseen. The setup pits the hunter against a wily rabbit, with quiet anticipation in the air.

Opening scene Bugs' warren vicinity

Bugs spots bait and retrieves carrot

Bugs spots the carrot and calmly retrieves it, turning the trap on its head. He teases Elmer by engaging in a playful tussle with Fudd's improvised firearm. The weapon's barrel reshapes into a contorted bow, signaling Bugs' mastery of misdirection.

Opening scene Near the warren

Elmer closes in; Bugs taunts with a new carrot

Elmer edges closer, convinced he'll finally capture the rabbit. Bugs reappears nonchalantly, brandishing another carrot and treating Elmer's aim as a joke. The rabbit toys with the hunter's perceptions, hinting at his cleverness.

Early chase Brush around the burrow

Bugs reveals his true identity

Bugs drops his pretense and reveals his true, irrepressible personality to Elmer. He engages in witty banter and darts away before the hunter can react. Elmer's confidence wobbles as the rabbit slips from sight.

Mid-scene Near the burrow entrance

Elmer's pursuit intensifies

Enraged and determined, Elmer resumes the chase with renewed vigor. He curses his misfortune as Bugs continues to outwit him at every turn. The pursuit zigzags through terrain, building momentum for a bigger mishap.

Mid-scene Fields by the burrow

Mistaking a skunk for Bugs

In a classic mix-up, Elmer mistakes a skunk for Bugs and charges forward. The skunk's spray and mistaken identity turn the moment into humiliation for the hunter. The audience enjoys the reversal as Elmer's prank backfires spectacularly.

Mid-scene Meadow near the warren

Bugs scripts a fake demise

Bugs orchestrates an elaborate ruse, feigning his own demise to toy with Elmer's emotions. He performs the illusion with precision, then pops back up to deliver a more humiliating comeuppance. Elmer's reaction blends confusion with surprised pity.

Climax Creek bed and brush

The comeuppance lands

Bugs executes the final gag, leaving Elmer bewildered and defeated. The hunter stumbles back, his schemes collapsing under Bugs' relentless wits. Bugs disappears into the brush with a gleam of mischief.

Climax Near the warren

Elmer storms off

Humiliated, Elmer storms away from the field, muttering about his misadventures. He fumbles as he traces his steps back through the setting, his pride dented but the comic energy remains high. The chase's defeat becomes a source of self-derision for the hunter.

Ending Perimeter of Bugs' warren

Bugs serenades with a carrot-fife

Watching from a safe distance, Bugs reflects on Elmer's antics with a wry smile. He serenades with a carrot-turned-fife, tapping a marching rhythm toward his burrow. The scene ends with a playful, patriotic flair as Bugs heads home.

Ending Bugs' burrow entrance

Final patriotic image

Bugs' march toward his burrow evokes patriotic imagery and lighthearted pride. The carrot-fife becomes a symbol of his victory over Elmer's schemes. The cartoon closes on a confident, playful note.

Ending Bugs' burrow vicinity

Lasting dynamic between hunter and trickster

The encounter reinforces the timeless dynamic: Bugs always stays one step ahead, and Elmer remains the lovable foil whose schemes are undone with humor. The audience is left with a sense of ongoing misadventure and comic resilience.

Ending Field edge

A Wild Hare Characters

Explore all characters from A Wild Hare (1940). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc)

A wily, quick-witted rabbit who treats danger as a game. He uses charm, misdirection, and clever tricks to outsmart Elmer, maintaining a calm, confident persona throughout the chase. His playful arrogance masks a sharp strategic mind that always stays one step ahead.

🐰 Clever 🧠 Quick-witted 🎭 Trickster

Elmer Fudd (Arthur Q. Bryan)

A persistent hunter whose stealthy approach and patience are repeatedly undone by Bugs’ tricks. He remains determined but frequently misreads rabbit behavior, resulting in humiliating slips and defeats. His attempts to capture Bugs reveal a stubborn, at-times bumbling, but endearing, naiveté.

🎯 Hunter 💪 Determined 😂 Humiliating

A Wild Hare Settings

Learn where and when A Wild Hare (1940) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Bugs Bunny's burrow (warren) in the woods

The action centers around Bugs Bunny’s burrow tucked in leafy woodland. The setting features dense foliage, trails, and hidden nooks that fuel playful chases and tricks. The burrow acts as Bugs' sanctuary from which he engineers his ruses and outwits Elmer.

🌳 Woods 🏡 Burrow 🎭 Cartoon setting

A Wild Hare Themes

Discover the main themes in A Wild Hare (1940). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🃏

Deception

The short hinges on clever deception as Bugs continually twists Elmer's assumptions about rabbits. Bugs uses misdirection, even transforming weapons and feigning vulnerability to manipulate the hunter. Identity and perception flip in Bugs' favor, underscoring wit over brute force.

🤣

Pranks & Comeuppance

Bugs orchestrates a series of playful tricks that corral Elmer into escalating blunders. The cat-and-mouse game showcases Bugs' mastery of timing, misdirection, and humor. Ultimately, Elmer's prideful attempts backfire, ending in a humorous defeat.

🗽

Patriotism

The finale evokes patriotic imagery as Bugs serenades with a carrot-turned-fife and marches toward his burrow. The playful scene nods to national pride while keeping the humor light and whimsical.

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A Wild Hare Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of A Wild Hare (1940). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a sun-dappled woodland where the light filters softly through the trees, Elmer Fudd moves with the deliberate, quiet precision of a seasoned tracker. The forest air is still, save for his muttered mantra—a now-iconic whisper about hunting “wabbits”—which sets a tone of focused determination. He lays a carrot as bait and conceals himself among the foliage, embodying the role of the patient predator. Yet, there is a gentle, rhythmic quality to his movements, hinting that this particular hunt exists in a world where the stakes are playful rather than perilous.

Unbeknownst to him, the object of his pursuit is not a typical woodland creature but Bugs Bunny, a rabbit whose relaxed demeanor and quick wit immediately disrupt the hunter’s serious narrative. Bugs regards the intrusion with a casual indifference that borders on theatrical, treating the elaborate setup as a mere invitation for mischief. The dynamic between the two is established instantly: a clash between Elmer’s old-world resolve and Bugs’s modern, chaotic irreverence. As the rabbit reveals himself with a swagger, it becomes clear that the power balance has already tipped in favor of the prankster.

The stage is set for a classic contest of cat-and-mouse, though here the “mouse” is a carrot-chomping hare with a flair for the dramatic. The impending interaction promises to zigzag through brush and shadow, governed by the laws of cartoon logic where danger is merely a punchline and gravity is often a suggestion. With a lighthearted atmosphere that thrives on visual gags and quick repartee, the encounter transforms from a simple hunt into a battle of wits. The woods hum with the potential for trouble, leaving the hunter’s composure hanging by a thread as he faces an opponent who plays by his own rules.

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