Bugs Bunny Rides Again 1948

In a fast-paced Looney Tunes Western spoof set in Rising Gorge, the town wakes to the blaring, high-energy notes of a version of “Cheyenne” that underscores every chaotic moment. A relentless hail of bullets sweeps down the main street, while a quirky Acme Regulator-inspired traffic light above the action freezes some rounds mid-air and then lets others slip by on the cross street, only to stop again as if the red light had the last word. Inside the Gunshot Saloon, a cowboy fires at another, seemingly just for his drink, as outside a ruckus erupts and a notorious intruder rides in: Yosemite Sam, guns smoking, slipping through the saloon doors by being too short to quite fit the frame. The crowd yells his name in fear as the score shades into Erlkönig, lending a villainous edge to the moment.

Sam wastes no time laying down the law, ordering everyone out with a few revolver pops for emphasis. Everyone obeys—except one would-be escapee who Sam catches and immediately turns into a live target for the crowd. He asks if there’s anyone bold enough to think they can tame him. At the wall, a laid-back rabbit, Bugs Bunny, leans with a cigarette and coolly declares, “I aims to.” The two lock horns in a quintessential showdown, nose-to-nose, and Bugs unholsters a carrot to deliver his famous greeting: “What’s up, Doc?”

What’s up, Doc?

The East meets West clash stiffens as Sam counters, “This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.” Bugs doesn’t blink, and the standoff escalates with bigger and bigger guns—seven-sh shooters, eight-shooters, and then a ten-shooter—that only frustrate Sam more. Bugs counters with a pea shooter that somehow bounces off the tough-nosed antagonist’s nose, sending the chase spilling outside. The rabbit slips away, only to be thrust into a new routine: a playful dance-off where Bugs performs a soft-shoe and then turns the stage into a mine shaft trap, tricking Sam into a fall.

“Tsk tsk tsk. Poor little maroon. So trusting. So naïve.” But the Western contest isn’t finished yet. Sam crawls back to the surface, and Bugs draws lines in the sand, daring the gunslinger to cross. One, two, three, the lines stretch across the ground until Sam steps past them—only to tumble off a cliff. A mattress, hidden by Bugs with a wink to conscience, lies at the bottom, but it’s promptly removed with a quip, letting Sam crash and roll in a heap. The chase resumes on horseback, each gag more exaggerated than the last, until Bugs suggests a different kind of wager: a gin rummy game to decide who leaves town.

Bugs wins the card game—by cheating, of course—and the two are rushed onto a stagecoach bound for the train station, with the rhythm already shifting toward something lighter. The passenger car reveals a Miami Special, filled with swimsuit-clad women headed for a beauty contest, and a cheeky rendition of Oh You Beautiful Doll swells into a strip-tease-like number. The tone pivots as the rabbit fights to be the one boarding, and the pair tumble toward a finale that’s pure cartoon mischief: a clash of charm and speed as they race toward the train, punctuated by the playful strains of Aloha Oe. Bugs outmaneuvers the obstinate Sam and wins the showdown in the most iconic way, leaving the villain behind while flashing lipstick-kissed looks across the car windows and tossing a final swaggering farewell:

So long, Sammy! See ya in Miami!