Message from discussion
"Rabbit Hood" notes
From: light...@idirect.com (gd)
Subject: "Rabbit Hood" notes
Date: 1998/05/24
Message-ID: <35683fdf.0@oasis.idirect.com>
X-Deja-AN: 356082021
Organization: ComputerLink Internet Direct.
Newsgroups: alt.animation.warner-bros
I find myself doing a rather impromptu "notes" on "Rabbit Hood". This is
another cartoon from an era of Jones cartoons where animation took a more
prominent role than design. You can see techniques in this cartoon
employed in other comtemporary films.
The animators during this period are Ben Washam, Ken Harris, Lloyd Vaughan
and Phil Monroe. This film was layed out by Robert Gribbroek (pronounced
Grib-rock) with some nice backgrounds by Peter Alvarado (who is still
alive).
The film starts out with a lengthy sequence animated by Phil Monroe where
Bugs tries to silence an alarmed carrot patch. Monroe did the scenes up to
where the Sheriff is lying on the ground with little kings spinning around
his head.
Ken Harris handles the next short bit where Bugs is standing examining a
wall and musing how he might get out. He is interupted by the Sheriff who
chases him. There's a nice layout of Bugs and the Sheriff reflected in a
lake during this chase.
Ben Washam animates the entire section where Bugs and the Sheriff are in
the Royal Rose garden and Bugs turns the whole situation around and acts
like a real estate agent. Washam's bunny was distinctively drawn. You can
tell a Washam scene by the way he would draw Bugs' teeth coming to a
sharper point. This style is quite evident even in work done almost thirty
years later on "Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court". Washam did a
sequence of that with Bugs dressed in royal attire.
Washam's scenes continue to the point where Bugs is climbing the same
brick wall that we saw him musing over before. The sheriff, who we see in
the distance brandishing a bow and arrow, shoots Bugs down by grazing him.
Bugs falls into Little John's arms (he was introduced ignominiously in the
first part of the film) in a Ken Harris scene. There follows a lovely
close-up of Bugs' face, one of many Harris contributions to this film.
Phil Monroe animated the introduction sequence between Little John and the
Sheriff.
Lloyd Vaughan handles the next sequence, a protracted one in
which Bugs labouriously heralds the arrival of an unseen king. The Sheriff
knows it's probably a trick but because Bugs is so insistent he almost
challenges Bugs to prove his assertions. Within this scene, we see a
little trick that had been developed and used to powerful effect in "Long
Haired Hare". As Bugs points, there are massive white blur drawings that
cover the whole swath that Bugs points in. This is the same technique that
was employed during the "Stokowski" conducting sequence that Vaughan
probably animated in "Long Haired Hare".
An amazing sequence of animation follows, truly the highlight in the
cartoon, where a carpet unfurls and Bugs Bunny emerges in royal garb,
bedecked with a crown and holding a sceptre, much to the surprise of the
Sheriff, who bows down to him. Ken Harris animates this whole section in
such a restrained but powerful manner. This seems to add to the humour as
Bugs repeatedly hits the Sheriff over the head viciously as he bestows
various titles upon him. The animation of Bugs is very subtle and in
contrast the whacking of the sceptre broad, but totally believable. Then
another great extreme close-up of Bugs' face in profile with some
delicious lip sync. (one of his tongues is mispainted here white instead
of tongue colour----- Harris' lip sync employed the tongue going to the
roof of the mouth a lot and this confused the painters on quite a few
cartoons).
Harris' animation continues as the Sheriff sings "London bridge is falling
down" while he's staggering in a stupor.
Phil Monroe does the cake baking sequence, then it's back to Harris as
Bugs positions the cake so the Sheriff's face will fall into it when he
collapses. Harris continues with Bugs' head nod and a lovely acting scene
where he makes fun of Little John continually talking about Robin Hood's
imminent arrival. The part where he says "skipping tra=la through Sherwood
Forest" is beautifully animated and quite typical of Harris' ability to
analyse a complex action and animate it perfectly.
Ben Washam animates the close-up of Little John and Bugs' take when he
sees the live -action Errol Flynn from the 1938 or 1939 "Robin Hood"
feature by WB. (This is a really great gag that I never get tired of
seeing).
The cartoon finishes off with another lovely Ken Harris close-up
where Bugs dismisses the possibility of this "Robin Hood" live action
character being "HIM"....meaning Flynn.
Mike Maltese's dialogue is superb, especially in the Rose Garden sequence.
I wonder if "Little John" is a caricature of Jones??? He seemed to draw
himself as being quite fat, although his caricatures from the era don't
really resemble any photo i've ever seen of him from that time. "Little
John" looks very much like these self-portraits.
I'll be back with more "notes" soon. (Just busy on a job right now.)
bye for now
greg duffell
light...@idirect.com
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