Elmer was created as a hunter, dupe and foil for Bugs, and that would remain his main role forever after, and although Bugs Bunny was called upon to outwit many more worthy opponents, Elmer somehow remained Bugs' classic nemesis, despite (or because of) his legendary gullibility, small size, short temper, and shorter attention span. Somehow knowing not only that Elmer would lose, but knowing how he would lose, made the confrontation, counterintuitively, more delicious. Despite being the antagonist, Elmer lacked the malice of a true villain. Between the two, Bugs and Elmer set down the standard formula for the cartoon chase, where the prey outwits the hunter.

 

Hare Tonic 3.1
1945 directed by Chuck Jones
Featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd

Elmer Fudd purchases Bugs Bunny at a local grocery store and takes him home to make a Wabbit Stew. Bugs falsifies a radio broadcast that warns of the dread disease rabbititus, which is contracted from rabbits sold within the last three days and which causes people to see spots and have delusions assuming the characteristics of rabbits, among other dubious symptoms. This frightens the gullible Elmer and he informs Bugs that he is free to leave. Bugs, however, points out a sign on the door that states that the house is Quarantined Due To Rabbititis, and that no one can enter or leave. Bugs proceeds to torment Elmer in a variety of ways.

Trivia

• The mirror gag where Bugs pretends to be Elmer's reflection has its origin with Charlie Chaplin, though it was made most popular by the Marx Brothers' film, Duck Soup. It's used a number of times in Warner Bros. shorts, and Harpo even brought it to TV in an episode of I Love Lucy.
  
• At the end, Bugs reappears from inside the Looney Tunes drum, munching a carrot and saying, "And dat's de end!" rather than the usual Porky Pig saying "That's All Folks!"
  
• This cartoon marks one of the few times Bugs addresses Elmer by name. In the guise of Dr. Killpatient, he addresses him as Mr. Fudd. Despite their frequent cinematic encounters, many of their cartoons are played as if they had never met before.
  
• Bugs oft used line of "He don't know me vewy well, do he?" was a popular radio catchphrase from Red Skelton's Mean Widdle Kid character.

 

Upswept Hare DVD1
1953 directed by Robert McKimson
Featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd

Bugs is accidentally scooped up with a rare plant and transported to Elmer Fudd's penthouse patio garden. Elmer makes every attempt to kick him out but is repeatedly foiled by Bugs, usually resulting in disturbing the downstairs tenant, who exacts his violent displeasure on Elmer. The plot is reminiscent of Daffy and Elmer short from 1947 called A Pest in the House, and many of the gags are from Elmer and Bugs Bunny's 1942's The Wabbit Who Came to Supper.

 

Wabbit Twouble 1.1
1941 directed by Bob Clampett
Featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd

Elmer expects to find rest and relaxation at Jellostone National Park, but he mistakenly sets camp in the neighborhood of Bugs' rabbit hole, and Bugs doesn't have much leisure in mind.

Trivia

• A chase sequence ensues with Elmer and the bear running through the trees to the chase theme from William Tell Overture.
  
• For this cartoon, Elmer was redesigned as a fat man (based on voice actor Arthur Quirk Bryan's own physique) in an attempt to make him funnier.
  
• The titles and credits are written in Elmer Fudd-ese; that is, written the way Elmer would say them (Superwision Wobert Cwampett).
  
• The voice used by Mel Blanc for the bear (who only has one line, at the end of the film, "Yeh, how long ya in for, Doc?") is a softer version of the voice characterization he would later use for Cecil Turtle and eventually Barney Rubble.
  
• This is the first Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Bob Clampett.

Earworms

• Omigawd, I ovaswept! I gotta get to bed!
  
• West and Weewaxation at wast.

 

Slick Hare 2.1
1947 directed by Friz Freleng.
Featuring Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and Humphry Bogart

This short parodies the Mocambo club in Los Angeles. When Bogart comes to the Mocrumbo for dinner, waiter Elmer Fudd needs to serve fried rabbit in 20 minutes—or else. When looking in the kitchen, Elmer finds Bugs Bunny, but Bugs is more interested in having fun with the celebrities than being served for dinner.
Besides playing up many of the famous celebrities of the 1940s, this cartoon is also noted for giving viewers an inside look at the kitchen of the Mocambo. The view was not flattering. Writer Michael Maltese managed to get a look at the kitchen of the Mocambo, and drew what he saw, including grease dripping from the refrigerators and vegetables lying around on the ground. As Maltese put it, "I almost got my ass in a sling!" for this.

It should also be noted that while the cartoon plays on Bogart's famous tough guy image, it also pays homage to the fact that Bogart was a softer man in real life, as he was more interested in Lauren Bacall's needs than resorting to violence.

Trivia

• Impressionist Dave Barry (not the columnist) provided the voice of Humphrey Bogart.

Celebrities depicted

• Groucho Marx
  
• Harpo Harpo Marx
  
• Frank Sinatra
  
• Ray Milland
  
• Sydney Greenstreet
  
• Carmen Miranda
  
• Lauren Bacall

 

Hare Brained Hypnotist 2.1
1942 directed by Friz Freleng
Featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd

Elmer is reading a book about hypnotism and he bumps into a bear. He hypnotizes the bear into thinking he is a canary. Impressed with his success, Elmer tries to hypnotize Bugs.
Bugs hypnotizes Elmer instead, and commands him to be a rabbit. Elmer then starts to act like Bugs, inducing Bugs to act like Elmer, and a role-reversing chase ensues.

 

Wideo Wabbit 3.2
1956 directed by Robert McKimson
Featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd

Bugs Bunny is singing This Is My Lucky Day when he comes across an ad in the newspaper wanting a rabbit for a show at the QTTV-TV studio. However it is a hunting show starring Elmer Fudd. The standard hunt plot now ensues within the TV studio, but intruding on popular TV shows of the time.

Shows Parodied

• You Bet Your Life (You Beat Your Wife)
  
• You Asked For It (You're Asking For It)
  
• The Liberace Show (Liver-ace)
  
• You Are There (You Were There)

Trivia

• TV broadcasts of this cartoon edited the You Beat Your Wife scene for fear that viewers may misconstrue it as a joke about spousal abuse.

 

Wacky Wabbit 5.3
1942 directed by Bob Clampett
Featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd

The fat version of Elmer Fudd is prospecting for gold. Bugs Bunny appears and in a role change from the usual, Bugs pesters Elmer without apparent provocation. Elmer learns that that Bugs has a gold-filled tooth and attempts to take it from him.

Trivia

• Elmer sings Oh! Susanna, except that instead of 1849, the cartoon is set during World War II, with the implication that Elmer hopes to donate the gold to the war effort: "Oh, Susanna, don't you cwy for me, I'm gonna get me wots of gold, V for Victowy!"

 

The Big Snooze 2.1
1946 directed by Bob Clampett
Featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd

Bugs and Elmer are in the midst of their usual hunting-chasing scenario. Elmer becomes enraged and frustrated that the writers never let him catch the rabbit. He tears up his Warner contract and walks off the set to devote his life to fishing. With a line in the water, and lying against a tree, Elmer quickly falls asleep. Bugs takes sleeping pills in order to invade his dream and continuing to drive Elmer crazy.

Trivia

• The title is a reference to the 1939 book The Big Sleep, and its 1946 film adaptation.
  
• This short is reminicent of Disney's Fantasia (1940) as well as the dream sequence in Dumbo (1941) and forshadows the Hephalumps and Woozels scene in Winnie the Pooh (1968).
  
• "I love that man!" is a reference to a popular catch-phrase of the time, "Love dat man!" said by the character Beulah on the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly.
  
• Due to concerns about drug abuse, the part where Bugs takes a sleeping pill was edited out for TV.
  
• This was Bob Clampett's final cartoon for Warner Bros.

 

Stage Door Cartoon 2.4
1944 directed by Friz Freleng
Featuring Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and a predecessor to Yosemite Sam

The film starts with Elmer hunting rabbits. He hooks a carrot to his fishing hook in an attempt to catch Bugs, who turns the tables on Elmer by attaching the hook to his pants and reeling him in. Bugs then throws Elmer back for being too small and ends up getting chased to a Vaudeville theater. A variety of gags related to being on stage ensue.

Trivia

• The cartoon's title is a parody of the 1943 musical film Stage Door Canteen.
  
• Bugs' goofy yell to Elmer, "Here I ya-um!" was a catchphrase used by radio star Red Skelton's country bumpkin character Clem Kadiddlehopper.
  
• Bugs' statement to the audience at the end of the film, "I got a million of 'em!" was a Jimmy Durante catchphrase. Bugs mimics Durante's standard body language while saying it.