Music plays a big role in cartoons, as it does in all cinema, but cartoons of this era defined how it's used today. The use of orchestrated musical sounds to emphasis character movement and add effect to comic nuances has its origin in these cartoons. Additionally, a variety of scene setting scores, while not original, were used with such regularity that they became standard representations of the scenes they were used in. The hustle and bustle of Powerhouse by Raymond Scott became synonymous with factories, assembly lines, city life, and production, while the gentle sounds of birds chirping on a crisp country morning are always accompanied by Morning Song by Edvard Grieg. And let's not forget The Gold Diggers Song (We're in the Money) which was often used to establish success and riches. But while many of these films used music in a supporting role, a few made the music the star of the picture.

Rabbit of Seville 1.1
1949 directed by Chuck Jones
Featureing Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd

Awards

• #12 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time as chosen by members of the animation field.

Trying to hide from Elmer, bugs runs into and opera house and Elmer follows. The two find themselves on stage and swept up by the music. This film spoofs Rossini's opera Barber of Seville. It's particularly significant because Stalling's musical arrangement keeps the basic structure of the Overture intact.

Trivia

• The Barber of Seville poster that appears at the start of the film features three names: Eduardo Selzeri, Michele Maltese and Carlo Jonzi, which are Italianized versions of the names of this film's producer Eddie Selzer, writer Michael Maltese, and director Chuck Jones.
• In one shot of the scene where Bugs massages Elmer's head in time to the piano melody, his hands are drawn with five digits instead of the usual four to match the hand of a piano player.

Long Haired Hare 1.1
1948 directed by Chuck Jones
Featuring Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny’s musical tastes collide with Opera singer Giovanni Jones who takes out his frustration on Bugs. Bugs poses as famous conductor Leopold Stokowski and wreaks havoc.

Music used in the film

• Gioacchino Rossini - Largo al factotum from The Barber of Seville - Opening titles, Giovanni Jones' rehearsal scenes and second piece at concert.
• Arthur Schwartz - A Rainy Night in Rio - played by Bugs on a banjo
• Barney Fagan - My Gal is a High Born Lady - played by Bugs on a harp (melody only).
• Herman Hupfeld - When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba - played by Bugs on a tuba
• Gaetano Donizetti - Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento from Lucia di Lammermoor - first piece at Giovanni Jones' concert.
• Richard Wagner - Prelude, 2nd theme from Act III of Lohengrin - autograph scene
• Franz von Suppé - Overture from Die schöne Galathee - Bugs enters in Leopold disguise.
• In Carl Stalling's musical score the melody to It's Magic can be heard.

Trivia

• "Longhairs" is a colloquial term for classical music aficionados.
• Of course you know this means war, was originally said by Groucho Marx in Duck Soup.
• The house architecture is inspired by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.
• The Amphitheater is modeled after the Hollywood Bowl, where Leopold performed often.
• Leopold was famous for not using the traditional baton, preferring to work free hand. Bugs snaps the Baton to reference this.
• The last sustained note that ends the show is a High G.
• Giovanni Jones' singing voice remained uncredited and unknown for many years. It was since revealed to have been provided by opera singer Nicolai Shutorov.

Earworms

• Leopold!

Corny Concerto 2.4
1943 directed by Bob Clampett
Featuring Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Awards

• #47 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time as chosen by members of the animation field.

Elmer appears as a composer introducing classical pieces. The short parodies Disney's Fantasia, using Johann Strauss' best known waltzes Tales from the Vienna Woods and The Blue Danube. The stories he introduces are a hunter/prey story and a retelling of the Ugly Duckling both wordlessly performed to the music. Presumably the setting of each is The Vienna Woods and The Danube.

Other music used in the film

• Piotr Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 is heard over the opening credits

Trivia

• First WB cartoon to feature more than two major characters in starring roles.
• The title is a spoof on Carnegie Hall

Rhapsody Rabbit 2.4
1946 directed by Friz Freleng
Featuring Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny gives a piano concert playing Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt, a person he claims to never have heard of when a call comes in asking for Liszt.

Other Music used in the film

• Wagner's Siegfried funeral march in the opening credits
• Chopsticks
• Generic Boogie Woogie

Trivia

• First cartoon broadcast on the Cartoon Network went it went on air in 1992.
• Controversy over a similar Tom and Jerry Cartoon released the same year using the same plot and music resulted in law suits. The MGM Tom and Jerry version won an Oscar.
• Today WB owns the right to Tom and Jerry.
• The mouse holds the distinction, along with Cecil Turtle, the gremlin from Falling Hare, and the fly from Baton Bunny, of being one of the few antagonists to actually outsmart and rattle Bugs.

Swooner Crooner 3.2
1944 directed by Frank Tashlin
Featuring Porky Pig

Awards

• Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film

Porky Pig is the supervisor of the Flockheed Eggcraft Factory where dozens of hens lay eggs for the war effort (in this case, World War II). The hens suddenly get distracted from their egg laying when a handsome rooster named Frankie (who sings like Frank Sinatra) is heard singing outside. Porky rushes to investigate. Soon, he's auditioning for a new crooner; among those showing up are caricatures of Nelson Eddy, Rudy Vallee, Al Jolson, Jimmy Durante, Cab Calloway, and Bing Crosby. Porky asks the Bing Crosby rooster (who introduced himself as The Old Groaner) to be the crooner. Between the two of them, egg production is soon more than he can handle.

Earworms

• Frankie!

Baton Bunny 1.3
1958 directed by Chuck Jones
Featuring Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny is getting ready to conduct an orchestra. However, several problems plague him, notably a bothersome fly, and some awkward cuffs that keep falling off. Bugs attempts to kill the fly, crashing into the orchestra and the instruments as he does so. Bugs conducts, and in part, plays the overture to Ein Morgen, ein Mittag und ein Abend in Wien (A Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna), a composition by Franz von Suppé. Though Mel Blanc was credited for vocal characterizations, there is no dialogue in the short; the only vocal effect made was when an audience member is heard coughing.

Trivia

• The fly holds the distinction, along with Cecil Turtle, the gremlin from Falling Hare, and the mouse from Rhapsody Rabbit, of being one of the few antagonists to actually outsmart and rattle Bugs.