Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953) User Reviews (26)

One of a trio, all of which were very good

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 14 December 2000]

There is an absolutely beautiful line that floors me every time I hear it in this short which I want to discuss, so here there be a spoiler or two:

This is the last of three cartoons with Elmer, Bugs and Daffy that were similar in theme and attitude. The best of the three was, at least for me, Rabbit Fire. But Rabbit Seasoning and this one were also quite good. Strangely enough, verbal jokes hold their own in the three with very funny sight gags and, even stranger for a cartoon featuring Bugs as well, Daffy has some of the funniest stuff. But that doesn't save him from his karma. Daffy has an incredibly funny line toward the end of the short, after he's been shot at point-blank range yet again by Elmer which sums up the rage and frustration which arise from all the misfortune that dogs him throughout the short. I have to quote it here:

"Shoot me again! I love it! I love the smell of burnt feathers-and gunpowder-and cordite!" Clearly, Daffy snapped there and had reached the end of his rope. Very good cartoons, almost uniformly. Recommended.

This short is available on Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 3 and is well worth the purchase price all by itself, though the rest of the set is marvelous.

The Final and worst in the Trilogy!

[TheMan3051 · 7/10 · 4 August 2002]

This is a funny short but it's the worst of the three because basically all three shorts are exactly the same thing!!!! What sets them apart is the dialogue and gimmicks. Rabbit Fire had the Joe Besser a/k/a Elephant spoof and Rabbit Seasoning had the clever dialogue. This one in the other hand really doesn't have anything! It just features the basics! The only funny thing about it is Daffy Duck screaming all those different animals and getting shot!

"I'm a wed hot sportsman after wild game."

[utgard14 · 9/10 · 29 December 2014]

The third in the classic hunting trilogy featuring Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer. The premise is simple but effective. Elmer goes hunting during duck season. Daffy tries to convince him it's rabbit season and goads him into going after Bugs. But, of course, Bugs is too smart for that and points Elmer back in Daffy's direction. It's back and forth throughout the short about whether it's duck, rabbit, goat, skunk, pigeon, or mongoose season! Full of hilarious lines and gags like "fricasseeing rabbit" and "Good heavens! He disintegwated!" This is one of the all-time classics from Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese. Great voicework from Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan. No matter how many times I've seen this one, it never gets old.

You're despicable!

[sune37 · 10/10 · 11 April 2006]

This is a real "classic cartoon", where you're just waiting for the cartoon-figures to say all their famous lines. It's like this short film is set on repeat, and every time you watch it, you'll laugh more, even higher.

I also think, that the beauty of these short movies is that you don't have to analyze them from top to bottom. Instead just watch it!!!!

So, If you like short movies, cartoons or you just want to laugh, I can really recommend this.

And i can only say one more thing,

THAT IS WHY WE LIKE EM'.

Works despite only having only one running joke!

[bob the moo · 7 March 2004]

With duck season in full swing, Daffy has no choice but to turn attention from himself by pretending that it is actually rabbit season. With Elmer Fudd on the hunting trail, Daffy points him onto where Bugs is living, but he finds that Elmer is easily turned back onto Daffy by Bugs.

I'm not usually a fan of Daffy where he is greedy and manipulative, as I prefer his manic period much more. However here is one of his best cartoons that I have seen where he is partnered with Bugs in the role of greedy, selfish and untrustworthy sidekick. True to form, Daffy has told Elmer that it's rabbit season and not duck season. As one would expect, Bugs tricks Elmer into shooting Daffy instead. This happens about 10 times in the cartoon and in fact is actually the only joke in the cartoon. However, the more it is repeated the funnier it gets - it's hard to imagine that one single gag repeated over again would do this but it totally works here!

Bugs is fantastic but for once it is Daffy that actually steals the cartoon. The manner in which Daffy reacts to getting shot is hilarious and the little black duck shows that he is a character with great timing regardless of him being crazy or selfish! Fudd is also very funny and he plays his character very easily befuddled - we don't see him as a threat we just think his bemusement is good for our amusement!

Overall this is a very funny cartoon that had me rolling! Usually if someone says that something is a `one-joke affair' they meant it as a criticism; but when the one joke is as funny as the running gag is here then it can only be a good thing!

The best of the three

[macross_sd · 10/10 · 15 March 2002]

"Duck! Rabbit! Duck!" is the best of the "Hunter Trilogy." From the ubiquitous sign gags that only get funnier (Daffy: You dirty dog... Bugs: And YOU'RE a dirty skunk! Daffy: I'm a dirty skunk? I'M a dirty skunk!? Sign: Dirty Skunk Season Elmer: Blam!) to the wonderful ending where poor Elmer gets driven mad, this short is a laugh a second, and one of the prime examples why Chuck Jones will be missed.

In the depths of Chuck's waters

[Betelgeuse-19 · 10/10 · 26 January 2002]

...lies a 10/10 classic. Do you recall watching shorts like this? I still do, and so do most of you. This is basically in the woods where Elmer is hunting and threatens Bugs with his "elephant gun" until Daffy comes along and Elmer is too dazed to decide who to shoot and come home with. Simple but effective.

The Hunting Trilogy

[Groucho734 · 10/10 · 21 August 2000]

The "Hunting Trilogy" of Rabbit Fire (1951), Rabbit Seasoning (1952), and Duck! Rabbit! Duck! (1953) should be considered the comedic high water mark of the Chuck Jones-Michael Maltese collaboration. While they are seldom mentioned in lists of the "greatest" or "most important" cartoons in the history of animation, they are certainly THE FUNNIEST cartoons I've ever seen. Michael Maltese never got the credit that directors like Jones, Freleng or Avery got, but it's his dialogue and situations that make Warner Bros. cartoons, and these three in particular, some of the FUNNIEST ever made.

The last of the "Hunting Trilogy" in Looney Tunes.

[Mightyzebra · 7/10 · 15 July 2008]

This is the last episode of the "Hunting Trilogy" three Looney Tunes episodes with a similar theme.

Like in the last two of the trilogy, "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning", Elmer is hunting and Daffy "shows" him the way to Bugs Bunny so the rabbit can be killed. For some reason Bugs Bunny just about never is shot, but Daffy is (because these are cartoon he always survives, for which we should be grateful). In this particular episode it is winter and Daffy calls himself a lot of animals, then Bunny shows a "Season sign" for the animal, so Daffy is then shot by Elmer. Like the first one is:

Daffy: Well, I guess I'm the goat. (Bugs shows "Goat season sign" and Elmer points his gun at Daffy.) Daffy: What? (Elmer shoots Daffy.)

This is personally not my favourite of the trilogy. The animation is quite ugly (when Daffy is shot) and I prefer the theme of the jokes in "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning". The Season sign theme is quite repetitive; funny the first few times, but it just becomes boring after a while. However, this episode is quite well worth watching, despite its slight flaws.

I recommend this to anyone who likes the greedy, cynical Daffy Duck best and people who like to see Bugs Bunny have his own way. For people who do not like slapstick all that much and for people who prefer the older, crazier black duck, this episode I do not specifically recommend to you and if you do want to watch it, you may not want to rewatch it.

Enjoy "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!"

7 and a half out of ten.

Daffy Gets The Worst Of It Again

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 11 June 2007]

This is another one of those "It's duck season. No, it's rabbit season." You know, back-and- forth as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck each try to send stupid Elmer Fudd off to shoot the other guy during hunting season, beginning with signs pointing the way. There were three of these similar-themed animated shorts, one each year from 1951-53. This was the final one of what some call "the hunting trilogy."

Anyway, as usual, Bugs gives Elmer some ridiculous line which is working until Daffy interrupts, saying "What is this? A cooking class? Shoot him!" Daffy was always one to get right to the point....but Bugs is the brains of the three.

The parts that made me laugh hardest were the looks on Daffy's face several times, like the kind Jack Benny used to make. It's also incredible how many times the poor duck has hill bill blown off. Daffy's final line to Bugs sums it up best: "You're despicable!"

Overall, an excellent episode. It can be seen on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume three DVD.

More Heads Blown Off

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 26 June 2019]

This is the third effort where Elmer is attempting to hunt. But Daffy and Bugs confuse him with which season it is. Unfortunately for Daffy, he keeps being the one shot time after time. This is more clever than the other two. Still, it's the same cartoon, just with different angles. I really like what happened during baseball season.

At least as good as the other two Hunting Trilogy installments

[phantom_tollbooth · 10/10 · 3 November 2008]

Chuck Jones's 'Duck! Rabbit, Duck!' is the last installment of the celebrated hunting trilogy. Often considered the weakest of the three cartoons, I believe it is at least as funny as its two predecessors. Set in a snowy wintertime wood as opposed to the summery setting of the other two cartoons, 'Duck! Rabbit, Duck!' is an attractive and hilarious short which hinges on a brilliant running gag involving Daffy being duped into proclaiming that he is a series of different animals, all of which correspond to signs held up by Bugs. As with its two predecessors, 'Duck! Rabbit, Duck!' features a variety of jokes involving Daffy's beak being blown off and plenty of ingenious wordplay. It culminates in the most violent moment of the whole trilogy. Easily the equal of its two predecessors, 'Duck! Rabbit, Duck!' is a superb final entry in a historical series of cartoons by one of the masters of the animated art form. What more recommendation do you need?!!

Daffy really gets it in this one

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 26 June 2015]

It would certainly have helped him if he knew how to writer or at least how to spell like Bugs does. This is a short cartoon movie from over 60 years ago and like most of these it runs for roughly 7 minutes. It is definitely one of the more famous Warner Bros. short films starring Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny. Both are voiced of course again by Mel Blanc and he and the writer Michael Maltese and director Chuck Jones are easily among the most prolific trios in terms of filmmaking.

It's hunting season, but who gets hunted. Well.. Daffy does, but he does his best to make it look like everybody except ducks are hunted that time of the year. Unfortunately, Bugs is not willing to pose as a target for Elmer Fudd's shooting escapades and that's truly bad news for Daffy. In this short movie, unlike in most of the others, Fudd is really just an instrument for the two to go against each other, well really only for going against Daffy. And right when it looks like there is a happy ending even for the duck, things get really bad for him again. Solid short movie. Pretty entertaining, but not great by any means. Recommended.

If this is not one of the best cartoons ever then I'm a mongoose!

[javiervera · 29 August 2002]

From the whole Bugs/Daffy/Elmer hunting trilogy, this is without a doubt my favorite. Even though "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning" are very good too, the reason why this one stands out is because it's an awesome combination of the previous two. While "Rabbit Fire" focused more on the visual gags, and "Rabbit Seasoning" more on the word games. This one had both visual jokes ("It's baseball season" LOL!) and word games, like when Daffy writes Elmer's "permit" to hunt rabbits (D-U-C-K). This a true masterpiece from writer Mike Maltese and director Chuck Jones, a definitely must see.

the best of the three (and that's saying quite a lot)

[movieman_kev · 10/10 · 3 November 2005]

The third and last film of the "Hunting trilogy" (the other two being on Volume 1 of the Golden Collection), features Elmer once again hunting, but not knowing what season it is. Bugs plays with that holding up signs telling Elmer that it's various animal seasons and getting him to shoot Daffy over and over. You know what? That plot doesn't even begin to tell you how genius, how utterly hilarious, and how classic this cartoon truly is. Just know this. The other two were amazing hilarious, yes..but THIS is the absolute best of the three. It's just THAT good. This animated short can be found on Disk 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3 and includes an optional commentary by Eric Goldberg, as well as a music only track and a Behind the scenes featurette.

My Grade: A+++

One of the Best

[StreepFan126 · 10/10 · 10 May 2002]

One of the best Looney Tune Cartoons ever made! It is FUNNY! Daffy Duck is still trying to get Elmer Fudd to shoot Bugs Bunny, when it is really duck season! But as usual Daffy can't outwit Bugs and the two nearl drive Elmer Fudd insane!

Just as THE APPRENTICE Trumps every word that Thomas Jefferson ever wrote . . .

[oscaralbert · 8/10 · 20 October 2016]

. . . in charting America's Future Path, Looney Tunes' hundreds of animated shorts glorifying gun violence, epitomized by DUCK! RABBIT, DUCK! and the earlier pair of cartoons in director Chuck Jones' "Hunter Trilogy" have done more to promote the proliferation of privately-owned firearms than the National Rifle Association ever did. Though U.N. statistics who that Hell is the only place on Earth with more guns Per Capita than America, the U.S. is the ONLY country which OUTLAWS government research into gun deaths! As I write this, it's possible to Multi-task by viewing an NBC NIGHTLINE Special Report on 1,586 Americans shot in just the past 11 days (July 4 through July 15, 2016), including an NRA card-carrying Mom who slaughtered her two daughters a couple of days before one girl's wedding because Mom was experiencing the latest in a long string of psychotic episodes that left her hospitalized every other week (and free to kill people during the "even" weeks, because the NRA does not ALLOW guns to be removed from nuts, or even hospital beds to be available for these nuts, since nuts are the gun shops biggest customers with their insatiable "need" more more guns and more ammo). Daffy Duck gets shot here 46 times in DUCK! RABBIT, DUCK--ha, ha, ha, Har, Har--way to mold America, Warner's!

Another Classic

[StreepFan126 · 10/10 · 2 July 2002]

This is another of the classic Looney Tunes Cartoons, and you just cannot get any better than this hunting Trilogy. Once again, it is duck hunting season, and Daffy Duck is trying to convince Elmer Fudd that it is really Rabbit Season. Guess what happens?

If you have seen the other two in the trilogy then there is nothing to see here

[FairlyAnonymous · 6/10 · 11 July 2018]

When I was younger I had both the Looney Tunes golden collections Vol.1 and Vol.2, and I would watch through all of them to a rather obsessive degree. That being said, I always loved "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning" and the timing of the humour and the gags seemed to work the best in those two episodes. While the general theme of the two episodes was the same, the execution and the plot-points were significantly different so that it didn't feel like the same episode. However, "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" was one that I had never seen due to Golden Collection 3 not having been released at that time, so when I head that there was A THIRD hunting short I knew that I needed to see it.

And unfortunately... it's mostly a rehash of the two.

Almost all of the jokes and visual gags in this short were seen in the other two and it has almost nothing original to offer except for one joke involving Daffy Duck using common sayings such as, "Well I guess I'm the goat now" and then Bugs holds up a "Goat season" sign which then gets Daffy shot. This was... er... mildly humorous the first time, but it was more of a bad pun kind of joke and not an actual clever set-up. Unfortunately, this type of joke is reused on multiple occasions and it stops being funny by the second time. The vast majority of the episode is spent on this premise and it never feels like the plot physically goes anywhere, like the last two episodes which have some movement through the woods and to new locations while this one is isolated at Bugs' hole the entire time.

All in all, not very funny or interesting; however, there was on interesting moment: When Elmer shoots Bugs' coffee cup, multiple holes are created. This confirms that Elmer is using "bird shot" for his gun and not using traditional bullets. I thought that was a nice little touch.

re: Brilliant

[carl170 · 10/10 · 10 January 2005]

My personal views on this is that I feel that this is what people remember Loony Tunes for.

The gags are simple, and easy to understand.

But its the quick wittiness of Bugs Bunny, and the clever, but unlucky Daffy Duck - who never seems to get the roll of the green that means that they work so well together as characters.

I feel that this is the greatest Looney tune cartoon of them all. It has just one joke running through its theme. But the timing, the scheming, the naivety of Elemer Fudd, is done to perfection.

I really believe that this would make anyone around the world laugh. If it was done in their own language. Its one of the funniest pieces of cinema history that you will see anywhere.

Don't get me wrong there are other - great cartoon out there. (*Please look on the IMDb list - for other comments that I have made and you will see them!!)

If you haven't see this. Please try and always look out for it. Or try and see if you can get this.

If you have it, and you've had a hard day.

Put this on, and have a laugh.

Looney tunes cartoons are the best in the world.

These are the characters I love from Lonney Tunes saga:

Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Yoesemity Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Slyvester the Cat, W.E.Y Coyette, The Colonel and Beleverdere (* His faithful Hound!)

Carl Brown [e-mail]

Probably the Funniest Cartoon Ever Made

[agj8012 · 10/10 · 9 June 2010]

The "hunting trilogy" Warner Bros. cartoons by Chuck Jones are probably the funniest cartoons ever made, and out of the three, this one is my favorite.

The plot is the same as the other two "hunting trilogy" cartoons. Daffy Duck, in an act of self-preservation, attempts to brainwash Elmer Fudd into thinking that it is rabbit season instead of duck season, and Bugs Bunny obviously objects. After that, Bugs Bunny continuously tricks Elmer into shooting Daffy in the face. It may be a one-joke premise, but it is absolutely hilarious.

The directing by Chuck Jones is amazing, the writing from Michael Maltese is sharp and sophisticated, and the animation is very good and expressive. This cartoon is fantastic!!!

Yet another brilliant entry from the Hunting trilogy

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 18 June 2010]

The Hunting Trilogy is a superb trilogy of Looney Tunes cartoons. All three cartoons are absolutely brilliant, Rabbit Seasoning, Rabbit Fire and this, Duck! Rabbit, Duck! Duck! Rabbit, Duck mayn't be my personal favourite of the three(that's Rabbit Seasoning) but it is absolutely outstanding on all levels. Is it one joke? It is rather, but it works. The animation is colourful and audacious, and the score is deliciously rousing. Then the cartoon is filled to the brim with sparkling and witty dialogue, the best coming from Daffy, and the sight gags are fast, furious and fun. And Bugs, Daffy and Elmer are on top form with superb chemistry. Bugs is indeed fantastic, arrogant, rascally and witty, and Elmer is very entertaining not to mention a tad dumb. But Daffy is the one who steals the show, giving one of his funniest performances in a Looney Tunes cartoon. Here my favourite little black duck is a perfect balance of the manic and greedy. Overall, simply brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Bugs / Daffy / Elmer Hunting Trilogy Part 3. Snow daze.

[TheComicsGuru · 9/10 · 16 August 2013]

This is the third and final part of the "Hunting Trilogy" pitting Bugs against Daffy and Elmer. Bugs once again uses Daffy's excitability and Elmer's gullible nature to stay one step ahead of them.

This particular cartoon is noted for taking place during winter (as evidenced by the snow) and Bugs tricking Daffy into identifying himself as various animals then convincing Elmer that hunting season for that animal is now open.

The choice of the animals is hilarious in its own right. Mixed with Daffy's frantic reactions, it's comedic gold. At one point, Daffy's so frustrated by the constant shotgun blasts to the face, he doesn't even need Bugs to set him up for the punchline.

This is proof that on some level, Daffy knows he'll never be able to outwit Bugs.

Does "fricasseeing" actually mean anything?

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 13 June 2005]

I lose count of how many cartoons there are in which Elmer Fudd is hunting, and both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck try to get him to shoot the other. No matter how many there are, "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" certainly stands out just because of the lengths to which they go in trying to succeed. In the dead of winter, it's duck season, and Daffy is looking for ways to avoid getting shot. So, he tells Elmer that it's rabbit season. But, as soon as Elmer is about to shoot Bugs, Bugs has a way to avoid getting shot...and it naturally involves Daffy getting shot.

One of the things that was so great about these cartoons was that they showed Daffy always trying to undermine Bugs' integrity, but Bugs always exposed Daffy for who he really was. In this case, Daffy's bill bears the brunt of Daffy's embarrassment.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Bugs Bunny cartoon without that "wascawy wabbit" posing the question: Eh, what's up doc?

Duck Season

[mforsting · 10/10 · 21 January 2021]

My favorite looney tunes cartoon to feature Daffy Duck.