It's a year of changes for the Warner Bros. cartoons. The new Merrie Melodies star Bugs Bunny will make several more appearances, showing what an impact his debut had. Porky's role as the star of the sister series Looney Tunes is also showing further signs of weakening...

Elmer's Pet Rabbit
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Elmer Fudd goes to the pet store and gets himself a "thoughtful, considerate, gentle" rabbit. Sadly, Bugs proves to be anything but that, constantly annoying Elmer. This is the first cartoon to officially name Bugs (in the title sequence rather than in the cartoon itself), but the character otherwise feels less like the familiar Bugs than the version in "A Wild Hare" did – his voice is deeper than usual, and the yellow gloves that even the prototype had discarded after one short return once more. I can only guess the crew was experimenting to see which version of the character would work best. The plot device introduced here is one of the most common in Bugs cartoons, with Bugs annoying a human character either knowingly or accidentally. This would be done more funnily and effectively in later cartoons (the rabbit's portrayal here isn't one of his most likable), but it's still an enjoyable and influential cartoon with some nice animation and comedic antics.
9

Porky's Snooze Reel
Directed by Robert Clampett & Norman McCabe
Porky hosts a newsreel, showing us last week's significant events. Many corny puns, celebrity impersonations and visual jokes follow. Parodic newsreels have been seen before in shorts like "Bosko's Picture Show" and "The Film Fan", but this is the first time an entire cartoon is based on one. Despite McCabe handling some of the actual directorial work, many of the gags and the animation are definitely in Clampett's style – maybe even more so than in "The Timid Toreador" last year. A fun short, with a gag involving a jellyfish and a mine being my favorite.
9

The Fighting 69½th
Directed by I. Freleng
Two ants start fighting over food left on a picnic blanket. This soon turns into a full-blown war between the red and black ants. We see imaginative uses of the foods like Limburger cheese being used as stink bombs. Will there eventually be peace? A kind of a prelude to the war cartoons we'd see after the U.S. entered WWII. As such, the portrayal of war itself is slightly more farcical than it would be a little later. The ending is probably my favorite part in this amusing entry.
8.5

Sniffles Bells the Cat
Directed by Charles M. Jones
After Sniffles and his friends get chased around by a cat, he comes up with an idea to put a bell on the cat to warn them of his presence. The other mice then force him to do it, which proves quite difficult. Sniffles is an endearing character (unlike his friends who come off as rather unlikable), especially his unconvincing attempts to sound tough. He's pretty much been the best thing about the cartoons he's appeared in – this one is slightly faster in pacing than the previous ones, with the chase scenes. Definitely among the stronger Sniffles cartoons.
8

The Haunted Mouse
Directed by Fred Avery
A starving cat in the desert sees an ad for "Ma's Place Home Cooking". Unfortunately, the restaurant is in a ghost town. The house is occupied by a ghost mouse who decides to have some fun with the dumb cat. The ghost aspect adds some novelty to what would otherwise be a fairly typical cat and mouse chase cartoon. The mischievous mouse is the funniest character here – the boyish voice fits the prankster's personality quite well. The ending is also an amusing one. While the Merrie Melodies have largely been one-shots, this is the first Looney Tunes short ever not to feature an established character, and the first since 1936 not to feature Porky Pig (except in the title sequences). The differences between the two series are disappearing little by little... Also the first story credit for Michael Maltese, who would go on to write many of the most famous cartoons in the series, especially his collaborations with Chuck Jones.
9

The Crackpot Quail
Directed by Fred Avery
Willoughby is hunting a quail this time. But just like in his debut "Of Fox and Hounds", he gets outwitted by the little bird, and also has a problem with constantly running into trees. Willoughby is maybe slightly (emphasis on slightly!) smarter this time around, while the quail is a fun character with his quirky noises and cleverness in dealing with the dog. While there are many similarities with Willoughby's previous appearance, this is a great cartoon in itself, with some Avery trademarks – Willoughby breaking the fourth wall, especially as a part of a running gag that gets a hilarious conclusion. This cartoon was censored before its release – originally the quail kept blowing a raspberry, but the sound effect (as well as the dog's impersonations of it) was considered rude and replaced with a whistle. This made the cartoon slightly less funny, with its worse synchronization with the visuals, and one gag making less sense (the quail telling Willoughby what sounds a quail really makes). Thankfully, both audio versions are now available to watch.
10

The Cat's Tale
Directed by I. Freleng
A mouse who is sick of being chased by cats convinces a cat to stop chasing him. He also manages to get the cat to try to convince a dog to stop chasing cats. Will he succeed like the mouse did? Despite this being the third cartoon in the last four to feature cats and mice, the crew manages to come up with new takes on an old concept, this one being a deconstruction of the whole idea. While writer Maltese would create an even more interesting twist on chase cartoons later under Jones' direction, this one works well too, and must have been something truly different at the time!
9

Joe Glow, the Firefly
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Another one-shot Looney Tune. Joe Glow, a firefly in more than one sense (he's wearing a fireman's helmet), flies inside a tent where a man is sleeping. The bug explores his surroundings, trying not to wake up the man. The big world from a small creature's point of view appears to have been an interesting theme to Jones, as he had already explored it before in cartoons like "Tom Thumb in Trouble" and the Sniffles shorts. Sadly, this one proves to be too mundane despite the appealing design of the lead character and some good animation. The most memorable thing to me, besides the visuals, is the cute one-off arrangement of the Looney Tunes theme that goes well with the style of the short.
6.5

Tortoise Beats Hare
Directed by Fred Avery
Insulted by the title of the cartoon, Bugs challenges Cecil Turtle to a race to prove he's the faster of the two. But things don't prove easy for the rabbit despite the desperate measures he resorts to. Besides being the third appearance of the studio's new star, this features one of Avery's favorite themes: variations on well-known fairytales. The result is an excellent one. The understated turtle is a brilliant foil to the slightly arrogant rabbit. There's a relatively early use of the gag where a character tries to escape from someone, with the other character then popping up in a different place in a seemingly logic-defying manner. And the lead-up to the story with Bugs reading the credits out loud and then seeing the offensive title is something only a WB cartoon would have done at the time (and even then it's usually only with Avery as the director and Dave Monahan as storyman like here). The wacky chase cartoons are really Tex's forte, as the last couple of years are showing.
10

Goofy Groceries
Directed by Robert Clampett
In what must have been a huge relief for him, Clampett finally gets to work on a Merrie Melodies cartoon and doesn't have to use Porky Pig for once. Product mascots in a grocery store give musical performances until a gorilla from an animal cracker package sets his sights on the dancing tomato cans. Various mascots try to fight him and save the day. Along the way we get parodies of everything from Jack Benny (as a bunny again, of course) to Superman. This is a clear return to the 30s concept mastered by Frank Tashlin, but obviously there are some gags to remind you this is a Clampett cartoon. Not the absolute best cartoon of its kind, but definitely among the stronger ones, with some entertaining chaos especially in the last few minutes.
8.5

Porky's Bear Facts
Directed by I. Freleng
Hard-working farmer Porky has all the food he needs for the winter, unlike his lazy bear neighbor. After almost resorting to eating his pet dog, the bear sees Porky having a nice dinner. Will he learn the importance of hard work? This reminds me slightly of Freleng's earlier cartoons with a moral like "Pigs Is Pigs", but in a more comedic version – the bear and the dog are both entertaining characters, and the musical sequences push the story forward in a humorous way.
8.5

Which WB cartoon star doesn't belong?

Toy Trouble
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Sniffles and the Bookworm are looking at toys in the Lacy's department store. After some chaos involving the toys, Sniffles sees a real cat and has to outwit it. Neither the strongest nor the weakest entry in the Sniffles series – this is another cartoon that focuses more on being cute than funny, though there are some nice gags, like Sniffles hiding among a group of Porky Pig dolls (I want one!) and sound effects being displayed by building blocks. A charming entry, though it could do with slightly faster pacing at times.
7.5

Porky's Preview
Directed by Fred Avery
Animator Porky hosts a picture show, showing the audience his own cartoons. A skunk can't get to the show, as he only has one "scent" (an Avery trademark corny joke), forcing him to think of another way to get there. The majority of the short is taken up by Porky's cartoons, which are quite amateurishly drawn, mostly featuring stick figures. I imagine the animators had fun with this unusual task – for once, they would have had an excuse to turn in shoddy work, but despite the simplicity and ugliness of Porky's supposed creations, the movement in them is animated flawlessly as usual. Carl Stalling provides the soundtrack with fittingly off-key versions of "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" and other tunes. Not a masterpiece, but definitely a unique and funny short, providing a meta take on animation that must have been really unusual back then.
8.5

The Trial of Mr. Wolf
Directed by I. Freleng
The Big Bad Wolf is in court, accusing Little Red Riding Hood of conspiring against him, just so Grandma could make a fur coat out of him. We hear his side of the story, which is completely different from Red's version. This is very much in the style of Avery's fairytale cartoons, especially "Little Red Walking Hood" – I guess this could be considered a sequel of sorts, with the wolf's reference to going to the pool hall and Red's Katharine Hepburn impersonation. While I don't think this cartoon quite reaches the level of that one, it's still a funny entry with several amusing gags, the scenes with Grandma being my favorite parts.
9

Farm Frolics
Directed by Robert Clampett
A series of gags featuring farm animals. We see cultural references, topical humor and ordinary cartoon animal comedy. An entertaining eight minutes. We even get a joke with a grasshopper making fun of movie censorship (even namechecking the Hays Office), though this predictably ended up getting cut from most prints of the cartoon. Most of the gags have aged surprisingly well – just a couple rely on popular catchphrases at the time.
8.5

Porky's Ant
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Porky, traveling in Central Africa with a native companion, reads about the rare pigmy ant, worth 150,000 dollars! He soon spots one and tries to catch it, to no avail. Like many Jones cartoons from the era, this short has little dialogue – Porky has just a few lines, while the other two characters are mute. It's a more comedic entry than his usual one at this point, though, with his style still obvious in the characters' expressions. Jones seems to be finally getting rid of the slow pacing in his cartoons – apart from maybe one scene involving a lion, the film doesn't drag on like some of his earlier shorts. While I can't say this one is a real standout, it doesn't have any particular problems either, apart from the unfortunate design of Porky's native friend (who's otherwise portrayed less offensively than many other African characters at the time).
8

Hollywood Steps Out
Directed by Fred Avery
Celebrities of the time spend an evening in the Ciro's nightclub. They dance to the music and watch a bubble dancer perform. The running gag features Clark Gable chasing an attractive lady. Considering the theme of the cartoon, there are obviously a lot of references to forgotten stars and films, although some have stood the test of time better. But at the same time, this gives the cartoon a special charm, and several of the gags are amusing. We even see a cameo by producer Leon Schlesinger, seated with assistant Henry Binder. Just a shame an original print of the short isn't available – the reissue cuts out several scenes, a couple of the edits being very abrupt.
8.5

A Coy Decoy
Directed by Robert Clampett
Once again, books in a store come to life. But this time the characters on the books include Porky and Daffy in addition to random literary characters. The Wolf of Wall Street uses a female duck decoy to lure Daffy, leading to a crazy chase. Another fun cartoon, with wackiness from Daffy, including a random song performance. I kind of view this as a prototype version of a later Clampett cartoon with a very similar theme, but this is definitely an enjoyable one in itself.
9

Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt
Directed by I. Freleng
Bugs reads the story of Little Hiawatha who's hunting a rabbit. To his horror, that's happening right then, and the rabbit is Bugs himself. But no matter what the hunter tries, Bugs outwits him. The second time Bugs had to face a hunter, with his great trickster spirit shining. While the cartoon isn't entirely without flaws, it's much better than I expected – while Bugs invokes some of the typical Native American stereotypes here, Hiawatha's characterization is decent for the time. While not particularly intelligent (typical of the characters chasing Bugs), he comes off as slightly more cunning than Elmer, for example. Using Bugs to narrate parts of the story from the book he was a reading is a clever idea, and the ending managed to catch me by surprise. One of ten (!) Oscar nominees for best short cartoon this year. The Schlesinger studio got two nominations, but Disney's "Lend a Paw" emerged the winner anyway.
9.5

Porky's Prize Pony
Directed by Charles M. Jones
A racehorse gets kicked out of the stables. He then tries to impress Porky, but the pig already owns a horse, and the newcomer's attempts to impress the potential owner all go wrong. But then Porky's regular horse is unable to participate in the steeplechase. The horse racing theme isn't new to the WB cartoons, even Porky himself has appeared in the likes of "Milk and Money" and "Porky and Teabiscuit" before. But this is definitely a charming entry, especially with the cute horse. He's very clumsy and ends up making things worse for Porky over and over, but he remains happy and keeps attempting to impress him. And all of that without a single line of dialogue for the character. Definitely a recent pattern for Jones, and thankfully so is the increase in comedy, and quality in general.
9

The Wacky Worm
Directed by I. Freleng
A crow is chasing a worm with a big mustache. The funny worm keeps getting away from the predator by hiding in various objects. This is probably one of the least remembered shorts from the era – undeservedly, as it's a very good one! The worm has an amusing personality (the caricature of Jerry Colonna might not be recognized today, but the character is funny even without getting the reference), and much of the chase action is brilliantly timed to the music. The ending is also a great one, with a funny reaction from the crow (who's otherwise slightly overshadowed by the worm).
9.5

Meet John Doughboy
Directed by Robert Clampett
Draftee 158¾ (Porky) shows the audience a newsreel on America's defense effort. We see many visual gags and puns involving soldiers, military equipment and even animals. Another enjoyable spot gag cartoon, this time more topical than before (having been released just months before the U.S. entered the war). The silly and cartoonish take on a serious theme is enjoyable, though I wonder how different this cartoon would have been if it had been produced a little later – some of the scenes don't portray the U.S. army as particularly competent. But thankfully the day is saved by an unexpected hero!
9

The Heckling Hare
Directed by Fred Avery
Willoughby is trying to catch an animal yet again, and as before, he picks the wrong one to deal with – Bugs Bunny himself. Bugs plays pranks on the dog, but eventually they both end up in danger! The production process of this cartoon was a dramatic one. There's an extremely long sequence with Bugs and Willoughby falling, but originally there were going to be three (with the first two played in full)! However, the last two were cut before the original release (with the footage most likely destroyed) for unknown reasons, leading to a really obvious cut at the end. How much of a part this debacle played has been debated, but Avery left the studio soon after the short was finished, later joining MGM where he would make many of his most famous cartoons, including the Droopy series. "The Heckling Hare" has definitely been overshadowed by this controversy, but as with Avery's previous Bugs cartoons (and the Willoughby ones, for that matter), it's a strong one with great gags. The gag with a "Silly isn't he" sign would later be used in several other cartoons, and really, who else but Avery would have put a 40-second falling sequence (or two of them plus some) into a cartoon?
10

Inki and the Lion
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Inki is hunting again, trying to catch a monkey and the Minah bird without success. But when he sets his sights on a lion cub, he angers its father and gets chased. This is very close in plot (including a similar ending) to the first Inki cartoon, but with faster pacing and better gags. The characters prove charming enough without any dialogue – apart from Inki's design, the usual stereotypes are avoided.
8.5

Aviation Vacation
Directed by Fred Avery
A travelogue cartoon, starting with plane-related gags (rather similar to those in "Ceiling Hero"). After visiting Mt. Rushmore, the tourists head overseas to Ireland and then Africa. Jokes range from political ones to fourth wall breaking and other randomness. An enjoyable short, even if it's not an outstanding one.
8

We, the Animals - Squeak!
Directed by Robert Clampett
Porky hosts a radio show where animals tell their life stories. The guest star is champion mouse catcher Kansas City Kitty. She tells the story of how her reputation was almost ruined when a group of mice took her son Patrick hostage. I like the characters here, especially the Irish-influenced Kitty, whose tales of her mouse catching skills seem to be a bit exaggerated at times... But the gangster mice are entertaining too. Besides the great character acting, Clampett snuck in some fun jokes, like Kitty changing her story on whether her son was born before or after her marriage to Tom Collins, as well as a comedic musical sequence with the cat and mice. A fun short that I've always enjoyed.
9.5

Sport Chumpions
Directed by I. Freleng
More spot gags, this time funny vignettes about various sports, ranging from archery to auto racing. Interestingly, this is a rare cartoon featuring only human characters, some of them animated very realistically (probably rotoscoped). Apart from slightly less cartoonish animation, this is very similar to Avery's spot gag cartoons – his departure from WB seems to be honored through a football game being held at the Avery Memorial Stadium. I was especially pleased to see a rare Finnish reference: Paavo Nurmi doing an impressive ski jump at Lake Placid – never mind that he was a runner in reality!
8.5

The Henpecked Duck
Directed by Robert Clampett
In the "court of inhuman relations", judge Porky presides over the case of Duck vs. Duck. Mrs. Duck wants a divorce after Daffy made their egg disappear while she was away. Poor Mr. Duck just wants another attempt at making it appear... I've always found this one of the most memorable shorts from this era. We see some scenes of Daffy at his wackiest ("Yes, my love!") but also feel sorry for the treatment he receives from his rather unlikable wife. Brilliant character acting and lively animation all around. Clampett also manages to sneak in what might be the dirtiest joke in the entire series (blink and you'll miss it, as the censors did). All in all, one of my absolute favorites from him.
10

Snowtime for Comedy
Directed by Charles M. Jones
The Curious Puppies are chasing a bone again, this time on snow and ice. The big dog tries to slide his way to it on ice, while the smaller one tries to stay afloat on a block on ice. There's a running gag with the two dogs accidentally destroying a beaver's dam. All the cartoons with the puppies are rather similar in execution, but I find a slight improvement over most of the previous ones – the gags are more imaginative and cartoonish this time. The dam gag is probably the most memorable one and gets a nice conclusion. One of the best cartoons with these characters, though not quite reaching level of "Stage Fright".
8.5

All This and Rabbit Stew
Directed by Fred Avery (uncredited)
And we return to the infamous Censored 11, namely the only one of them to feature Bugs Bunny. A black hunter is trying to catch Bugs, but the rabbit keeps outwitting him. This cartoon has many imaginative and fast-paced gags. The scene where the duo meets a bear is funny, and a scene where the hunter chases Bugs through a log was even reused by Clampett a few years later for another even better cartoon. The only part where the cartoon falls flat is the character of the hunter. The stereotypical design and portrayal were very common at the time, but they have aged extremely badly. The slightly earlier "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" avoided at least some of the overused stereotypes for the Native American hunter, but I can't really say the same about this cartoon. Too bad, since the short is otherwise very good.
9

Notes to You
Directed by I. Freleng
Porky is trying to sleep, but a singing alley cat prevents him from doing so. All of his attempts to silence the annoying cat go wrong. This is one of the funniest cartoons of the time – the cat's singing is amusing, and it's used brilliantly (especially his take on "Jeepers Creepers"). The other gags are fun too, especially a clever one involving Porky throwing a "Fu Manchu" book at the cat. The use of Porky as the protagonist also works great – most likely this wasn't entirely by choice, as he was still officially the star of the Looney Tunes, but when the usually rather calm pig is driven to madness, it's especially effective. A character's desperate attempts to sleep were a relatively common theme in cartoons (already seen in "Porky's Badtime Story" and "Good Night Elmer"), but this is the best one yet, and Freleng would in fact reuse the plot of this cartoon later in the decade.
10

The Brave Little Bat
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Sniffles finds shelter from a rainstorm in an old windmill. There he meets Batty, an extremely talkative bat. But the two new friends soon meet a mean cat, and Sniffles is in danger! Jones returns to his Disney-esque phase here (not a big surprise considering the characters). The cartoon starts in a sickeningly sweet way (Sniffles driving around in a toy car, honking the horn and singing), but thankfully it gets better. Batty represents a character archetype often used by the studio at this point: a character who rambles on and on, never shutting up (previous examples including Dizzy Duck and Blabbermouse). Perhaps to emphasize this, Sniffles himself is a lot quieter than on his previous appearances. I think the cartoon is a rather sweet one with the two little creatures and their friendship – not a real standout or the typical WB cartoon at all, but a nice watch anyway.
8

Bug Parade
Directed by Fred Avery (uncredited)
A cartoon about bugs – with a lowercase b, this time. We see a series of spot gags about various insects, ranging from flies to termites. All of them are given quite a bit of personality. Besides the bugs being surprisingly cute, the jokes are funny in a corny way, and in many cases, more timeless than in some other cartoons of the same style. A good candidate for my favorite in this genre! Also a nice send-off for Tex Avery, as this was the last cartoon he completed for WB – a few more he had started would be finished by Bob Clampett who took over his former unit of animators.
9.5

Robinson Crusoe Jr.
Directed by Norman McCabe
Porky embarks on a voyage on his ship. After a hurricane, he ends up shipwrecked on an island where he meets Friday, who was expecting Robinson Crusoe. He then goes to explore the island, watching the wild animals' antics, until he meets some natives who chase him. The first cartoon for McCabe as a solo director, having taken over for Clampett in his old directorial unit. I think it's a good debut for him. While the natives' depiction is predictably dated, Friday is likable enough as a character. His performance of "Java Jive" is the most memorable part of the short, though we get some fun gags (fittingly for the time, some patriotic ones included) and fast-paced chases too. Another one I've always enjoyed, maybe in part thanks to it being one of the first I saw from this era.
9

Rookie Revue
Directed by I. Freleng
Spot gags about life in the military. We see the soldiers waking up, in the mess hall and in various divisions practicing – all of it presented in a humorous way, with the silliness that's typical in this kind of cartoon. Entertaining gags about a topical subject.
8.5

Saddle Silly
Directed by Charles M. Jones
The pony express is trying to deliver mail to a fort. The rider and the horse repeatedly run into trouble, falling off cliffs and eventually coming across the Sioux Moe Hican (once again stereotypically conflating the two completely distinct tribes). A man keeps asking them for a lift, to no avail. This cartoon is very different from the earlier ones by Jones, showing some signs of the style of his later cartoons. The pacing is very fast, there are a lot of gags (my favorite being the bubble joke in an underwater sequence)... Even the desert backdrop is very similar to some later Jones classics. It's definitely not at the level of those (I feel the cartoon is a bit disjointed at times), but you have to start somewhere, and though not a masterpiece, this is definitely an enjoyable one.
8.5

Porky's Midnight Matinee
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Porky, working in a movie theater, lets a trained African pigmy ant out of its cage. But once he finds out the ant is worth 162,422,503.51 dollars (the price has gone up a lot from "Porky's Ant"!), he tries to get it back using various methods. This is an entertaining one, better than the ant's first appearance. Despite the cute design, it's portrayed as very mischievous here, being downright cruel to Porky at times. The pantomime approach is used here again (apart from Porky having a few lines), and it's one of the most successful attempts yet.
9

The Cagey Canary
Directed by Fred Avery & Robert Clampett (both uncredited)
A cat chases a canary, but their owner puts a stop to this. If the cat bothers the canary, the latter can just whistle, and she'll throw the feline out in the rain. The cat desperately tries to come up with ways to snatch the bird without her noticing. The cat and canary theme would be used countless times in the series later on, but this doesn't pale in comparison to most of the later ones – it's a wild cartoon with various fun gags. The characters, especially the clever canary, have a lot of personality without any need for dialogue (something a lot of cartoons have attempted lately, especially those by Chuck Jones). The ending is a particularly amazing one!
10

Rhapsody in Rivets
Directed by I. Freleng
A construction foreman conducts his band of workers who construct a building to the tune of Liszt's Second Hungarian Rhapsody. The mostly canine workers handle this well for the most part, but not everything goes right. From the start, music has played a huge part in the WB cartoons, but this cartoon takes the combination of music and comedy to a new level – essentially every action of the characters is timed to the classical music. This is something that requires perfect timing of the animation, and Freleng and his crew achieve this brilliantly. Using different movements of the composition for each scene (where a different floor is being built) was also a great idea. While the musical comedy approach would be used many times later, the results sometimes being even funnier than here, this is definitely a successful and important cartoon for the series. It also made an impression at the time, being Schlesinger and WB's (as well as Freleng's) other Oscar nominee this year.
9.5

Wabbit Twouble
Superwision: Wobert Cwampett
Yes, there's a fun gag with not only the title but also the credits listed the way Elmer Fudd would pronounce them! He goes to Jellostone national park for some rest and relaxation. But this proves impossible due to Bugs' constant tricks on him, and a grizzly bear also getting into the act. The early Bugs cartoons have been absolutely brilliant, and this one is no exception. The characters are hilarious with their personalities and acting, especially Elmer has some great reactions here. Showing that the crew was still experimenting with the characters, Elmer gets a more heavyset redesign, apparently based on his voice actor Arthur Q. Bryan, but this would only last a year before the old design was brought back. Nowadays, this cartoon is probably best known for Bugs' impersonation of Elmer (which would inspire the "Big Chungus" meme almost eight decades later), but that scene is just one of many highlights in this short!
10

Porky's Pooch
Directed by Robert Clampett
Rover the dog tells his homeless friend Sandy how he found a home. We see his various attempts to get Porky to take him in. This is another fun short – Rover is entertaining in all his annoyingness, Porky is a great foil for him, and even the other dog making a brief appearance is funny with his unique voice (the triple role in this short being one of the many great moments for Mel Blanc). Many funny gags, including fourth wall breaking, and Clampett again getting things past the censors (through a line of dialogue that's seen but not heard)... The visuals are quite unique too, using photos for the backgrounds instead of paintings.
9.5

Leon Schlesinger Productions also created (without receiving credit) an animated title sequence for another live-action Paramount film.

The Lady Eve
A snake with a top hat and a maracas on his tail places apples containing the film title on branches of a tree. Then we see him slithering down the tree while the credits roll. He goes through the "O" in director Preston Sturges' name, which gets stuck on his body, and an apple falls on him. The simpler end title shows him shaking his maracas. Out of the three film title sequences created by the studio, this is my definite favorite! The lively animation gives the snake a lot of personality, and the interaction with the credits is something I doubt was seen much in those days.

1941 was another very strong year for the cartoons – my favorite one yet. A lot of great entries, and very few that I'd consider weak ones (just one, really). Bugs is already taking his place as the star of the Merrie Melodies, even getting his own special opening sequence for the cartoons he appears in. On the other hand, Tex Avery leaving the studio is the definite low point of the year – he contributed a lot to the Looney Tunes style during his six years at the studio, being responsible for many masterpieces, creating some of his best cartoons in his last year. Norm McCabe may not have achieved those heights yet, but shows promise as the newest director, based on his co-directions with Clampett and solo debut. While the U.S. entry to WWII only came late in the year, the war was clearly already having an effect on the plots of the cartoons a few months earlier – something that will naturally only get more obvious in the following years. Bring on 1942!