The Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies' third decade begins! This year, we have some recurring characters making their first appearances and say goodbye to a few others.

Home, Tweet Home
Directed by I. Freleng
Sylvester is chasing Tweety in a park. His attempts to catch the bird keep getting foiled by a woman, a bulldog and Tweety himself. In this relatively early Sylvester and Tweety entry, Tweety's character is still quite close to his 40s version. While he starts relying more on other characters to save him, he's still very much capable of defending himself when he needs to (with the earlier sadism still there on occasion). Sylvester is entertaining, though as in the other early cartoons, I feel he gets overshadowed a bit by Tweety and his quips. Not my absolute favorite Sylvester and Tweety cartoon, but in their early days, they couldn't really do wrong.
9

Hurdy-Gurdy Hare
Directed by Robert McKimson
Bugs decides to buy a hurdy-gurdy and a monkey to earn some money. However, when the monkey tries to take all the money for himself, Bugs decides he can do it alone. The monkey tells a gorilla at the zoo about how badly he was treated by Bugs, and the gorilla starts chasing Bugs. An underrated cartoon – nice gags, the usual cleverness from Bugs (including some excellent lines), and a great ending! A lot funnier than McKimson's previous Bugs Bunny cartoon involving gorillas ("Gorilla My Dreams").
10

Boobs in the Woods
Directed by Robert McKimson
Porky is in nature, painting a beautiful landscape when Daffy comes to ruin it. And any other relaxing things the pig tries similarly result in him being annoyed by the crazy duck. Porky and Daffy have always been a great comedic duo – and this hilarious short is possibly my favorite with them! Daffy is at his wackiest, constantly bothering Porky, who is great as the straight man. Many funny gags with plenty of randomness from Daffy, some of the best animation of the time, and an especially memorable conclusion – a strong candidate for McKimson's best cartoon.
10

Mutiny on the Bunny
Directed by I. Freleng
Pirate captain Shanghai Sam needs a new crew for his ship with the old one having deserted him. He lures Bugs to work on his ship with the promise of getting to see the world. But Bugs keeps outwitting Sam with various tricks, often leading to the ship sinking and Sam having to repair it. Bugs and Sam are another duo whose chemistry and interactions are always entertaining. Sam is great in the role of a pirate – it had been done before in "Buccaneer Bunny", and this wouldn't be the last time either. Bugs is charming, the gags are imaginative and unexpected – another very good one!
9.5

The Lion's Busy
Directed by I. Freleng
It's Leo the lion's birthday. He's now ten years old – and Beaky Buzzard is delighted, as lions rarely live longer than that. The buzzard plans to eat him, and the lion's attempts to fight him don't work. Beaky's return is surprising, as he hadn't shown up in cartoons since Bob Clampett left the studio (though he had appeared more often in the Looney Tunes comics). He's an amusing character like before, though he's portrayed as much more cunning here than on his first two appearances. An unusual theme, nice gags and an interesting pair of characters – a worthy return for Beaky.
9

The Scarlet Pumpernickel
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Daffy is tired of appearing in comedic roles, so he asks his boss J.L. to let him appear in a more dramatic role. He has written a script himself for this purpose, featuring him as the highwayman Scarlet Pumpernickel, who has to save his sweetheart Melissa, about to be married to the Grand Duke (Sylvester). One of the best remembered cartoons from the era, featuring a large cast of Looney Tunes characters in various roles. The parodic hero story was something Jones would often use Daffy in, this being the first significant example – unusually the whole thing is portrayed as a made-up story, which allows for a lot of randomness. Melissa Duck, debuting here, didn't appear much in the classic cartoons, but she would become a recurring character in later eras, appearing the most often out of Daffy's various girlfriends. The character acting is great, especially from Daffy himself, both in the story and when desperately trying to pitch it to J.L. Something unusual for the time, definitely an influential cartoon for the series!
9.5

Homeless Hare
Directed by Charles M. Jones
A construction worker (Hercules) ends up destroying Bugs' home when moving dirt from the ground. Bugs takes revenge on the mean guy, as wild antics ensue all around the construction site. This cartoon was much funnier than I remembered, with some great expressions (a Jones specialty) and funny lines especially from Hercules. Jones always did these kinds of cartoons really well – Bugs can go quite far with his actions, but they feel especially justified here with how unlikable and disrespectful the construction worker was towards him (and even his fellow construction workers, further irritating Bugs). A top-notch effort!
10

Strife with Father
Directed by Robert McKimson
Big Beaky leaves his son Little Beaky for Monte and Gwendolyn English Sparrow to hatch and raise. Once the buzzard has grown up, it's time for him to leave the nest. Monte tries to teach his son how to fly and catch chickens without any success. Easily the weakest of the Beaky Buzzard shorts, though it's still quite a humorous one with some good gags. The characters are clearly the highlight in this fairly ordinary short – Beaky has always been a funny character, and Monte is also entertaining with his attempts to remain calm despite the problems dealing with his dumb son. I find it surprising that after more than four years away, Beaky appeared in two shorts released so close to each other... I wonder if there were plans to start using him more often – in any case, this would be his last animated appearance in the classic era.
8

The Hypo-Chondri-Cat
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Hubie and Bertie find a new house to live in, but there's a problem: Claude Cat also lives there! The mice soon notice the cat is a hypochondriac, constantly fearing illness. Hubie and Bertie manage to convince him that he's about to die unless he has an operation... This is an absolutely brilliant entry, improving a lot on the similarly themed and already enjoyable "Mouse Wreckers" – Hubie and Bertie's sadism is taken to a new level, and Claude's portrayal is also much more interesting. Probably one of the darkest cartoons in the entire series, though it has some funny moments too – and there's also a really surreal hallucination sequence (it reminds me slightly of the nightmare scene in "Fresh Airedale", but even weirder)! Jones was really breaking new ground, this kind of cartoon couldn't have come from any other director, and it's one of his many masterpieces.
10

Big House Bunny
Directed by I. Freleng
Running away from hunters, Bugs ends up digging his way to Sing Song Prison. Prison guard Sam Schulz thinks he's a prisoner trying to escape, so Bugs ends up being prisoner 3½. He tries to get away while Sam keeps getting in trouble with the warden. Another amazing Bugs and Sam cartoon! The gags are all great, with a setting that provides for plenty of comedy, and the characters are funny (we especially see some very amusing reactions from Sam). Even among the generally strong Bugs cartoons, this is one of the standouts.
10

The Leghorn Blows at Midnight
Directed by Robert McKimson
Henery is trying to catch a chicken, but he thinks the Barnyard Dawg is one. The dog tells him that Foghorn Leghorn is the chicken he's looking for, but Foghorn convinces the hawk that his meat is no longer tender and he should instead go after a pheasant (i.e. the dog). Another very enjoyable cartoon with the trio, with great portrayals for all of them (possibly their best ones yet). They all get their opportunity to shine, as both the rooster and the dog take turns helping Henery catch the other one, with some excellent dialogue. One of Foghorn's best.
10

His Bitter Half
Directed by I. Freleng
Daffy reads a newspaper and sees that a "refined wealthy lady duck" is looking for a partner. In hopes of getting rich, Daffy immediately marries her, but things aren't what he expected, as the new wife makes him do all the household chores. She also forces him to play with her son Wentworth who is an absolute nuisance. Not the first cartoon to have a henpecked Daffy, but definitely an entertaining one. Getting rich is something Daffy has shown an interest in lately, and this is definitely an interesting plot (and explains why Daffy tries his best to tolerate the awful wife and even worse stepson). Despite his greed, you can't help but feel sorry for him. Wentworth is also entertaining in all his annoyingness, which makes for some good gags. Not my favorite Daffy cartoon, but a good one at any rate.
8.5

An Egg Scramble
Directed by Robert McKimson
Farmer Porky is collecting the eggs laid by his chickens, but the old hen Prissy isn't laying any. The other hens decide to play a prank on her, putting an egg laid by Agnes in her nest. Prissy doesn't want to give up the egg she thinks she laid, leading to a chase that even involves the police and the dangerous gangster Pretty Boy Bagle. More a Prissy cartoon than a Porky one, this is a fun and fast-paced short, taking various unexpected turns. Definitely an enjoyable watch! Fittingly for a chicken character, Prissy would become a recurring character in the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons soon after her debut here. She was supposedly based on the 30s character Emily (who appeared in three cartoons), but if that's the case, Prissy is definitely a funnier character than her predecessor.
9.5

What's Up Doc?
Directed by Robert McKimson
Bugs tells a reporter the story of his life and his career in show business. We see his first meeting with vaudeville star Elmer Fudd, among other things. The idea of the cartoon is a bit similar to "A Hare Grows in Manhattan", but the focus is mostly on Bugs' career this time. And just like that short, it does its star justice! Besides the great look at Bugs' life, there's the wonderful chemistry between Bugs and Elmer, some celebrity parodies, nice gags... And of course the titular song – first heard over the titles of "Stage Door Cartoon", it returns and will soon become Bugs' permanent theme. This cartoon even contains a vocal version of it performed by Bugs and Elmer, a year after a version had been heard on the Capitol story record "Bugs Bunny in Storyland". Another standout effort!
10

All a Bir-r-r-d
Directed by I. Freleng
Sylvester and Tweety are traveling on a train, in the baggage car. The cat keeps trying to catch the little bird, but his attempts keep getting foiled by the conductor, Tweety pulling on the emergency cord, and a dog... Another good cartoon for Sylvester and Tweety – the typical gags but in a new setting, some funny lines (especially from Tweety), and if you look closely, many in-jokes related to the WB crew! Tweety is becoming less active in defending himself from Sylvester, though there's still a cleverness to his actions and his comments on the cat's misfortunes that would be missing later on. He also sings a cute and rather catchy song that would become his theme song for a while (being heard over the titles of his next two cartoons). Nice one even if it's not the characters' absolute best.
9

8 Ball Bunny
Directed by Charles M. Jones
A skating penguin is left behind when an ice skating show packs up. Desperate to find his way home, the penguin ends up in Bugs' rabbit hole. Bugs promises to help the penguin home to the South Pole, and the two go on an exciting voyage around the world. A pretty unusual short with its adventurous approach, though of course there's a lot of comedy too! Playboy Penguin from "Frigid Hare" returns for one last appearance – he's had a slight design change (he's now a black penguin instead of a blue one), but is just as adorable as last time around, if not even more so! Great short with both funny and cute moments.
9.5

It's Hummer Time
Directed by Robert McKimson
A cat tries to catch a hummingbird, but the clever bird foils all his attempts. A dog keeps getting caught up in the cat's attempts and repeatedly subjects the cat to violent and imaginative punishments. A funny and unique take on the traditional cat and bird chase. You know something will always happen to the cat, but you never know what exactly the dog will come up with, so there's an unusual excitement to it all. While clever, the hummingbird is a bit overshadowed by these antics, though he's also likable, especially the way he keeps humming many familiar tunes. The cartoon is also visually impressive – there's an unusual camera angle change near the end, for example. McKimson may not have been considered quite as innovative as Jones, for example, but this is definitely something new!
10

Golden Yeggs
Directed by I. Freleng
On Porky's farm, a goose lays a golden egg. However, since he knows how badly things went for the goose the last time this happened, he instead claims Daffy Duck did it. He's happy to take credit, but then he's abducted by gangsters who force him to actually lay one! Another nice cartoon with some fun gags, especially the scene where Daffy tries to escape. The mob boss introduced here ("Racketeer Rabbit" had featured a different-looking gangster with the same name), Rocky, would appear in several later cartoons along with Bugs Bunny. As much as he is the stereotypical cartoon gangster, he's entertaining in his role and has a memorable design.
9.5

Hillbilly Hare
Directed by Robert McKimson
Bugs is on vacation in the Ozarks when he meets the hillbilly brothers Cot and Punkinhead Martin. The two try to shoot Bugs, thinking he's from the rival family the Coys, but the rabbit escapes, eventually leading the two hillbillies into a wild square dance! Feuding hillbillies are something we've seen before in a few 30s cartoons, but this is definitely the most memorable short based on the theme. The square dance with the wacky and catchy song performed by Bugs is the obvious highlight here – the beginning of the short is also enjoyable, but that part is sheer brilliance.
10

Dog Gone South
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Charlie Dog is still looking for a home. He's in the South and tries to get Colonel Shuffle to take him in as his pet. But the Colonel's hatred of the North (which Charlie keeps referring to) and him already having a dog prove to be big obstacles. This is a pretty random pairing of two characters who had previously appeared with the real star characters (Charlie in three Porky cartoons and Colonel Shuffle in a Bugs cartoon), but it ends up working amazingly! Charlie is funny as always, while the Colonel is absolutely hilarious with his rage at just hearing the word "Yankee". And there's also the classic line "Oh, Belvedere! Come here, boy!" This immediately became one of my favorite cartoons when I first saw it as a kid, and I still love it just as much today!
10

The Ducksters
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Porky is a contestant in the game show "Truth or AAAHHHHH!", hosted by Daffy. But the questions are all impossible ones, and Porky must pay the penalty for each failure to answer correctly. The Porky and Daffy pairing works really well, as usual – in fact, I think this is one of their very best cartoons! Plenty of funny lines, fine slapstick comedy and an excellent ending. It also helps that the game show theme remains just as relevant today as it was back then.
10

A Fractured Leghorn
Directed by Robert McKimson
A cat is trying to catch a worm, as he needs one to be able to catch fish. But Foghorn Leghorn is after the same worm, leading to a fight between him and the cat. The first Foghorn cartoon not to feature Henery Hawk or the Barnyard Dawg, and therefore a slight deviation from the usual formula – but this cartoon is a very funny one anyway, especially with Foghorn's incessant talking (he keeps blabbing even more than in most of his cartoons). The cat (the same one we've seen in several McKimson cartoons lately) is mostly mute, as is the worm, leaving the spotlight to the rooster, though both of those characters also fare well in their roles. A good showcase in how the character of Foghorn Leghorn could also be used in different situations!
9.5

Bunker Hill Bunny
Directed by I. Freleng
In the Battle of Bagle Heights, Bugs is defending his fort from the attacking Sam von Schmamm the Hessian. Sam repeatedly gets blasted by cannons. There's a degree of familiarity at times (the repeated cannon gag was already used in "Buccaneer Bunny"), but the setting is a new one. There's a nice contrast between the angry Sam and the calm Bugs. Not the duo's strongest cartoon, but an entertaining one in any case.
9

Canary Row
Directed by I. Freleng
Sylvester is after Tweety, but the house the bird lives in ("Broken Arms Apartments") doesn't allow any cats to enter! He comes up with schemes to catch the bird, but they all get foiled by the bird and his owner Granny. Tweety had had various owners in his previous cartoons, but this short introduced one who would appear in the cartoons even beyond the classic era! Granny (who would sometimes also be portrayed as Sylvester's owner) is clearly a more entertaining character than her predecessors – Bea Benaderet gives her a memorable voice, and she's portrayed as quite clever here with the ways she ruins the cat's plans. And Tweety himself still plays a part in beating the cat instead of entirely relying on Granny. An important step forwards for the series, and also a fun cartoon! This short was originally nominated for an Oscar (for 1949), but the nomination was withdrawn by producer Edward Selzer. Maybe a cunning tactical decision, as the studio's remaining nominee "For Scent-imental Reasons" did win the award!
10

Stooge for a Mouse
Directed by I. Freleng
Unusually, Sylvester is friends with Mike the dog. A mouse's attempts to get some cheese are foiled by the cat, but then he comes up with a scheme – convince the dog that the cat is trying to betray him. Poor Sylvester has no clue what's happening. An interesting variation on the typical cartoons with cats, dogs and mice. It's fun to see what the mouse comes up with, though I can't help but feel sorry for Sylvester... The ending is a funny and rather satisfying one, though!
9

Pop 'im Pop!
Directed by Robert McKimson
Gracie the fighting kangaroo is getting ready for her performance at the circus, and her son Hippety Hopper escapes, causing a lot of chaos in the city. Sylvester is telling his son how he once fought a giant mouse and beat him. He gets an opportunity to prove the story is true, as Hippety Hopper shows up, but the kangaroo is too tough with his fighting skills. Easily the best of the three Hippety Hopper cartoons so far, with the funniest gags (including a running gag involving cement) and expressions. It's also the first appearance of Sylvester Jr., who would appear in several later McKimson cartoons, usually with Hippety Hopper. He's very cute, and a nice addition to the series – in this cartoon, he seems to be more supportive and admiring towards his father than in the later ones. The Hippety Hopper cartoons don't seem to be everyone's cup of tea, but this early one is great, pretty much setting the template for the later ones!
10

Bushy Hare
Directed by Robert McKimson
A stork accidentally delivers Bugs to a mother kangaroo in Australia instead of her real baby. The kangaroo is sad when Bugs says he's not her baby, so he plays along. But an Aboriginal hunter soon sets his sights on Bugs who nicknames him Nature Boy. Another enjoyable Bugs cartoon, even if it's not my absolute favorite. Some nice gags here, and the cast of characters is good – Bugs is his usual lovable self, the hunter is a bit one-note but entertaining, and the kangaroos are cute (though I'm a bit surprised Hippety Hopper wasn't used here).
8.5

Caveman Inki
Directed by Charles M. Jones
In the prehistoric times, Inki and a little dinosaur companion are hunting various animals. Inki soon gets chased by a lion cub that's interested in the bone in his hair, and a giant dinosaur starts chasing both of them. There are also running gags involving a man eating soup, and of course, ones featuring the Minah Bird. This is quite similar to the previous Inki cartoons, though Jones' expressive style is more apparent and the gags are slightly faster-paced than in the earliest entries. I think this is one of the strongest cartoons with the character, and there is a certain charm to it (I especially like the ending and the Minah Bird scenes in general), but it doesn't really hold a candle to the best shorts of the era. The final appearance of Inki, the last of Chuck Jones' 30s characters that still made occasional appearances in the series – the stereotypically designed African native was starting to be a bit outdated as a character even then. His co-star the Minah Bird, on the other hand, would return decades later to make occasional cameos in various WB cartoon series.
8

Dog Collared
Directed by Robert McKimson
It's Be Kind to Animals Week, and Porky tries to be kind to all the animals he sees. But after he pets a giant white dog, the dog starts chasing him around, and he can't get away no matter what tries. A wild chase cartoon with various nice gags (perfectly punctuated by the music) and the adorable dog character. Porky always works well as the straight man character, and this short is no exception. There's also a good twist near the end. Something very simple but excellent!
10

Rabbit of Seville
Directed by Charles M. Jones
Elmer is hunting Bugs again, but the two end up on a stage, doing a performance of Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville". One of Jones' operatic masterpieces – the animated action is synchronized excellently with the music, and the whole thing is accompanied by fitting and humorous lyrics sung by Bugs and Elmer (Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan both doing a perfect job singing in character). Expressive animation, great music, comedy – this one has it all. One of the most beloved cartoons in the whole series, and for a good reason.
10

Two's a Crowd
Directed by Charles M. Jones
John gets his wife an adorable puppy as a present. But Claude Cat isn't happy about the newcomer, especially when he hears he'll be thrown out if he doesn't get along with the puppy. While the couple is away, the dog keeps startling the cat by barking loudly. Claude comes up with various schemes to get rid of the dog. I must admit I didn't find this short particularly memorable. The puppy is an adorable one, but Claude's portrayal isn't as appealing as in his previous appearance – the lack of dialogue probably plays a part too, making him seem more like a generic cartoon cat. An entertaining seven minutes, for sure, but in this era, there are many even more enjoyable ones.
8

The first year of the new decade continued the studio's amazing run – one of the absolute best years of the WB cartoons! All three directors made many masterpieces. McKimson may not generally be as highly rated as Freleng and Jones, but his cartoons this year don't pale in comparison to theirs at all – he is often considered to have been at his career peak around this time. The new character introductions (especially Granny) also make this another fairly influential year for the whole series. This all bodes well for the future...