The last year of the Looney Tunes' and Merrie Melodies' third decade. Surprisingly, we even get some new directorial talent, including in the very first entry of the year!

Baton Bunny
Directed by Chuck Jones & Abe Levitow
Bugs Bunny conducts a performance of "Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna" by Franz von Suppè. Along the way, he has many distractions, especially a fly. The first cartoon (partially) by a new director since 1946 – due to Jones being busy with other projects, other directors would fill in for him a few times, long-term animator Abe Levitow getting the task the most often. The cartoon feels very much like a Jones one, though – this is another great entry in his series of musical Bugs cartoons. The amazing orchestrations are perfectly synchronized with Bugs' performance, which is a humorous one... and even the fly buzzes to the tune of the music! It gets especially enjoyable and slightly chaotic near the end, with the final gag being the funniest. I'll definitely miss these musical Bugs shorts!
10

Mouse-placed Kitten
Directed by Robert McKimson
An abandoned kitten ends up at the door of Clyde and Matilda Mouse. After the two mice struggle to raise their feline son, they take Junior to a human family. On his first birthday, they go visit the now fully grown son. This soon leads to problems for the cat, as he wants his parents to stay with him and helps them despite his owner wanting him to get rid of all the mice. The plot reminds me of a reversed version of "A Mouse Divided", but the execution is quite different. One of the more obscure shorts of its time and not one of the wildest or funniest in the series, but a sweet cartoon in any case!
8.5

China Jones
Directed by Robert McKimson
The Hong Kong detective China Jones (Daffy) finds a message in a fortune cookie, promising a 150 pound reward for rescuing a prisoner held in a Chinese bakery, and heads to Limey Louie's restaurant for a tip. He meets Charlie Chung (Porky) who is trying to bring up money matters, but Jones doesn't want to share the reward. What Jones doesn't know is that there's a scheme going on against him... A rather mediocre entry – besides the obvious dated stereotypes, I don't think the story is a particularly strong one, though we do get a couple of good gags. Not one of Daffy's or McKimson's best moments.
7

Hare-abian Nights
Directed by Ken Harris
Various acts perform for the Sultan, but if they fail to impress him, they're dropped into the crocodile pit. Bugs happens to dig his way into the Sultan's palace, and he's forced to perform for him, telling stories. He tells how he ended up in a bullfight, met a monster and faced off with Yosemite Sam. Another cheater cartoon, as all the stories Bugs tells are clips from his earlier cartoons, taking up half of the short. While the clips are certainly good picks (from memorable cartoons like "Bully for Bugs"), I feel the short relies a bit too much on them. The new parts are quite entertaining, so I wouldn't have minded seeing more of them. The only cartoon directed by Ken Harris, who had been an animator for the studio since the 30s, mostly on Chuck Jones' cartoons – he was known for his strong personality animation. He fares well here – shame he never got to do an all new short!
8

Trick or Tweet
Directed by Friz Freleng
After fighting over Tweety, Sylvester and Sam agree not to try to catch him. But both cats keep making repeated attempts to snatch the bird anyway, with one always stopping the other from doing so. Despite the title, this has nothing to do with Halloween, but it's another amusing cartoon in the Sylvester and Tweety series! This short introduces Sam as a new foil for Sylvester – while Sylvester had fought orange cats before in cartoons like "Putty Tat Trouble", the one here has a comically dopey personality and a fitting voice provided by Daws Butler. Tweety is pretty much relegated to making occasional comments on the cats' antics here – the best moments come from the cats, especially Sam.
8.5

The Mouse That Jack Built
Directed by Robert McKimson
Jack Benny the mouse takes his wife Mary Livingstone out on her birthday. A cat comes up with a scheme to eat them, taking advantage of Jack's cheapness. An unusual cartoon for its time with the celebrity guest voices: the cast of "The Jack Benny Program" (also featuring Jack's servant Rochester, announcer Don Wilson, and the Maxwell, a car voiced by none other than Mel Blanc) appears voicing mouse versions of themselves. While some of the jokes are obviously going to be missed by people not familiar with the show (myself included), I think it manages to entertain in spite of that – the actors give their characters a lot of personality, they're portrayed appealingly, and there are some fun lines along the way. An interesting and funny one-shot!
9

Apes of Wrath
Directed by Friz Freleng
The drunken stork knocks out Bugs Bunny and delivers him to a couple of gorillas after their real baby manages to escape. Elvis the gorilla is horrified at the sight of the new "baby" and tries to harm him, but the mother gorilla tells him that he's his son after all. Bugs decides to have fun and annoy the father who keeps getting hit with a rolling pin whenever he reacts angrily. Essentially a remake of "Gorilla My Dreams", but I find this the more entertaining of the two cartoons. The mother gorilla in particular is a funny character, and the way Bugs takes advantage of the situation is great. The addition of the drunken stork also sets up the conflict well, and this is used for another brilliant gag at the end.
9

Hot-Rod and Reel!
Directed by Chuck Jones
Wile E. Coyote (Famishius-famishius) is once again after the Road Runner (Super-sonicus-tastius). He uses roller skates, an explosive camera kit and a jet-propelled unicycle among others. More Road Runner fun – this time it feels like there are more gags related to vehicles than usual. Another solid entry in the series.
9

A Mutt in a Rut
Directed by Robert McKimson
While Elmer is away, his pet dog Rover watches a broadcast of "The Dog Lovers Hour" on TV. The host explains how some masters neglect their dogs and eventually shoot them under the guise of a hunting trip. Rover starts acting weird towards Elmer, and when the master decides to take the dog out hunting to cheer him up, he comes to the wrong conclusions. The dog tries to get rid of his master before he gets shot himself, but everything backfires. A fun cartoon – a likable portrayal of Elmer (rare to see him not only without his usual co-stars, but also being the good guy), Road Runner-esque gags when the dog tries to harm Elmer, and a particularly great ending!
9

Backwoods Bunny
Directed by Robert McKimson
Bugs digs his way to the Ozarks and decides to spend his vacation there. Lazy B.O. Buzzard (Pappy) and his dimwitted son Elvis are nearby, with the latter spotting the delicious rabbit. Elvis tries to shoot Bugs, but he proves too smart for the buzzard. This one's fun – the buzzards are appealingly characterized (especially Elvis – suddenly a common name in these cartoons for obvious reasons!), Bugs is in his prime trickster mode (though the common scene with him in drag takes a surprising turn!), and especially the final gag involving Elvis counting to four is a great one! Pappy and Elvis would go on to make another appearance the following year with another familiar character...
9.5

Really Scent
Directed by Abe Levitow
In New Orleans, two kittens are born to Pierre and Fifi, but one of them looks like a skunk with her white stripe. The two girls soon grow up – Jeanette immediately finds a boyfriend, but Fabrette struggles with everyone running away from her. She soon comes across Pepé Le Pew, but his odor proves an obstacle to the would-be couple. I've enjoyed the Pepé cartoons, but they've been some of the most formulaic WB cartoons... but this one changes a lot of it! While we get some of the typical skunk and cat chase, there's more of a plot, an interactive narrator, the love isn't one-sided for once, and unusually Pepé actually finds out why everyone is avoiding him! Maybe Levitow stepping in was to thank for this novelty – I definitely didn't expect to like an effort by a new director so much (this being his first solo effort), but I'd go as far as to say I've enjoyed this the most of any of the skunk's appearances. Cute and very entertaining!
10

Mexicali Shmoes
Directed by Friz Freleng
Two cats, José and Manuel, try to catch Speedy Gonzales. But they're no match for the mouse's speed and wits despite their best attempts to use their brains. Another fun cartoon with Speedy, again with different cats as his foils (these ones sharing their names and personalities with the crows from 1956's "Two Crows from Tacos"). This short is also the first of two appearances by Slow Poke Rodriguez, the slowest mouse in all Mexico. Despite only making two appearances in the theatrical cartoons, he's well remembered as the opposite to Speedy... and indeed, I find the scene with him the definite highlight of this cartoon! This short got an Oscar nomination but lost to Storyboard's experimental "Moonbird".
9

Tweet and Lovely
Directed by Friz Freleng
Sylvester is in a laboratory, creating various inventions in an attempt to catch Tweety. But Tweety's birdhouse is protected by Spike the bulldog who thwarts all of Sylvester's attempts. An interesting entry – while the rest of the short follows the usual Sylvester and Tweety formula, the machines are something you'd be more likely to see Wile E. Coyote use. Thanks in part to this novelty, it's a very strong cartoon, with the cat and bird both portrayed well and having some amusing dialogue (Tweety's comments on sleepwalking being a highlight). I also love Tweety's cute rendition of "Singing in the Bathtub" (a truly nostalgic song in the WB cartoons, since it had been heard in the very first Looney Tune 29 years earlier).
9.5

Wild and Woolly Hare
Directed by Friz Freleng
When Yosemite Sam arrives in the Fat Chance Saloon, everyone either leaves or gets shot... everyone except Bugs Bunny, who shows no fear of the tough guy. The two face off, with Bugs using his wits to beat Sam. Eventually Sam tries to rob a train, with Bugs doing his best to save it. Not one of the strongest Bugs and Sam cartoons, though a solid effort in any case – the two characters are portrayed amusingly, especially the characteristically nonchalant Bugs, but the gags aren't quite as strong as in some of the earlier ones. But it's still nice to watch these two against each other!
8.5

Cat's Paw
Directed by Robert McKimson
Sylvester Jr. wants a bird stalking merit badge, so his father teaches him how to do it. In the mountains, Sylvester makes the big mistake of going after what he thinks is a helpless little bird, but it turns out to be a dangerous dwarf eagle which repeatedly attacks the cat. The first time Sylvester Jr. was used in a cartoon without Hippety Hopper – something that would be done a few more times after this one. In concept, this is quite similar to those cartoons, but certainly a fun one with the cute but ferocious little bird, breathing some new life into the formula. Sylvester Jr. is adorably precocious again, with his father also having some amusing lines throughout.
9

Here Today, Gone Tamale
Directed by Friz Freleng
The Mexican mice are starving, as they haven't had any cheese in a while. Suddenly a ship full of cheese arrives, but it's guarded by Sylvester. The mice decide to get Speedy Gonzales to help them. One of the best Speedy cartoons – nice gags, some entertaining dialogue from Speedy and the other mice, and despite all the foils Speedy has had in the series, Sylvester is definitely the one that works best.
9.5

Bonanza Bunny
Directed by Robert McKimson
Bugs arrives in a Dawson City saloon with a bag of gold. The wanted criminal Blacque Jacque Shellacque shows up and is after Bugs' gold. The two soon gamble for the "rocks", but the tough guy isn't a good loser... This short introduces another character who would return for one more short later on: Jacque is essentially a French-Canadian version of Yosemite Sam. His antics with Bugs are fun to watch, and he's an entertaining foil for the rabbit, even if he's not quite as memorable as Sam. Some great gags here, my favorite being the duo's game of 21, and the ending also has quite a nice twist (emphasizing the trickster side of Bugs).
9.5

A Broken Leghorn
Directed by Robert McKimson
Foghorn plays a prank on the chickens by placing an egg in Prissy's (who hasn't been able to lay eggs) nest. But it soon hatches and out comes a rooster, and now Foghorn is worried about the kid taking over his job. The kid immediately shows potential, and the older rooster comes up with schemes to get rid of him, all of which backfire. Unusual to see Foghorn essentially being a villain, trying to harm a kid! The cartoon is entertaining enough with funny though sometimes a bit predictable gags. The little rooster is cute, but a bit nondescript compared to some of Foghorn's earlier foils. Nice but not a standout.
8.5

Wild About Hurry
Directed by Chuck Jones
Wile E. Coyote (Hardheadipus oedipus) chases the Road Runner (Batoutahelius). This time his attempts involve a rocket sled, a magnet and a steel ball. This is one of the Road Runner cartoons where Jones and the crew toy the most with the concept – the steel ball gag is one of the longest and most unpredictable in the series, with even more comedic misfortune than usual for the coyote! I think this serves to make it stand out from the average entry in the series. This short also continues the recent trend of having the Road Runner show more personality, this time through his use of signs. And those Latin names – Jones and writer Michael Maltese must have enjoyed sneaking them in!
10

A Witch's Tangled Hare
Directed by Abe Levitow
Bugs escapes from Witch Hazel who plans to use him as an ingredient for her brew. The rabbit uses his usual cleverness to outwit the witch, with some Shakespearean elements mixed in. Another big success for Levitow – Witch Hazel is funny as always, Bugs has some great moments (the laugh-off with Hazel featuring some fun expressions), all the gags with excellent timing... This is becoming a strong candidate for the best start by any director, even if getting to work with the Jones unit must have helped Levitow a lot. But I still think there's a novelty to his cartoons and their concepts that he must have had a lot to do with.
10

Unnatural History
Directed by Abe Levitow
Professor Beest Lee gives a lecture on animals and their behavior. The running gag involves Rover the dog waiting patiently for his absent master. Another spot gag cartoon with the appealingly corny jokes. A couple of them are familiar from earlier cartoons (like the beavers damning the river from "The Eager Beaver"), but most of them are new, my favorites being the one about a man auditioning with his dog that can answer his questions and the one about a rabbit going to Mars. Nice to see this type of cartoon still lives on (though this is one of the last we would get)!
9

Tweet Dreams
Directed by Friz Freleng
A nervous Sylvester visits Dr. Milt Towne at the dog and cat clinic, telling him about how his problems started and how he kept chasing Tweety. His stories are shown through clips from earlier Sylvester cartoons, especially those co-starring Tweety. Nice idea for the story, but even for a cheater cartoon, I feel the reliance on old clips is a bit much here. The chosen clips are good, but the new parts aren't particularly memorable apart from maybe the ending. Oddly, a clip from a cartoon with Sylvester Jr. is shown as one from Sylvester's childhood, with Sylvester himself portrayed as his own father – the cats in this family certainly resemble each other!
7.5

People Are Bunny
Directed by Robert McKimson
Daffy watches TV and hears that the station QTTV will pay 1000 dollars for the first rabbit brought to the studio. He forces Bugs to go there at gunpoint, but the allure of the prizes being given away on the show "People Are Phony" gets the better of the duck. At times somewhat reminiscent of 1956's "Wideo Wabbit", this is another fun entry with Bugs' cleverness and Daffy's repeated misfortunes. One of Daffy's portrayals as a villain (something that was much more common later on), this still fits his recent greedy personality. Amusing throughout!
9

Another Bell System science special was also released with animated sequences by the studio, this time directed by Friz Freleng.

The Alphabet Conspiracy
Short animated clips are used to demonstrate how human language works. Among others, we get animated numbers dancing with a live-action girl, a professor telling how he created a talking machine based on a study of the human speech mechanism, and two detectives interrogating a man to find out where he's from based on his accent. The latter is the most entertaining of these animated scenes, as the idea is quite humorous. A little less animation than there was in "Gateways to the Mind", but what was there did a pretty good job delivering the message in a lighter way.
8

1959 was another good year – the start may not have been one of the best, but the crew found their groove again with a very consistent quality later on, even if there weren't as many all-time classics as in some other years. Abe Levitow had a very strong showing as the studio's latest director, though this would be his most active year in the role, and he'd only occasionally assist Jones later on.

So we have now finished the third decade of the WB cartoons. A lot of people consider this the point where the golden age is starting to reach its end. For sheer influence, the 40s and 50s are unmatched. All of the series' most important characters have shown up, and we've seen their most highly regarded shorts. But there's still one more decade left, with some great cartoons included...