I was watching Boomerang last night and an old Merrie Melodies short, “Falling Hare”, showed, where basically Bugs Bunny reads about “gremlins” causing problems during WWII and then meets one of them, who ends up getting the better of Bugs in pretty much every situation. And I got to thinking, how many other shorts, if any, have Bugs being on the receiving end of all the standard antics, rather than on the giving end?
there’s one that came out after Duck Amok, similar scenerio with Elmer as the artist and Bugs as his victim.
Bugs is carted off to Alcatraz in the one where Elmer thinks he’s a rabbit.
Bugs was bested by a tortoise in two out of three cartoons (and, when Bugs did win, the tortoise promptly got him busted for speeding).
I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of two different cartoons. I believe Bugs ends up in Alcatraz as the result of a nationwide crime spree that includes selling Manhattan back to the Indians (who wouldn’t take it until he threw in a set of dishes) and sawed off Florida and set it adrift.
true - but the very last line of the one with Elmer (as Bugs is being dragged off by IRS officials) is “I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I’m not going to Alcatwaz” and he does the bunny-hop as the screen closes to black
While Bugs comes out the winner and gets the upper hand over his adversaries 95% of the time, Bugs does take a beating or two at the beginning of many episodes. In “Bully for Bugs”, as a result of his repeated failure to turn left at Albuquerque, he finds himself pitted against an angry bull in a bullfight as he resurfaces from his sub-terranian travel. At the beginning the bull butts Bugs out of the arena. While aloft with stars of pain shooting out of his backside, Bugs delivers one of his famous catch phrases, “Of course you realize this means war!” He then returns with a vengeance, dressed as a matador.
In “Long-Haired Hare”, Bugs annoys an opera singer who is practicing at home for his big performance. Bugs is nearby playing and singing folk songs and interfering with the opera singer. The opera singer (Giovanni Jones) first destroys Bugs’ banjo, then his harp, and then, while playing a tuba, Mr. Jones ties Bugs to a tree limb by his ears. At this point, our hero once again declares war against his tormentor.
The “Bugs Bunny” short in the Family Guy movie had me screaming with laughter. Disturbing but also “You know, I always wanted to see it go that way just once”.
I don’t know if these count but it terms of ones where things don’t go well for him…there’s the one that ends with him hanging deperately from the (cresent) moon.
And the one where he’s telling his nephew stories of his amazing expoits. The kid doesn’t believe he. He says:
“If it’s not all true may I get run over by a streetcar.”
The inevitable happens. He picks himself out of the rubble and say “Now I suppose you don’t believe I was run over by a streetcar!”
Note that the two “Tortoise versus Hare” cartoons are by Avery and the “Falling Hare” is by Clampett. They were willing to let Bugs get beaten. Chuck Jones might allow a setback (usually an initial one, allowing bugs to say “Of course you realize, This Means War!” in his Bronx-Brooklyn accent), but has him clean up at the end. Jones’ Bugs never loses. And since the 1940s, I don’t think any other director has, either.
Didn’t Mel Blanc say it was a Yonkers accent?
I’ve heard Mel Brooks lecture on this, and he said that he mixed Bronx and Brooklyn.
I’ve never even heard of a Yonkers accent.
not to get off topic too much - but why doesn’t Sylvester ever get to best Tweety? (or whichever mouse he’s chasing) (or Tom beat Jerry for that matter - but that’s a different studio) He doesn’t have to kill/eat the little critter in the end - just win the battle.
I recall watching a cartoon in which a small alien got the best of Bugs. My memories are vague, but it took place on Earth, both characters were in a rocket together right near the end, and the alien was not Marvin the Martian. Anyone remember this? Most of what I remember about this short was my own disaproval. It’s one thing if Fudd got the best of Bugs, or maybe Yosemitte, but to see some no name character take him down a peg? Not cool
Check the OP, I think Skott remembers this one.
Replace your fuzzy memories of “alien” with “Gremlin” and “rocket” with “B-17” and I think you’ve got it.
Tortoise Beats Hare was an Avery cartoon (“Supervi-zhee-in: Fred A-very.”), but Tortoise Wins By A Hare was a Clampett cartoon.
Yes, but he ends up winning at the end. Both cartoons you mention- Bully for Bugs and Long-Haired Hare were directed by Chuck Jones. In Jones’ cartoons (and others), Bugs Bunny is like a bear- he will not attack unless provoked. Whether it is Elmer Fudd, a bull, Giovanni Jones, or something else, Bugs will get even- and usually does. The cartoon Otto refers to, Rebel Rabbit, Bugs’s sabotage against America is due to the fact that the government has only placed a two-cent bounty on a rabbit pelt. The reason? Rabbits aren’t harmful, like bears. Bugs tries to prove the country wrong- and loses as a result, a rare loss for Bugs. (Bob McKimson directed this one.)
I’m guessing you mean Mel Blanc- although I’m sure a Mel Brooks Bugs would be just as interesting. “The 2000-Year-Old Wabbit?”
There was one with the Tasmanian Devil where Bugs built a Frankenstein’s monster and it kicked Bugs’ and Taz’ asses.
Family Guy: the Stewie Griffin Story 
There was one cartoon I remember where Bugs is playing the Hungarian Rhapsody at a recital, and a mouse keeps messing him up. He plays the song while at the same time trying to get the mouse. I forget how it ended but I’m pretty sure in this one Bugs was the antagonist at the losing end.
Wasn’t there at least one where the episode ended with him (and Daffy?) fleeing a castle inhabited by a vampire?
I may be crossing several episodes, but I seem to recall him inadvertantly and humorously thwarting the vampire’s many bloodlusted attacks, but eventually getting frightened enough to run away… complete with rabbit shaped hole in the door.
Guess that doesn’t really answer the OP’s question as he didn’t take a beating, but now I’m curious.