. . . and Bugs Bunny as Fletcher Christian suggests that Warner Bros. believed Clark Gable had bigger ears than Charles Laughton. However, for the sake of the kids in the audience, the topless Tahitian ladies are dispensed with entirely during this animated short, MUTINY ON THE BUNNY. The first half starts out promising enough, as Sam Shanghai's Bugs for a "Free World Cruise"--which turns out to be a job as Sam's deck slave. Bugs turns the tables on Sam by Tom Sawyering him into white washing--Er, swabbing the deck himself (to erase a series of insulting graffiti Bugs has surreptitiously scrawled while Sam's back is turned). But as soon as Bugs tricks Sam into first abandoning ship, and then scuttling it three times into dry-dock for repairs, MUTINY jumps the shark. The visuals of the second half become boringly repetitious; ditto the plot. Furthermore, does the command "Furl the Tattersail Topgallant!" really mean anything? The vast majority of the folks who'd know the answer probably are pushing up seaweed in Davy Jones' Locker right about now.

Here it is, one of my favourite Bugs Bunny vs. Yosemite(here Shanghai) Sam cartoons. It aimed to be Looney Tunes fun, that's what we got. The animation is wonderful, it isn't the best looking cartoon out there, but the backgrounds are audacious enough and the characters are well drawn, especially Sam. The music is rousing, bombastic and energetic, almost like a Korngold film score, except with more quirky and tongue-in-cheek motifs. The dialogue is witty and hilarious, and the sight gags as are nearly always the case with Looney Tunes are clever and all of them work. Bugs is very good here, rascally and funny while Yosemite Sam is a superb foil and takes the laughs well. On top of this, Mel Blanc gives bravura voice characterisations. Overall, funny and witty, and just a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Probably the reason that Yosemite Sam is so funny is that he's always so short-tempered, and when he gets paired with Bugs Bunny, he always seems like he's about to explode. In this case, Shanghai Sam loses his crew (the guy used to be a human being!) and kidnaps Bugs, only to see Bugs rebel. No matter what Sam does, Bugs figures out a way around it. The whole thing with the cannonballs makes me feel like I'm going to die laughing.The point is, the combination of Bugs's antics and Sam's angry rants (involving insults like "flea-bitten varmint" or "fur-bearin' varmint", only extended) always make for something great. A really classic cartoon.

Yosemite Sam gives one of his best and most believable performances as Shanghai Sam, feared captain of the Sad Sack (formerly the Jolly Roger), who has just lost another crew. Seeing as his idea of a crew is that one person is enough, he tricks the first carrot nibbling tourist he can find to get on board for a `free round the world ocean trip'. Of course he finds this Bunny is not so easily broken.Yosemite is probably my favourite Loony villain, especially when paired with Bugs. Marvin may be more threatening to the universe, Daffy more backstabbing and the Coyote more hungry, but Sam is just plain mean. Nobody does the old `No I'm not /Yes I am' routine better than Bugs and Sam. No Toon looks as terrible in a dress as Sam and no one knows how to exploit the gullibility of a bloated ego like Bugs. As a running gag the same footage of the boat sinking and being repaired is used at least three times in a row. Each time the repetitiveness makes it funnier! (maybe this is how Lou Scheimer got the idea to start Filmation?).7 out 10