What's Opera, Doc?

What's Opera, Doc? is a 1957 short animated film in which Elmer Fudd chases Bugs Bunny through a six-minute operatic production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan do the voices, including the singing. The short is also sometimes known in the vernacular as Kill the Wabbit after the line sung by Fudd to the tune of the Ride of the Valkyries. In fact, this cartoon marks one of the few times that Fudd actually succeeds in outsmarting Bugs Bunny, and only time he does away with him. The cartoon ends with Fudd carrying Bugs's "dead" body up to Valhalla, and Bugs says, "What did you expect in opera? A happy ending?".

It is regarded as Chuck Jones' masterpiece. In fact, many film critics, animation fans, and filmmakers (as well as Jones himself) consider this to be Warner Bros.' greatest animation achievement of all the cartoons WB has released since 1930. It has also topped many Top Ten lists of the greatest animated cartoons of all time. What's Opera, Doc? required about 6 times as much work and expense as any of the other 6-minute cartoons his studio was producing at the time. During those 6 minutes, Jones lampoons:

• Disney's Fantasia,
• the contemporary style of ballet,
• Wagner's ponderous operatic style, and even
• the by-then cliche Bugs-and-Elmer formula.

It was later included in the compilation film, The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Movie, together with Duck Amuck and other Chuck Jones shorts.

(NOTE: Bugs Bunny directly recognized Wagner in The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Movie, but mispronounced the inspiring play as The Rings of Nebulon. This appears to be a deliberate distortion, since it sounds like the title of an imaginary science fiction movie.)

The film is also included on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2 DVD (Disc 4), along with two audio commentaries, optional music-only and voice-only audio tracks, and a making-of documentary, Wagnerian Wabbit.

What's Opera, Doc? marked the end of an era for Warner Bros. cartoons, for it was perhaps the last Bugs Bunny cartoon to truly capture the essence of WB's Golden Age of Animation. Fans have argued that no theatrical or made-for-TV cartoon has since done so.

The cartoon and lyrics were written by Michael Maltese, the music adapted from the overture to Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner, the impressive and unusual background work by Maurice Noble. It was the first cartoon short to be deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Duck Amuck was also later inducted into the registry, making Chuck Jones the only animator with two shorts thus recognized.

Story

The screen pans on the silhouette of a mighty viking arousing ferocious lighting storms, but it's only Elmer Fudd (as the demigod Siegfried). Elmer sings his signature line (in classical style), before arriving at Bugs Bunny's hole. Bugs watches Elmer fruitlessly jam his spear into the hole to "Kill the wabbit!" Bugs signs his signature line opera style before the chase begins as usual (of course, Elmer-as-Siegfried demonstrating supposed "mighty powers" from his "spear and magic helmet").

Later, Elmer is stopped in his tracks at the sight of the beautiful Valkyrie Brunhilde (Bugs in an obvious disguise). After the usual "hard to get" pursuit, (including a brilliant set design of pink flowers by Maurice Noble, and an unforgettable appearance by a fat horse in place of a Wagnerian Grand Dame), "Siegfried" and "Brunhilde" exchange endearments ("Oh Bwunhilde, you're so wovewy"/"Yes I know it, I can't help it"), and give a classic rendition of "Return My Love." Bugs' true identity is exposed when his headdress falls off, enraging Elmer and prompting him to command fierce lightning, torrential rain, hail and wind storms to "kill the wabbit!"

Eventually, a lightning bolt strikes Bugs dead. But upon seeing the bunny's corpse, Elmer immediately regrets his commands and tearfully carries the bunny off, assumedly to Valhalla in keeping with the Wagnerian theme. Bugs: "What did you expect in opera? A happy ending?"

Also see: Looney Tunes, Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies filmography