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This episode from 1953 sees Bugs Bunny trying to get into Alabama, while Yosemite Sam tries to stop him.
This episode has generated some controversy at times, as its depiction of Negroes has been seen as inappropriate by some, and those sections have been edited out for some broadcasts.
Mournful music plays as we see a barren field. Bugs Bunny picks through the carrots growing
Bugs Bunny: Eh, what carrots! Look at this tired speciman! I haven’t seen a decent carrot for months around these parts
Bugs picks up a newspaper lying on the ground and reads out the headline
Bugs: “Record Carrot Crop in Alabama” Alabama! Well I’m Alabamee bound!
Bugs, cheerfully: ♪ I wish I was in Dixie, hurray, hurray, In Dixie land I’ll take my stand to live and die in Dixie ♪
Bugs walks up the dry dirt road
New scene
Much later. The countryside is still barren. Bugs is very tired, but still walking and signing.
Bugs, in a gasping voice: ♪ away, away
Bugs wipes the sweat from his brow, tiredly
Bugs: Phew… I wonder why they put the South so far south?
Bugs turns his head and sees something that makes his ears perk up
The scene pans to the Mason-Dixie line. The other side of the line is verdant and green, this side is a dry, barren wasteland. We can see a stately southern mansion. The camera pans and we see a river with a paddle steamer on it
Bugs: Well shut my mouf and call me cornpone, if it ain’t the little ole South!
Bugs walks across the line
Bugs: ♪ I’m coming, I’m coming For my head is bending – ♪
A gun is fired and a bullet parts the hair on Bugs’ head
Yosemite Sam is wearing a Southern Civil War uniform. There is a Southern flag flying and Sam is standing atop a dirt barrier that has a cannon sticking through it.
Yosemite Sam: Charge!
Sam runs forward, sword up
Bugs runs back across the line into the wasteland and dives behind a large rock
Sam: Get back there you danged Yankee!
Sam tries to stop but has too much momentum, and slides over the line into the Northern wasteland. When he comes to a halt, he looks horrified
Sam: Great hornitoads! I’m up North!
Sam runs back across the line
Sam, hopping up and down: I gotta burn my boots – they touched Yankee soil!
Sam looks across the line and sees that Bugs is waving a white flag from behind his rock
Sam: Lay down your arms and step forward, Yankee!
Sam points sword and pistol at Bugs’ position
Bugs walks up to the line, waving his flag
Bugs: Whats the hassle, schmassle?
Sam: My orders from General Lee is to hold the Masee-Dixie line and no Yankee’s a-crossing it
Bugs: General Lee?!? Why, the war between the States ended almost 90 years ago!
Bugs chews on a carrot
Sam: I’m no clock watcher! and until I hears from General Lee official I’m a blasting any Yankee that sets foot on Southern soil. So scram Yankee!
Sam fires his pistol as Bugs runs away
New scene:
Sam patrols back and forth along the Mason-Dixie line, to the drum beat of martial music. He stops and smiles at something he sees on the other side of the line
Sam: Well, its one of our boys
Bugs, disguised as a black tramp, playing a banjo, crosses the line
Bugs: ♪ The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home ♪
Sam: Hey there, boy! How about giving out with something peppy on that there skin box, huh?
Bugs: Yowver ♪ Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony ♪
Sam: Yankee Doodle!?!
Sam runs after Bugs
Bugs: ♪ – stuck a carrot in his hat and called it macaroni ♪
Sam: You traitor!
Bugs puts a whip in Sam’s hand, then grovels on the ground
Bugs: Don’t beat me massa! Please don’t beat me massa! Don’t beat this tired old body! No, no!
Bugs runs off
Bugs returns, dressed as Abraham Lincoln
Bugs (in voice of Abraham Lincoln): Whats this I hear about you whipping slaves?
Sam drops whip: But, but, but, but, but, but…
Bugs (in voice of Abraham Lincoln): Never mind the buts – heres my card. Look me up at my Gettysberg address.
Bugs walks away, but from the rear view Sam can see his cottontail sticking out of the disguise.
Sam eyes change form confused to angry
Sam: Oooohhh! Chaaarge!
Sam runs after Bugs
Bugs sees him coming and starts running. He tears off the Lincoln disguise as he runs and then dives into a hole in a tree
Sam reaches the tree
Sam: OK, you fur-bearing carpet bagger! I’m-a giving you one second to come out or I’ll blow you out.
Sam produces a large cannon ball bomb from inside his jacket
Sam: Times up!
Sam produces a match and starts to light the fuse on the bomb
Sam: Muahahahaha!
Bugs sticks his head out of the hole and blows the fuse out
Sam moves further away from the tree and pulls out another match to light the bomb
A long straw protrudes from the tree and blows out the flame
Sam: Oooooh!
Sam moves yet further away and lights the fuse again
Bugs does not stop him this time, but Sam has moved far enough away that the bomb blows up in his hands as he runs back to the tree
Sam, jumping up and down in anger while wearing the ragged remains of his uniform following the explosion: Ooooooh! I hate that rabbit!
New scene, the entrance to a small tent
Bugs, dressed as a southern officer and with a cigar in his mouth, exits the tent. Martial marching music plays, while Bugs’ scabbard drags along the ground as he marches up behind Sam. Sam is putting his uniform back on after the explosion
Sam: General Brickwall Jackson!
Sam salutes
Sam: Sir!
Bugs: Tenshun!
Sam snaps to attention
Bugs: Forward march
Sam starts marching
Bugs: Hut two three four. Hut two three four. Left march (Sam turns) Hut two three four. About face! (Sam turns) Hut two three four. Right March (sam turns) Rear march! (sam turns) On the double! March! (Sam marches faster)
Sams path takes him up a plank leading into a well.
Bugs, sitting doing his nails: Company halt!
Sam stops, millimetres from falling into the well. We see a pebble fall into the very, very deep well. Sam sweats.
Bugs: Fall in!
We hear a splash
Sam climbs out of the well
Sam: Ooooooohhh!
Bugs walks up towards the mansion
Bugs: ♪ Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony. Stuck a carrot in his hat and called it macaroni ♪
Sam: Chaaaaarge!
We see Sam coming up behind Bugs
Bugs runs up to the mansion, enters and slams the door shut behind him
Sam follows him up the front steps and bangs on the closed door
Bugs answers the door, dressed as a southern belle
Bugs (sounding like a Southern Belle): Ohh! Its one of our boys!
Sam, takes off his hat: Sorry, Scarlett ma’am. Sorry to have to intrude, but theres a Yankee about.
Bugs (sounding like a Southern Belle): Ooh! A Yankee! How terrible!
Sam: I’m afraid I’ll have to search your premises
We see a lovely pink and white foyer with sweeping curved stairway and large chandelier
Sam enters, gun in hand. Bugs runs past him and blocks a door.
Bugs (sounding like a Southern Belle): He’s not in here! He’s not in here!
Sam: Aha! So thats where he’s hiding! (leads Scarlett aside, while ‘Scarlett’ looks worriedly over her shoulder at the door) Sorry, Scrlett ma’am, but I have to do my duty.
Sam: OK, Yankee! Stick ’em –
Sam opens the door and the cannon concealed inside fires
Sam (high pitched voice, having taken the full brunt of the blast): up
Bugs runs to block another door
Bugs (sounding like a Southern Belle): He’s not in here! He’s not in here!
Sam: He, I’ll take your word for it ma’am
New scene:
An injured messenger approaches the house on horse back (it is Bugs, disguised again) then crawls up the steps to the house
Bugs: Colonel! THe Yankees! The Yankees! They’re in… Chatanooga!
Bugs pretends to collapse, too injured to continue
Sam: Chatanoogee?!?!
Martial music plays
Sam jumps on the horse left by the ‘messenger’ and rides way
Sam: Chaaarge!
New Scene
A ballpark. A sign saying “Exhibition Game – Yankees vs Chattanooga”
At the Yankee dugout, Sam is holding the players inside with a shotgun
Sam: The first danged Yankee that steps out of the dugout gets his head blasted off!
The scene fades out
Story
Warren Foster
Animation
Arthur David
Manuel Perez
Ken Champin
Virgil Ross
Layouts
Hawley Pratt
Backgrounds
Irv Wyner
Voice Chartacterization
Mel Blanc
Musical Direction
Carl Stalling
Directed By
I. Freleng
6:44
33 seconds
Looney Tunes
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One Response for "Southern Fried Rabbit"
I like the one scene where Bugs Bunny confuses Sam, easily and successfully crossing the Mason-Dixie line:
Sam: Well, it’s one of our boys.
Bugs (disguised as a slave, singing): The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.
Sam: Hey there, Boy! How about giving out with something peppy on that there skin box, huh?
Bugs (singing): Yowver, Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pony.
Sam: Yankee Doodle?! (runs after Bugs)
Bugs (singing): Stuck a carrot in his hat and called it “Macaroni”.
Sam: You traitor!
Bugs (puts a whip in Sam’s hand): Don’t beat me, Massa! Please, Don’t beat me Massa! Don’t beat this tired old body! NO! NO! (crawls away, then comes back disguised as Abraham Lincoln) What’s this I hear about you whipping slaves?
Sam: But-But-But-But-But-But-
Bugs (as Abraham Lincoln): Never mind the “Buts”. Here’s my card. Look me up at my Gettysburg address.
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