Bugs is the manager of a travelling show in the old west. Yosemite Sam sees the poster for the show and comes to see `Fearless Freep' carry out his daring high dive routine into a small container of water. However, Freep calls in sick and Bugs is forced to cancel that part of the show. Very unhappy that he paid his money for nothing, Sam forces Bugs to do the dive himself - but he didn't reckon on how tricky Bugs can be!
The reasons that I love Bugs Bunny cartoons can pretty much all be seen in this one short film - it is clever, funny, has great characters and relies on a simple set up to deliver one basic gag in several different ways. Here, after a bit of set up, the jokes are all based around the fact that Bugs and Sam are on top of a high diving board, with Sam forcing Bugs to jump. Needless to say, the one repeatedly climbing back up the ladder is not our favourite rabbit! That is not a spoiler as it is the nature of Sam's falls that are funny - they aren't very clever but they are imaginative and are delivered with real humour and relish!
Part of this great delivery are the characters themselves. Bugs is his great usual self here and is very funny and, as always, a great partner only serves to make Bugs stronger. Sam fills this requirement really well and makes his falls funnier. I have seen too many Bugs cartoons where he is less funny simply because he has no foil to work off - many great comedians are better with their straightman and the animated ones are no different. Very much a two-hander, this is a fine example of what they could do.
Overall this is a very funny cartoon that is successfully based on one running gag whereby Sam ends up falling from the platform. The material is simple but the delivery is good and the end result is a very funny cartoon that gets better with each passing fall!
The reasons that I love Bugs Bunny cartoons can pretty much all be seen in this one short film - it is clever, funny, has great characters and relies on a simple set up to deliver one basic gag in several different ways. Here, after a bit of set up, the jokes are all based around the fact that Bugs and Sam are on top of a high diving board, with Sam forcing Bugs to jump. Needless to say, the one repeatedly climbing back up the ladder is not our favourite rabbit! That is not a spoiler as it is the nature of Sam's falls that are funny - they aren't very clever but they are imaginative and are delivered with real humour and relish!
Part of this great delivery are the characters themselves. Bugs is his great usual self here and is very funny and, as always, a great partner only serves to make Bugs stronger. Sam fills this requirement really well and makes his falls funnier. I have seen too many Bugs cartoons where he is less funny simply because he has no foil to work off - many great comedians are better with their straightman and the animated ones are no different. Very much a two-hander, this is a fine example of what they could do.
Overall this is a very funny cartoon that is successfully based on one running gag whereby Sam ends up falling from the platform. The material is simple but the delivery is good and the end result is a very funny cartoon that gets better with each passing fall!