"Due to an unfortunate delay," announces the barker, Bugs Bunny, "Fearless Freep will be unable to perform his high-diving act today." But Yosemite Sam had bought out the house just to see Freep. If Freep isn't going to dive, someone else will just have to. And that someone is going to be Bugs Bunny. Bugs is no high diver; but at gunpoint, he'll have to take his first-ever 500-ft. jump into a tank of water. Or will he? Yosemite Sam will find himself tricked into doing the dive himself—many times—before realizing that no matter what he does, Bugs's blissful ignorance of physics will always save him.
Friz Freleng said he took a big chance on this one-joke idea. It paid off big time. You've got to love this parody of human nature, as represented by Sam. The little bully doesn't get his way, so he takes it out on the closest person at hand. And of course—of course!—he gets outraged when his victim refuses to be bullied. Bugs's own heroic brand of stubbornness only inspires Sam to redouble and requadruple his efforts. Oh, and don't you love what Sam does the first time he tries to force Bugs off the diving board—and thinks he's succeeded? He feels sorry!
But not for long. If the bullies of the world are Yosemite Sams, why can't the rest of us be Bugs Bunnys?
This short is available on "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume One," Disc 1.
Friz Freleng said he took a big chance on this one-joke idea. It paid off big time. You've got to love this parody of human nature, as represented by Sam. The little bully doesn't get his way, so he takes it out on the closest person at hand. And of course—of course!—he gets outraged when his victim refuses to be bullied. Bugs's own heroic brand of stubbornness only inspires Sam to redouble and requadruple his efforts. Oh, and don't you love what Sam does the first time he tries to force Bugs off the diving board—and thinks he's succeeded? He feels sorry!
But not for long. If the bullies of the world are Yosemite Sams, why can't the rest of us be Bugs Bunnys?
This short is available on "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume One," Disc 1.