There is a HUGE difference in the cartoons of the 1930s and 1940s. Most 1930s cartoons were incredibly cute and jokes were minimal. By later standards, they were definitely a dull lot...with a few exceptions, such as Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons. But the key to success followed by other studios, such as at Universal (Walter Lantz), MGM and Looney Tunes (both with the Harmon-Ising team) was cute characters and saccharine sweet plots and songs. So, when I saw "The Hound and the Rabbit" was a Harmon-Ising cartoon, I almost didn't bother...but am glad I resisted my urge to change the channel. Sure, it is filled with LOTS of adorable bunnies...but there is no singing and the story is cute but avoids being too cute. It's simple story about a dog that makes friends with the rabbits...and a fox that tricks the dog into leaving so it can eat all the bunnies. Cute...yes...but for its time, it's actually a bit better than average.
4 Reviews
Decent cartoon from the 30's a bonus on my 'Double Wedding' DVD!
talisencrw17 August 2016
Decent cartoon included as an extra on my 'Double Wedding' DVD that was Disc 3 of my stellar 'TCM Spotlight: Myrna Loy and William Powell Collection'. In it, a rabbit is frightened, being chased by a hound, only to find that the dog isn't harmful. The rabbit brings his new friend to his buddies, all rabbits, playing American football, and finds the dog, though quite larger, is fitting in just fine. When the dog leaves, a hungry, cunning fox enters the picture, and the rabbits have him join them, thinking he's harmless like the hound was. When the fox starts capturing the rabbits, the dog returns to make the fox rethink his evil ways...
The fox and the hound (with bunnies)
TheLittleSongbird20 July 2019
Love animation, always have, always will. Actually love it even more now, with knowledge being (hopefully broader) and don't see any signs of that stopping. Am very sorry if that sounds like a broken record and am continuing to really trying to address any repetition, have been for a while and will continue to do so to avoid the anxiety-inducing down-voting review abuse.
Very like other viewers, personally know Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, individually and together, best for cartoons that are very well animated and scored but could be very cute and sentimental. Sometimes charmingly and then at other times the execution could be sickly sweet. Actually do not mind their cartoons at all, they can veer on being too cute and on the slightly bland side but can see that much work goes into their output and admire that. 'The Hound and the Rabbit' is mostly one of the charming examples, though could have done with less of the sweetness.
The admittedly adorable bunnies occasionally make 'The Hound and the Rabbit' a little too cute and are not particularly interesting characters outside of the adorability factor. As always for Harman and Ising, the story is very thin, though at least unlike some of their other work there is actually small signs of one with the fox and dog conflict, and with very little surprises. The conclusion can be seen from miles off, especially if one is familiar with similar cartoons.
Could have gotten going a little earlier, it's the dog and fox conflict where it comes to life.
However, 'The Hound and the Rabbit' is worth the look. The animation is rich in detail for design and backgrounds, vibrant in colour and crisp. Even better is the music, which is outstanding in its character and lushness. Although it is not a laugh a minute cartoon, smiles are raised and the friendship between the bunnies and the dog is really charming.
While the bunnies could have been more interesting, the dog and the fox are compelling characters. The dog is one that is easy to endear to and easy to root for, and the conflict between the dog and the fox is believable as is the fox's crafty villainy.
Summarising, quite nice. 6/10
Very like other viewers, personally know Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, individually and together, best for cartoons that are very well animated and scored but could be very cute and sentimental. Sometimes charmingly and then at other times the execution could be sickly sweet. Actually do not mind their cartoons at all, they can veer on being too cute and on the slightly bland side but can see that much work goes into their output and admire that. 'The Hound and the Rabbit' is mostly one of the charming examples, though could have done with less of the sweetness.
The admittedly adorable bunnies occasionally make 'The Hound and the Rabbit' a little too cute and are not particularly interesting characters outside of the adorability factor. As always for Harman and Ising, the story is very thin, though at least unlike some of their other work there is actually small signs of one with the fox and dog conflict, and with very little surprises. The conclusion can be seen from miles off, especially if one is familiar with similar cartoons.
Could have gotten going a little earlier, it's the dog and fox conflict where it comes to life.
However, 'The Hound and the Rabbit' is worth the look. The animation is rich in detail for design and backgrounds, vibrant in colour and crisp. Even better is the music, which is outstanding in its character and lushness. Although it is not a laugh a minute cartoon, smiles are raised and the friendship between the bunnies and the dog is really charming.
While the bunnies could have been more interesting, the dog and the fox are compelling characters. The dog is one that is easy to endear to and easy to root for, and the conflict between the dog and the fox is believable as is the fox's crafty villainy.
Summarising, quite nice. 6/10
Okay cartoon from the Harman-Ising team
lor_16 May 2011
I got to see THE HOUND AND THE RABBIT as an extra on the DVD issue of the delightful Myrna Loy/William Powell MGM comedy DOUBLE WEDDING, and it was a quality (if uninspired) take on the usual hare-brained antics one associates with other studios like WB.
With the exception of one briefly shown extra character bearing the Bugs Bunny floppy-ears persona, the lead rabbit and his friends here are cuddly critters, more like Koala bears in design. The typical food-chain chasing around of these cartoons offers nothing new, but is presented in excellent Technicolor.
Strictly filler (and that's how it's consumed today, just as it was theatrically back in the '30s), this is of novelty value only.
With the exception of one briefly shown extra character bearing the Bugs Bunny floppy-ears persona, the lead rabbit and his friends here are cuddly critters, more like Koala bears in design. The typical food-chain chasing around of these cartoons offers nothing new, but is presented in excellent Technicolor.
Strictly filler (and that's how it's consumed today, just as it was theatrically back in the '30s), this is of novelty value only.
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