Shishkabugs
Encyclopedia
Shishkabugs is a Warner Bros.
Looney Tunes
animated short directed by Friz Freleng
, and starring Bugs Bunny
and Yosemite Sam
. The title of the short is a play on shish kebab, a type of grilled meat.
With only 4 minutes and 53 seconds of footage (not counting the credits and cards), Shishkabugs is the shortest Bugs Bunny short ever made in the Golden Age of American animation. Shishkabugs is also a rare cartoon where Yosemite Sam is in the role of a victim instead of being the aggressor.
is the royal chef for a spoiled king. On his way back to the castle from grocery shopping, Sam complains how the king never thanks him for his hard work in having to take up groceries and prepare meals three times a day, but whines that Sam takes too long with preparing the meals, much to Sam's annoyance ("Cook! Cook! Where's my breakfast? Where's my lunch? Where's my dinner?"). This drives Sam to the point where he insults the king behind the king's back.
After Sam prepares his latest meal, which consists of "Cornish Hen a la Westchester" and "Prime Rib of Mutton au Jus with kreplach
Sauce Bordelaise," the king just kicks the dish and orders Sam to take it away. He then tells Sam he's fed up with having his meals served as variety. Wanting something different for a change, the king orders Sam to fix him some hasenpfeffer
. Sam agrees to carry out the king's request, but doesn't know what hasenpfeffer is. When Sam checks back just to make sure the king said the right word, the king answers the question by throwing a bowl of custard into Sam's face.
While Sam is looking up the recipe, Bugs Bunny knocks on the door and explains that as he's one of the rabbits residing in the king's royal forest, he's come to borrow a cup of diced carrots. Sam just slams the door on Bugs and returns to the cookbook, only to discover that hasenpfeffer is a dish that includes a rabbit as one of the ingredients. Realizing who he just shooed away, Sam rushes out after Bugs.
Sam manages to trick Bugs into thinking that the king has invited Bugs for dinner and agrees to help him prepare for dinner. While Sam adds the required ingredients to the pot, Bugs states how glad he is to be a rabbit, but after Sam reads that he's to place Bugs into the oven and heat him at 350 degrees F, Bugs sees that he's been duped. Bugs gets out of the pot and pretends to go off to another commitment, but Sam blocks the exit and threatens him with the meat ax, forcing Bugs to return to the pot (Bugs stating if it's that important he stay).
At this point, the king is starting to get impatient and whine that Sam is taking too long to make the hasenpfeffer. Realizing there's no time to cook Bugs, Sam just shuts him in the pot and serves him to the eager king. Just as the king lifts the pot lid, Bugs springs up and gives the king a kiss. After spitting out Bugs' cooties, the king scolds Sam for serving him a raw and alive hasenpfeffer and orders him to take it back to the kitchen and prepare it the right way, or else Sam will be "drawn, hung, and quartered."
Not wanting to face execution for his mistake, Sam shoves Bugs into the oven and orders him to stay there until the cooking time is up. Sam then pulls out an hourglass that gives the time for hasenpfeffer, prime ribs, fish, and fowl. While Sam's back is turned, Bugs escapes the oven (commenting on how hot it is in there) and leaves. As soon as the hourglass hits zero for hasenpfeffer, Sam thinks he's safe.
Just as the king starts getting impatient and whining that Sam's taking too long again, Sam brings out the supposed hasenpfeffer and presents it to the king. Just as the king is remarking that he hopes that Sam prepared the hasenpfeffer the right way, he lifts the pot lid and a spring released banana coconut creme pie (planted by Bugs before he left) springs out and hits the king in the face. Just as Sam realizes that his goose is cooked, the king shouts out for the guards to arrest Sam for his "crime" and announces that Sam is fired. Right away, a pair of clumsy guards rush in, arrest Sam, and lead him to the dungeon to await execution.
After a brief scene showing a sign reading "Cook Wanted," Bugs, now the new royal chef, serves the king his hasenpfeffer. The king removes the pot lid and eats a giant carrot, which Bugs is passing off as hasenpfeffer, but he doesn't seem to care that his dish is a carrot. Bugs then closes one eye and remarks to the audience with a British Cockney accent a pun
about how this goes to show us how "a one eyed Jack
(rabbit) can beat a king!"
, who died one week after this cartoon's release.
This is the first time music director William Lava
is credited as Bill Lava in the cartoon's credits.
The short notably features in the background of a scene in Days of Wine and Roses.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
animated short directed by Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
, and starring Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
and Yosemite Sam
Yosemite Sam
Yosemite Sam is an American animated cartoon character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The name is somewhat alliterative and is inspired by Yosemite National Park...
. The title of the short is a play on shish kebab, a type of grilled meat.
With only 4 minutes and 53 seconds of footage (not counting the credits and cards), Shishkabugs is the shortest Bugs Bunny short ever made in the Golden Age of American animation. Shishkabugs is also a rare cartoon where Yosemite Sam is in the role of a victim instead of being the aggressor.
Plot
Yosemite SamYosemite Sam
Yosemite Sam is an American animated cartoon character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The name is somewhat alliterative and is inspired by Yosemite National Park...
is the royal chef for a spoiled king. On his way back to the castle from grocery shopping, Sam complains how the king never thanks him for his hard work in having to take up groceries and prepare meals three times a day, but whines that Sam takes too long with preparing the meals, much to Sam's annoyance ("Cook! Cook! Where's my breakfast? Where's my lunch? Where's my dinner?"). This drives Sam to the point where he insults the king behind the king's back.
After Sam prepares his latest meal, which consists of "Cornish Hen a la Westchester" and "Prime Rib of Mutton au Jus with kreplach
Kreplach
Kreplach are small dumplings filled with ground meat, mashed potatoes or another filling, usually boiled and served in chicken soup. They are similar to Italian tortellini and Chinese wontons. The dough is traditionally made of flour, water and eggs, kneaded and rolled out thin...
Sauce Bordelaise," the king just kicks the dish and orders Sam to take it away. He then tells Sam he's fed up with having his meals served as variety. Wanting something different for a change, the king orders Sam to fix him some hasenpfeffer
Hasenpfeffer
Hasenpfeffer is a traditional German stew made from marinated rabbit or hare, cut into stewing-meat sized pieces and braised with onions and wine in a marinade thickened with the animal's blood...
. Sam agrees to carry out the king's request, but doesn't know what hasenpfeffer is. When Sam checks back just to make sure the king said the right word, the king answers the question by throwing a bowl of custard into Sam's face.
While Sam is looking up the recipe, Bugs Bunny knocks on the door and explains that as he's one of the rabbits residing in the king's royal forest, he's come to borrow a cup of diced carrots. Sam just slams the door on Bugs and returns to the cookbook, only to discover that hasenpfeffer is a dish that includes a rabbit as one of the ingredients. Realizing who he just shooed away, Sam rushes out after Bugs.
Sam manages to trick Bugs into thinking that the king has invited Bugs for dinner and agrees to help him prepare for dinner. While Sam adds the required ingredients to the pot, Bugs states how glad he is to be a rabbit, but after Sam reads that he's to place Bugs into the oven and heat him at 350 degrees F, Bugs sees that he's been duped. Bugs gets out of the pot and pretends to go off to another commitment, but Sam blocks the exit and threatens him with the meat ax, forcing Bugs to return to the pot (Bugs stating if it's that important he stay).
At this point, the king is starting to get impatient and whine that Sam is taking too long to make the hasenpfeffer. Realizing there's no time to cook Bugs, Sam just shuts him in the pot and serves him to the eager king. Just as the king lifts the pot lid, Bugs springs up and gives the king a kiss. After spitting out Bugs' cooties, the king scolds Sam for serving him a raw and alive hasenpfeffer and orders him to take it back to the kitchen and prepare it the right way, or else Sam will be "drawn, hung, and quartered."
Not wanting to face execution for his mistake, Sam shoves Bugs into the oven and orders him to stay there until the cooking time is up. Sam then pulls out an hourglass that gives the time for hasenpfeffer, prime ribs, fish, and fowl. While Sam's back is turned, Bugs escapes the oven (commenting on how hot it is in there) and leaves. As soon as the hourglass hits zero for hasenpfeffer, Sam thinks he's safe.
Just as the king starts getting impatient and whining that Sam's taking too long again, Sam brings out the supposed hasenpfeffer and presents it to the king. Just as the king is remarking that he hopes that Sam prepared the hasenpfeffer the right way, he lifts the pot lid and a spring released banana coconut creme pie (planted by Bugs before he left) springs out and hits the king in the face. Just as Sam realizes that his goose is cooked, the king shouts out for the guards to arrest Sam for his "crime" and announces that Sam is fired. Right away, a pair of clumsy guards rush in, arrest Sam, and lead him to the dungeon to await execution.
After a brief scene showing a sign reading "Cook Wanted," Bugs, now the new royal chef, serves the king his hasenpfeffer. The king removes the pot lid and eats a giant carrot, which Bugs is passing off as hasenpfeffer, but he doesn't seem to care that his dish is a carrot. Bugs then closes one eye and remarks to the audience with a British Cockney accent a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
about how this goes to show us how "a one eyed Jack
Jack (playing card)
A Jack, also Knave, is a playing card with a picture of a man on it. The usual rank of a jack, within its suit, is as if it were an 11 ....
(rabbit) can beat a king!"
Facts
This is the third cartoon to use a character with a caricature of actor Charles LaughtonCharles Laughton
Charles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
, who died one week after this cartoon's release.
This is the first time music director William Lava
William Lava
William "Bill" B. Lava was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated cartoons from 1962 onwards, replacing the deceased Milt Franklyn. Lava's music was very different from that of Franklyn and previous composer Carl Stalling...
is credited as Bill Lava in the cartoon's credits.
The short notably features in the background of a scene in Days of Wine and Roses.