Yankee Doodle Bugs
Encyclopedia
Yankee Doodle Bugs is a Looney Tunes
cartoon short, released in 1954, which was written by Warren Foster
and directed by Friz Freleng
. Bugs Bunny's nephew, Clyde, has trouble remembering important dates and events in history in preparation for an exam, so Bugs offers to help.
In the first segment, in a trade of land with the native American Indians, Bugs explains that Manhattan wasn't the bustling city you see today, but was rather, filled with Indian teepees. Bugs explains that the Statue of Liberty was "...just a little goil (girl) at the time".
In the second segment, Bugs is interacting with Benjamin Franklin on the day that Franklin discovered electricity. "What's up, Benny?" Bugs asks. Ben states, "I'm trying to discover electricity," and asks Bugs if he can tend to his kite (with a key tied on it, naturally), and that he must get out "...ye first edition of The Saturday Evening Post
", so he hands his kite string to Bugs to look after until he gets back. Bugs sees a storm cloud approach, lightning hits the kite and travels down the string and electrocutes him. Ben runs back, picks up Bugs who is flashing off and on like a lightbulb, exclaiming "I discovered electricity! I discovered electricity!" Bugs looks at the camera and says, "Heh... HE discovered electricity!"
In the third segment, Bugs explains to Clyde about the Boston Tea Party. The King is seen approaching a worker in the Royal Tea Warehouse in Boston. He orders the worker to "Spread these tacks on the Colonist's tea". The worker then says, "But Your Majesty, these are carpet tacks". The King dances around in a fit of insanity and exclaims, "Well, they're tea tacks now!" and exits off the screen, laughing all the way. Bugs explains to Clyde that the Colonists refused to drink their tea with tacks and that's how the Army was formed.
In the fourth segment, George Washington gets a letter in the mailbox, opens it and exclaims, "Gadzooks! I've been drafted!" He is then seen racing off on horseback to the Candy Shoppe, where he says to Martha that she'll have to look after the candy stores alone, while he's off to fight the war. He then races off screen, yelling "Charge!"
In the fifth segment, Bugs is seen approaching Betsy Ross's home where she is sewing an American flag (presumably after several failed design attempts, this is the first iteration of the flag - it has the 13 red and white colony stripes and blue field). He says, "Hiya Bets - how's the flag coming along?" She opens the flag displaying it and asks, "How's this, Mr. Bunny?" but Bugs makes a comment to Betsy that something is missing in the blue field. (Note the sign at the front gate that says, "Watch your step - Geo. Washington slipped here"). Pacing back and forth thinking hard about what can go in the blue field, Bugs unknowingly steps on a rake and the handle hits him in the head, forming a circle of stars around his head. He then looks at Betsy and asks, "Hey Betsy, does this give you an idea-r?" Betsy agrees, and starts sewing the stars into the blue space on the flag. This is how rabbits helped with the formation of the American flag.
The sixth segment has the enemy storming Bunker Hill. Of course, a cannon is pointed right at them, and as soon as they get close enough, the cannon goes off surprising the enemy, who then turn around and walk in the opposite direction, their uniforms and weapons in tatters.
The battle at Valley Forge is the seventh segment, where Bugs explains the hardships endured, including six feet of snow and frigid temperatures. An ice cream wagon is seen driving across the snow playing Yankee Doodle
, and is immediately fired upon and explodes. The practically destroyed truck turns around in the opposite direction and rides off-scene.
The last segment opens with Bugs explaining "The enemy fleet was all bottled up", showing two ships in a bottle in a harbor, then shows Bugs steering a motor boat across the Delaware River with George Washington.
After Bugs tells Clyde all of these important historical events, the school bell is heard in the distance and Bugs rushes him off to school saying, "And don't forget what I told ya!" Later in the day, Clyde returns home with a sour look on his face and Bugs asks him, "Well, Clyde! How did you make out on your history exam?" Clyde puts a "Dunce cap
" on his head and asks, "Does THIS answer your question?"
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...
cartoon short, released in 1954, which was written by Warren Foster
Warren Foster
Warren Foster , was a writer, cartoonist and composer for the animation division of Warner Brothers and later with Hanna-Barbera....
and 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....
. Bugs Bunny's nephew, Clyde, has trouble remembering important dates and events in history in preparation for an exam, so Bugs offers to help.
Story
Clyde is lying down on the floor doing his history homework for an exam at school, scratching down important dates in history and getting confused. After several moments, he exclaims, "I give up!". His uncle Bugs offers to help and proceeds to tell him how rabbits made American history.In the first segment, in a trade of land with the native American Indians, Bugs explains that Manhattan wasn't the bustling city you see today, but was rather, filled with Indian teepees. Bugs explains that the Statue of Liberty was "...just a little goil (girl) at the time".
In the second segment, Bugs is interacting with Benjamin Franklin on the day that Franklin discovered electricity. "What's up, Benny?" Bugs asks. Ben states, "I'm trying to discover electricity," and asks Bugs if he can tend to his kite (with a key tied on it, naturally), and that he must get out "...ye first edition of The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
", so he hands his kite string to Bugs to look after until he gets back. Bugs sees a storm cloud approach, lightning hits the kite and travels down the string and electrocutes him. Ben runs back, picks up Bugs who is flashing off and on like a lightbulb, exclaiming "I discovered electricity! I discovered electricity!" Bugs looks at the camera and says, "Heh... HE discovered electricity!"
In the third segment, Bugs explains to Clyde about the Boston Tea Party. The King is seen approaching a worker in the Royal Tea Warehouse in Boston. He orders the worker to "Spread these tacks on the Colonist's tea". The worker then says, "But Your Majesty, these are carpet tacks". The King dances around in a fit of insanity and exclaims, "Well, they're tea tacks now!" and exits off the screen, laughing all the way. Bugs explains to Clyde that the Colonists refused to drink their tea with tacks and that's how the Army was formed.
In the fourth segment, George Washington gets a letter in the mailbox, opens it and exclaims, "Gadzooks! I've been drafted!" He is then seen racing off on horseback to the Candy Shoppe, where he says to Martha that she'll have to look after the candy stores alone, while he's off to fight the war. He then races off screen, yelling "Charge!"
In the fifth segment, Bugs is seen approaching Betsy Ross's home where she is sewing an American flag (presumably after several failed design attempts, this is the first iteration of the flag - it has the 13 red and white colony stripes and blue field). He says, "Hiya Bets - how's the flag coming along?" She opens the flag displaying it and asks, "How's this, Mr. Bunny?" but Bugs makes a comment to Betsy that something is missing in the blue field. (Note the sign at the front gate that says, "Watch your step - Geo. Washington slipped here"). Pacing back and forth thinking hard about what can go in the blue field, Bugs unknowingly steps on a rake and the handle hits him in the head, forming a circle of stars around his head. He then looks at Betsy and asks, "Hey Betsy, does this give you an idea-r?" Betsy agrees, and starts sewing the stars into the blue space on the flag. This is how rabbits helped with the formation of the American flag.
The sixth segment has the enemy storming Bunker Hill. Of course, a cannon is pointed right at them, and as soon as they get close enough, the cannon goes off surprising the enemy, who then turn around and walk in the opposite direction, their uniforms and weapons in tatters.
The battle at Valley Forge is the seventh segment, where Bugs explains the hardships endured, including six feet of snow and frigid temperatures. An ice cream wagon is seen driving across the snow playing Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
, and is immediately fired upon and explodes. The practically destroyed truck turns around in the opposite direction and rides off-scene.
The last segment opens with Bugs explaining "The enemy fleet was all bottled up", showing two ships in a bottle in a harbor, then shows Bugs steering a motor boat across the Delaware River with George Washington.
After Bugs tells Clyde all of these important historical events, the school bell is heard in the distance and Bugs rushes him off to school saying, "And don't forget what I told ya!" Later in the day, Clyde returns home with a sour look on his face and Bugs asks him, "Well, Clyde! How did you make out on your history exam?" Clyde puts a "Dunce cap
Dunce cap
A dunce cap, also variously known as a dunce hat, dunce's cap, or dunce's hat, is a pointed hat. In popular culture, it is typically made of paper and often marked with a D or the word "dunce", and given to schoolchildren to wear as punishment by public humiliation for misbehavior and, as the name...
" on his head and asks, "Does THIS answer your question?"
Censorship
- The scene where Bugs talks about the Dutch buying Manhattan from the American Indians for a song (with an Indian chief grabbing the sheet music and yelling, "Me rich superchief!") was cut when shown on ABC, the former WB! channelThe WB Television NetworkThe WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
and Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
(though Cartoon Network and The WB cut the entire scene while ABC only edited it to remove the Indian running off exclaiming "Me rich, Superchief!").
Music
- "Yankee Doodle", traditional
- "The Red, White and Blue", aka "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean"
- "The Girl I Left Behind Me", traditional