French Rarebit

{{Infobox film

| name = French Rarebit

| image = Frenchrarebit.jpg

| caption = Title card for French Rarebit

| director = Robert McKimson

| story = Tedd Pierce

| animator = Phil DeLara
Emery Hawkins
Charles McKimson
Rod Scribner

| layout_artist = Cornett Wood

| background_artist = Richard H. Thomas

| starring = Mel Blanc
(all other voices)
Tedd Pierce (Louis){{cite book |last=Webb |first=Graham |title=The Animated Film Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to American Shorts, Features and Sequences (1900-1999) |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |date=2011 |isbn=978-0-7864-4985-9 |page=129}}

| music = Eugene Poddany
Milt Franklyn

| editing = Treg Brown

| producer = Edward Selzer
John W. Burton

| studio = Warner Bros. Cartoons

| distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures

| released = {{Film date|1951|6|30}}

| color_process = Technicolor

| runtime = 7 minutes (one reel)

| language = English

}}

French Rarebit is a 1951 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short, directed by Robert McKimson and written by Tedd Pierce.{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |last2=Friedwald |first2=Will |title=Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons |date=1989 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co |isbn=0-8050-0894-2 |page=224}} Released June 30, 1951, the cartoon features Bugs Bunny.{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=1999 |publisher=Checkmark Books |isbn=0-8160-3831-7 |access-date=6 June 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816038312/page/60/mode/2up |pages=60–61}} The title is a play on "Welsh rarebit", which is also known as "Welsh rabbit".{{Cite web |last=Wallenberg |first=Christopher |date=2022-07-24 |title='Toon In With Me': MeTV Celebrates Bugs Bunny's Birthday All Week |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1052043/toon-in-with-me-metv-bugs-bunny-birthday/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |website=TV Insider |language=en-US}}

Plot

In Paris, France, Bugs Bunny finds himself amidst a culinary quandary after a delivery mishap lands him in the bustling streets. Two competing French chefs, Louis and François, both set their sights on turning Bugs into a gourmet delicacy for their respective restaurants.

Amidst the chaos of their culinary rivalry, Bugs cleverly manipulates the situation to his advantage, inciting a humorous conflict between the chefs as they vie for ownership of the unwitting rabbit. Employing wit and cunning, Bugs navigates the escalating fracas with ease, ultimately orchestrating a comical showdown in the kitchen.

As Bugs cunningly evades his would-be captors, he playfully suggests tantalizing recipes and culinary techniques, leaving the chefs bewildered and bemused. In a final act of culinary whimsy, Bugs concocts a daring plan to outwit the chefs, culminating in a comedic explosion that leaves both Louis and François unscathed but humbled.

Amidst the chaos and laughter, Bugs delivers his trademark quip, expressing a preference for a simpler fare than the culinary escapades of Parisian cuisine.

Home media

The short can be found (uncut) on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2. This short was also included as a bonus feature on the Blu-ray release of Gay Purr-ee.{{cite web | url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=32912 | title=Warner Archive Announces August Releases }}