Racketeer Rabbit

{{Infobox film

| image = Racketeer Rabbit.jpg

| caption =

| director = I. Freleng

| story = Michael Maltese

| animator = Gerry Chiniquy
Manuel Perez
Virgil Ross
Ken Champin

| starring = Mel Blanc

| music = Carl Stalling

| layout_artist = Hawley Pratt

| background_artist = Paul Julian

| studio = Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc.

| distributor = Warner Bros.
The Vitaphone Corporation

| released = {{Film date|1946|09|14}}

| color_process = Technicolor

| runtime = 8 minutes

| language = English

}}

Racketeer Rabbit is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng.{{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=171}} The short was released on September 14, 1946, and 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/58/mode/2up |pages=58–62}}{{Cite book|last1=Rubin|first1=Rachel | title=Jewish Gangsters of Modern Literature | chapter=A Gang of Little Yids| year=2000 | publisher=University of Illinois Press| isbn= 9780252025396| chapter-url =https://books.google.com/books?id=DRBkS21Kl94C&pg=PA188 |page=104}}{{Cite book|last1=Youngkin|first1=Stephen D. | title=The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre | chapter=Being Slapped and Liking It| year=2005 | publisher=University Press of Kentucky| isbn= 9780813137001| chapter-url =https://books.google.com/books?id=kAeSxjYazhEC&pg=PA214 |page=214}}

Plot

Bugs Bunny seeks shelter for the night and unwittingly ends up in an abandoned gothic farmhouse, which serves as the hideout for two gangsters, Rocky (caricature of Edward G. Robinson) and Hugo (caricature of Peter Lorre). A chaotic series of events unfolds when Rocky and Hugo return, pursued by rival gangsters, leading to a frenzied gunfight inside the farmhouse. Despite the chaos, Bugs nonchalantly interrupts the mayhem to attend to his basic needs before returning to bed.

During a division of the loot from a recent heist, Bugs cleverly tricks Rocky into relinquishing all the money by assuming various disguises. However, Rocky catches on and demands the money back, leading to a confrontation. Bugs outwits Rocky again by posing as different characters, ultimately causing Rocky's humiliation.

In a final showdown, Bugs assumes the role of a gangster and engages in a comedic altercation with Rocky, culminating in Bugs orchestrating a mock police raid. Using his wit and ingenuity, Bugs ultimately triumphs over Rocky, leaving the gangster defeated and fleeing the scene in a panic. Bugs, with a sigh, reflects on the inability of some individuals to handle humorous situations before returning to his carefree demeanor.

Details

When entering the house, Bugs remarks "Huh? Sounds like Inner Sanctum!", a reference to the popular mystery radio program that aired from January 7, 1941, to October 5, 1952. Bugs impersonates Bugsy Siegel and flips a coin like George Raft in Scarface (1932). His Brooklynite accent serves to complete the image of a tough crook.

The short's copyright was renewed in 1973.{{Efn|Under [https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/copyright/hprcatcard/19/71/19/77/RA/CI/NG/-R/AD/EQ/Z/19711977RACING-RADEQZ/CC19711977RACING-RADEQZ.0253.jpg R562346]}}