SUMMARY: APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 36:00 Min.
Released on DVD in 2010, this Looney Tunes TV special first aired on CBS in 1979.
Incorporating original framework sequences, the storyline consists of Bugs Bunny’s encounter with a Cupid resembling a scantily clad Elmer Fudd. Demonstrating this Elmer-Cupid’s dubious match-making talents, clips from nine Looney Tunes are shown (not in this particular order):
- 1949’s The Grey Hounded Hare (Bugs Bunny);
- 1948’s Hare Splitter (Bugs Bunny & Casbah Rabbit);
- 1952’s Little Beau Pepé (Pepé Le Pew & Penelope Pussycat);
- 1953’s Wild Over You (Pepé Le Pew);
- 1954’s Devil May Hare (Bugs Bunny & The Tasmanian Devil);
- 1954’s Rabbit Romeo (Bugs Bunny, Millicent, & Elmer Fudd);
- 1952’s The Super Snooper (Daffy Duck);
- 1953’s Hare Trimmed (Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, & Granny); and
- 1953’s Of Rice and Hen (Foghorn Leghorn, Barnyard Dawg, & Miss Prissy).
Voice Cast:
Bugs Bunny / Daffy Duck / Pepé Le Pew / Foghorn Leghorn / Barnyard Dawg /Yosemite Sam / Elmer Fudd / etc.: Mel Blanc
Granny / Miss Prissy / Various Female Voices: June Foray & Bea Benaderet.
Notes: Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers was previously released in 1992 in a VHS format. The compilation’s alternate title is Bugs Bunny’s Valentine.
REVIEW:
Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers, unfortunately, does the Looney Tunes franchise no favors. Despite Mel Blanc’s reliable vocals, the crummy animation deployed for the Bugs Bunny/Cupid framework sequences speaks for itself. Forty-five years later, Warner Bros frankly ought to be embarrassed by how poorly Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers plays on television.
Long before their eventual re-mastering, this assortment of Looney Tunes clips (some are extended further than others) hold up fine – relatively speaking. The only cringe-worthy ones are Pepé Le Pew’s amorous contributions, including his bonus Past Perfurmance cartoon.
This DVD, in retrospect, could have been salvaged in two easy steps. First, axing the awful framework scenes altogether should have been a foregone conclusion. Then, Warner Bros. should have chosen four or five complete Looney Tunes for the Valentine’s Day theme. Otherwise, unless one retains nostalgia for the original TV special, Bugs Bunny’s Cupid Capers is strictly a dollar store find.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
As padding, there are two complete Looney Tunes cartoons. One is 1940’s Holiday Highlights (a parody of holidays) – it’s an archived relic one might peruse on a Looney Tunes Golden Collection set. Still, this lackluster cartoon short is obscure for good cause. The other is 1955’s Past Perfumance (Pepé Le Pew & Penelope Pussycat), where the setting is a 1913 Paris movie studio. Plot-wise, it involves standard-issue Pepé hijinks, and let’s leave it at that.
Also included is an interactive Looney Tunes jigsaw puzzle for children. Lastly, there is a combo trailer for the Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown and It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown DVD’s.
Language options consist of English and Spanish. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French.
PACKAGING:
Though simplistic and a bit vague, its advertising is accurate. The disc is reasonably well-protected. The DVD’s main menu screen is easy to navigate.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 2½ Stars
