| Prince Violent (Prince Varmint) | |
| Director: | Friz Freleng Hawley Pratt |
| Story: | Dave Detiege |
| Layout Artist: | Willie Ito |
| Background Artist: | Tom O'Loughlin |
| Animator: | Gerry Chiniquy Virgil Ross Art Davis Bob Matz |
| Starring: | Mel Blanc |
| Music: | Milt Franklyn |
| Producer: | David H. DePatie |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Color Process: | Technicolor |
| Runtime: | 6 minutes 21 seconds |
| Language: | English |
Prince Violent (retitled Prince Varmint for television) is a 1961 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng and Freleng's longtime layout artist Hawley Pratt.[1] The short was released on September 2, 1961, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.[2] The title is a pun on "Prince Valiant", a long-running comic strip at the time.
A Viking named Sam the Terrible embarks on a mission of invasion, rowing towards a castle along a river. Observing his approach, Bugs Bunny, a resident of the castle's vicinity, initially dismisses Sam's attire as resembling a "broken loose electric can opener." However, upon witnessing Sam's forcible entry into the castle, Bugs resolves to confront the intruder.
Engaging Sam in a series of comedic skirmishes, Bugs employs clever tactics to outsmart the Viking. In their initial encounter, Bugs deftly disarms Sam and ridicules his costume, prompting Sam's expulsion from the castle. Subsequent confrontations see Bugs employing imaginative schemes, including painting a faux door on the castle walls and orchestrating the elephant's unwitting involvement in thwarting Sam's siege attempts.
Despite Sam's relentless pursuit, Bugs continuously outwits him, culminating in the Viking's humiliating defeat. Sam's various schemes, including catapulting rocks and mining beneath the castle, are foiled by Bugs' ingenuity and the inadvertent assistance of the elephant.
Ultimately, Sam's frustration escalates as his efforts are consistently thwarted. Vowing revenge against Bugs and the elephant, Sam departs, leaving behind a scene of chaos. As the narrative concludes, Bugs muses on the achievements attainable through resourcefulness, rewarding the elephant for its unwitting assistance.