| Rabbitson Crusoe | |
| Director: | Friz Freleng |
| Producer: | Edward Selzer |
| Layout Artist: | Hawley Pratt |
| Background Artist: | Irv Wyner |
| Starring: | Mel Blanc |
| Music: | Milt Franklyn |
| Color Process: | Technicolor |
| Runtime: | 7:25 |
| Language: | English |
Rabbitson Crusoe is a 1956 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng.[1] The short was released on April 28, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny.[2]
Yosemite Sam finds himself stranded on a small island for two decades, surviving on coconuts from a nearby tree while evading the relentless pursuit of Dopey Dick, a menacing shark. Despite Sam's resourcefulness in warding off the shark with bludgeoning weapons, he grows weary of his coconut diet.
Enter Bugs Bunny, also shipwrecked, who becomes an unwitting target for Sam's cooking pot. However, Bugs outsmarts Sam by thwarting his attempts to cook him and even uses the shark to his advantage. As the two engage in a battle of wits, Bugs ultimately ends up in the shark-infested waters, seeking refuge on the shipwreck.
A series of comedic escapades ensue, with Sam's failed attempts to capture Bugs leading to further encounters with Dopey Dick. The situation takes a turn when a massive tidal wave strikes, submerging the islands and the ship.
In a desperate bid for survival, Bugs strikes a deal with Sam: protection from the shark in exchange for paddling to San Francisco.
Rabbitson Crusoe is direct parody of Robinson Crusoe, humorously depicting the unlikely alliance between the two adversaries amidst their misadventures on the high seas.
Rabbitson Crusoe has been released on the Warner Home Video laserdisc Wince Upon A Time, the VHS release Bugs Bunny's Hare Raising Tales, and the DVD release Looney Tunes: Parodies Collection. In 2020 the cartoon was released uncut and digitally restored as part of the Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray.