Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare (1964)

Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare Review

Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare is a 1964 animated short film from the Merry Melodies series. It is a highly entertaining short.

When Bugs Bunny crosses paths with the Tasmanian Devil once again, he poses as a doctor to trick the Devil into thinking that he’s sicker than he really is. This is the only cartoon pairing these two that saw both losing at the end. Yes, Bugs eventually loses, but how that happens is very odd. Frankenstein’s monster beats them both up, which was ridiculous, but also quite funny due to it coming out of nowhere.

It’s a blast watching Bugs in so many different disguises and taking so many professions here. Yes, they mostly centered on medicine, but still he was hilarious throughout. Taz was also surprisingly smarter in the second half as he genuinely tricked the bunny a couple of times. The beginning of the cartoon is particularly effective at establishing their dynamic while the ending was the weakest overall.

Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare was sadly the last Tasmanian Devil cartoon, but they ended his run on a great note. This is a terrific short with a messy, but unexpected ending.

My Rating – 4.1