The title is taken from the song written by Irving Berlin, which is featured in this short.
The Cartoon[]
The 90-second cartoon, commissioned by the Treasury and in the public domain, was designed to encourage movie theater audiences to buy defense bonds and stamps. Its title card identifies it as "Leon Schlesinger Presents Bugs Bunny", but it is more widely known as "Any Bonds Today?"
Bob Clampett directed the film, which started production in late November 1941 and was completed eight days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
In it, Bugs Bunny sings a portion of Berlin's song against a patriotic backdrop, at one point going into a blackface parody of Al Jolson. For the song's last refrain, he is joined by Porky Pig, in Navy uniform, and Elmer Fudd, in Army garb.
Song Lyrics[]
Bugs Bunny: The tall man with the high hat and the whiskers on his chin
Will soon be knocking at your door and you ought to be in
The tall man with the high hat will be coming down your way
Get your savings out when you hear him shout "Any bonds today?"
(Turns into the bonds guy) Come on and get 'em folks, come on, step right up and get 'em.
Any bonds today?
Bonds of freedom
That's what I'm selling
Any bonds today?
Scrape up the most you can
Here comes the freedom man
Asking you to buy a share of freedom today
(Turns face into Al Jolson's)
Naw, many stamps today
Give kiddies
We'll be blest
We all invest
In the U.S.A.
Sammy, mah, my uncle Sammy
Elmer Fudd: Here comes the freedom man Porky Pig: C-C-Can't make tomorrow's plan
Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig: Not unless you buy a share of freedom today
Any stamps?
Any bonds today?
Censorship[]
Despite this being one of the twelve banned Bugs Bunny cartoons that was meant to air on Cartoon Network's weekend marathon, June Bugs, in 2001, this short has aired on Cartoon Network's animation history show, ToonHeads, as part of a special episode showcasing lost and rare animated pieces (and some live-action, such as "Crying for the Carolines", a clip from My Dream is Yours, and some clips from the Termite Terrace gag reel showing a "typical" workday for the Warner Bros. animation staff) from Warner Bros. Studios. The version that aired on ToonHeads, however, had the part with Bugs Bunny in blackface, imitating Al Jolson, edited with a page-turning wipe effect; this was also the version shown when ToonHeads: The Lost Cartoons was released on the first volume of The Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD set.[1] The full, uncut version of this short was released officially on The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 4 LaserDisc set.
Bugs's Al Jolson impression, a scene cut from some prints, including the version shown on Cartoon Network's ToonHeads special about rare and obscure Warner Bros. shorts.
