Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is a 1953 Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones, with story by Michael Maltese, and starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck & Elmer Fudd.
Daffy Duck is pulling out all signs out of trees that say it is "Duck Season" (just like Rabbit Fire) and tricking Elmer Fudd into thinking it's really Rabbit Season. After Daffy shows Elmer where Bugs Bunny lives, Elmer is about to shoot Bugs. After Bugs convinces him that he a Fricassee Rabbit and needs a license to be able to shoot, Elmer realizes he has no license. Daffy decides to make one for Elmer. Daffy can't make the license, though, seeing as he can't spell fricassee and ask Bugs for help (Bugs add the words "duck" in spelling fricassee) and Elmer ends up shooting Daffy. Each presentation of the sign was accompanied by a brass fanfare of a fox hunting call, and was, of course, followed by a gunshot. Bugs then puts on a duck disguise. Daffy sees him, but forgets himself and shouts "Shoot the duck!" to which Elmer obliges by shooting the nearest duck — Daffy. He finally goes completely insane and convinces Elmer that he is an elk, a fiddler crab, and many more animals. Bugs dresses as a Game Warden. Elmer asks Bugs what season it is. Bugs tells Elmer that is baseball season (Elmer runs after a baseball, shooting at it). Bugs asks Daffy what hunting season is it really. Daffy says it is really Duck Season and hunters start shooting at Daffy, who crawls to Bugs saying "You're dethpicable!"
Animal season[]
Daffy: Well, I guess I'm the goat. (Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Goat Season Open" and Elmer points his gun at Daffy). What? (Elmer shoots Daffy). You're a dirty dog.
Bugs: And YOU are a dirty skunk!
Daffy: I'm a dirty skunk? I'M a dirty skunk?! (Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Dirty Skunk Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy).
Daffy: Brother! Am I a pigeon!? (Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Pigeon Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy. Later on in the cartoon, after Bugs appears to Elmer as an angel...)
Daffy: ARE YOU NUTS?! Why, if he's dead, then I'm a mongoose! (Bugs holds up a sign that reads "Mongoose Season" and Elmer shoots Daffy).
Censorship[]
Like Rabbit Fire and Rabbit Seasoning, all scenes of Daffy getting blasted by Elmer's shotgun were edited when aired on ABC, CBS, the syndicated and Fox network versions of The Merrie Melodies Show, and The WB. While ABC and WB replaced the actual shots of Elmer firing at Daffy's head with a still shot of Bugs Bunny looking off-screen and had the audio play normally, CBS and WB spliced out any and all scenes (both visual and audio) of Daffy getting shot, which made Duck! Rabbit, Duck! particularly choppy and incoherent.[1]
Usage in other media[]
A small clip from this cartoon (particularly the scene where an insane Daffy demands Elmer "I'M AN ELK! SHOOT ME!" is briefly seen in the movie Space Jam, right after the camera moves away from the clip from Muzzle Tough.