In a parody of 1952's This is Your Life, Elmer J. Fudd (aping Ralph Edwards) is the host and Bugs Bunny is the guest of honor, much to the disgust of Daffy Duck ("How do you like that?! Thith was thuppothed to be about my life! Tho what do they do? They take an unknown and of all things, a rabbit! Who's interethted in a rabbit?!"). On several occasions, Granny has to whack Daffy over the head to get him to be quiet. He mutters "Easy, stomach, don't turn over now. Easy does it." Meanwhile, Bugs reminisces with Elmer and Yosemite Sam about their previous encounters (reviewed via footage from past Bugs Bunny cartoons A Hare Grows in Manhattan, Buccaneer Bunny, and Hare Do). Elmer and Sam plan to present Bugs with a special gift — a time bomb — in appreciation of their "friendship," but Daffy — stubbornly refusing to believe that he was not the guest — grabs the gift and takes the resulting explosion. Naturally, Daffy ends up telling the rabbit, "You're dethpicable!".
When this cartoon aired on the syndicated version of The Merrie Melodies Show, the hipboard cannon blasts to Yosemite Sam's face (taken from Buccaneer Bunny) was cut.[1]
When this cartoon was shown on ABC, in addition to the Merrie Melodies Show cut, further cuts were made:
Granny hitting Daffy with her umbrella (to keep him from ranting about not being chosen for "This is a Life?") after Daffy finds it on the ground[1]
Daffy shouting, "Throw him out! Throw him out!" during the show and Granny hitting Daffy with her umbrella again ("SHUT UP!!").[1]
Elmer and Sam placing a bomb in the gift package before giving it to Bugs.[1]
Daffy returning on stage after foolishly taking the package for himself (and getting blown up by it) and growling, "You're dethpicable!" to Bugs.[1]
Trivia[]
This is one of the few Bugs Bunny cartoons not to feature the "Bugs Bunny in" title card before the opening credits.
This is the very first Merrie Melodies short to feature the 1955-1956 green rings with red background. (only at the end, the beginning uses the 1954-1955 red rings with blue background). The end titles for some of the 1955-56 titles would have the red rings instead of the green rings for reasons unknown.
This cartoon has a special opening cue.
This short is unusual in that the title card does not appear between the Merrie Melodies card and the credits card. Rather, it appears after the credits as part of the story, this making This is a Life? the first cartoon to have the credits appear before title card for the first time.
The introduction to This Is A Life? after the credits is also voiced by Mel Blanc, in a voice similar to that of Foghorn Leghorn without the southern accent, despite the fact that Foghorn Leghorn doesn't appear in this cartoon. ("Brought to you by the Wishy Wahsy Washing Machine Company of Walla Walla, Washington")
This is one of the few shorts to feature major characters of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series. The characters being: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam and Granny.
This is the first time in which June Foray voices Granny. She would go on to voice the character for 59 years.
Availability[]
This Is a Life? is featured on the Looney Tunes Superstars DVD set, "Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl," but shown in widescreen instead of the original Academy Ratio format.
However, on the Boomerang Streaming Service, there is a full-screen restored version of "This is a Life?". But an offline video download-to-go version has not been made available as of yet.
