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{{short description|1946 animated short film by Friz Freleng}}
{{use American English|date=February 2020}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Rhapsody Rabbit
| image= RhapsodyRabbit-TC.png
| director = [[Friz Freleng|I. Freleng]]
| story = {{ubl|[[Tedd Pierce]]|[[Michael Maltese]]}}
| animator = {{ubl|[[Manuel Perez (animator)|Manuel Perez]]|Ken Champin|[[Virgil Ross]]|[[Gerry Chiniquy]]}}
| layout_artist = [[Hawley Pratt]]
| background_artist = Terry Lind
| starring = [[Mel Blanc]]
| music = [[Carl W. Stalling]]
| producer =
| studio = [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]]
| distributor = {{ubl|[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]|[[The Vitaphone Corporation]]}}
| released = {{Film date|1946|11|9}}
| color_process = [[Technicolor]]
| runtime = 7:33
| language = English
}}
'''''Rhapsody Rabbit''''' is a 1946 American [[Animated cartoon|animated]] [[Comedy film|comedy]] [[short film]] in the ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' series, directed by [[Friz Freleng]] and featuring [[Bugs Bunny]].<ref name=Beck>{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |last2=Friedwald |first2=Will |title=Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons |date=1989 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co |isbn=0-8050-0894-2 |page=173}}</ref> The movie was originally released to theaters by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] on November 9, 1946.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=1999 |publisher=Checkmark Books |isbn=0-8160-3831-7 |access-date=6 June 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816038312/page/60/mode/2up |pages=60–61}}</ref> This short is a follow-up of sorts to Freleng's 1941 Academy Award-nominated  ''[[Rhapsody in Rivets]]'', which featured the "[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2]]" by [[Franz Liszt]]. The "instrument" used to perform the "Hungarian Rhapsody" in ''Rhapsody in Rivets'' is a skyscraper under construction, while this short features Bugs playing the piece at a piano while being pestered by a mouse.

In 1946, film critic [[James Agee]] wrote in ''[[The Nation]]'' that the short is "the funniest thing I have seen since the decline of sociological dancing," saying, "The best of it goes two ways: one, very observant parody of concert-pianistic affectations, elegantly thought out and synchronized; the other, brutality keyed into the spirit of the music to reach greater subtlety than I have ever seen brutality reach before."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Agee |first1=James |title=Films |journal=[[The Nation]] |date=September 14, 1946 |page=305}}</ref>

''Rhapsody Rabbit'' was the first cartoon to be broadcast on [[Cartoon Network]] when the channel launched on October 1, 1992.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Cartoon Network launch 1992 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM7RKvXC9v8 |website=YouTube |access-date=24 August 2023}}</ref>

==Plot==
Set against a backdrop of [[Richard Wagner]]'s [[Götterdämmerung#Act 3|''Siegfried'' funeral march]], Bugs Bunny takes center stage as a piano virtuoso. Amidst thunderous applause, Bugs embarks on a performance of [[Franz Liszt]]'s "[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2]]".

The opening scene sees Bugs poised at the piano, only to be interrupted by a persistent cough from an unseen audience member. Unfazed, Bugs resorts to unconventional means to silence the disturbance, humorously wielding a revolver from his tailcoat.

Throughout the performance, Bugs engages in playful banter, responding to a ringing phone inside the piano with his trademark catchphrase, "Eh, what's up, doc?" He cleverly incorporates musical references, such as singing "Fi-ga-ro!" during a familiar three-note sequence, adding a comedic twist to his piano playing.

As Bugs navigates through the piece, he encounters a pesky mouse that becomes a persistent nuisance. The encounter escalates into a musical duel, culminating in a boogie-woogie showdown. Despite momentarily trapping the mouse, Bugs is ultimately outwitted as the mouse reemerges, performing a surprise finale on a miniature piano.

In a comedic climax, Bugs confronts the final frenzied pages of the Rhapsody, culminating in exasperation as the mouse steals the spotlight with its unexpected performance. Frustrated yet undeterred, Bugs delivers the closing notes with characteristic wit, concluding the performance with a humorous flourish.

==Voice cast==
* [[Mel Blanc]] as [[Bugs Bunny]], Rat and Coughing Audience Member

==Home media==
The short is available on ''[[Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2]]'', with an optional [[audio commentary|commentary track]] by musical [[historian]] [[Daniel Goldmark]]. It is also available on volume 2 of ''[[Looney Tunes: Spotlight Collection]]'', as well as [[Warner Bros. Discovery]]'s two [[Streaming service provider|video streaming services]], the [[Boomerang (TV network)#Related services|Boomerang SVOD app]] and [[Max (streaming service)|Max]].

==Plagiarism dispute==
One year after the release of ''Rhapsody Rabbit,'' [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] cartoon studio (MGM) produced a comparable animated short titled ''[[The Cat Concerto]]'', featuring [[Tom and Jerry]] series. This production portrays Tom encountering distractions caused by Jerry, the mouse, during a piano concert performance.<ref name="controversy">{{Cite web|url=http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/pianist-envy/|title=Pianist Envy |first=Thad |last=Komorowski |date=February 26, 2013|website=cartoonresearch.com}}</ref> Noteworthy similarities between the two works include the replication of several comedic sequences and the utilization of [[Franz Liszt]]'s "[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2]]" as their primary musical composition.<ref name="imdb">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038880/trivia/|title=Rhapsody Rabbit (Short 1946) - Trivia - IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> ''The Cat Concerto'' received recognition by winning an [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].<ref name="controversy" />

Following the presentation of both films at the [[19th Academy Awards]] Ceremony, allegations of plagiarism arose from both MGM and Warner Bros. studios.<ref name="controversy" /> [[Technicolor]] was accused of sending a print of either cartoon to a competing studio, who then plagiarized their rival's work.<ref name="controversy" /> Despite attempts to address the matter, uncertainties persist regarding the origins of the similarities. While ''Rhapsody Rabbit'' holds an earlier [[Motion Picture Association]] approval number and release date, MGM's production timelines extended over a longer duration. Additionally, the substantial resemblances between the two animations may also be attributed to mere coincidence.

The controversy surrounding these productions received further examination in an episode of the [[Cartoon Network]] anthology series ''[[ToonHeads]]'', providing a platform for discussion and analysis of the issue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rhapsody Rabbit VS The Cat Concerto |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u-e81vTcak |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=April 17, 2017 |website=www.youtube.com}}{{dead link|date=May 2024|fix-attepmted=|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/toonheads/the-great-cartoon-controversy-227107/ |title=The Great Cartoon Controversy |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809201613/http://www.tv.com/shows/toonheads/the-great-cartoon-controversy-227107/ |archivedate=August 9, 2016 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1940–1949)]]
* [[List of Bugs Bunny cartoons]]
* ''[[Convict Concerto]]'' (1954), a [[Woody Woodpecker]] cartoon
* ''[[Daffy's Rhapsody]]'' (2012), a [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Elmer Fudd]] cartoon
* ''[[Pink, Plunk, Plink]]'' (1966), a [[Pink Panther (character)|Pink Panther]] cartoon
* ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' (1988),  a scene features a [[Donald Duck]] and Daffy Duck duelling on pianos, the climax features Listz's [[Hungarian Rhapsody]]. 
* [[Mickey Mousing]], a film technique that syncs the accompanying music with the actions on screen

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0038880|title=Rhapsody Rabbit}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before= [[The Big Snooze]]
| title= [[List of Bugs Bunny cartoons|Bugs Bunny Cartoons]]
| years= 1946
| after= [[Rabbit Transit (film)|Rabbit Transit]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Bugs Bunny in animation}}
{{Friz Freleng |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:1946 films]]
[[Category:Merrie Melodies short films]]
[[Category:Short films directed by Friz Freleng]]
[[Category:Animated films about music and musicians]]
[[Category:Films scored by Carl Stalling]]
[[Category:Bugs Bunny films]]
[[Category:1940s Warner Bros. animated short films]]
[[Category:Film controversies]]
[[Category:Films involved in plagiarism controversies]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese]]
[[Category:1946 animated short films]]