On this day 70 years ago, Bugs Bunny made his debut in "
A Wild Hare" (
1940) and would eventually become one of the most popular cartoon characters ever...
Also the first time Elmer & Bugs uttering their known catch phrases: "
Be vewwy, vewwy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits" & "
What's Up, Doc?" and was nominated for an Academy Award. "Puss Gets The Boot" (
debut of MGM's Tom & Jerry) was also nominated, though both lost.
Despite appearing in many memorable cartoons in it's original run as theatrical shorts, the wabbit was only nominated three times by the Academy Awards (
other two being "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt" from 1941 & "Knighty Knight Bugs" from 1958), which only "Knighty Knight Bugs" won.
In 1994, "
What's Opera, Doc?" (1957) was ranked as the Greatest Cartoon of All Time, among a list of 50 animated shorts, by animation/film historians & people from the animation industry.
Five more Bugs Bunny cartoons were also ranked: "
Rabbit of Seville" (1950), "
Rabbit Seasoning" (1952), "
Ali Baba Bunny" (1957), "
Little Red Riding Rabbit" (1944), &
"A Corny Concerto" (1943).
