French Rarebit

Animation Nation

By Steve Herte

French Rarebit (WB, 1951) – Director: Robert McKimson. Animation: Phil DeLara, Emery Hawkins, Charles McKimson, Rod Scribner. Backgrounds: Richard H. Thomas. Layout: Cornett Wood. Voices: Mel Blanc, Tedd Pierce (uncredited). Color, animation, 7 minutes.

Being a self-proclaimed gastronome, one of my all-time favorite Warner Brothers’ cartoons is Robert McKimson’s delightful portrayal of Bugs Bunny in Paris. The Brooklyn-raised and accented character expresses his diametrically opposed culture in his first few sentences and we know this is going to be funny. After he pops up from a crate of carrots that fell off a truck he concludes his location by reading street signs, “Eye-full Tower” and “Champs Elly-Eye-zeeyay.” Then he strolls off to look at the Mon-sewers and Madamoiselles.

What he’s not expecting is to be sized up and measured for the stew pots of two rival chefs with restaurants directly across the street from each other. But he catches on quickly. “Somethin’ tells me this little grey hare is in the middle again.” Chefs Francois (Mel Blanc) and Louie (Tedd Pierce) both attack with covered plates simultaneously and Francois returns to his door victorious. But it isn’t Bugs he’s caught. “Eh, whatcha got in the tooreen, Doc?” Francois is still bubbling over his prize, but Bugs takes a look and disagrees. Flustered, Chef Louie stumbles from the plate and the two argue over whose the rabbit (they say rabbeet) is.

Bugs can’t help but interfere. He whispers into each one’s ear and has one tweak the other’s “pink tomahto nose” and get his beard yanked in return. The battle goes on until Chef Francois snatches Bugs up with an “Ah Ween!” Into the pot on the stove goes Bugs. He asks Francois what’s cooking and proudly, Francois recites his famous rabbit dish. “Oh,” says Bugs, dismissively, and hints at knowing the recipe for Louisiana Back-Bay Bayou Bunny Bordelaise a la Antoine. “Antoine of New Orleans?” “I don’t mean Antoine of Flatbush.”

At the time of the creation of this cartoon, Antoine’s of New Orleans was already 110 years old and the name was virtually synonymous with fine food. Ignoring the ridiculous title of the dish, Francois takes Bugs out of the pot and insists he teach him the recipe. 

“OK Doc, I’ll be the chef.” Bugs dons and apron and a toque. “And you’ll be the rabbit.” “But I don’t look like a rabbeet.” After cutting off two fingers from a rubber glove and putting it on his head, shoving two sugar cubes to act as buck teeth into Francois’ mouth, and making whiskers from a broom, Bugs holds up a glassless mirror and looks through it at Francois. 

Convinced he does resemble a rabbit, he allows Bugs to dowse him in a barrel of wine, stuff him into a jar, shake it violently, coat him with flour, roll him out with a rolling pin, knead him severely, and fill his mouth with the fieriest spicy ingredients in the kitchen until flames burst out of his lips. Then it’s back into the bowl to be showered by vegetables, when Francois hoists up a sign saying “Hold La Onions.” “Oh, OK.”

At this point Monsieur Louie bursts in and tries to take Monsieur Francois back as his rabbit but Francois slams him on the head with a mallet. “Monsieur Francois!” “You were expecting maybe ‘Umphrey Bogart?” “Wha Hoppen?” When Francois explains that he’s learning a recipe, Louie wants to learn as well. Bugs is only too happy to accommodate him, putting him through all the tortures he visited on Francois. Now there are two faux rabbits in the bowl.

Bugs carries them to “La Oven” commenting to the audience, “Don’t they look yummy, yummy?” Lastly he hollows out a “nice big carrot” and puts in a stick of dynamite, closing the oven door. The blast blows the oven door off and there they both are, basting themselves, singing Alouette and shouting “Vive Antoine!” Bugs again turns to us and says, “Poisonally I prefer hamboiger.”

Afterwords

The title of this cartoon is a play on the delicious cheese and beer dish, Welsh Rarebit, often mispronounced as “Welsh Rabbit.” Tedd Pierce is credited for the clever writing of this wonderful bit of animation and was fabulous as the voice of Chef Louie.

In fact, it was this cartoon that motivated me to make a reservation for myself and my quartet at Antoine’s of New Orleans when I visited there in 1992 at the time of the Barbershop Harmony International Convention. Though I do not remember all I ate (we only arrived at about 10:30 pm) I will not forget the experience. Our waiter spoke slower than Droopy the Dog and I thought our order would never be taken, much less fulfilled, but it was, and it was worth it.

Antoine’s was established in 1840 by Antoine Alciatore and set a standard not only in New Orleans, but in the entire United States. When Antoine returned to France and died a year later, his son Jules took over and eventually invented Oysters Rockefeller. I’m almost sure I ordered that dish. I love it. We sat in the large annex, one of ten different rooms to choose from and it was charming. There was Potage Alligator au Sherry on the menu and a choice of a Demi-Bordelaise Sauce, but no Louisiana Back-Bay Bayou Bunny Bordelaise a la Antoine.