Shrunken Cinema/Termite Terrace/Elmers Candid Camera
From Eccentric Flower
Elmer's Candid Camera
1940
Summary: Elmer tries his hand at photographing wildlife. When he tries to photograph a rabbit, the rabbit makes trouble.
Director: Chuck Jones
Writer: Rich Hogan
Featuring: Elmer Fudd; (proto-)Bugs Bunny.
Onreel
0:25 Sound cue under titles: "What's New?"
0:50 Elmer's camera kit includes flash powder (a powder of some metal or metal compound which burns quickly and brightly; the photographer would ignite it in an open container). By the date this cartoon was made, flash powder should have been replaced by flashbulbs, which began to appear in the 1930's. But it's possible Elmer is a bit behind the times - his wardrobe is certainly old-fashioned enough. The "COD" on his crate (Charge on Delivery) indicates he didn't pay for it until it arrived.
1:03 Sound cue: Elmer is whistling "Sticks and Stones."
1:22 Sound cue: Brahms' Lullaby.
1:54 The five notes here, which I don't even count as a sound cue but which are used in many cartoons (when someone is shown/made to look foolish), are meant to imply the words "You're a horse's ass." (Sing along!) Where this originated is unknown. I don't note it in any other cartoons, and the only reason I do note it here is that this is possibly the only time that the cue is used not because someone's looking foolish, but because we're seeing a closeup of someone's behind! (Perhaps it would be better to sing "Here's a rabbit's ass" instead in this case?)
2:14 The rabbit's sound cue is "Piggy Wiggy Woo." See Porky Chops.
4:24 The music as Elmer tries to photograph the bird is just enough of a Peer Gynt knockoff to bear comment.
6:55 The rabbit's bathing suit is just as old-fashioned as Elmer's high collar and spats.
7:30 No, this laugh is not plagiarism! Mel Blanc also originated the voice of Woody Woodpecker, who made his debut later the same year. (Incidentally, Woody was created by Ben "Bugs" Hardaway, who originated the proto-Bugs character and also indidirectly gave Bugs his name.)
Offreel
This cartoon represents a significant milestone in Elmer's evolution from an earlier character called Egghead. Here he has the correct voice for the first time, although he is still dressed in Egghead's clothes, and his appearance is not yet quite Elmer as we know him (especially the nose). See also the notes on evolution on Elmer on the Characters page.
This isn't quite the first time Elmer is called by that name - it's shown on the side of Egghead's scooter in "A Feud There Was" - but most people consider this "the first appearance of Elmer Fudd" per se, and this claim is not without basis.
Bugs, on the other hand, is not quite Bugs yet (the voice, if nothing else, makes this obvious). Bugs and Elmer would finally get fixed in their relative orbits with Tex Avery's "A Wild Hare" this same year.
