"Fresh Hare" is a 1942 Merrie Melodies short (directed by Friz Freleng) featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. It is one of five cartoons (the last one, in fact) that portrays Elmer as fat.
Set in Canada, Mountie Elmer Fudd is in pursuit of Public Enemy #1 Bugs, who is wanted dead or alive (preferably dead) for numerous crimes (including traffic violations, going through a boulevard stop, jaywalking, and triple parking). While the lawman is fully intent on getting his man (or rather rabbit) and bringing him to justice, however, Bugs doesn't make it easy as he outwits the Mountie at every turn.
Fresh Hare provides examples of:
- Always Gets His Man: From start to finish, Elmer was determined to arrest Bugs at any cost. Even though Bugs outwits him at every turn, in the end, he gracefully turns himself (although he's the one dragging Elmer by the handcuffs).
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: When Bugs mocks an Elmer-like snowman, Elmer (who is behind him) gives viewers a mischievous wink while putting a finger to his mouth.
- Gainax Ending: Just as Bugs is about to be executed by firing squad, Elmer asks if he has a Last Request. Bugs ponders "I wish... I wish..." before singing "I wish I was in Dixie! Hooray! Hooray!". Suddenly, Bugs, Elmer and the firing squad are minstrel singers in Dixie, complete with Blackface, singing "Camptown Races". Bugs even lampshades it by saying "Fantastic, isn't it?"
- Hero Antagonist: Elmer Fudd of all people. In this short he's depicted as a officer of Canadian Mounted Police, and is determined to catch Bugs Bunny who's evading the law.
- Impact Silhouette: As Elmer chases Bugs, they each leave their impressions on a snow bank. At one point, the impression of a sexy woman appears as well, and Elmer pauses to look at it and give it a Wolf Whistle.
- Insignia Ripoff Ritual: Parodied. While "drumming" Elmer out of the service, Bugs ends up ripping off the buttons on Elmer's coat, the coat itself, and even his pants.
- Long List: According to Elmer, Bugs is under arrest for "Wesisting an officer, assault and battewy, twespassing, disturbing the peace, miscewwaneous misdemeanors, pubwic nuisance, twaffic violations, going thwough a bouwevard stop, jaywalking, twiple pawking, conduct unbecoming to a wabbit, viowating twaffic wegulations."
- In Polish dub Bugs is instead guilty of "insulting the officew's unifowm, stealing pawsley,
cawwoticide, attack with pawsley in the hand, digging a buwwow in a public place, hopping at a wed light, notowious cawwot-eating, buwglawy of a gweengwocew's stowe, pawking in pwohibited places, depwavation of undewage viewews".
- In Polish dub Bugs is instead guilty of "insulting the officew's unifowm, stealing pawsley,
- Mickey Mousing: As usual for Friz Freleng, such as when Elmer tries to pull Bugs out of his hole by his handcuffs.
- Mustache Vandalism: Bugs draws all over his wanted posters. One poster has a fake mustache and tongue sticking out, while another has Bugs looking like Adolf Hitler.
- Oh, Crap!: Elmer has this reaction when he notices that there is a bomb attached to his handcuffs, where Bugs' hand used to be.
- Overly Long Gag: Bugs going through his set of keys to find the one for Elmer’s handcuffs, ensuring that the bomb Elmer’s handcuffs are attached to goes off.
- Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: At one point, Bugs switches places with Elmer's gun, who grabs him without looking and tries to start firing, with Bugs saying "Bang! Bang! Bang!" and then saying "Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!". Thinking he's out of bullets, Elmer tries to look down the barrel, only to get kissed by Bugs.
- Villain Protagonist: Arguably Bugs, seeing as how he's evading the law.
- "Wanted!" Poster: Elmer runs into some wanted posters of Bugs, which have been vandalized by him.
