"I always wanted a nice, long, formal vacation."
Frigid Hare is a 1949 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, starring Bugs Bunny. It is also the debut of the very obscure character, Playboy Penguin, who would make his second (and last) appearance in 1950's "8 Ball Bunny".
Bugs Bunny is given a two-week vacation by Mr. Warner, so he decides to spend it at the Miami Beach. However, he takes yet another wrong turn at Albuquerque and ends up in Antarctica by mistake, where he encounters a pint-sized penguin on the run from an Inuit hunter. Even though he knows that it might hamper his vacation, Bugs doesn't have a choice but to help the little guy get away from the hunter.
Tropes:
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Playboy starts off bare at first, but then he is given a bow tie and a top hat by Bugs.
- Animated Actors: Implied, as Mr. Warner grants Bugs a two-week-long vacation.
- Bag of Kidnapping: When Bugs tries to get Playboy out of his hair by kicking him down a hill, the Inuit hunter shows up and captures the little penguin in one.
- Beach Episode: Subverted. Bugs tunnels straight to Antarctica, mistaking it for the Miami Beach.
- Bowdlerization
- Many TV airings of this short mute out Bugs calling the Inuit hunter "an Eskimo pie-head," since it is considered offensive to the Inuit.
- When the cartoon aired on television in 1965, Bugs, having learned about the days and nights are six months long in Antarctica, says that he will not need to be back at work until July 1968 (rather than in 1953, as is the case in the original film).
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Bugs does this when addressing how he's decided to rescue Playboy.
- Chase Scene: Once Bugs' cover is blown, a chase between him and the Inuit hunter ensues, ending once they stop at a precipice.
- Conscience Makes You Go Back: When Playboy is captured by the Inuit hunter, Bugs initially shrugs it off and is about to go back into the tunnel he popped out of. As soon as he goes in, however, he goes back out with a change of heart and decides to rescue Playboy.
- Disguised in Drag: Bugs passes himself off as a female Inuit to distract the Inuit hunter and set Playboy free. His cover is blown when the hunter holds him after being slapped in the face by a fish, exposing his ears.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: Playboy is colored blue here, as opposed to the black coloring he would later get in his second short.
- Heart Symbol: Hearts fly out from the Inuit hunter's head as he is about to grab Bugs, inadvertently exposing his disguise. Once he realizes this, the hearts pop.
- Ill-Timed Sneeze: Bugs and the Inuit hunter cling onto a precipice for dear life as it is about to break off. Suddenly, the Inuit is about to sneeze, only to be stopped by Bugs. But then Bugs sneezes and the precipice crumbles again, now swinging in the air.
- Instant Ice: Just Add Cold!:
- When Bugs first enters Antarctica, assuming it to be the beach, he jumps into the water and the resulting splash freezes solid. Bugs then leaps back out and runs back onto land.
- This is how Playboy saves Bugs and the Inuit from plummeting to their doom. He gets a bucket of water and splashes it onto the broken precipice with the two of them on it, stopping it once the water freezes.
- And finally, Playboy has his defining moment; crying out tears that solidify into ice cubes in the cold.
- Kick the Dog: After the Inuit is taken care of, Bugs walks back, only to find Playboy. He then starts to scold the precious little creature for ruining his vacation, which causes the latter to tear up. Bugs then apologizes for hurting his feelings.
- The Last Straw: As Bugs and the Inuit are clinging onto a broken precipice, which is hanging from the cliff that it is on, Playboy waddles into the scene and looks down to where the two are. During this, a small bit of snow slides down onto the precipice and finally causes it to fall.
- Loophole Abuse: Bugs invokes this at the end. When Playboy informs him the days are six months long in Antarctica, he reasons he won’t have to return to work until 1953.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Bugs' conscience getting the better of him is shown by him popping back out from his tunnel with a positively guilt-stricken look on his face that he'd just abandoned the cute little penguin to a terrible fate. He then tries to frantically explain himself to the audience before finally just giving up on his vacation and going back to do the right thing.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Bugs sends Playboy down a hill just to be rid of him, which is how the Inuit hunter is able to bag the little guy.
- "Oh, Crap!" Smile: Bugs angrily yells at the Inuit hunter for running him down. When the guy comes back and is shown to have a spear, Bugs does this while speaking in a more pleasant tone.
- Polar Bears and Penguins: A variation. The penguin is pursued by an Inuit hunter, which is only exclusive to the Arctic.
- Pun-Based Title: Of the refrigerator brand, Frigidaire.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Take a guess...
- Shamu Fu: While he is fooled by Bugs, who is disguised as a female Inuit, the Inuit hunter offers the latter a fish, who then proceeds to slap him in the face with it. He does it again when his disguise gives him away.
- Shout-Out: Bugs distracts the Inuit hunter by pointing in the wrong direction while saying, "He went that way, Nanook."
- This Is Gonna Suck: Bugs and the Inuit every time the precipice cracks.
- The Voiceless:
- Playboy never says a single word throughout the entire short, though he does whisper something into Bugs' ear at the end.
- To a lesser extent, the Inuit hunter. He has a single line when he meets Bugs, which is... some Inuit-sounding gibberish, and that's it.
- Wingding Eyes: The Inuit hunter's eyes become hearts when he sees Bugs disguised as a female Inuit. The hearts even leave his eyes, fly towards Bugs and trace the shape of a curvaceous woman before going back.
- Wintry Auroral Sky: Aurora lights are seen at the end as Bugs "waddles" with Playboy.
- Wrong Turn at Albuquerque: Poor Bugs still never makes the right turn at Albuquerque, and as a result, he ends up in Antarctica.
