Western Animation / Transylvania 6-5000

Bugs really took a Wrong Turn at Albuquerque this time.

"Transylvania 6-5000" is a 1963 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble. Bugs Bunny is burrowing through the ground, aiming to get to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Instead, he ends up smashing headfirst into a gnarled tree, on which is displayed a location sign: "Pittsburghe, Transylvania."

As he emerges from his hole, Bugs notices a two-headed vulture (Agatha and Emily) and asks them for directions. Since they seem more concerned with making a meal out of him, he goes over to the old castle—which he mistakes for a hotel—in the distance.

At the castle, Bugs meets a vampire who introduces himself as Count Bloodcount. Though Bugs is only looking for a telephone, Bloodcount insists that he rest up at the castle before making his call. While he is still as much a Karmic Trickster as ever, Bugs is portrayed as unaware of the reality of his current surroundings and easily taken advantage of at the start.

This cartoon is notable for being the final classic Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, and for arguably being the final GOOD Looney Tunes cartoon of the classic era. Later edited (mostly intact) into 1988's Daffy Duck's Quackbusters, while excerpts were also edited into 1977's Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (with Count Bloodcount now portrayed as Witch Hazel after drinking Dr. Jekyll's Hyde potion)

Should not be confused with the 1985 film of the same title.

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Tropus-Pocus...

• Accidental Hero: At first Bugs is unaware that Count Bloodcount is out to get him, but also unwittingly thwarts him just by chanting the magic words he learned in a Spell Book titled Magic Words and Phrases.
• Batman Gambit: While he doesn’t appear fully aware of the true nature of the female two-headed vulture, Bugs does use it to his advantage once he’s converted Count Bloodcount into their Spear Counterpart.
• Blunt "No": Count Bloodcount, moments after showing Bugs to his room, sticks his head back in to check on him.
  Bloodcount: Asleep yet?
  Bugs: Nope.
  Bloodcount: Well... ring if you need anything... hot cynaide, or like that...
• Bowdlerization: Cut from ABC’s airing of this cartoon were:
  • Bugs' comment “Be a wonderful place for a vacation” and ringing Count Bloodcount’s doorbell, since the doorbell’s operation requires Bugs to pull a visible noose.
  • The same noose still being seen is why the shot of Bloodcount opening the door to let Bugs in is also cut. ABC also cut Bloodcount’s line “It’s never too late” to make room for his next line, “Come in,” which had originally played over the door opening shot.
  • Bugs’ innocuous comments on the castle’s portraits are also muted for some seemingly unknown reason.
• Big Creepy-Crawlies:
  • Bugs, after saying "Abracadabra," thinks Count Bloodcount is one of these, not realizing that saying the word has just turned him into a bat.
    Bugs: Golly, what big mosquitoes they do have around here! Hold still, you little devil... [Hits the Count with a flyswatter.] There!
  • The second time this happens, Bugs uses a Cartoon Bug-Sprayer on the "mosquito," still unaware that it's the Count.
    Bugs: Another one? They oughta screen this place.
• By the Power of Grayskull!:
  • Count Bloodcount uses "Hocus Pocus" and "Abracadabra" to switch between his bat and vampire forms. But in a severe case of Did Not Think This Through, Bugs figures out he can say the magic words as well, resulting in a Magic Duel. Bugs very quickly figures out a way to abuse this power:
    Bugs: Abraca-pocus! [Bloodcount becomes a human with a small bat head.] Hocus-cadabra! [He becomes a bat with a giant human head.] Newport News! [He transforms into Witch Hazel.] Wow, I can do better than that... Walla Walla, Washington! [Count Bloodcount turns into a male equivalent of Agatha and Emily.]
  • At the end, he's on the phone trying to call his travel agent again, and mumbles, "Abraca-pocus," turning his own ears into bat wings.
    Bugs: Hello, operator? You can cancel that call, please. I think I'll fly home instead.
• Delicious Distraction: Agatha and Emily immediately mention that Bugs looks delicious. Bugs just heads over to the nearby castle, and they don't bother pursuing him.
• Faux Affably Evil: Agatha and Emily act polite and friendly to Bugs, even though they are talking about eating him.
• Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress:
  • Count Bloodcount, still in the form of a bat, is all the way out of the top window of the castle—and directly over a moat—when Bugs makes his Hocus Pocus incantation and reconverts him to human form. Going down!
  • The hilarious part of this scene is that, unlike the vast majority of long distance falls in Looney Tunes, (1) you can see Count Bloodcount flailing around as he falls into the moat, and (2) the Bomb Whistle sound has been replaced by something more comically ominous. The distinct impression is that he's thinking "Wait, WHAT?"
• Insomnia Episode: Bugs, unable to fall asleep, notices a row of books and decides to read one called Magic Words and Phrases.
  Bugs: Same old problem. I just can't sleep in a strange bed, no matter how nice the place is.
• Magic Duel: Count Bloodcount ("hocus pocus") and Bugs ("abracadabra").
• Multiple Head Case: Agatha and Emily, and Count Bloodcount after Bugs turns him into their Spear Counterpart.
• No Guy Wants to Be Chased: Bugs turns Count Bloodcount into a two-headed vulture, then introduces him to Agatha and Emily—who immediately start pursuing the Count, to his horror.
  Agatha: Look, Emily! Isn't it romantic? I always said four heads are better than one.
• Our Vampires Are Different: Count Bloodcount is able to turn into a bat by saying (or hearing) the phrase "Abracadabra." Saying or hearing "Hocus Pocus" changes him back.
• Pun-Based Title: Of the Glenn Miller song "Pennsylvania 6-5000," and one of the few with no references to any Bunny Tropes.
• A Rotten Time to Revert: Whenever Bloodcount tries to get the drop on Bugs, Bugs causes him to transform at the worst possible moment by reading aloud a passage from the book Magic Words and Phrases, with the words "Abracadabra" and "Hocus Pocus" transforming him into a bat or back to human form. In one notable case, Bugs reverts Bloodcount to human form while he's flying over the moat.
• Skepticism Failure: Bugs, reading the book of magic phrases, laughs at the notion of words having magic power. He's soon proven wrong.
  Bugs: [reading] "Magic can be performed either by potions or by the use of magic words and phrases."
  [A panel in the headboard of the bed opens as Count Bloodcount reaches for Bugs.]
  Bugs: [still with his nose in the book] "Among the most powerful of these is the word 'abra...' ...uh... 'abracadabra.'"
  [Unseen by Bugs, the Count turns into a bat.]
  Bugs: Yeah. Oh, sure it is. Sick humor. It is to laugh. Magic words.
• Sure, Let's Go with That: Bloodcount is only too happy to play along when he learns that Bugs is looking for a hotel, and a telephone to reach his travel agent.
  Bloodcount: Rest first, telephone tomorrow. Rest is good for the blood!
  Bugs: [yawns] Well, I am a little fatigued. [pronounces it "fati-GUED"]
• Wrong Turn at Albuquerque: Bugs is digging to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but ends up in Pittsburghe, Transylvania. At least they sound alike.
• Villainous Face Hold: The count does a variant where he envelops his Creepy Long Fingers around Bugs' entire head before whisking him off to a bedchamber.
• You Wouldn't Hit a Guy with Glasses: After Bugs turns into a baseball bat, Count Bloodcount puts on glasses and says this phrase. One guess as to how Bugs answers him.

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