Broom-Stick Bunny (1956)
Article 5750 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 4-25-2020
Directed by Chuck Jones
Featuring the voices of Mel Blanc and June Foray
Country: USA
What it is: Bugs Bunny cartoon

While trick-or-treating in a witch costume, Bugs Bunny knocks on the door of a real witch, who vows to discover her visitor’s ugly secrets. When she discovers her visitor is a rabbit, she realizes that she needs one for her witch’s brew, and…

Like Marvin the Martian or the Tasmanian Devil, Witch Hazel only appeared in a handful of the original Warner Brothers cartoons, and though I’m not sure if she has as big a cult following as the other two, she certainly deserves one. She’s truly ugly, laughs at her own inadvertent jokes, and leaves a trail of bobby pins in her wake. June Foray’s voice work is outstanding in the character; despite her hideous demeanor, her self-deprecating sense of humor and unbridled glee make her almost cuddly. Chuck Jones animation is wonderful as well, and I couldn’t help but notice that the backgrounds have a bit of the UPA quality about them. This is another of Warner Brothers’ outstanding cartoons from the fifties. Recommended.