Bugs' Bonnets
Bugs' Bonnets is a 1956 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. The short was released on January 14, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The film has both Bugs and Elmer constantly change social roles and personas, accompanying each change of hat on their heads.
Plot
The narrative begins with an exploration of the impact of clothing on human behavior. Illustrated through a businessman's metamorphosis into a pirate persona and Elmer Fudd's transition from mundane attire to hunting garb, the narrative underscores how attire can evoke distinct behavioral responses.To further illustrate this phenomenon, an event occurs when a truck from the Acme Theatrical Hat Co. accidentally scatters hats across the landscape. This event leads to a series of exchanges as Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd don various hats, each triggering a corresponding shift in behavior. Amidst a chase replete with hat exchanges, Bugs adopts roles ranging from a military sergeant to a game warden, while Elmer transforms into General Douglas MacArthur and a pilgrim, among others. Each hat exchange catalyzes a temporary alteration in behavior, leading to confrontations and exchanges between the characters.
Ultimately, the narrative culminates in a whimsical mock wedding ceremony. The scene is set to Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" as Bugs carries Elmer to a cottage.