They got a nomination for it, and I didn’t. The controversy stems from its similarity to another short from MGM, the Oscar-winning Tom & Jerry classic The Cat Concerto. My theory is that this cartoon was Chuck Jones’s A Feather in His Hare (production number 1023). The minimal use of dialogue is good, the funniest gag of the cartoon was the telephone call where Bugs says "Franz Lizst? I prefer Cat Concerto over Rhapsody Rabbit, because it really does flow better, and it has a better ending, but there are a few gags from the Bugs short that I like. But by the time that the process was completed, Technicolor have sent the film over to MGM opposed to Warner Bros. by mistake. You know, I think I remember watching 'Cat Concerto' a small number of times, but I have no memories of actually watching 'Rhapsody Rabbit', so the question of comparison never came in to my mind. Thanks for the inclusion of “Musical Moments” as well! Well both films have a similar premise to each other and have the same music throughout which is Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2 as well as playing a different piece of music near the end. Thank for Reading, Everyone and I will see you all in the next Cartoon Revue. The Cat Concerto series is one of the greatest cartoons series. :neutral_face: With the synopsis, let's get into the main reason that it got the controversy. We happened to have under contract one of the best pianists in the United States at the time, a famous concert pianist. The Gags that play out in Rhapsody Rabbit are much funnier than The Cat Concerto. This also explains why the scenario for Bugs was so odd - to be the tormented instead of the tormentor. But arguing which cartoon is funnier/more original does not answer the question: was it plagiarism, or just a coincidence? Bugs is not as funny as he usually is, but he does a stellar job, courtesy to some brilliant vocal characterisations from Mel Blanc. That short (Rhapsody Rabbit) was a Friz Freling, not a Chuck Jones cartoon if I remember correctly. I had the pleasure of meeting Virgil Ross once at a public appearance, and I was able to talk with him briefly. The Cat Concerto‘s title cards look like they could be original, but I’m not completely sure: the copyright synopsis Thad posted above lists the Oscar tag as being part of the card with the cartoon’s title (just like The Little Orphan‘s title card), not on the Tom and Jerry card. The composer of the song coined a term “mocking opera” to describe the song. In the case of Rhapsody Rabbit, it was not rushed through production – it was pushed up the release schedule severely. In order to make "Rhapsody Rabbit" as brilliantly effective as it is, Friz Freleng understood that he needed to familiarize himself with the music score so as to give him & his animators a visual guide. Somewhat controversial Merrie Melodies short, directed by Friz Freleng and featuring Bugs Bunny. Thank you for the thoughtful insight to this controversy. The same year Warner Bros. released "Rhapsody Rabbit", MGM produced a very similar Tom and Jerry cartoon called "The Cat Concerto", which features Tom being distracted by Jerry while playing in a concert. Nice article Thad. Coming Tomorrow will be a look at some films made by Norman McLauren. 8 April 1946 Metacritic Reviews. Toonzone/Anime Superhero 2020 Battle of the Brackets- Disney vs Warner Bros, "Superman: Red Son" Animated Release Talkback (Spoilers). Considerable thanks to Keith Scott, David Gerstein, and Kurtis Findlay for their essential assistance. Warners released there parody later that same year. In my opinion, the animators at Warners were light years ahead of Hanna Barbara. Nice one =), “While entertaining, his cartoons strike me as being derivative of Warner’s and MGM’s shorts. MGM did manage to return the cartoon back over Warner Bros., but Warner Bros. were unaware about what was happening over at their rival. Pianist Jakob Gimpel was recorded for Rhapsody Rabbit (and paid $250). Musical Moments from Chopin, a Walter Lantz Musical Miniature directed by Dick Lundy, received the nomination that Rhapsody Rabbit didn’t, and was also screened for the Academy before it was released to the general public. It's been debated for decades who ripped off who, and we'll likely never know the truth. I always thought “Barber of Seville” and “The Legand of Rock-A-By Point” to be as good as Warner cartoons. The animation is very effective and beautiful if rather simple. I should add that Freleng did get his “revenge” of sorts the following year when his short, “Tweetie Pie”, won the Academy Award. The Cat Concerto is a 1947 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 29th Tom and Jerry short, released to theatres on April 26, 1947. As others have said, it was a great read. Help that hopes! HERE. There’s no doubt in my mind that the screening was rigged by MGM to make the Warner cartoon look like plagiarism. Now I'm not saying that the jokes in The Cat Concerto are bad, there are few good jokes like the piano literally punishing Jerry and the ending. and a Marx Brothers flick broke out? Never heard of 'em. I believe I can firmly establish it was the latter, beyond the fact that neither Freleng nor Barbera contested otherwise. This footer is unique to XenBase. Thanks for reading my 69th article in the series 100-day music blogging challenge. Therefore, I can offer no other explanation for this disparity other than the earlier cartoon was shoved down the assembly line, also explaining why no Bugs cartoons by Jones were released in the 1947 season. Cutting...and pasting!!! Even by today's standards, this is a very clever and humorous piece, free of cliches. This short, of course, launched his own “cat vs’ prey” with Sylevestor and Tweety. The gags are also more suited to Tom & Jerry, not the usual verbal trouncing and outwitting of a dumber opponent that one associates with Bugs. This is another very good Bugs Bunny and one of a few where he is involved in classical music (others are "A Corny Concerto" and "Baton Bunny"). I’ve heard nothing of the sort, and there’s no proof, anecdotal or otherwise.). It was even to the point that he got his hands in knots! Most of the gags are identical to both cartoons, and they used the same music that was played. Milt Franklyn’s orchestral scorings were generally recorded in production number order, with cartoons in the same number range scored the same day. Total: 1,263 (members: 64, guests: 1,199). Another famous Rhapsody I would want you to listen is by the British band – Queen. When I heard the tune, I remembered the scene in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" where Daffy Duck and Donald Duck are playing that song and keep undermining each other's performances. I like The Cat Concerto better. And use the same exact "review"!!! In certain cases, when the music dictates so much of the action, it would be recorded first. The Tom & Jerry cartoon, finally titled Cat Concerto, was rushed through the studio’s production process and put up for Academy consideration in the spring. Afterwards, MGM began to try avoiding this kind of conflict by routinely getting what it felt was the best “Oscar bait” out to the public as soon as possible (though they found to their horror that Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl, a cartoon released a year earlier than it should have been, was nothing on Gerald McBoing Boing by the new kids in town). Well after shooting a man who was constantly coughing. We [Cat Concerto] played first. . That year’s crop of animated short-subject Oscar contenders was screened for the Academy, and then it was Friz Freleng’s turn to be disturbed. While I do admit that Rhapsody Rabbit is really funny, The Cat Concerto is one of my favorite Tom and Jerry cartoons ever made despite having a few gags. But Cat Concerto is the best because of the humor, and that Tom and Jerry fighting makes more sense than Bugs Bunny fighting a mouse. . However, the “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen consists over three distinct parts or movements each portraying different moods and tonality. The music is a real highlight, I love the cartoons that feature classical music, and this is no exception. Having removed his many gloves, Bugs, a proto-Glenn Gould seats himself down in near-religious preparation, only to be interrupted by two loud coughs. The word “Rhapsody” in Greek means – rhapsōidos, a reciter of epic poetry. You must log in or register to reply here. Also a mouse does appear almost around the 3 minute mark. Follow me @scribinzineman. Both MGM and Warner Bros. accused each other of plagiarism, after both films were shown in the 1947 Academy Awards Ceremony…