What’s Opera Doc

What's Opera, Doc? was written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones in 1957. This short parodies opera. It starts by showing a very abstract sky of green and purples. A large shadow of a viking controls the sky. Lightning strikes the earth. The viewer soon discovers that the large shadow is actually Elmer Fudd. He tells the audience the usual "Shh be very, very quiet. I'm hunting rabbits." Elmer finds Bugs' rabbit hole and stabs at it while singing "Kill the Wabbit, Kill the Wabbit". The rest of the short involves Elmer chasing after Bugs while a compilation of Wagner's songs plays in the background. The short ends on a fairly dreary note. Elmer carries a limp and presumedly dead Bugs Bunny off into the distance. Bugs addresses the viewer, "Well, what'd you expect in an opera? A happy ending?"

This short is memorable for its abstract backgrounds, the scene in which Bugs dresses in drag, and for its use of Wagner's music. It is a great parody and a classic.