In 1986 Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and his production company released a mockumentary, but it wasn’t just any spoof. Set to look like it was honoring the 50th anniversary of the Looney Tunes cartoon universe, the mockumentary showcased the characters as if they were very much real Hollywood stars. The idea was to have famous people discussing the beloved animated characters as if they were colleagues. The cast was incredibly star-studded. A barrel-full of impressive celebrities, such as George Burns, Kirk Douglas, Candace Bergen, Jeff Goldblum, Jeremy Irons, Molly Ringwald, and Billy Dee Williams showed up to do their part.
In an Instagram Reel from the account Toons, Tunes, and Trash (@toonstunesandtrash), they add, “From the music world, you had Cher, Quincy Jones, and David freaking Bowie. From the Lorne-verse, you had Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Bill Murray. For a bit of realism, Mel Blanc, Friz Freleng, and Chuck Jones are also interviewed in non-bits.”
But it’s Bill Murray who steals the show. While most of the others seem to be working off a script, Murray riffs for nearly two full minutes on infamous Looney Tunes characters as though he knew them in real life. And his observations are laugh-out-loud brilliant.
In the clip, Murray is casually shooting pool while he pretends to answer interview questions. “Bugs never did anything for anybody that didn’t serve Bugs Bunny,” he quips. “That’s why he’s a star.”
He also suggests that Yosemite Sam was “afraid of the supernatural.” He states, “Yosemite would come onto the set and start giving Friz a little trouble. And Friz would reach in for a little voodoo thing and just wave it in front of Sam.” (Murray is referring to Friz Freleng, a Warner Bros. animator, director, and composer.)
Now it’s time for Porky. “Porky Pig could have any dame he wanted in Hollywood. You know, with a (snaps his fingers) phone call. He goes out with this girl and he’s like, ‘She’s a pig. I don’t want to date a pig.’ You know, it’s one of those things where you always want what… you know, sort of rejecting his past and wanting more.”
Back to the bunny. “But Bugs selling war bonds was a joke. Because Bugs was not interested in fighting, you know what I mean? He couldn’t get arrested. After Knighty Knight Bugs’, because all of a sudden Bugs was the superstar. He was the artist. And Pepe was just a little skunk.”
And speaking of that skunk, Murrary shares, “So Pepe left. He bailed out. He went over to Europe. He worked in France. He did art films over there. He was loved by a lot of people, and whenever we’d go over, everybody would look him up. But he never came back. He never visited.” Murray then attempts a French accent. “It was always ‘If you are here, please stop by.’ And you’d go by and he was so gracious and so lovely and he would always say, ‘Oh, how is Bugs?’ And you knew it was breaking his heart.”
A compilation of classic Looney Tunes cartoons. www.youtube.com, Warner Bros. Classics
Time for the duck. “Everyone knew it was Daffy’s picture all the way. Daff was unique. He was a maverick. He was a rebel. And he’s a lot more intelligent than people give him credit for. I mean, I have no respect, intellectually, for Fudd. It’s not that I don’t like Fudd, I just don’t have any respect for him intellectually. And Daffy… I do have respect for.”
The Instagram handle also explains that the whole concept seemed to have little to do with any kind of actual anniversary. “It was tied into a Looney Tunes exhibit opening up at the MoMA entitled ‘That’s Not All, Folks!: Warner Bros. Cartoons Golden Jubilee.’ (The Cartoon Golden Jubilee was also a hugely successful video series of this stuff. This wabbit hole goes deep.)”
In a 2012 Vulture article entitled, “Bill Murray, Steve Martin and the Bugs Bunny; The Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary Special,” author Matthew Callan writes, “The fact that the 50th anniversary special was produced by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video should give your first clue as to the tone. Near its close, legendary animator Chuck Jones confesses, ‘Our pictures were never made for children. Our pictures were never made for adults. They were made for us.’ The same could have been said of this special. It was clearly done primarily for the enjoyment of the people involved.”
If you watch it, it’s clear the whole cast had a great time dishing on Hollywood scandals. Callan shares, “This ‘gossip’ was punctuated by a perfectly selected array of classic cartoons, edited together for maximum comic effect.”
In a 1986 “review” of the film, New York Times writer John O’Connor writes, “With tongues nailed firmly to cheek, in time-honored cartoon style, the guests very seriously reveal their innermost thoughts about these peculiarly American heroes.” Mentioning Murray as “bitter,” O’Connor goes on to say that some of the stars, like Cher, are “wistful.”
Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary film. www.youtube.com, Media Central UK
O’Connor makes it clear that there are real insights into the people and messages behind the scenes at Warner Bros. “Some of the studio’s top animators are on hand to offer insights into their creations. Chuck Jones sees Bugs Bunny as an aspiration, ‘what you’d like to be like,’ as opposed to Daffy Duck, ‘what you are afraid you’re really like.'”
Highlights aside from Bill Murray, include Chevy Chase who, just before the opening credits, states, “Bugs just kind of plays himself. I’ve never really seen him stretch as an actor.”
David Bowie, always down for a good joke, changes his tune on Bugs. “Look,” he says. “I don’t know Bugs Bunny. Alright, I’ve met him. In fact, I know him pretty well, but I’d never work with him… except I might be doing an album with him.”
Jeff Goldblum hilariously defends Porky, saying, “Porky is not washed up, if that’s what they’ve been saying. He’s, as a matter of fact, for your information, the greatest and most versatile actor to ever work in the business.”
And Steve Martin goes the extra absurdist route, insisting that movie stars simply copy Bugs, such as the time Paul Newman was spotted eating carrots.
– David Bowie has conflicted thoughts on Bugs Bunny in this mockumentary. www.youtube.com, Mr Screaming
Upworthy had a chance to chat with the Toons, Tunes, and Trash Instagram handle creator Mike Hadge, who adds his point of view as to why the Bill Murray bit was so special.
“Bill Murray’s wiring is just so perfectly installed to endlessly riff on Yosemite Sam’s presence on set and things like that. When people refer to ‘yes and-ing‘ something in regards to improvisation, this is what they mean. It helps that Murray trained in comedy under Del Close, the godfather of the ‘yes and…’ philosophy of improv, at Second City. That said, this is just how Bill Murray lives and breathes. Lucky us!”
Additionally, he tells us that having had Lorne Michaels at the helm of the whole thing totally tracks. “The odd approach taken in the special makes sense when you realize this whole thing was produced by Lorne Michaels, who, aside from SNL, produced another faux-documentary eight years earlier in The Rutles’ ‘All You Need Is Cash,’ an iconic Beatles riff that, by the way, ALSO featured some tasty Bill Murray riffing.”
Hadge also shares how his account came about. “As for Toons, Tunes, and Trash, the account started six months ago as support for my online shop, which specializes in affordable vintage animation and music collectibles. The account has become an overall celebration of old animation, music, comedy—basically stuff I love made by humans. In the process, I’ve learned just how much people enjoy revisiting—or being introduced to—classic animation and the like. It’s been nice to share stuff that amuses me and see who else it amuses. Community is key, people.”
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