Pointing out the importance of such an iconic cartoonist, animator and director like Friz Freleng would be kinda redundant by now, but this article of mine is going to list both his highlights and lowlights regardless, on a yearly basis. From his least compelling year to his absolute peak.
NOTE: the fact he was overshadowed by Chuck Jones’ blinding aura doesn’t make him underrated by default. He remains one of the most influential supervisors of all time.

29) 1934

Freleng’s first full year as a director – unless you count his co-direction of Hugh Harman’s Bosko cartoons in 1933 – appears to be his bottom. 1934 might be a very unripe year for WB – lacking a proper identity and solid characters upon the failures of Bosko and Buddy – but it’s pretty clear Freleng’s subjects still leave to be desired, due to the studios’ outrageous reliance on musical numbers, which essentially substituted plot and humor.
Those Beautiful Dames may provide a rather passionate output, but musical numbers terribly get in the way of mere narration, resulting in very dated means of entertainment. Then again, being the very first WB 2-strip technicolor short definitely makes it a bit more important. Beauty and the Beast features said title, yet it’s more like about the Nutcracker. It’s a mediocre short with obnoxious musical numbers. Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule is merely embarrassing for how racist it happens to be. How did it manage to dodge Censored 11?
Known animators: Rollin Hamilton, Bob McKimson, Jack King, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett…

1. Buddy the Gob 3/10
2. Buddy and Towser 4/10
3. Beauty and the Beast 5/10
4. Buddy’s Trolley Troubles 3/10
5. Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule 2/10
6. How Do I Know It’s Sunday 3/10
7. Why Do I Dream Those Dreams 3/10
8. The Girl at the Ironing Board 4/10
9. The Miller’s Daughter 4/10
10. Shake Your Powder Puff 4/10
11. Those Beautiful Dames 6/10
12. Pop Goes Your Heart 5/10

28) 1938-39

His brief experience at MGM wasn’t so memorable. True, receiving a higher wage is stimulating and all, but quite sincerely, MGM didn’t live their most successful period before Hanna and Barbera’s contribution, either. It seems like they, too, struggled to find a solid identity – like pre-1938 WB – and Freleng’s first and last series – the Captain and the Kids – failed to satiate the studios’ demands. For a sensible reason, as they do appear as harmless, yet charmless, unremarkably bland shorts with forgettable characters, who suck in any glimmer of interest for how boring they actually are. Not even Freleng’s attempts to provide subtle humor and Scott Bradley’s compositions could save a bland shipwreck of a series. As for his other shorts, The Mad Maestro is nothing special compared to Freleng and also MGM’s upcoming music-centered cartoons, but something tells me The Cat Concerto, Rhapsody in Rivets or Rhapsody Rabbit wouldn’t exist without such a flawed forerunner.
Known animators: Emery Hawkins, George Gordon, Jack Zander, Irv Spence, Pete Burness…

27) 1936

Pretty lackluster year, even though WB began to omit musical numbers in both Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, and placed their bets on humor (Tex Avery) and suggestive cinematography (Frank Tashlin). Freleng’s yearly performance definitely endured a decline, to the detriment of his improvements in 1935, as not even the passage to 3-strip technicolor in the Merrie Melodies series could conceal some severe structural problems, such as his slow pacing or the lack of substance.
Let It Be Me not only is not particularly amusing, but hearing Bernice Hansen’s vocals clearly doesn’t amuse further, either. The Coo-Coo Nut Groove might entertain those who can recognize all those celebrities better, but personally it’s better to stick to a single, organic story rather than to have Hollywood V.I.P. caricatures turn into the main gag source. Using one reference is fine, but a whole bunch becomes quite hard to bear. Just like in At Your Service Madame, a zoomer would never know who W.C. Fields was. That swine spoof would be passable as a character if he had other qualities other than mimicking a real celebrity.
Known animators: Bob McKimson, Sandy Walker, Paul Smith, Cal Dalton, Ken Harris, Don Williams…

1. I Wanna Play House 4/10
2. The Cat Came Back 6/10
3. I’m a Big Shot Now 6/10
4. Let It Be Me 5/10
5. Bingo Crosbyana 5/10
6. When I Yoo Hoo 5/10
7. Sunday Go to Meetin’ Time 5/10
8. At Your Service Madame 5/10
9. Toy Town Hall 3/10
10. Boulevardier from the Bronx 5/10
11. The Coo-Coo Nut Grove 4/10

26) 1937-38

The last of Freleng’s first stage at Schlesinger’s studios, which also includes his only 3 shorts released in 1938 prior to his departure to MGM, with his unit being mostly taken over by Cal Dalton and Ben Hardaway. Very inconsistent performance altogether, ranging from awkwardly dated exhibitions with comic reliefs – She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter – twisted and ludicrous dream segments – Pigs Is Pigs – to subpar attempts to recreate darker stories – Her Was Her Man – banal depictions of ethnic minorities – Sweet Sioux and Jungle Jitters – and retelling of unsuccessful stories – A Star Is Hatched, which still sort of serves as metaphor of his own will to change studio after accepting MGM’s proposition.
Known animators: Bob McKimson (eventually joins Tashlin’s unit), Cal Dalton, Paul Smith (eventually joins Avery’s unit), Ken Harris, Phil Monroe, A.C. Gamer…

1. He Was Her Man (1937) 5/10
2. Pigs Is Pigs (1937) 7/10
3. The Fella with the Fiddle (1937) 7/10
4. She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter (1937) 6/10
5. Clean Pastures (1937) 5/10
6. Streamlined Greta Green (1937) 6/10
7. Sweet Sioux (1937) 4/10
8. Plenty of Money and You (1937) 5/10
9. Dog Daze (1937) 5/10
10. The Lyin’ Mouse (1937) 6/10
11. September in the Rain (1937) 3/10
12. My Little Buckaroo (1938) 6/10
13. Jungle Jitters (1938) 4/10
14. A Star is Hatched (1938) 3/10

25) 1935

His better year of the first WB decade. Mostly remembered for Porky Pig’s debut in I Haven’t Got a Hat – Beans the Cat was supposed to be the main focus originally – a passable school show with its moments. My Green Fedora is a nice surprise, as it’s got some decent action after a rather sluggish start. The Merry Old Soul isn’t exempt from cringy, outdated musical numbers, but a king gets married and finds out he’s got a whole ton of children, causing a rather shady and awkward situation – especially if they lose their hair depending on who animates them. What a nightmare. The only thing Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name deserves to be remembered is the topless mermaids at the beginning, because the main character is essentially Buddy as a merboy. Billboard Frolics only features signs and billboards singing and dancing without providing any humor whatsoever.
Known animators: Bob McKimson, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett (the two would join Avery’s unit), Sandy Walker, Cal Dalton, Paul Smith…

1. Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name 4/10
2. Country Boy 4/10
3. I Haven’t Got a Hat 6/10
4. Along Flirtation Walk 6/10
5. My Green Fedora 7/10
6. Into Your Dance 6/10
7. Country Mouse 5/10
8. The Merry Old Soul 6/10
9. The Lady in Red 5/10
10. Little Dutch Plate 4/10
11. Billboard Frolics 4/10
12. Flowers for Madame 5/10

24) 1963-65

His final directed shorts in the Golden Age before the DePatie&Freleng production era – a quite unfortunate moment. This era isn’t that highly regarded by the fandom – someone would even rank it BELOW the ’30s due to notorious budget restrictions – which I’d totally agree. Plenty of its shorts are quite detestable for differing reasons, despite John Dunn isn’t a terrible writer, but he seems to undergo an inevitable burnout after two years of ups and downs. Therefore it’s not astounding to view him as a downgrade compared to Warren Foster’s solidness or Mike Maltese’s setups.
Mexican Cat Dance has barely got any plot, Sylvester is Speedy’s whore and the mice’s laughter sounds really obnoxious. IT NEVER STOPS. Devil’s Feud Cake is an outrageous excuse of a clip show, but is still not as annoying as the forementioned short. Hawaiian Aye Aye is directed by Chiniquy, but I don’t care because any occasion is the right one when it’s time to express my disdain over such a lazy, uninspired, anticlimactic entry of an otherwise stock series. Conversely, The Unmentionables is the true gem of this era, even though it’s weaker than Bugs and Thugs and Bugsy and Mugsy.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Bob Matz, Art Leonardi, Lee Halpern; Norm McCabe, Don Williams, Manny Perez, Bob Matz…

1. Devil’s Feud Cake (1963) (Freleng and Foster, 1653) 5/10
2. Mexican Cat Dance (1963) (Dunn, 1614) 4/10
3. Chili Weather (1963) (Dunn, 1650) 6/10
4. The Unmentionables (1963) (Dunn, 1622) 8/10
5. Nuts and Volts (1964) (Dunn, 1651) 6/10
6. Dumb Patrol (1964) (Gerry Chiniquy) (Dunn) 5/10 – not a Freleng short, but gets the cake of worst Bugs-Sam pairing.
7. Hawaiian Aye Aye (1964) (Gerry Chiniquy) (Pierce and Danch, 1662) 4/10 – not a Freleng short, either, but the animation unit is essentially his and I just wanted to express my disgust towards this anticlimactic bore.
8. Pancho’s Hideaway (1964) (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn) 6/10
9. Road to Andalay (1964) (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn) 5/10
10. It’s Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House (1965) (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn) 6/10 – this short is fine, but what followed it is INEXCUSABLE, the Daffy-Speedy series is disgraceful to both Daffy’s character and Bob McKimson’s reputation.
11. Cats and Bruises (1965) (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn) 4/10 – watching Emery Hawkins’ recycled animation from Canary Row is just as saddening as an aged singer who lets the audience sing his own song, because he no longer can sing it.
12. The Wild Scam Chase (1965) (with Hawley Pratt) (Freleng and Howard) 4/10

23) 1940

The beginning of Freleng’s second stage at WB upon the unmemorable MGM experience. His past ambition could never be depicted in a more meaningful and accurate way than You Ought to Be in Pictures, with Daffy manipulating Porky over changing his career, which showcases a double meaning – Freleng’s choice and also Daffy’s intent to oust Porky from his mascot role. If most of his shorts were as great as this one, 1940 would receive a way superior ranking. Unfortunately, there’s still a few duds like Malibu Beach Party, a boring Hollywood V.I.P. parade, and Shop, Look & Listen, the undeserved sequel of the mediocre Little Blabbermouse – originally meant as a new main character.
Known animators: Cal Dalton, Dick Bickenbach, Herm Cohen, Gil Turner…

1. Confederate Honey (Hardaway, 9365) 5/10
2. The Hardship of Miles Standish (Miller, 9373) 5/10
3. You Ought to Be in Pictures (Miller, 9366) 9/10
4. Little Blabbermouse (Hardaway, 9159) 5/10
5. Porky’s Baseball Broadcast (Hardaway, 9536) 6/10
6. Malibu Beach Party (Miller, 9633) 4/10
7. Calling Dr. Porky (Miller, 9616) 7/10
8. Porky’s Hired Hand (Monahan, 9636) 7/10
9. Shop, Look & Listen (Monahan, 9639) 5/10

22) 1962

1962 delivers a pretty middle-of-the-road output, in spite of a couple of polarizing shorts – often regarded among the worst cartoons ever produced by WB. However, I actually don’t have strong negative opinions on Shishkabugs, The Jet Cage and even Honey’s Money: the former is a subpar short – among the weakest Bugs-Sam entries – with a pretty static story and a quite annoying character, but it’s not that terrible. The latter maintains the typical stock atmosphere of the Sylvester-Tweety series, but I don’t find it as obnoxious as Hawaiian Aye Aye or A Bird in a Bonnet. I actually find the inevitable switch from Milt Franklin to Bill Lava’s score after 2:30 minutes quite depressing, it’s like we’re hearing someone pass. Honey’s Money – albeit not that great – is amazingly not as frustrating as His Bitter Half, as Yosemite Sam fits the greedy role more naturally than Tedd Pierce’s Daffy, and – guess what – he’s punctually punished for attempting to kill Wentworth.
Mexican Boarders is a decent Sylvester-Speedy short, starring a memorable occasional character – Slowpoke Rodriguez. His massively slowed down version of the popular Cucaracha theme is totally a classic.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Bob Matz, Art Leonardi, Lee Halpern.

1. Crows’ Feat (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn, 1561) 5/10
2. Mexican Boarders (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn, 1570) 7/10
3. Honey’s Money (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn, 1583) 7/10
4. The Jet Cage (Freleng, 1609) 6/10
5. Shishkabugs (Dunn, 1615) 6/10

21) 1958

The year of Freleng’s fourth Academy Award short, Knighty Knight Bugs, hands down the best of the bunch. It’s not the best Bugs-Sam pairing, but remains an extremely great cartoon. The only shining part of an otherwise difficult year, ranked higher than 1962 only because Foster is a solider writer than Dunn. If 1957 featured some more variety in Freleng’s Tweety-Sylvester series, A Pizza Tweety Pie is set in Venice – overrated city, for the record – and that’s about it, because it’s the same old stock “catch the canary bird failed attempts chain” over and over.
And don’t ever get me started on A Bird in a Bonnet, one of the infamous “Seely Six”, arguably as weak as McKimson’s Gopher Broke: the title card music sounds as disgusting as the entire “Dennis the Menace” score, Granny is downright obnoxious and the abrupt ending makes it even lamer. No joke, I think it’s worse than Pre-Hysterical Hare, at least that one’s undeliberately funny.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Art Davis.

1. Hare-Less Wolf (Foster, 1478) 7/10
2. A Pizza Tweety Pie (Foster, 1479) 6/10
3. A Waggily Tale (Foster, 1486) 5/10
4. Knighty Knight Bugs (Foster, 1483) 9/10
5. A Bird in a Bonnet (Foster, 1490) 5/10

20) 1942

A quite middle-of-the-road year, lacking music-centered shorts unlike 1941 and 1943. The main attractions are undoubtedly the Bugs-Elmer shorts – The Wabbit Who Came to Supper, The Hare-Brained Hypnotist and the controversial Fresh Hare – while the rest is essentially one-way characters’ stories and/or Averyesque safer templates, like travelogues (Saps in Chaps) or anthologies (Foney Fables), which I’m not a huge fan of.
As for the rest, Ding Dog Daddy illustrates a dog simping over a canine statue – partially saved by Pinto Colvig’s vocals, Porky’s Pastry Pirates is about a very annoying bee, who wants to eat Porky’s cakes, Foney Fables is a collection of many fable excerpts, whose jokes don’t always land – Little Thumb cutaway aside.
Known animators: Cal Dalton (joins McCabe’s unit after The Wabbit), Dick Bickenbach, Gil Turner, Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Phil Monroe (joins in Foney Fables).

1. Hop Skip and a Chump (Maltese, 223) 6/10
2. Porky’s Pastry Pirates (Monahan, 226) 5/10
3. The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (Maltese, 573) 8/10
4. Saps in Chaps (Monahan, 446) 5/10
5. Lights Fantastic (Monahan, 443) 6/10
6. Double Chaser (Maltese, 607) 7/10
7. Foney Fables (Maltese, 625) 5/10
8. Fresh Hare (Maltese, 629) 7/10
9. The Sheepish Wolf (Maltese, 719) 6/10
10. The Hare-Brained Hypnotist (Maltese, 723) 9/10
11. Ding Dog Daddy (Pierce, 825) 6/10

19) 1956

Okay-ish year. Freleng-Foster is overall a pretty solid duo, perhaps too solid. Rock steady – that is, as they know which series work better and play it VERY safe. Specifically, the Bugs-Sam and Tweety-Sylvester series. Unfortunately, the latter case seems imprisoned by the formula in any possible way, always to the detriment of Sylvester’s character. Tweet and Sour proposes something different – Sylvester protecting Tweety in order to maintain his fur intact – but stops midway through, as it tries to mimic 1951’s Putty Tat Trouble with weaker results and the ending is a downer, too. Tree Cornered Tweety is a parody of Dragnet, but I consider it more like the same trite Sylvester being Tweety’s bitch routine.
On the other front, Rabbitson Crusoe isn’t the most imaginative Bugs-Sam entry, there’s not much interaction between the two this time, A Star Is Bored handles Daffy’s envy towards Bugs in a slightly less in-your-face way – he’s just too dumb to live – compared to the flawed This Is a Life? and Yankee Dood It belongs to that streak of shorts teaching economy classes, without nobody actually asking for it. Sylvester’s subplot impedes me from disliking it further.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Art Davis.

1. Tweet and Sour (Foster, 1380) 6/10
2. Rabbitson Crusoe (Foster, 1386) 7/10
3. Tree Cornered Tweety (Foster, 1391) 7/10
4. Napoleon Bunny-Part (Foster, 1396) 7/10
5. Tugboat Granny (Foster, 1417) 7/10
6. A Star Is Bored (Foster, 1423) 7/10
7. Yankee Dood It (Foster, 1441) 5/10
8. Two Crows from Tacos (Pierce, 1420) 6/10

18) 1941

Rhapsody in Rivets – the first official showcase of Freleng’s musical timing. It lost to Disney’s Lend a Paw in the Academy Awards, which demonstrates how the Academy rarely rewards quality. In my canon, this is the real winner for its creativity and complexity, as it doesn’t need worn-out mascots and futile caterwauling to stand out. The Trial of Mr. Wolf also showcases an alternate PoV of the classic Red Riding Hood tale, with the wolf acting as the prey and Red and her granny as villains.
Nevertheless, Freleng’s 1941 is just okay, definitely better than his 1940, despite a few missteps like Rookie Revue – skippable spot-gag short with the same puns recycled billions of times – and Porky’s Bear Facts, a very bizarre short in which Porky is sidelined once again, in favor of a lethargic and destitute bear with an annoying voice. No wonder they let Porky become an edgelord in the late ’40s, he’s just too mild.
Known animators: Cal Dalton, Dick Bickenbach, Herm Cohen, Gil Turner, Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez.

1. The Fighting 69½th (Miller, 9773) 6/10
2. The Cat’s Tale (Maltese, 9859) 6/10
3. Porky’s Bear Facts (Maltese, 9806) 5/10
4. The Trial of Mr. Wolf (Maltese, 9939) 8/10
5. Hiawatha’s Rabbit Hunt (Maltese, 9953) 7/10
6. The Wacky Worm (Monahan, 93) 6/10
7. Sport Chumpions (Maltese, 77) 6/10
8. Notes to You (Maltese, 174) 7/10
9. Rookie Revue (Monahan, 353) 5/10
10. Rhapsody in Rivets (Maltese, 175) 8/10

17) 1961

1961 is not that memorable, but not wholly as abysmal as the ’60s would normally be. Freleng definitely struggled a bit upon Foster’s departure, but his second partnership with Mike Maltese was at the very least serviceable. D’ Fightin’ Ones could’ve been a more meaningful epilogue of Maltese’s WB career, but given how much Sylvester shorts can be screwed up so badly, I can accept this result. Freleng himself wrote The Rebel Without Claws, which is the typically mundane and stock Tweety-Sylvester entry, with “I tawt I taw a damn yankee cat” being the only funny part.
John Dunn and Dave Detiege don’t globally provide the same solidity as Foster or Maltese, still their highlight, The Last Hungry Cat, attempts to vary the stock Tweety-Sylvester formula by parodying Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and basically rehashing Oscar winning Birds Anonymous… and Lighthouse Mouse. Acceptable, yet unimaginative readaptation.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Art Davis (last work in The Last Hungry Cat), Bob Matz, Art Leonardi, Lee Halpern.

1. D’ Fightin’ Ones (Maltese, 1555) 7/10
2. The Rebel Without Claws (Freleng, 1562) 6/10
3. The Pied Piper of Guadalupe (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn, 1554) 7/10
4. Prince Violent (with Hawley Pratt) (Detiege, 1566) 7/10
5. The Last Hungry Cat (with Hawley Pratt) (Dunn and Detiege, 1569) 7/10

16) 1959

Quite an improvement over the difficult 1958, the last full year of the Freleng-Foster duo, ending on a quite positive note in Apes of Wrath, a slightly better retelling of McKimson’s Gorilla My Dreams. As a whole, Freleng’s 1959 is serviceable, despite lacking a little bit of originality, but after so many cartoon years, it’s to be expected. Trick or Tweet bluntly recycles Putty Tat Trouble – turning out to be better than the A Bird in a Bonnet horrors, but remains stock and forgettable. Tweet and Lovely reuses the idea of Sylvester being hindered by a herd of bulldogs – like in Ain’t She Tweet and Dog Pounded – this time reduced to JUST ONE BULLDOG. I’ve seen better and worse. Here Today, Gone Tamale marks the return of the brief Freleng-Maltese collab, which results in a – once again – serviceable Sylvester-Speedy short. Conversely, Wild and Woolly Hare brings back the western setting we haven’t seen since 1948’s Bugs Bunny Rides Again, reusing the title card theme of 1945’s Hare Trigger, resulting in a pretty solid Bugs-Sam short, albeit not among their best.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Art Davis, Tom Ray (Tweet and Lovely), Art Leonardi (presumably).

1. Trick or Tweet (Foster, 1494) 6/10
2. Apes of Wrath (Foster, 1522) 9/10
3. Mexicali Shmoes (Foster, 1495) 7/10
4. Tweet and Lovely (Foster, 1500) 7/10
5. Wild and Woolly Hare (Foster, 1499) 8/10
6. Here Today, Gone Tamale (Maltese, 1530) 7/10
7. Tweet Dreams (Freleng and Foster, 1529) 5/10

15) 1960

The following two years are quite divisive and kinda hard to judge. Starting with his 1960, mostly dominated by the Freleng-Maltese 2.0. duo, whose output obviously compels a bit less than their ’40s work, elaborating unexpected ups and downs. Hyde and Go Tweet belongs to the pros, even though the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide kind of plot has been used in numerous shorts, but still works pretty well. At long last, a unique Tweety-Sylvester cartoon. Goldimouse and the Three Cats isn’t by any means as zany and imaginative as Avery’s The Bear’s Tale, but THANKFULLY Sylvester Jr. gets what he deserves for being so annoying, nailing what the boring Sylvester-Hippety Hopper series NEVER does. On the other hand, Person to Bunny is amazing, because I’d never expect Maltese – of all people – to handle Daffy’s envious attitude so lamely, he’s hardly ever been THIS obnoxious. I quite hate this hollow short, unfortunately the last one produced before Arthur Q. Bryan’s demise.
1960 has better highs and more serious lows than 1959, but Freleng gets to write his best short, From Hare to Heir, a quite refreshing setup that takes advantage of Sam’s short temper.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Art Davis, Art Leonardi (occasionally, presumably).

1. Horse Hare (Maltese, 1539) 7/10
2. Goldimouse and the Three Cats (Maltese, 1535) 7/10
3. Person to Bunny (Maltese, 1523) 5/10
4. Hyde and Go Tweet (Maltese, 1526) 8/10
5. Mouse and Garden (Maltese, 1538) 7/10
6. From Hare to Heir (Freleng, 1548) 9/10
7. Trip for Tat (Maltese, 1541) 5/10
8. Lighter Than Hare (Freleng, 1553) 7/10

14) 1955

Easily the most controversial year, with plenty of shorts being produced before and after WB’s shutdown in 1953. Freleng released 16 of them – the highest number of shorts – undeniably delivering a stormy output. Hare Brush portrays Bugs and Elmer’s role reversal masterfully, examining in depth what was initiated in The Hare-Brained Hypnotist and turning it into a thing. One of my all-time favorite Freleng shorts. Sahara Hare‘s got the timeless “WHOA CAMEL”, enough for me to consider it great. Speedy Gonzales made Freleng win his second Academy Award – not sure whether it was fully worthy, but is still more credible than Tweetie Pie. Stork Naked involves Daffy acting strangely hostilely towards the stork carrying his egg, but the short is still fine. Hyde and Hare is a weird one, as Bugs gets offended after Jekyll asks him whether he drank the potion, which he actually did. Meh. Pizzicato Pussycat has a red-furred cat pretend he can play the piano splendidly, but it’s actually a grey mouse wearing glasses’ doing. Too bad I can’t pretend I care for this one. Heir-Conditioned is more acceptable than By Word of Mouse and Yankee Dood It, but please leave economy classes out of animation. Sandy Claws, A Kiddie’s Kitty and Pappy’s Puppy are further proofs of Freleng’s hatred towards Sylvester. I mean, the latter shorts are downright inexcusable, A Kiddie’s Kitty sucks and Pappy’s Puppy tries to recreate MGM’s That’s My Pup, which wasn’t fantastic either, but was highly energetic thanks to their godly unit and Scott Bradley’s vibrant score. Also, when Jerry barks, it is funny, but when the little mutt barks, it makes me want to slaughter him. Mixed bag of a year, altogether.
Known animators: Manny Perez (last work in Sandy Claws), Ken Champin (last work in Pests for Guests), Virgil Ross, Art Davis, Gerry Chiniquy (returns in Tweety’s Circus), Ted Bonnicksen (from Tweety’s Circus to Red Riding Hoodwinked).

1. Pizzicato Pussycat (Foster, 1320) 6/10
2. Pests for Guests (Foster, 1302) 7/10
3. Stork Naked (Foster, 1326) 7/10
4. Sahara Hare (Foster, 1343) 10/10
5. Sandy Claws (Foster, 1331) 6/10
6. Hare Brush (Foster, 1340) 10/10
7. Tweety’s Circus (Foster, 1334) 7/10
8. Lumber Jerks (Foster, 1305) 7/10
9. This Is a Life? (Foster, 1342) 6/10
10. A Kiddie’s Kitty (Foster, 1350) 4/10
11. Hyde and Hare (Foster, 1339) 7/10
12. Speedy Gonzales (Foster, 1345) 8/10
13. Red Riding Hoodwinked (Foster, 1346) 7/10
14. Roman Legion-Hare (Foster, 1384) 8/10
15. Heir-Conditioned (Foster, 1393) 6/10
16. Pappy’s Puppy (Foster, 1378) 5/10

13) 1943

Now we’re getting into more decent territories, with the worse shorts decreasing gradually. At this point Freleng found his true identity, with Maltese and Pierce writing his cartoons. The only true downer is The Fifth-Column Mouse, with the cat representing the dictator and the mice as the resistence army. Such a coeval metaphor is indeed well-described, too bad these one-way characters are so boring, feline Hitler in particular. Yankee Doodle Daffy may own a very simple plot, but… Daffy is just sufficiently powerful to carry it all by himself. He’s just too annoying and so entertaining. Pigs in a Polka marks the comeback of music-centered shorts, after the positive feedback of 1941’s Rhapsody in Rivets, whose award had been stolen by Disney.
Known animators: Dick Bickenbach, Gil Turner, Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Phil Monroe.

1. Pigs in a Polka (Maltese, 1100) 8/10
2. The Fifth-Column Mouse (Maltese, 913) 5/10
3. Greetings Bait (Pierce, 973) 6/10
4. Yankee Doodle Daffy (Pierce, 1048) 7/10
5. Jack-Wabbit and the Beanstalk (Maltese, 993) 7/10
6. Hiss and Make Up (Maltese, 3-13) 7/10
7. Daffy – The Commando (Maltese, 12-13) 8/10

12) 1947

Seriously, why does The Gay Anties even exist? Just give me a decent reason. It’s a stinker, it wouldn’t have made sense in the early ’40s, so what makes you believe it would actually work in the first Clampettless year? So much worse than 1941’s The Fighting 69½th, which at least was somewhat imaginative. That aside, 1947 feels more like a transition period for everybody, since Clampett’s departure was an enormous loss for Selzer’s studios. Nevertheless, the Maltese-Pierce duo – active with both Freleng and Jones – turns out to be rather efficient in a pretty decent year. Slick Hare features Hollywood celebrities for the final time ever, sign of how much WB has grown and doesn’t consider them necessary any longer, which is a right choice as it’s a great Bugs-Elmer pairing (amazing dance segment and Humphrey Bogart’s pie). Rabbit Transit is the third and last installment of the Bugs-Cecil trilogy, and happens to be the weaker short with a bad ending. Shame because the middle portion has Bugs act like a prankster as it should, unlike in the first two shorts. Along Came Daffy is a gem, one of the best Freleng entries with Daffy, while Tweetie Pie is the absolute first Academy Award winner, as well as the first pairing of Tweety and Sylvester… it didn’t really deserve it.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross…

1. The Gay Anties (Maltese and Pierce, 8-15) 4/10
2. Tweetie Pie (Maltese and Pierce, 1026) 7/10
3. Rabbit Transit (Maltese and Pierce, 1025) 7/10
4. A Hare Grows in Manhattan (Maltese and Pierce, 1020) 7/10
5. Along Came Daffy (Maltese and Pierce, 1019) 9/10
6. Slick Hare (Maltese and Pierce, 1035) 9/10

11) 1950

The follow-up of the Freleng-Pierce collab, after Maltese joined Jones’ staff to write unforgettable animation pages. Pierce is a competent writer, but his flaws – like his rather simplistic setups – do stand out once he’s deprived of a supportive figure that overwhelms them, like Maltese or Freleng himself. In fact, his collab with McKimson won’t always meet the same fortune as with Jones and Freleng, because he’s unfortunately not as proficient as a director. With that said, 1950 isn’t a bad year, but slowly shows the signs of a quite unstable pairing, as viewed in both of Daffy’s shorts: His Bitter Half has a few funny bits like the beginning and Daffy yelling WENTWORTH, but marital violence sounds more miserable than ludicrous (besides, Pierce’s character is just too meek for yearning for his bride’s bank account, unlike Sam in Honey’s Money), while Golden Yeggs features Daffy at his most slothful and passive – always running away without thinking of any ingenious quirk -, also demonstrating why pre-Bugs and Thugs Rocky is so dull.
The Lion’s Busy marks the return of Beaky Buzzard after 5 years of absence, and unlike the other 1950 short, this is actually fine, yet a bit safe. Canary Row introduces Granny as Tweety’s main defender, it’s got sufficiently funny moments to be a more compelling entry than the mundane Home Tweet Home. Also, it’s got the classic Tweety’s theme. Stooge for a Mouse is Freleng’s first time as a writer, and Hector Spike Mike actually shared a neat bond with Sylvester before he becomes a generic, antagonistic cat-hater. I suppose the mouse deserves its comeuppance in the end, but it’s not really a virtuous example of the “friend becomes foe upon brainwashing” plot, which Freleng would fortunately illustrate more appropriately later on.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Art Davis, Emery Hawkins (from All a Bir-r-r-d).

1. Home Tweet Home (Pierce, 1103) 6/10
2. Mutiny on the Bunny (Pierce, 1108) 8/10
3. The Lion’s Busy (Pierce, 1112) 7/10
4. Big House Bunny (Pierce, 1115) 9/10
5. His Bitter Half (Pierce, 1118) 6/10
6. All a Bir-r-r-d (Pierce, 1127) 7/10
7. Golden Yeggs (Pierce, 1128) 6/10
8. Bunker Hill Bunny (Pierce, 1133) 8/10
9. Canary Row (Pierce, 1136) 8/10
10. Stooge for a Mouse (Freleng, 1139) 6/10

10) 1944

Now we’re entering Freleng’s top 10, as well as his solidest contributions. With the exception of Meatless Flyday – a bland story about a spider chasing a fly, mimicking Tex Avery’s laugh – his output is pretty steady, strengthened by both Maltese and Pierce’s scripts. Little Red Riding Rabbit is a strong short dealing with the most obnoxious version of Red – obnoxiously funny, that is. Duck Soup to Nuts involves Porky hunting Daffy, solid short even without the necessity to borrow Averyesque humor a la Porky’s Duck Hunt. Goldilocks and the Jivin’ Bears is neither the best, nor the worst of the Censored Eleven, but I suppose its quite energetic atmosphere sort of raises the bar, with the wolf’s neverending dancing wearing out his feet. Stage Door Cartoon serves as a massive influence for Maltese’s own Rabbit of Seville, displaying a rather similar prologue and more limited nudity. Although, Elmer’s forced striptease is rather funny.
Known animators: Dick Bickenbach, Gil Turner (leaves after Duck Soup to Nuts), Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross (first time in Little Red Riding Rabbit, becomes regular in Hare Force), Jack Bradbury.

1. Little Red Riding Rabbit (Maltese, 25-12) 9/10
2. Meatless Flyday (Maltese, 1-13) 5/10
3. Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (Pierce, 4-13) 7/10
4. Duck Soup to Nuts (Pierce, 5-14) 8/10
5. Slightly Daffy (Maltese, 20-12) 4/10 – low rating isn’t for the short per se, but for its non-existent authenticity. It’s no Freleng short, it belongs to Bob Clampett.
6. Hare Force (Pierce, 9-13) 8/10
7. Goldilocks and the Jivin’ Bears (Pierce, 13-13) 7/10
8. Stage Door Cartoon (Maltese, 12-13) 9/10

9) 1954

Good year for the Freleng-Foster duo all in all, with a few evitable smears like Goo Goo Goliath – prime example of why non-canon characters usually fail to leave an impression – Muzzle Tough – Tweety formula through and through – and By Word of Mouse, where the whole economy lessons mini-arc began. Perfectly skippable post-shutdown short, given the presence of Ben Washam and Ted Bonnicksen on the animation front.
As for the duo’s rehashes, someone may consider them unoriginal warmed-up soups, like Captain Hareblower – a less inventive Buccaneer Bunny, but still enjoyable – and Dr. Jerkyl’s Hide – reusing animation from Tree for Two, but Sylvester bullying a bulldog never fails to amuse (Chester is far more annoying here, though) – but in the case of Dog Pounded, I think it’s an improvement over Ain’t She Tweet, because at least it’s got a better ending. Then, we get Satan’s Waitin’ – one of the most original Tweety-Sylvester shorts – and Bugs and Thugs, an all-time classic which finally manages to make Rocky funny.
Known animators: Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Art Davis.

1. Dog Pounded (Foster, 1278) 8/10
2. Captain Hareblower (Foster, 1284) 8/10
3. I Gopher You (Foster, 1277) 7/10
4. Bugs and Thugs (Foster, 1299) 10/10
5. Dr. Jerkyl’s Hide (Foster, 1287) 8/10
6. Muzzle Tough (Foster, 1290) 6/10
7. Satan’s Waitin’ (Foster, 1293) 9/10
8. Yankee Doodle Bugs (Foster, 1323) 6/10
9. Goo Goo Goliath (Foster, 1296) 6/10
10. By Word of Mouse (Foster, 1336) 5/10 – produced after the 1953 shutdown

8) 1953

Another pretty solid effort, in spite of the profusion of formulaic Tweety-Sylvester cartoons, which rather restrict Sylvester to a mere predator role. Fowl Weather is pretty mundane, with just one wild moment of Hector imagining Granny shooting him for losing Tweety – which is hilarious. Tom Tom Tomcat rips off Clampett’s Scalp Trouble – not a promising start, to be fair – but with Tweety and Granny instead of Daffy and Porky. Catty Cornered – at the very least – suggests a plot variation, with Sylvester trying to “save” Tweety from Rocky multiple times, which would be so much more entertaining if pre-Bugs and Thugs Rocky wasn’t so boring. Snow Business actually starts off with Sylvester and Tweety being pals – welcome addition – then carries on the same old routine.
However, Freleng and Foster also attempt a few successful experiments, along the lines of the godlike Jones-Maltese duo, like Sylvester’s improvised fatherhood in A Mouse Divided, a pretty neat short in which he protects a baby mouse from alley cats, Elmer fighting a war against a colony of ants in Ant Pasted, or Bugs and Sam as Granny’s lovers in Hare Trimmed, one of the funniest shorts of the series.
Known animators: Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Art Davis, Warren Batchelder (in a couple of shorts).

1. Snow Business (Foster, 1223) 7/10
2. A Mouse Divided (Foster, 1239) 8/10
3. Fowl Weather (Foster, 1248) 6/10
4. Southern Fried Rabbit (Foster, 1263) 8/10
5. Ant Pasted (Foster, 1245) 8/10
6. Hare Trimmed (Foster, 1266) 9/10
7. Tom Tom Tomcat (Foster, 1269) 6/10
8. A Street Cat Named Sylvester (Foster, 1272) 7/10
9. Catty Cornered (Foster, 1275) 7/10
10. Robot Rabbit (Foster, 1281) 8/10

7) 1945

Freleng’s twofold collab with Pierce and Maltese generated two important characters, Sylvester the Cat and Yosemite Sam respectively. If Life with Feathers included pretty unfunny, yet necessary for the plot domestic violence that conceals an overall simple short, Hare Trigger provides the first ever duel between Bugs and Sam more effectively, given a solider setup and great gags like “draw a gun”, ink over Sam’s head or the smoky so long.
Nevertheless, Hare Trigger aside, Freleng doesn’t actually bring the best material in 1945, in spite of Maltese’s contribution, as Ain’t That Ducky isn’t the best Daffy cartoon out there, since the running gag of the duckling holding a briefcase gets old very fast, Peck Up Your Troubles doesn’t add much over Life with Feathers, the woodpecker is an uninteresting foe for Sylvester, and I can definitely realize Herr Meets Hare might be What’s Opera, Doc? before What’s Opera, Doc?… which isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Known animators: Dick Bickenbach (last work in Ain’t That Ducky), Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Jack Bradbury.

1. Herr Meets Hare (Maltese, 7-13) 7/10
2. Life with Feathers (Pierce, 2-14) 7/10
3. Hare Trigger (Maltese, 9-14) 10/10
4. Ain’t That Ducky (Maltese, 5-15) 6/10
5. Peck Up Your Troubles (Maltese, 10-15) 7/10

6) 1949

First full year of the Freleng-Pierce duo after Maltese joined Jones’ staff. The sole presence of High Diving Hare puts it on a higher level than his 1950, because it’s a masterpiece, one of the best Freleng shorts: Bugs and Sam’s synergy is perfect, gags are perfectly timed and all land, Hawley Pratt’s layouts look competent, even Pete Burness’ animation is on-point…
As for the others, Hare Do seems to share a pattern with Maltese’s Stage Door Cartoon and, despite an unfitting title, it’s a true gem in his filmography. Each Dawn I Crow – among Jerry Beck’s worst WB cartoons – isn’t great, the ending is blah, but the sunrise segment is rather clever. I bet there are FAR WORSE shorts featuring Elmer as a farmer, and fortunately Wise Quackers doesn’t partake in such a pitiful list, despite Daffy’s far from top-notch characterization, but at least it’s no Golden Yeggs. Curtain Razor sounds like a “desperate” try to bring back Porky as a solo character upon being overshadowed by Bugs and Daffy’s shows. Short is fine, yet a bit dated.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez (momentarily leaves after Each Dawn I Crow), Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Pete Burness (last work in Knights Must Fall), Art Davis (becomes regular in Which Is Witch).

1. Hare Do (Pierce, 1068) 9/10
2. Wise Quackers (Pierce, 1063) 8/10
3. High Diving Hare (Pierce, 1077) 10/10
4. Curtain Razor (Pierce, 1081) 7/10
5. Mouse Mazurka (Pierce, 1075) 7/10
6. Knights Must Fall (Pierce, 1086) 7/10
7. Bad Ol’ Putty Tat (Pierce, 1095) 8/10
8. Dough for the Do-Do 5/10 – low rating isn’t again for the short per se, but for not being authentic. Unlike Slightly Daffy, only the last minute animated by Perez can be regarded as Freleng’s doing. Rest is recycled Clampett content.
9. Each Dawn I Crow (Pierce, 1092) 7/10
10. Which Is Witch (Pierce, 1099) 6/10

5) 1951

The official beginning of the collab between Freleng and Foster, with the exception of A Bone for a Bone (how A Hammy Hamlet should’ve looked like). Unsecure whether they’re responsible for the narrative rigidity of the Tweety-Sylvester formula – like in the case of Tweet Tweet Tweety, in spite of Stalling’s massive orchestration during the climax – but fortunately shorts like Putty Tat Trouble and Room and Bird stand out for their violence, sadism and craftiness. However, the conflict Canned Feud generates definitely caused the opposite effect, since the mouse stole the can opener just because, thus turning this solo Sylvester effort into the same old formula-addicted short without Tweety.
On the other hand, the Bugs-Sam series has a few bangers, like Ballot Box Bunny – first canon use of the “Those Endearing Young Charms” gag, after 1944’s Booby Traps – and Rabbit Every Monday with its classic oven climax.
Known animators: Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Art Davis, Emery Hawkins (A Bone for a Bone), John Carey (up to The Fair-Haired Hare).

1. Canned Feud (Foster and Howard, 1161) 6/10
2. Rabbit Every Monday (Foster, 1158) 10/10
3. Putty Tat Trouble (Foster, 1171) 8/10
4. A Bone for a Bone (Hardaway, 1164) 7/10
5. The Fair-Haired Hare (Foster, 1165) 9/10
6. Room and Bird (Foster and Pierce, 1170) 8/10
7. His Hare-Raising Tale (Foster, 1124) 5/10
8. Tweety’s S.O.S. (Foster, 1190) 7/10
9. Ballot Box Bunny (Foster, 1199) 9/10
10. Tweet Tweet Tweety (Foster, 1196) 6/10

4) 1952

If only both Freleng and Foster had never tied themselves to the stock Tweety formula… both Gift Wrapped and A Bird in a Guilty Cage showcase some unique settings (former set on Christmas time, latter in a shopping mall), have got rather funny bits (Hector as Sylvester’s present or Sylvester trying on hats at the mirror), but they always give the idea of being held hostages by that very formula. There’s hardly ever room for a different epilogue, it always ends badly for Sylvester, which makes me wonder whether he’s the actual villain here. For crying it out loud, Ain’t She Tweet once again suggests a plot variation, but does lack a proper ending, which sort of makes Dog Pounded a superior short. All things considered, Freleng and Foster let Sylvester star in a couple of solo efforts, with Tree for Two being captivating and entertaining and Little Red Rodent Hood being stale and unremarkable. As for the other characters, Cracked Quack is a pretty great Daffy short, having him interact with a stuffed duck and an overweight dog, and Foxy by Proxy tries to emulate Avery’s Of Fox and Hound by having Bugs disguise as a fox to fool a dimwitted hound dog – not Willoughby in this case. Solid year for sure, a slight step up over the previous one.
Known animators: Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Art Davis, John Carey (Foxy by Proxy), Warren Batchelder.

1. Gift Wrapped (Foster, 1202) 7/10
2. Foxy by Proxy (Foster, 1193) 7/10
3. 14 Carrot Rabbit (Foster, 1174) 8/10
4. Little Red Rodent Hood (Foster, 1208) 6/10
5. Ain’t She Tweet (Foster, 1211) 7/10
6. Cracked Quack (Foster, 1205) 9/10
7. A Bird in a Guilty Cage (Foster, 1217) 7/10
8. Tree for Two (Foster, 1220) 9/10
9. Hare Lift (Foster, 1214) 9/10

3) 1946

What? Freleng’s 1946 is only his 3rd best year?
Let’s put it this way, this is definitely a great time for the veteran, in which he released sheer classic cartoons, like Baseball Bugs, one of those quintessential shorts everybody must watch, Racketeer Rabbit – Bugs dealing with a gangster for the first time, in spite of Maltese’s trademark slow prologues – Rhapsody Rabbit and The Cat Concerto controversy, both of which had their highs and lows, but I actually belong to the minority that prefers Freleng’s short over MGM’s, in fact I even believe The Hollywood Bowl is more violent and also more entertaining than The Cat Concerto. But I digress.
Then why isn’t 1946 number #1? Is it due to Holiday for Shoestrings? No, it is basically saved by Freleng’s seamless timing, though Rhapsody in Rivets and Pigs in a Polka were better executed. On the other hand, Hollywood Daffy – actually directed by his layout artist Hawley Pratt – shares an analogous title with Avery’s 1938 short, but compared to the latter, this is quite a letdown. If Porky were Daffy’s foe, it would more or less reach the same heights as Daffy Doodles, instead we get a lousy cop with jarring vocals and a stupid-ass face. Lastly, Of Thee I Sting… subject is mediocre, documentary format is mediocre, so I don’t care for it.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Jack Bradbury.

1. Baseball Bugs (Maltese, 12-14) 10/10
2. Holiday for Shoestrings (Maltese and Pierce, 7-14) 7/10
3. Hollywood Daffy (Hawley Pratt) (Maltese, 2-15) 7/10
4. Of Thee I Sting (Maltese, 3-16) 5/10
5. Racketeer Rabbit (Maltese, 5-15) 8/10
6. Rhapsody Rabbit (Maltese and Pierce, 1040) 10/10

2) 1957

Who said Freleng’s output in mid ’50s isn’t notable??? 1957 is mostly regarded as the year of What’s Opera, Doc?, which is quite redundant since it should actually be recalled as Freleng and Foster’s best year. Maybe Gonzales Tamales is the least likeable short, due to a poor climax, but the idea of mice being jealous of Speedy simping over their girls isn’t too bad overall. Tweet Zoo has its moments, like the tiger’s casual “Hi George” and alligators ripping apart the lion, too bad gags are not the main focus because of the formulaic plot. Tweety and the Beanstalk may not be the first retelling of the Jack and the Beanstalk tale, but is possibly the better one, pretty solid short.
Nonetheless, Freleng and Foster can serve some great main courses in their successful menu, like Bugsy and Mugsy – less animated, yet way more elaborate and amusing remake of Stooge for a Mouse with Bugs pranking Rocky and Mugsy, Three Little Bops – excellent musical rendition of the classic Three Little Pigs tale, featuring Shorty Rogers’ peppy and captivating score and Stan Freberg’s notable solo vocals – and Show Biz Bugs is easily a perfect short, featuring the infinite dualism between Bugs and Daffy, whose envious attitude – unlike most cases – is actually treated fairly well in more than an occasion. The trained pigeon and the explosive segments may be taken from 1949’s Curtain Razor, but are illustrated 1000x better, giving us a valuable lesson, “people are even eager to die in order to receive their own slice of popularity”.
Then we get to his third Oscar winner, Birds Anonymous, one of his strongest cartoons ever, as well as the best Tweety-Sylvester short, able to depict a serious topic like ADDICTIONS in a hilarious, yet damn realistic way. You can’t help but laugh at Sylvester’s expressions while he’s staring at a turkey on TV, or when he thinks Tweety is that delicious, and the ending is just brilliant with Sylvester acknowledging his weaknesses and Clarence becoming bird-addicted once again. This is absolutely a must-watch.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Virgil Ross, Art Davis, Bob Matz (Three Little Bops).

1. Three Little Bops (Foster, 1429) 10/10
2. Tweet Zoo (Foster, 1432) 7/10
3. Tweety and the Beanstalk (Foster, 1438) 8/10
4. Piker’s Peak (Foster, 1439) 7/10
5. Birds Anonymous (Foster, 1450) 10/10
6. Bugsy and Mugsy (Foster, 1447) 9/10
7. Greedy for Tweety (Foster, 1468) 7/10
8. Show Biz Bugs (Foster, 1465) 10/10
9. Gonzales’ Tamales (Foster, 1472) 6/10

1) 1948

What a time for Freleng and the Wackiki duo. What a stellar year, filled with timeless classics:
Back Alley Oproar is a remake done CORRECTLY, which improves the content of the original short (Notes to You) and also corrects some mistakes. Elmer and Sylvester are infinite times more fitting than Porky and the nameless cat, Sylvester is amusingly annoying and the ending is just perfect for how unfair it’s for Elmer. The unlikely duo does appear in Kit for Cat – last short written by BOTH Maltese and Pierce – which is just perfect in every possible way: pacing, cynicism, violence and appropriate climax in what’s a rather simple story, in which Sylvester tries everything to get rid of a kitten in order to stay at Elmer’s place. I Taw a Putty Tat is his second pairing with Tweety and kind of improves the humor and content seen in Tweetie Pie. Also beginning the Donald Duck hat mini-arc which ends in Bad Ol’ Putty Tat.
The two Bugs-Sam entries are two undisputed classics, Buccaneer Bunny and Bugs Bunny Rides Again, some sort of successor of Hare Trigger that also happens to be even better. I might consider it my favorite Freleng cartoon of all time, as it’s got memorable bits like the gun climax, the Bugs Bunny dance, the horse chase and the whole last sequence. Compared to such titanic shorts, Hare Splitter may be actually considered an outsider since it’s decent, yet a bit trivial plot-wise. Casbah doesn’t convince much as Bugs’ enemy, not a good impression as a whole.
Then again, if the weakest cartoon happens to be just DECENT, his 1948 must’ve definitely been a huge year.
Known animators: Gerry Chiniquy, Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross, Pete Burness (Kit for Cat onwards).

1. Back Alley Oproar (Maltese and Pierce, 1037) 10/10
2. I Taw a Putty Tat (Pierce, 1073) 8/10
3. Buccaneer Bunny (Maltese and Pierce, 1044) 10/10
4. Bugs Bunny Rides Again (Maltese and Pierce, 1050) 10/10
5. Hare Splitter (Pierce, 1059) 7/10
6. Kit for Cat (Maltese and Pierce, 1055) 10/10