Friz Freleng won four Academy Awards making him the most honored of the Warner Bros. directors. “Tweetie Pie,” 1947, “Speedy Gonzales,” 1955, “ Knighty Knight Bugs,” 1956 and “Birds Anonymous,”1957 were the Oscar winning cartoons. Friz introduced and further developed several of the studio’s biggest stars including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam and the Pink Panther. Freleng and his fellow animators kept pace with Disney’s technical superiority by making Warner Bros. cartoons “funnier” and “zanier” than ever before. Freleng’s style quickly matured and he became the master of comic timing dominating the Warner Bros. studio during the years following World War II.

Bugs Bunny Rides Again – 1948, Directed by Friz Freleng

Here comes Yosemite Sam, “the roughest, toughest he-man hombre that’s ever crossed the Rio Grande -- and I don’t mean Mahatma Handy!” Sam is looking for any varmint. Bugs Bunny finds him and they walk toward each other, gunfighter style. Bugs says, “Just like Gary Cooper.” Sam declares, “This town isn’t big enough for the two of us!”

The two go back and forth in this routine about who will leave town. Guns a blazing, Sam makes Bugs do a tap dance. Bugs dares Sam to “step over the line,” maneuvering the bandit to step off a cliff. Bugs puts a mattress at the bottom of the cliff and says, “You know, sometimes me conscience kinda bothers me-- but NOT this time!” as he pulls away the mattress. Sam then pursues Bugs on horseback. Bugs suggests they play cards, “like the western pictures. The loser leaves town.” Of course, Bugs wins and forces Sam out of town.