the audience applauded

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

During the 1940s and 50s, Warner and MGM made quite a few cartoons that featured their characters conducting or performing in a concert hall. It was all very highbrow and often the critical response was very good-- however, I am pretty sure a lot of kids and even adults thought these cartoons were duds!! In the case of "Baton Bunny", a later Bugs Bunny cartoon, the usually fun and mischievous rabbit is conducting an orchestra. There are lots of funny expressions but Bugs does little other than lead an orchestra. If you think seeing him make faces, chase away bugs crawling on his face, losing his cuffs and the like is great stuff, you'll like the film. As for me, I just felt it wasn't appealing to the core who loved the character--folks who wanted to see more action, violence and silliness.

I just recently saw this Bugs Bunny cartoon, and it was one I actually had not seen before. This was part of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD, and it is one of my favorite cartoons in the collection so far.Bugs is the conductor for a concert, and while trying to lead the orchestra, he deals with a plethora of distractions. There are some excellent sight gags throughout the cartoon's duration. For example, Bugs's ears are used to conduct the orchestra, among other things. What's more, there are no voice characterizations in this cartoon. Bugs is completely silent, so there are no one-liners from him. However, the sight gags provide a lot of laughs. This is a good cartoon. Catch it.

"Baton Bunny" is an elegant musical Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and Abe Levitow. How inconceivable it is to imagine Bugs standing on the podium in front of the Warner Bros. Symphony Orchestra! But that's exactly what he does as he takes the helm of this noble musical ensemble. And what an unorthodox conductor he turns out to be!My favorite moments from "Baton Bunny" include the following. Before the piece begins, Bugs has to hold up a sign that reads "Throw the bum out!" when a man in the audience coughs loudly; the succeeding sound effects confirm the man's ejection. Bugs merely lifts a finger or toe from underneath the podium in order to cue a few "pianissimo" two-note motifs. When the piece finishes, Bugs hears the ever-present cricket sounds to indicate an empty house, when suddenly a minuscule little fly is polite enough to give him a round of applause, to which he takes his bows."Baton Bunny" is genuine proof that Bugs Bunny always feels the need to throw humor into something very serious & elegant: in this case, orchestral conducting. Even something as subtle as a wry facial expression on Bugs can be quite funny, and subtlety is one of the essential elements that make director Chuck Jones one of the most outstanding in the animated cartoon industry.

Man, some might disagree with me, but in my opinion, compare this CJ's masterpiece with the so protected by fans "What's opera, Doc" is as possible as compare the sun with the moon. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! I don't care all other Bugs fans who love and lay on the floor venerating that overproduced, overmusical and underviolent cartoon, to me that ARToon is very, very, very annoying. In other hand, this one set my mind on fire every single time I watch it. Maestro Bugs Bunny tries to conduct an orchestra, but he's disturbed all the time by a persistent,annoying fly who tries at any cost give to Bugs his last waltz. The best parts of the toon is when Bugs puts his glasses( does he need one?) upside down and reads the overtures in upside down too, and that hilarious act of cavalry-and-Indian he does while he conducts the band(when he blows the trombone as a cannon and kills himself is priceless!). All of this without forget the manic ending, when he destroys all the instruments od the orchestra trying to squash the fly. This one can make a headbanger love classic music! WATCH IT!!!