Behind the Tunes: Forever Befuddled

Elmer Fudd began life as Egghead, a very different character with a voice that evoked a forgotten comedian named Joe Penner. He developed “right along with Bugs” as Leonard Maltin points out; and both characters were solidified in _Wild Hare, A (1940)_ . He was voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan, who developed the characterization – which included replacing r’s and l’s with w’s – on radio, a medium that once demanded unique voice talents. Maltin explains why Elmer’s and Bugs Bunny’s “Wabbit Twouble” is his “all-time favorite cartoon” and how it is a good example of what makes Warner Bros. cartoons so great.