What's Opera, Doc? is a 1957 animated Warner Brothers' (Merrie Melodies) cartoon short. The cartoon features Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in a parody of Richard Wagner operas, particularly Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) and Tannhäuser. It features the speaking and singing voices of Mel Blanc as Bugs and Arthur Q. Bryan as Fudd. Fudd plays a hunter/warrior character in the production, while Bugs plays a prankster rabbit. Fudd wishes to kill the rabbit (or more accurately, "kill da wabbit") using his spear and the supernatural power of his magic helmet. Bugs pretends to be a coquettish Valkyrie in order to hide from Fudd and to mess with his emotions. Bugs succeeds in seducing Fudd, convincing him that he really cares about him, but when Bugs is found out, Fudd wreaks terrible retribution. Fudd uses the power of the magic helmet to control atmospheric conditions and causes lightning to strike Bugs with a fatal blow. Fudd immediately regrets the result of his vengeance and carries Bugs away in his arms. At the end, it is shown in typical cartoon fashion that no animated death is permanent as Bugs revives briefly to speak a line mocking the happy ending expectations of the viewer.
