Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Here Comes Peter Cottontail is a 1971 television special about the new Easter Bunny, who must save Easter from the hands of the malicious Irontail with the help of a time machine.
 * Directed by Jules Bass. Written by Thornton Burgess, based on the 1957 novel The Easter Bunny That Overslept by Priscilla and Otto Friedrich.

Col. Wellington B. Bunny

 * Therefore, I have decided that whoever delivers the most eggs tomorrow, Easter, will be the new ruler of April Valley!


 * Peter Cottontail, you have shown great ingenuity. And therefore... [Clears his throat] You have won the right to be official Chief Easter Bunny!

Seymour S. Sassafras

 * I'm a peddler by trade; by trade, and by golly, by golly, by golly, I deal in magic, and moonbeams, and pretty, pretty colors. Ohhhhh, yes. I could sell you the most perfect pink, or the most blissful blue, or a simply euphoric yellow.


 * But Peter was so sure he'd win the next day, that instead of getting lots of sleep, he had a big party with all his friends, and it was very late when he finally went to bed.


 * You see? It was magic bubble gum, guaranteed to seal the lips of an alarm clock rooster. Those bubbles cock-a-doodle-dooed so far away, Peter never heard them. He slept on and on and on, all through Easter day.


 * Now, nobody wanted an egg from an unpleasant old bunny like Irontail. As a matter of fact, though he tried all day long, he was only able to give away one single egg. However, since Peter slept through Easter and didn't deliver any eggs at all, Irontail won, and he now ruled April Valley.


 * And because the control wires were all fouled up, Easter was lost, and they crashed right down in the middle of Mother's Day.


 * "I shall hide these eggs where you'll never find them again." [cackles] That's exactly what Irontail said, and he meant it. Here, see for yourself.

Dialogue

 * Seymour S. Sassafras: Now of course it's all very nice here, thanks to Peter Cottontail and... hmm? You've never heard of Peter Cottontail? Great chattering chick-chicks! [taking his hat off and speaking into it] They've never heard of Peter Cottontail!
 * Sassafras's Hat: They've never heard of Peter Cottontail?




 * Col. Wellington B. Bunny: Wait! Peter Cottontail! Just a moment, now here's a likely candidate.
 * Colonel Bunny's Assistant: Well, I really don't think Cottontail's your man, sir. I mean, he is boastful, he has no sense of responsibility, and sometimes - sometimes, he fibs.
 * Colonel Bunny: Oh, well, I know he's not perfect, but he's got real spunk and ingenuity. Reminds me of me when I was his age.




 * Peter Cottontail: But - I-I never dreamed I'd get to be Chief Easter Bunny!
 * [his ear droops]
 * Col. Wellington B. Bunny: Peter, you're telling a fib. Every time you tell a fib, your left ear droops.
 * Peter Cottontail: Oh... [chuckles nervously] Well, I guess I did think about the job once or twice. [his ear inches halfway back up] Uh, lots of times. [his ear springs straight up]
 * Colonel Bunny: Peter... good heavens, Peter, my boy, you've got to shape up and reform if you want to be Chief Easter Bunny.




 * Seymour S. Sassafras: [seeing Peter sleeping on his foot] Uh, beg pardon, Peter.
 * Peter Cottontail: [awakening] Huh?
 * Seymour S. Sassafras: You're sleeping on my big toe. You really must have been tuckered out to use a big toe as a pillow.
 * Peter Cottontail: Gee... I'm sorry, Mr. Sassafras.
 * Seymour S. Sassafras: [chuckles] Well, that's all right. It's my pleasure, Peter. Rather, my big toe's pleasure.




 * Peter Cottontail: [after landing in Independence Day] We made it.
 * Antoine: That, mon ami, is obvious. Thanks, of course, to my superb... piloting.
 * Peter Cottontail: Superb? We're a long way from Easter.
 * Antoine: Ahh, well... Tell me, Pierre. In the rules of April Valley, does it say the eggs must be given at Easter?
 * Peter Cottontail: No, but - But who wants Easter eggs on the Fourth of July? Uh, they didn't even want them on Mother's Day!
 * Antoine: Easter eggs, no. But... Fourth of July eggs? What I am saying, mon ami, is that one sometimes must improvise.




 * Peter Cottontail: George Washington always had green eggs. Why, they were traditional at Mount Vernon, when he chopped down the uh... lime tree? [his ear droops] Uh, remember?
 * Woman: Washington couldn't tell a fib. I can't say the same for Georgie bunnies.




 * Peter Cottontail: (after Irontail caught those eggs) Come back! Come back with those eggs!
 * Antoine: (under Santa's beard) I do insist you return those eggs.




 * Bonnie Bonnet: Oh, Peter! You've just about run out of holidays.
 * Peter Cottontail: And it's all my fault. If I didn't go to that party in the first place, I wouldn't have overslept, and if I didn't tell so many fibs, lots of people would've taken my eggs. But now, it's hopeless. Who wants green eggs?
 * Seymour S. Sassafras: Oh, Peter, Peter, the most important thing is that you just don't give up hope.

Cast

 * Casey Kasem — Peter Cottontail
 * Danny Kaye — Seymour S. Sassafrass / Colonel Wellington B. Bunny / Antoine
 * Vincent Price — January Q. Irontail
 * Joan Gardner — Bonnie Bonnet / Madame Esmerelda the Halloween witch / Bonnet store owner / Mother / Woman
 * Paul Frees — Colonel Wellington's assistant / Man at Thanksgiving table / Santa Claus / Fireman / Alarm clock rooster
 * Iris Rainer — Donna