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Bruce (The First Easter Rabbit)

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“It’s that tree down there. It must be hollow. Ooh, ooh. That’s the way into Easter Valley. I’m sure of it.”—Bruce delivering the news on the secret road into Easter Valley after spying on Stuffy

Bruce is the (former) secondary antagonist of the 1976 Rankin/Bass Easter special The First Easter Rabbit. He is a sentient snowball who was the evil ice monster Zero’s partner-in-crime, and helped him in scheme to freeze Easter Valley, until he had second thoughts about the matter and went to Santa Claus for help.

He was voiced by veteran voice actor Don Messick, who voiced many characters, including Whiskers and Dr. Jonathan in the same special.

Personality[]

Regardless of his role as the main villain’s sidekick, Bruce, despite his loyalty to Zero, is more-good-natured than his partner-in-crime. While he is shown to be helpful, finding out from the elves any information necessary regarding the secret road into Easter Valley so that he and Zero can infiltrate the valley and steal the Golden Lily, and sneaky, while spying on Stuffy at one point, Bruce is mostly kind and friendly. He’s also shown to be rather nervous, as he’s often seen shivering and shaking, especially when Zero is cackling over Easter Valley’s inevitable downfall, and when Zero threatens to melt him after discovering he told Santa of their plans.

After he and Zero successfully steal the lily and freeze the valley, Bruce begins to feel guilty and remorseful. When Zero shows that he cares very little for the well-being of the Easter bunnies, saying that they can all freeze for all he cares, he changes for the better and becomes heroic and noble, as he heads off to Santa’s house to get help.

Appearance[]

Bruce, as mentioned above, is a sentient snowball made completely of snow and ice. Like Zero, he is completely white, with streaks of pale blue all over him, and a round, blue nose with a large icicle hanging from it.

Role in the film[]

Bruce is first seen tumbling down a hill at Zero’s call for him. Zero asks him if Santa’s elves know anything about the secret road leading to Easter Valley, the home of the Easter bunnies and the magical Golden Easter Lily. Bruce answers that they know nothing about it, and that they should just give up. As they scan the horizon from atop a snowy mountain overlooking the valley, Zero reassures him that they mustn’t give up and that there must be a way into the valley, only to then burst out cackling with wicked delight.

After Stuffy and his friends arrive at Easter Valley, they’re seen again, spying on the Easter bunnies through his telescope, with Bruce shivering t Zero’s displeasure over how they managed to find their way inside, making Zero even more determined to find the secret road. It is explained by our narrator that unbeknownst to the new Easter rabbit, Zero knows that the Golden Lily is the source of the valley’s eternal springtime warmth, and without it, springtime would disappear.

Later on, unseen by Stuffy, Bruce watches him disappear into the hollow tree just outside the valley, then rushes off to tell Zero. Now knowing how to get inside the valley, Zero declares to Bruce that the next day shall be the end of Easter Valley, cackling once more as Bruce cowers in fear.

The next day, on the Saturday before Easter Sunday, having managed to steal the Golden Lily, a great blizzard blows across the valley, encasing it in snow and ice, which Zero and Bruce watch from the mountaintop. Zero chuckles evilly over their successful theft, but Bruce worries about the Easter bunnies. Zero coldly says to just let them all freeze to death, then walks away cackling. Feeling guilty about the theft, Bruce goes to Santa for help and tells him of Zero’s scheme. Santa arrives in his sleigh to rescue the bunnies. They load their Easter goodies onto the sleigh and fly away to safety.

After the Easter celebrations, Zero learns of Bruce’s betrayal and threatens to melt him down to the size of a tennis ball, to which Bruce cowers in fear. But Santa warns Zero that if he doesn’t put the Golden Lily back so that springtime can return, then he’ll move to the South Pole. Zero, starting to feel guilty himself, begins to cry, realizing with Santa gone, he’ll be friends with the elves, have dinner on Sunday nights with Mrs. Claus, nor go on midnight rides with the reindeer ever again. He tearfully hugs Bruce and admits he’d even miss him, which makes both of them cry. Bruce is not seen again and does not join Zero in returning the Golden Lily to its rightful place and wishing Stuffy a happy Easter.

Gallery[]

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