Walter Lantz & Ben Hardaway (1941)
Woody Woodpecker is the first animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on July 7, 1941, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures.
That’s right
Ben “Bugs” Hardaway is the guy Bugs Bunny was named for. He asked for a character design for a smartass rabbit and the drawings came back marked “Bugs’ Bunny.”