The Scarlet Pumpernickel used Sylvester in a speaking role. Mel Blanc voices Elmer Fudd, who plays the role of an innkeeper here. Elmer was originally voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan, but since the character had only one line of dialogue, Mel Blanc was told to go ahead and imitate Bryan's voice for the character. Blanc did not like imitating, however, believing it to be stealing from another actor. Although the title (invoking a type of bread instead of a flower) is a pun on "The Scarlet Pimpernel", the Pumpernickel is given a portrayal closer to that of Robin Hood: in one scene, after
What Is Art? Aylmer Maude, translator of many of Tolstoy's writings, calls it "probably the most masterly of all Tolstoy's works", citing the difficulty of the subject matter and its clarity. For a comprehensive review of the reception at the time of publication, see Maude 1901"b". Bayley, John (1986 [1966]). ""What is Art?" - excerpt from Tolstoy and the Novel" in Bloom, Harold (ed.). Leo Tolstoy. New York: Chelsea House. p. 141-152. Jahn, Gary R. (1975). "The aesthetic theory of Leo Tolstoy's "What is Art?"". "Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism" 34 (1): 59-65. Maude, Aylmer (1901a). “"What is Art?" - An Introduction”,