Movies that need to be released on DVD.

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Reader, Mar 5, 2003.

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  1. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    "The Complete Warner Bros. Cartoons."

    From 1930 to the end of the 1960s. Chronologically, from Bosko to Cool Cat, using the best prints, uncensored, with as few "Blue Ribbon" cards as possible. Alternate versions if they still exist, such as the Yosemite Sam line "And I don't mean Mahatma Gandhi" instead of "And I ain't no namby-pamby" and the deleted ending of the one Bugs cartoon where it's implied that he gets killed ....

    If such a box set or serial were to be issued, I'd not only invest in the DVDs, but in a DVD player (other than the one already on my computer)!

    For people who have to have separate volumes, Bugs, Daffy, Road Runner, Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales, Pepe Le Pew volumes could be done. But I'd like to see the historical "complete" set, too.
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    That would be nice.
     
  3. Beatlelennon65

    Beatlelennon65 Active Member

    What I wouldnt give for a WB cartoons release like the Disney treasures. All of those old Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes should be released by character in chronological order, WITH NO CENSORING! Where these in widescreen originally? I thought that all cartoons that were released in theaters were widesfreen were widescreen, but I could be wrong. What is this Ghandi namby-pamby business? When was this edit done? Tim seems to know a lot more than I do about old WB cartoons.

    The Tom and Jerry cartoons need to be released in uncensored widescreen too.
    I always thought that Help was released in a full screen aspect ratio 1.33:1. If it was released in a different aspect ratio, hopefully the new dvd (when it comes out) will reflect it and include original mono/stereo soundtrack and an all new remix or two.
    When will the Errol Flynn Adventures of Robin Hood be out? I cant wait for this release.
    Of course the Laurel and Hardy movies and shorts need to be released too. I think 30 bucks for 5 shorts is kinda high myself.
    Hopefully the Indiana Jones trilogy will be out this year.
    I would buy a Challenge of The Superfriends dvd if it came out.
    This list could go on forever with all the unreleased/poorly released dvds ou there. So many movies and TV shows.
     
  4. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    I believe that most of the cartoons pre-dated widescreen.
     
  5. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    The short was called "Bugs Bunny Rides Again." When Yosemite Sam first appears on screen, he introduces himself with one of his typical long-winded intros: "I'm the roughest, toughest he-man hombre that's ever crossed the Rio Grande - and I don't mean Mahatma Gandhi!" But before the film was released, the last words were changed to "And I ain't no namby-pamby."
     
  6. Beatlelennon65

    Beatlelennon65 Active Member

    Arent the Tom and Jerry cartoons in widescreen though? At what point would the cartoons have been switched to widescreen? Are any of the WB cartoons widescreen? This is probably a stupid question, but were all of these cartoons released at theaters or were some of them just on TV?
     
  7. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    There were several Tom & Jerry Cartoons in Cinemascope. I bet that's what BL65 was talking about. IIRC, the first cartoon in Cinemascope was Disney's "Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom" which is available as a supplement on the Fantasia 2000 DVD in non-anamorphic widescreen.

    Regards,
     
  8. Togo

    Togo Same as it ever was

    Location:
    London UK
    How about "The Thin Man" films starring William Powell and Murna Loy...and Asther the dog!

    :cool:
     
  9. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    That's right Tom and Jerry did have some Cinema Scope, but I don't recall if any of the WB's were widescreen.

    There were a few Looney TV specials that were later chopped up into individual shorts (Daffy Ducks Thanks-For-Giving Special, an Easter special, others?) but I believe that all of the WB cartoons were originally released in theaters, even the ones from the 1980's and 1990's (Carrotblanca, etc.)
     
  10. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    I think all the WB cartoons before about 1953 are the same aspect ratio as a typical TV screen (1.33:1). After that, all bets are off. There even was one pseudo-3-D Bugs Bunny cartoon -- I think it was called "Lumber Jack-Rabbit." The only real 3-D effect of sorts I can remember was the "WB" shield at the beginning continuing to move forward until it seems to pop out of the screen before snapping back into its proper place.
     
  11. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!


    Thanks for steppin in there! Typo. LOL! AH...sounds better! I'm keeping my fingers crossed...on a AH TV box! Thanks for the epy list!
     
  12. mcow1

    mcow1 Sommelier Gort

    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    The first one is out on DVD. As is the Kennel Murder Case with Powell as Philo Vance.

    How about the Charlie Chan series and Mr. Moto also. The Mr. Wongs with Karloff are out, it sure would be nice to have the others.
     
  13. Beatlelennon65

    Beatlelennon65 Active Member

    I thought the Charlie Chan stuff was out. Isnt it public domain? I think VCI video has it, but my memory is kinda foggy.

    What is this Bugs Bunny cartoon where he dies at the end? When was the ending cut? I dont remember anything about this right off hand.
     
  14. mcow1

    mcow1 Sommelier Gort

    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Some of the Chan's were on vhs but not all. I don't think any ever made it to DVD. Seems to me MGM owns a lot of them (the Monogram) and some by CBS/Fox some were on LD too
     
  15. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    It was cut before it ever left the studio. There was a huge dispute between Leon Schlesinger and Tex Avery over it, and Avery ended up getting fired. He then went to MGM and oversaw Tom & Jerry.

    From a story on Tex Avery by Mike Thompson:

    "In 1941, Avery completed his third cartoon, and Warner’s fifth overall, which featured Bugs Bunny. Entitled The Heckling Hare, it featured Bugs being hunted by Willoughby the dog. At the end of the cartoon, both Bugs and Willoughby fall off of a cliff. After a long sequence of them falling through the sky, they land safely on the ground. Bugs then says to the audience, "Fooled ya, didn’t we?" Bugs and Willoughby then proceed to accidentally walk off of another cliff. Right before he falls through the sky again, Bugs says to the audience, "Hold on to your hats, folks. Here we go again!" Then the cartoon irises out, and the familiar "That’s All Folks!" end title appears. Yet, this ending is not the one that appeared in theaters, nor is it the one that is shown on television. Leon Schlesinger originally approved of the ending, but then he screened the cartoon for Jack Warner, one of the heads of Warner Bros., who screened all cartoons before their release. Warner did not like the ending. He did not state why he didn’t like the ending, just that it had to be changed. It has been suggested that Warner thought the line "Hold on to your hats" was too topical a joke, and could become dated rather quickly. However, that argument doesn’t make much sense as, back in 1941, there was little reason to believe that any cartoon would have a life span beyond six to eight weeks, as that was the usual length of time they were in the movie theaters. Television had not caught on yet, and while there was a possibility a cartoon may be re-released to theaters a few years later, topicality in cartoons seldom was a very big issue. It has also been written that Warner did not like the idea of Bugs Bunny, his newest, and by far his biggest, cartoon star falling to an uncertain fate. This is a more likely possibility for Warner’s rejection of the ending.

    Regardless of his reasoning, Jack Warner made it clear to Leon Schlesinger that he did not like the ending of The Heckling Hare, and he wanted it changed. Schlesinger then ordered Avery to change the ending. It was here that Avery’s ethical principles came into play. Avery saw nothing wrong with The Heckling Hare and he vehemently refused to change the ending. This led to a heated argument between Avery and Schlesinger. This was not the first time Avery and Schlesinger had clashed. They also clashed over the naming of Bugs Bunny. Tex wanted to dub his creation ‘Jack Rabbit’ or ‘Jack E. Rabbit,’ because, as he said, "I thought it would please my Texas friends." The name ‘Bugs Bunny’ stayed, though, partly because Avery probably recognized that it was a catchy name, one that would stick in people’s minds. After all, look at the names ‘Porky Pig’ and ‘Daffy Duck.’ While they could compromise on Bugs Bunny’s name, Avery could not agree with Schlesinger on the ending of The Heckling Hare. Avery could not see that anything was wrong with the ending, and it was his cartoon. He would not violate his work of art. To Schlesinger, though, it was not a work of art. It was just a cartoon, and Schlesinger’s boss, Jack Warner, ordered him to change the ending of the cartoon. Still, Avery would not compromise his artistic principles. Ultimately, it became clear that Schlesinger was not going to relent in his decision. Instead of bowing down and changing the ending of the cartoon, Avery just walked out of the studio. Schlesinger slapped Avery with a six-week suspension, and then, following the suspension, fired him outright.

    Of course, there was still the matter of the ending of The Heckling Hare. Rather than appoint a new director to the cartoon to change the ending, Schlesinger did just about the most uncreative thing one could think of. He cut the last sixty feet of film out, and the cartoon abruptly faded to black after Bugs says his "fooled ya, didn’t we" line. It was this version of the cartoon that Schlesinger released, and he released it, as well as another Avery cartoon, Aviation Vacation, in the six-week suspension of Avery. After Avery was fired, there were still three cartoons he had completed that had not been released yet. Schlesinger simply released these cartoons with no director credit given. Ironically, considering that it was a Bugs Bunny cartoon that ultimately led to his walkout, it was a Bugs Bunny cartoon, All This and Rabbit Stew, that was first released without his credit. Releasing films and cartoons without their proper credit seems unethical, but Schlesinger seemingly did not care. As for the animators in Avery’s directing unit, Schlesinger promoted Bob Clampett from animator to director, and he essentially took over for Avery."

    Here's the link (sorry, I deleted it because of weird pop-ups)
     
  16. -=Rudy=-

    -=Rudy=- ♪♫♪♫♫♪♪♫♪♪ Staff

    Location:
    US
    Ken: all of my Hitchcock LDs are pre-restoration, and all in fullscreen. Most came from Columbia House--they had some really good deals going for awhile. Really a treat to see them now on DVD looking so much better. I have North by Northwest on a Criterion LD, but it isn't much better than MGM's version (it seemed to have a slight reddish cast to it), and not quite as good as the DVD.

    And yes, do let me know if you spot a Charade anywhere. I don't get out much--I've been buying my DVDs online, unless the kids spot one they want while I'm at Sam's Club. ;)

    I have the Thin Man box set on LD. That's one that I would transfer to DVD if I had the hardware to do it.
     
  17. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    DON"T USE THE SITE TO WHICH tim_neely JUST PROVIDED A LINK !

    It will install a parasite called "ORBITER EXPLORER" that will change your home page and possibly search engine of choice!!!!


    Now, on to the Bugs... Now I know why All This and Rabbit Stew is not credited. I thought that it was because of its racial content!
     
  18. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    Well, it wasn't pseudo 3-D, it was the real deal and I wish I could see it. Disney was the first big animation studio to release a 3-D cartoon short, MELODY which the first in the "Adventures in Music" series. They followed that up with WORKING FOR PEANUTS starring Donald Duck and Chip 'n Dale.
    After that, famous cartoon character-wise was:

    HYPNOTIC HICK - Woody Woodpecker
    BOO MOON - Casper the Friendly Ghost
    LUMBERJACK RABBIT - Bugs Bunny (do they ever show this one on TV?)
    ACE OF SPACE - Popeye

    All of this info is from AMAZING 3-D by Hal Morgan & Dan Symmes

    Some other cool shorts were:

    Nat King Cole sings "Pretend"
    and the 3 Stooges shorts: SPOOKS & PARDON MY BACKFIRE

    Unfortunately, the only 2 I've seen are the Stooges shorts which are pretty good. Don't know if any of the others were ever transfered to video in 3-D.
     
  19. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    Tim_neely remark confirms everything that I have read about LumberJack Rabbitt. I've only seen the 2-D version, but from all accounts there were 3-D effects, but they were very unremarkable
     
  20. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    I can understand that, I was just pointing out that the film was true stereoscopic 3-D with depth, even if lot's of stuff didn't fly out of the screen. It wasn't like the Pulfrich type 3-D illusion used on the Super Bowl and 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, which isn't "real" 3-D. According to AMAZING 3-D, the Popeye short had the most "in your face" 3-D performance.
     
  21. JohnG

    JohnG PROG now in Dolby ATMOS!

    Location:
    Long Island NY
    It's A Gift/ WC Fields....his best movie by far and one of the best comedy's of all-time.

    JohnG
     
  22. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Absolutey the one of the funniest movies ever! At least we have "The Bank Dick" on Criterion DVD, another funny and great transfer...
     
  23. Ed Bishop

    Ed Bishop Incredibly, I'm still here

    NORTHWEST PASSAGE...as Steve started a thread on it, and it's not out on DVD that I'm aware of...too bad; a very good film, worth a good transfer.

    ED:cool:
     
  24. mne563

    mne563 Senior Member

    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    I guess weirder things have happened, but the censorship issue will certainly raise it's head. Think of the WWII shorts, now probably sitting in cans rotting away. Not to mention things like "Coal Black and de Sebben (sic) Dwarfs." I've never seen it, but I can't imagine the "politically correct" folks (who take it upon themselves to watch out for me) letting us watch that one, even for history's sake.

    Seems like I heard a story a year or so ago regarding a Mexican-American organization protesting the use of the Speedy Gonzales character. W.B. (or Turner/Cartoon Network or whoever now owns that later period) then agreed to stop showing the Speedy cartoons in the U.S. The story went on to report that the most popular W.B. character in (either) Mexico or Central America (can't remember which) was... Speedy Gonzales!
     
  25. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored

    Correct! Saw it once ages ago in a theater along with "Dial M For Murder" (the scene with Grace Kelly and the knife was cool in 3-D!).
     
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