Classic Cartoons and Silent Movies on Blu-Ray

 Call me old fashioned but I am still a fan of physical media. I do stream films sometimes, but to me nothing is better than physically owning a film you love. Another aspect of physical media that I love is that it offers me a wider variety of choices than streaming those. Streaming is perfect for if I want to watch a big budget blockbuster or a well-established classic. However, it is less helpful, if I want to watch an obscure silent movie, some old B-Western, a lesser appreciated work by a great old Hollywood filmmakers or old short subjects. When painstaking work goes into restoring classic films though, this is when I am most adamant about buying physical media, as it helps support the people whose hard work has made me able to watch these films in great condition. With this in mind I would like to highlight three recent Blu-Ray sets, that I think are essential to own. One of these contains silent movies, while the other two are collections of classic cartoons. 

Looney Tunes Collector's Vault Vol.1

I am sure most people reading this post have already heard of this Blu-Ray set and have heard nothing but praise for it. I must join in by agreeing with every word of this praise. This set is a must own for any Looney Tunes fan. It contains 50 cartoons including many truly wonderful shorts (and Good Night Elmer (1940)). Many of these shorts include films that somehow have never been on Blu-Ray or DVD before. These include such masterpieces as Wild About Hurry (1959), Of Fox and Hounds (1940), The Dixie Fryer (1960) and Let it Be Me (1936). Also included is a personal favorite cartoon of mine (though probably no one else), Beauty and the Beast (1934), also making its debut on Blu-Ray (it hasn't appeared on DVD either). This short was made before the Warner cartoons found their own identities and most of the cartoons were imitations of Disney. While few of these imitations reached the heights of Disney, this film has a great charm to me through its great use of color and its catchy title song. It also wonderful to see new restorations of such cartoons as Bars and Stripes Forever (1939) and A Day at the Zoo (1939). Both of those films, I have become very used to seeing in very faded and worn prints. While neither of them is among my favorite Warner Brothers shorts, I still greatly enjoyed seeing them look this good. Also included in this set are such beloved cartoons as Ain't She Tweet (1952) (probably my all-time favorite Tweety cartoon), Daffy Duck and Egghead (1938), Hare Triggered (1945), Porky's Duck Hunt (1937) and Rabbit Punch (1948). This is a must have for any Looney Tunes fan. 

Clara Bow Double Feature: "Kid Boots" and "Get Your Man"

Known as the "It Girl," Clara Bow was one of the most popular actresses of the 1920's. Watching her movies today it is easy to see why. She is still just as charming and captivating to a modern audience as she was to movie fans of her time (if you ever get to see her movies with an audience this quickly becomes abundantly clear. She has the ability to make a good movie great and a weaker movie better. Her talents are fully on display in this new Blu-Ray from the Film Preservation Society. This Blu-Ray set includes two of her silent movies, both of which show her at the top of her game. The set starts with a new restoration of Kid Boots (1926). This is a delightful and incredibly funny comedy in which she co-stars with Eddie Cantor (in his first movie role). The new restoration is simply incredible, and this is the best this movie has probably looked since 1926. It is restorations like this that make you truly appreciate the hard work of those behind it. Get Your Man (1927) might not be as incredible of a restoration, but it is a really fun romantic comedy. Also included in this set is a very well made D.W. Griffith Biograph short, Decree of Destiny (1911), which stars Mary Pickford. 

Tom and Jerry: The Complete Cinemascope Collection

In the 1950's, the MGM cartoons went into the wide screen Cinemascope format with movie audiences now able to see Tom and Jerry (and others) in adventures with much wider and larger pictures. Sadly, when most of these theatrically released cartoons made it to TV, the picture was cropped to where cartoon fans were not able to see the whole picture. Even more sadly, those are still the versions that are shown on TV today, even on otherwise great cartoon channels. Many of us have grown up with these films in this horrendous format. As such being able to own all the Tom and Jerry Cinemascope shorts in the correct format is true treat for cartoon fans everywhere. Seeing these films in their correct format, you can see how visually pleasing many of these cartoons truly are in a way you can't on the cropped versions. Also included in this set are the two Spike and Tyke spin-off theatrical cartoons and Good Will to Men (1955). The latter is directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and is a remake of the Hugh Harmon directed short, Peace on Earth (1939).    

Video Link: Jeepers Creepers (From Going Places (1938)) - Louis Armstrong

Cowboy Church #226

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with The Lord is Counting on You from one of the duo's little golden records for children. This was released as the B side of a 1954 record with Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sun Shine In on the A side. Both of those songs were Christian songs written for younger believers by Stuart Hamblen. This was appropriate as Stuart Hamblen had been a singing cowboy on radio since back in 1926. Probably his most famous compositions were It is No Secret (What God Can Do) and This Old House. The Lord is Counting on You reminds kids of the importance of Sunday School.

This is followed by Onie Wheeler with his 1961 recording of Mother Prays Loudly in Her Sleep. This song was written by Onnie himself. 

Afterwards is Anne Wilson with her recent recording of her original song, God Story.

Then comes The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Lloyd Perryman sings lead on this recording and his softer voice fits this song perfectly. This recording was made on December 16, 1937, in Hollywood. This was towards the end of Roy Rogers (or Leonard Slye as his birth name was) being a member as he would leave the group to become a solo movie star. This recording features both Roy and Pat Brady on it. Pat Brady would be Roy's replacement as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers. In later years Pat Bradey would become Roy's sidekick on TV's The Roy Rogers Show. 

Next is Anita Carter with God Is.

Then comes Johnny Cash with Dark as a Dungeon. In the line notes for the Unearthed box set, John stated, "You say it sounds like a song I should have written? I always thought so too. Merle Travis wrote this song in the '40s and I recorded it over the years two or three different times, but I never really got it the way I wanted it. But I kept on trying. I really don't know how to explain what the ingredient is that makes it a keeper or a reject. It depends on the song, the performance, on a lot of things. Merle's been dead 10 or 12 years now, but I told him that I would keep trying until I get it right, and I did. Hence this version here."   

Afterwards is 19-year-old Jordana Bryant with her self-penned When God Closes Doors.

Today's musical selection ends with Gene Autry's recording of There's a Gold Mine in the Sky. Gene recorded this song on November 24, 1937, in Los Angeles. The song was written by composer Charles Kenny and his brother poet Nick Kenny, the same duo that wrote Love Letters in the Sand. This song would later be used in the Gene Autry movie, Gold Mine in the Sky (1938). 

Next comes an episode of Red Ryder radio show.

Now for a sermon from Charles Spurgeon.

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26 

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Colossians 3:12

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 2 Peter 1:5-7

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #239

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with one of my favorite early Bugs Bunny films, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (1942). One of the things you will notice first about this cartoon is how the characters are drawn. Bugs will often go off model in a way you would never see in a later short (around 1944 this would come to an end). Elmer is also in his heavier set design. Bob Clampett had redesigned the character for his cartoon Wabbit Twouble (1941) and that design would stick for four more cartoons (including this one). The design was based off of Elmer's voice artist, Arthur Q. Bryan. Yet there is so much to enjoy about this cartoon that you won't care how the characters look. Director Friz Freleng is known for how perfectly he could time a gag and this is incredibly evident. There are also plenty of incredibly clever gags from writer Michael Maltese (who would go on to form a writer/director partnership with director Chuck Jones that would result in some of the funniest and most famous cartoons of all time). Many of these gags would take cartoon logic to ridiculous and hilarious extremes. A review in The Film Daily called this short, "Tremendously hilarious." A review in The Exhibitor stated, "This has many humorous moments, even if not ranking with the best of the B.B. series. However with that title and his popularity, this offers an opportunity." The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Wabbit Who Came to Supper: Merrie Melodies Cartoons- Good. This series is taking off fast. They are asking when we are having our next 'carrot eating rabbit.' - A.H. Goldson, Plaza Theatre, Chicago, Ill." 

Up next is the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, La Paloma (1930).

Servants' Entrance (1934) is a delightful comedy starring Janet Gaynor (Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), A Star is Born (1937)). If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend you do. It is a charming little movie that even has some real laugh out loud moments. One of the highlights of the film is the sequence when Janet Gaynor's character has a nightmare. She plays a spoiled rich girl who decides to disguise herself as a working girl. After making a mess of everything, she has a nightmare where various appliances and food come to life to taunt her. These appliances and food were brough to life via animation from the Disney studio. Like all Disney animation at the time, it was brought to you by a top-notch cast of animators. Art Babbitt animated Judge Egg. Ed Smith animated the characters entering from under the door and exiting back towards the door. Roy Williams animated the characters climbing up the foot of the bed and the dresser, the crowd scene at foot of bed and the crowd scene as characters start to exit foot of bed. Archie Robin animates the mustard pot. Cy Young animates the eggbeater. Jack Kinney animates the characters singing on top of the dresser. Don Townsley animated the singing knife and nutcracker. Leonard Sebring animates the fork quartet and the spoon trio. Earl Hurd and Nick George animate the characters running in a frenzy. Louie Schmitt animates Judge Egg falling, cracking and the little chick coming out. Milt Schaffer (under the supervision of Ben Sharpsteen animates the mustard pot climbing up the stand and turning on the light as well as the singing sugar tongs. Woolie Reitherman (under the supervision of Ben Sharpsteen) animates the broken fork singing.  The sequence also features a great cast of voice actors. Billy Bletcher voices Judge Egg. Pinto Colvig voices the mustard pot. Allan Watson voices the singing knife. Paul Taylor voices singing nutcracker. Betty Rome voices the sugar tongs. Sid Jarvis voices the broken fork. 

Now for Hoot Kloot in As the Tumble Weed Turns (1974). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next is the Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoon, Billion Dollar Limited (1942). Paramount (the distributors of the Fleischer cartoons) brought the screen rights to the famous superhero in 1940 and gave it to the Fleischers to make a cartoon series out of. The studio was not quite sure about this venture after all animated cartoons had not yet done anything similar to a pure action film. They tried to dissuade Paramount by asking for four times the usual budget for one of the studio's cartoon shorts ($100,000) thinking Paramount would refuse. Shockingly they accepted and the series began production. Voicing Superman himself was Bud Collyer, who was already the character's voice on radio. The famous lines "Look up in the sky- it's a bird - no, it's a plane - no its superman" made their first appearance in Superman lore with these cartoons. The following are some exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald, "Billion Dollar Limited: Okay. Too bad the animation is so jerky, however.  - Palace Theatre, Penacook, N.H." "BILLION DOLLAR LIMITED: Superman Color Cartoons — Poorest of this series so far. Even the kids didn't like this one. Too extreme to get by. The other two we have shown got by pretty well. - S.L. George, Mountain Home Theatre, Mountain Home, Idaho. Small town patronage." "SUPERMAN IN THE BILLION DOLLAR LIMITED: Superman Color Cartoons — We hardly know how to rate these cartoons. Played with a Gene Autry western and the program brought in a lot of kids. Maybe it was the cartoon. - Horn and Morgan Inc., Star Theatres, Hay Springs, Neb. Small Town Patronage." The following is a review from The Motion Picture Daily (that includes spoilers), "This version of The Great Train Robbery is quite a departure from the original. It involves a billion dollar train shipment. Bandits in an armored car attempt to take over with dynamite, machine guns and other implements of persuasion. Superman speeds to the scene. When the bridge is blown up and train goes toppling over, he dives down, gets a firm grip on it, and brings it back to the tracks. With bullets bouncing off his chest, he then tows it back into the station. The bandits retreat. Apart from the short's obvious value as children's fare, it is so fantastic that adults too should go for it. Running time, 8 mins. Release Jan. 9, 1942."

Now for a Mickey Mouse Works cartoon, Mickey's Airplane Kit (1999).

Now it is silent movie time with How Animated Cartoons Are Made (1919). Though the view of how these cartoons are made seems simplistic today, back when this film was made movie audiences knew much less about how animation was done. For them this would have been a fascinating look at a fairly new and emerging artform. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Family Portrait (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman show before the animated family got their own TV series. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/disneys-servants-entrance-sequence/

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Movie Review: Superman

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent superhero movie, despite a few flaws. 

What makes this movie work so well is that it truly captures just what makes superhero comic books so wonderful. The best superhero comics mix elements that are corny and silly with a real sense of heart and some serious themes in a way that seems effortless and natural. That is the kind of feel that this movie goes for, and it works quite well. Many of the story elements are quite over the top and silly. Yet while the film makes jokes, it never becomes one. That is because underneath its often-sillier story elements it has a real sense of heart and takes its themes seriously. This movie understands that one of the most important aspects of Superman as a character and of stories revolving around him is the belief in humanities capacity for good and that regardless of how cynical the times may be there is always a place for basic human kindness. This optimism and felt throughout the film and it truly contagious. It also understands despite being born an alien, Superman was raised as a human and understands the world and feels emotions just like them. While I did feel that Superman's intelligence could fluctuate at times depending on where the story was to go (unfortunately a flaw that finds its way into even the best Superhero movies), other than this movie understands the character and what has made him appeal to so many. David Corenswet is actually quite great in the role, despite having big shoes to fill. Another great asset of this film is that it has the best live action movie version of Lex Luther. Not only is Nicholas Hoult simply wonderful in this role (perfect casting in my opinion), but the writing truly understands the essence of this character. No offense to Gene Hackman but this is the first live action movie Lex Luther that actually feels like the iconic comic book villain, we all love to hate. Great visuals and exciting fight scenes don't hurt this movie either. 

This film is full of the signature James Gunn (who directed and wrote this movie) humor. However, it does not hit as consistently as it did in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies or The Suicide Squad  (2021). There were quite a few moments that made me laugh out loud. However, there were also quite a few that simply feel flat. I also felt that this movie suffered from an excess of characters. Because of this some of the characters ended up feeling quite underdeveloped, especially the Daily Planet staff and unfortunately Ma and Pa Kent. 

This movie may not be perfect but the parts that work are simply fantastic. Because of this I whole heartedly give this a full recommendation.  

All-New Super Friends Hour: The Man-Beast of Xra (1977)

 

This is the first segment of the thirteenth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest. 

In this cartoon, Superman, Batman and Robin must stop Dr. Xra, who has created half-animal, half-man beasts. 

This is a delightful cartoon. The whole episode has a wonderful halloween-y look to it. The nighttime lighting and the wonderful background art (especially the swamp leading to Dr. Xra's mansion) create a wonderful sense of atmosphere that can hold its own with the original Scooby-Doo series in this area. The designs of the creatures are also wonderful. They are delightfully creepy and imposing without being too scary to take away from the lighthearted fun. The action scenes are also quite well done and exciting. 

This is a wonderful cartoon that provides some great spooky superhero fun. 

Video Link: The Superman Story | Fleischer Studios | Max Fleischer Superman Documentary