Country: USA
Release Date: November 14, 2006
Distributor: Warner Home Video
Grade: A+
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DVD Review: Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Four
by R.J. Carter
Published: November 20, 2006
Moreso than any other series of cartoon shorts, the Warner Brothers characters resonate with my childhood. Unlike the Disney shorts, the Looney Tunes characters came into my house via television every Saturday morning (back in the day when Saturday morning was an event.) They even came on early on weekday mornings, and after school on weekday afternoons. They'd even fill the odd-minute gap when the television station was under-time on their feature and had to air something other than commercials.
So Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the rest of the WB crew were far from strangers to me, and through them I became acquainted with scads of classical songs in the Warner Brothers catalog, as well as some of the homefront history of the United States during the Second World War.
The first thing to catch the viewer's attention upon sliding in one of these discs is the WB warning. No, not the FBI penalty for piracy -- rather, this one, which offers an apology of sorts for the cartoons presented:
"The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today's society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."
So, right off the bat, kudos to Warner for releasing these cartoons in their complete state, not the chopped and dismembered (also known as 'sanitized') versions that were edited for television in recent years. Each cartoon short on here represents the whole kit-n-kaboodle, from open to close. So let's raise the curtain on these classics of yesteryear; damn the torpedoes and the political correctness, and just have some fun!
Knighty Knight Oscar: Bugs and Yosemite Sam
(and dragon) face off in the Oscar-winning short
cartoon, "Knighty Knight Bugs".
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Each of the four discs in this volume has a theme to it, and the first disc is dedicated to the first rabbit of the Warner Brothers lot, Bugs Bunny. With fifteen shorts, including the Oscar-winning short "Knighty Knight Bugs" -- you know, the one with King Arther, Sir Loin of Beef, and Sir Osis of Liver? -- this would already be a decent offering. But wait -- there's more! Six of the shorts have audio commentary with folks like director Eric Goldberg ("Rabbit Hood"), writer Paul Dini ("Operation: Rabbit"), and voice actor extraordinaire, June Foray ("Rabbit Romeo"). And that's before you start digging down into the really special features. The first of a two-part documentary, "Bugs Bunny Superstar", is on this disc, and contains complete shorts in and of itself separated by interviews and documentary. And there's a complete set of bridging sequences from televisions "The Bugs Bunny Show" (Sing it with me... "Overture! Curb the lights! This is it! We'll hit the heights!") and a seven minute tribute to the music of Raymond Scott -- plus a few more treasures to be found.
The second disc ended up being my favorite. Devoted to director Frank Tashlin -- including commentary from Tashlin on three of the shorts -- these episodes give you a belly full of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, as well as some other wonderfully told stories. In addition to the commentaries by Tashlin, we also hear from such notables as Greg Ford and Eddie Fitzgerald. And once again, the bonuses on this disc are simply marvelous. There's the second part of the "Bugs Bunny Superstar" documentary here, providing more shorts; two Frank Tashlin stories that were never animated but presented here in a very unique style using his original sketchbook drawings; and a dizzying short of Porky and Daffy performing the William Tell Overture (joined by some masked man on a white horse!) But topping everything else are the shorts brought to us "From the Vault". On this disc, the vault delivers up three cartoons of "Private Snafu", an army guy who taught our servicemen how not to be a soldier. Snafu -- a collaboration by Chuck Jones and Ted Geisel (later known as Dr Seuss!) -- learns the deadly consequences of goldbricking in the army, discovers that the folks at home aren't just taking it easy in his absence, and finds that there's a good reason to be careful in what you write back to your friends and family. Jones and Geisel would later collaborate on that Christmas classic, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".
Private Snafu demonstrates how not to get by
in the army as he tries to slip a letter past the
censors to his girlfriend at home. (Speaking of
slipping past the censors, notice the pinups in
the background.)
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As much as the second disc is my favorite of the four, disc three would have to be my least favorite. (And don't get me wrong; picking a least favorite of these four discs is like picking a least favorite M&M from the bag. Brown, since you're wondering.) The focus of this disc is Speedy Gonzalez, the fastest mouse in all of Me-hee-co, and no doubt one of the many reasons for the aforementioned disclaimer from WB. But it wasn't ethnic stereotyping that moves this to the bottom of the stack for me -- he's just never been one of my favorite characters, even with Sylvester the cat in the supporting cast. But he's obviously been the favorite of many, because this disc has three shorts that were all Academy Award nominees: "Tabasco Road", "Mexicali Shmoes", and "The Pied Piper of Guadalupe". However, where this disc did grab me was again with the historical special features, which include two army re-enlistment cartoons and a nearly hour-long special dedicated to one of the masters of the craft, Friz Freleng (who also offers commentary with Greg Ford on "Mexican Boarders").
Wrapping up this collection is one devoted completely to the cats of Warner Brothers. These fifteen shorts include the Oscar-nominated "Mouse and Garden", and includes commentaries by Greg Ford, Chuck Jones, and June Foray. The special features here really come back with a vengeance, as we get some personal looks behind the tunes, with a segment devoted to "One Hit Wonders" (those characters that only appeared in one cartoon but have retained a popularity, like Pete Puma, or Owl Jolson), and featurettes showing how what went into creating a simple gag, and giving recognition to the uncredited vocal talents (until Mel Blanc broke that barrier.) And for the adults, you've got to sit through the short time it takes to watch a stuttering Porky Pig hammer his thumb and try very very hard not to cuss. (Hint: he doesn't quite make it!) "Porky's Breakdowns" is easily the funniest darned thing of the entire set, just for it's sheer rarity and audacity.
Calling this the Golden Collection isn't hyperbole. This volume couldn't be worth more to the true fans if the discs themselves were stamped from gold with real gold leafing adorning the case.
Audio can be set to English or Spanish, with optional subtitles in English, French or Spanish.
Looney Tunes Golden Collection
Volume Four
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Disc 1: Bugs Bunny Favorites
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Disc 2: A Dash of Tashlin
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01. Roman Legion-Hare
02. The Grey-Hounded Hare
03. Rabbit Hood
- commentary by director Eric Goldberg
04. Operation: Rabbit
- commentary by writer Paul Dini
- music-and-effects only audio track
05. Knight-Mare Hare
- music-only audio track
06. Southern-Fried Rabbit
- music-and-effects only audio track
07. Mississippi Hare
- commentary by director Eric Goldberg
08. Hurdy-Gurdy Hare
- commentary by writer Paul Dini
09. Forward March Hare
10. Sahara Hare
- music-only audio track
11. Barbary-Coast Bunny
- music-only audio track
12. To Hare is Human
- music-only audio track
13. 8 Ball Bunny
- commentary by historian Jerry Beck
14. Knighty Knight Bugs
15. Rabbit Romeo
- commentary by actor June Foray and historian Jerry Beck
- music only audio track
Special Features:
"Twilight in Tunes: The Music of Raymond Scott" (6:44)
"Bugs Bunny Superstar" part 1 (47:58)
"Powerhouse in Pictures" (2:10)
"Fifty Years of Bugs Bunny in 3 1/2 Minutes"
"The Bugs Bunny Show"
- "Ballpoint Puns" Bridging Sequences (5:29)
- "Foreign Legion Leghorn" audio recording sessions (3:27)
Trailer Gallery
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01. The Case of the Stuttering Pig
- commentary by animator Mark Kausler
02. Little Pancho Vanilla
03. Little Beau Porky
04. Now That Summer is Gone
- commentary by historian Michael Barrier and director Frank Tashlin
05. Porky in the North Woods
- comentary by animator Mark Kausler
06. You're an Education
- commentary by historian Daniel Goldmark
07. Porky's Railroad
08. Plane Daffy
- commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford
09. Porky the Fireman
10. Cracked Ice
- commentary by historian Michael Barrier and director Frank Tashlin
11. Puss N' Booty
- commentary by historian Jerry Beck
12. I Got Plenty of Mutton
- commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford
13. Booby Hatched
14. Porky's Poultry Plant
- commentary by historian Michael Barrier and director Frank Tashlan
15. The Stupid Cupid
- commentary by director Eddie Fitzgerald
Special Features:
"Bugs Bunny Superstar" part 2 (43:25)
"Porky and Daffy in The William Tell Overture" (2:09)
"Frank Tashlin's Storybooks"
- "Little Chic's Wonderful Mother"
- "Tony and Clarence"
"From the Vault"
- "The Goldbrick"
- "The Home Front"
- "Censored"
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Disc 3: Speedy Gonzales in a Flash
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Disc 4: Kitty Corner
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01. Cat-Tails for Two
- commentary with actor Stan Freberg and historian Jerry Beck
- music-and-effects only audio track
02. Tabasco Road
- music-only audio track
03. Tortilla Flaps
04. Mexicali Shmoes
- music-only audio track
05. Here Today, Gone Tamale
06. West of the Pesos
- music-only audio track
07. Cannery Woe
08. The Pied Piper of Guadalupe
09. Mexican Boarders
- commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford and Director Friz Freleng
10. Chili Weather
11. A Message to Gracias
12. Nuts and Volts
- commentary by animator Art Leonardi and historian Jerry Beck
13. Pancho's Hideaway
14. The Wild Chase
- commentary by writer Paul Dini
15. A-Haunting We Will Go
Special Features:
"Friz on Film" (54:36)
"From the Vault"
- "90 Day Wondering"
- "Drafty, Isn't It?"
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01. The Night Watchman
02. Conrad the Sailer
- commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford and director Chuck Jones
03. The Sour Puss
04. The Aristo-Cat
- commentary by director Eddie Fitzgerald
- commentary by filmmaker Greg Ford and director Chuck Jones
05. Dough Ray Me-ow
- commentary by historian Jerry Beck
06. Pizzicato Pussycat
- commentary by historian Daniel Goldmark
07. Kiss Me Cat
08. Cat Feud
- music-only audio track
09. The Unexpected Pest
- commentary by actor June Foray and historian Jerry Beck
- music-only audio track
10. Go Fly a Kit
- music-only audio track
11. Kiddin' the Kitten
12. A Peck o' Trouble
- music-and-effects only audio track
13. Mouse and Garden
14. Porky's Poor Fish
15. Swallow the Leader
Special Features:
"Behind the Tunes"
- "One Hit Wonders" (6:53)
- "Sing-a-Song of Looney Tunes" (6:20)
- "The Art of the Gag" (14:32)
- "Wild Lines: The Art of Voice Acting" (14:32)
- "Looney Tunes: A Cast of Thousands" (11:12)
"From the Vault"
- "Porky's Breakdowns"
- "Sahara Hare" Storyboard Reel
- "Porky's Poor Fish" Storyboard Reel
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