Directors:
Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett and Robert McKimson
Cast:
Bugs Bunny
Daffy Duck
Porky Pig
Yosemite Sam
Sylvester
Tweety
Warner Home Entertainment presents Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 5. Sixty cartoons on 4 DVDs. Running time: 417 minutes. Unrated. DVD released Oct. 30, 2007.
The Cartoons
Remember when you turned on the TV set Saturday mornings and O.D.-ed on Bugs, Daffy, Porky and the Road Runner? Only a few years ago you could locate Tweety and Sylvester on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. Nowadays you can flip the dial all day without getting a vintage Taz fix. Where have Looney Tunes gone? Thankfully they can be found on DVD. The most important restoration work in Hollywood continues as another buffed up 60 cartoons arrive on Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume Five.
While dozens of the famous titles have been released on the earlier volumes, that’s no reason to skip this installment. They delivered the goods once more. Disc one is “Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.” The duo team up for two of their most memorable adventures in “Ali Baba Bunny” and “The Abominable Snow Rabbit.” For all of Bug’s genius, he can’t read a map. The first has Daffy’s greedy nature get the best of him when he discovers treasure in the desert. The second has Daffy become the new pet of the Yeti. Imagine how boring they’d be if they’d executed the proper direction through Albuquerque. There’s also a few solo adventures for the critters. Both get their showbiz stories told. Bugs relates his slog to the top in “A Star Is Bored.” “Hollywood Daffy” brings the duck to Tinseltown for his big break. This involves him busting past the studio gate guard. Bugs meets Dracula in “Transylvania 6-5000.” “The Super Snooper” has Daffy play a private dick who can’t get enough of his female suspect.
Disc Two’s “Fun-Filled Fairy Tales” has those classic childhood stories spiked with a touch of Warner magic. “Bewitched Bunny” has Bugs helping Hansel and Gretel escape the evil witch. Unfortunately Bugs finds himself destined for the oven. The story of Little Red Riding Hood was a favorite for the directors with several spoofs in this collection. The best is “The Trial of Mr. Wolf.” While taking the stand in his defense, the Wolf explains that he’s not nearly as bad as Little Red Riding Hood wants us to believe. He’s a wolf who likes to dance and pick flowers. She framed him. Grandma was a hatchet murderer who wanted a fur coat.
Disc Three’s “Putting a Bob Clampett on It” pays tribute to John Kircfalusi’s favorite director. “Bacall to Arms” features a wolf dropping by the cinema to watch a twisted version of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall’s “To Have and Have Not.” The reworking of the whistle scene is priceless. “Hare Ribbin” is an underwater chase between Bugs and a red haired dog. The version included here contains the suicide gun shot that’s normally censored when it airs on TV. If you look in the bonus features, you’ll see Clampett’s original version of the shooting.
“Early Days” on disc four features black and white cartoons that rarely receive airplay since TV programmers swear kids only want color cartoons. “I’ve Got to Sing A Torch Song” depicts radio listeners from around the world. While in Africa, a cannibal listens to a cooking show as his company stews in a pot. Does Rachel Ray have a 30 minute recipe for two explorers? “Porky at the Crocadero” has our favorite pig trying to land a band leader job with his bogus music school diploma. He washes dishes to get near the famous nightclub’s band. He gets his big breaks and hams it up for the crowd. Porky impersonates Cab Calloway to entertain the crowd. “Polar Pals” take Porky to the frozen North and features the song about rubbing noses like Eskimos. Porky has to stop a fur trapper from skinning his seal buddies. “Scrap Happy Daffy” has the duck going nuts getting junk to be recycled into World War II weapons. Hitler declares war on Daffy’s scrap pile. “Wholly Smoke” has Porky learn the evils of tobacco. Cab Calloway cameos as a dirty pipe cleaner.
While some DVD series run dry after a few releases the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume Five continues the great work. While many of the classic Looney Tunes have been released, there’s still a lot of great shorts in this boxset. They aren’t stooping to pack a DVD with Buddy cartoons (those are the lamest of the lame). The cartoons look great. Most of the dirt on the screen is found on the animation cells. You’d figure by now they’d be scrapping the bottom the vault to for bonus features. Instead they get the rights to include a feature length documentary about Chuck Jones. They also dusted off three “reunion” TV specials directed by Chuck Jones that featured the voice of Mel Blanc. This is pure bliss on four shiny discs for animation fans.
The Line Up
Disc One – Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
“14 Carrot Rabbit,” “Ali Baba Bunny,” “Buccaneer Bunny,” “Bugs’ Bonnets,” “A Star is Bored,” “A Pest in the House,” “Transylvania 6-5000,” “Oily Hare,” “Stupor Duck,” “The Stupor Salesman,” “The Abominable Snow Rabbit,” “The Super Snooper,” “The Upstanding Sitter,” “Hollywood Daffy” and “You Were Never Duckier.”
Disc Two – Fun-Filled Fairy Tales
“Bewitched Bunny,” “Paying The Piper,” “The Bear’s Tale,” “Foney Fables,” “Goldimouse And The Three Cats,” “Holiday For Shoestrings,” “Little Red Rodent Hood,” “Little Red Walking Hood,” “Red Riding Hoodwinked,” “The Trial Of Mr. Wolf,” “The Turn-Tale Wolf,” “Tom Thumb In Trouble,” “Tweety And The Beanstalk,” “A Gander A Mother Goose” and “Señorella And The Glass Huarache.”
Disc Three – Putting a Bob Clampett on It
“Bacall To Arms,” “Buckaroo Bugs,” “Crazy Cruise,” “Farm Frolics,” “Hare Ribbin’,” “Patient Porky,” “Prehistoric Pork,” “The Bashful Buzzard,” “The Old Grey Hare,” “The Wacky Wabbit,” “The Wise Quacking Duck,” “Wagon Heels,” “The Daffy Doc,” “A Tale Of Two Kitties” and “Porky’s Pooch.”
Disc Four – The Early Daze
“Alpine Antics,” “Eatin’ On The Cuff Or The Moth Who Came To Dinner,” “Milk And Money,” “I’ve Got To Sing A Torch Song,” “Porky At The Crocadero,” “Polar Pals,” “Scrap Happy Daffy,” “Porky’s Double Trouble,” “Golddiggers Of ’49,” “Pilgrim Porky,” “Wise Quacks,” “Porky’s Preview,” “Porky’s Poppa,” “Wholly Smoke,” “What Price Porky.”
The DVD
VIDEO:
The cartoons are 1.33:1. The restoration work must be praised.
AUDIO:
The soundtrack is in Dolby Digital Mono. There are English subtitles. Numerous cartoons feature commentary tracks with various filmmakers and historians including Jerry Beck, Daniel Goldmark, Greg Ford and John Kircfalusi. “Buckaroo Bugs” and “A Tale of Two Kitties” feature vintage comments from Bob Clampett. There’s plenty of cartoons that isolate the music tracks.
EXTRAS:
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, A Life in Animation, Part 1 (39:08) is from PBS’s Great Performances series. Unlike the recent depressing PBS special on Charles Schultz, Jones’ tales of how he got into animation and developed his talent are entertaining. Famous folks testify to what Jones’ cartoons meant to them.
“Bad Time Story” Bridging Sequences (8:55) contains the new animation segments created for an episode of The Bugs Bunny Show. The picture varies between color and black & white. The “Overture” introduction is in color.
What’s Up Dog? Audio Recording Sessions (3:18) is the audio of Mel Blanc at work.
The Bug Bunny Show Commercials (11:52) has Bugs and gang endorsing various products. Animation historian Jerry Beck introduces the piece. Thrill to how they used to push the sugar content on cereal.
Once Upon a Tune (9:53) has the various experts talking about the fairytale takeoffs used in the LT/MMs.
Drawn to Life: The Art of Robert McKimson (16:54) has his life story told by his son, Robert McKimson Jr. After a concussion, McKimson became a faster animator.
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, A Life in Animation, Part 2 (47:38) continues PBS’s Great Performances. The show explores the creation of “What’s Opera, Doc?”
A Chuck Jones Tutorial: Tricks of the Cartoon Trade (13:23) uses extra footage from the PBS special. Chuck explains the various ways to animate the action. It’s a concise master class lecture.
Wacky Warner One-Shots (9:13) shines the light on cartoons with characters that didn’t get picked up. The experts discuss the influence of UPA on these non-Bugs shorts.
Real American Zero: The Adventures of Private Snafu (9:14) recounts the creation of these defense department shorts. They can’t give the real meaning of the “F” in Snafu.
Coming!! SNAFU (2:57) introduces us to the “goofiest soldier” in the army. They have clips of future cartoons.
Gripes (4:10) has Pvt. Snafu disgruntled at being stuck peeling potatoes and sweeping the base streets. A Technical Fairy promotes him to officer. Snafu learns the consequences of making it fun to be in the army.
The Good Egg (3:06) has Sailor Hook using his paycheck to buy war bonds. The angel and devil battle over whether this is a good thing.
The Return of Mr. Hook (3:50) deals with how Sailor Hook will use his war bond investments for his post-navy life.
Tokyo Woes (4:12) has Sailor Hook defend his war bonds to the propaganda radio of Tokyo Rose. There’s a gag with Tokyo Rose sitting on a toilet.
Hare Ribbin’ Director’s Cut (8:02) shows the dog with red hair getting shot by Bugs Bunny. That’s right, the rabbit used extreme prejudice.
The Bashful Buzzard Storyboard Reel (6:58) shows us Bob Clampett’s original sketches mixed in with the actual short.
The Bashful Buzzard Original Opening Music Cue (0:53) has the original musical cues before they were snipped for the Blue Ribbon opening.
Alternate Milt Franklin Opening Themes with introduction by Greg Ford (6:05) is an audio only track of “Merrily We Roll Along.” He was trying to revamp the song for the new introductions.
Unsung Maestros: A Directors Tribute (20:07) shines a light on the various directors that didn’t last as long as Jones, Freleng, McKimson and Clampett. This is a fine history for animation fans.
Bugs and Daffy’s Carnival of the Animals (24:22) had Bugs, Daffy and an orchestra performing Camille Saint-Saens’s work in a 1976 TV special. Chuck Jones directed this mixture of animation with live orchestra action. The various animals are given non-Termite Terrace style animation.
Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales (23:29) brings together the various characters in a retelling of A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is played by Yosmite Sam. Tiny Tim is extra small with Tweety in the role. Friz Freleng and Chuck Jones directed the 1979 TV special.
Bugs Bunny’s Bustin’ Out All Over (23:45) is a summer vacation special from 1980. There’s a battle between a juvenile Buggs and Elmer. The show was written and directed by Chuck Jones.
Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume Five |
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The Inside Pulse
If you like Bugs Bunny, this needs to go on your holiday wish list.
