DVD Review: Mr. Magoo: The Television Collection, 1960 – 1977

DVD Reviews, Reviews

Mr. Magoo is an extremely controversial cartoon character to some people. What could be so evil about a little old guy with a warped perspective about the world? The critics will immediately shout that Mr. Magoo mocks blind people. How dare animators find humor in a man’s disability. The truth is that Mr. Magoo isn’t blind. He’s near sighted and refuses to get his eyes checked so he can wear proper glasses. The comedy comes from a combination of Magoo’s vanity and his ability to walk away from a disaster unscathed. Magoo’s theatrical career started in 1949 for UPA. They wisely hired Jim Backus (Gilligan’s Island) to give voice to their creation. The cartoons won two Oscars in the ‘50s, but as the decade drew to an end so did the need for theatrical cartoons. Magoo had to mistake living rooms for cinemas to survive. Mr. Magoo: The Television Collection 1960 – 1977 contains three of his series and a special that kept him fresh for a new generation.

The Mr. Magoo Show (1960) is unique that it doesn’t reuse any of his UPA cartoons. It’s 26 episodes of fresh misadventures. Quite a few new characters were brought into the series in order to take the burden off Magoo. While his nephew Waldo was kept from the cartoons, he was given his own segment with a swindler named Presley. Mother Magoo looks liker her son, but with normal vision. Tycoon Magoo is the extremely rich member of the family who doesn’t need glasses. His British Gentleman’s Gentle, Worcestershire schemes to stop Magoo’s bumbling ways. Magoo gets three semi-talking pets to give that cute animal angle to the scripts. The most important of the characters is Magoo’s houseboy. Charlie must deal with his boss’s insanity. He has to deal with cleaning up the mess when Magoo mistakes a bottling company for a bowling alley. His is a thankless life. Charlie is an extreme stereotype of a Chinese houseboy with an overblown accent. At some point, they redubbed Charlie with a less offensive voice. But what’s the point? Charlie still has the massive buck teeth and extreme slanted eyes. The dub job can’t appease those offended by the character. The version of the show in the boxset has Charlie’s original voice. The Mr. Magoo Show is not for the people who love to attend sensitivity training sessions.

The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (1964) was an attempt at Classics Illustrated with a touch of Magoo. A few episodes open with him backstage setting up the book or play. The adaptations of the classics are done with a touch of humor, but not as full out comedies like a normal Magoo cartoon. The touch on the vital moments of the source material. A few of the stories are multi-part episodes such as Robin Hood, Little Snow White, The Three Musketeers and most importantly Don Quioxte De La Mancha. Magoo has always been like Don Quioxte with his mistaking of Windmills for Giants. The episodes are a cute way to get kids to semi-understand bigger works before they tackle them for classes. Although under no circumstances should a student quote the Magoo adaptations in a term paper.

Uncle Sam Magoo (1970) is a patriotic near sighted special. The quick tour of American history doesn’t quite probe too deep. It’s good for making you smarter than Jeff Foxworthy. What’s New Mr. Magoo? (1977) revived the guy with the help of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, the producers of the Pink Panther. The change in animation studios is quite evident from the backgrounds and the introduction of McBarker, Magoo’s look-alike dog. They’ve brought in America’s Top 40 legend Casey Kasem to voice Waldo. Charlie has been laid off. Magoo stumbles his way through 16 episodes. Unlike the previous two projects, this Magoo is all for jokes with little educational value except the value of an eye exam.

Mr. Magoo: The Television Collection, 1960 – 1977 provides plenty of laughs about a guy who is in complete denial about the world. He refuses to correct his vision to see reality. He’s like the frustrating pundits who appear on news networks that describe an event that so detached from the reality that you scream, “Open your eyes! Are you blind?” But somehow that delusional person gets a paycheck and returns the next day to continue their journey of misidentification. Mr. Magoo can’t be stopped no matter where you hide his glasses.

The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are fine enough for the limited animation. The audio is mono. You get the rich posh voice of Backus coming through the speakers.

The set isn’t loaded with special features, but does come a short retrospective.

Oh, Magoo…You’ve Done It Again (16:29) charts the character from his start at UPA to the TV. Layout & storyboard artist Bob Singer discusses how they weren’t out to make fun of blind people although the jokes were all sight impaired oriented.

Still Gallery includes promotional stills, cells, sketches and storyboards.

Mr. Magoo: The Television Collection, 1960 – 1977 brings the small screen adventures to the major bumbler. What’s interesting is how the producers get serious with the characters to give him an educational background. Make sure you watch the comedy shows so you don’t ponder why this character was considered funny as he hangs out with Robin Hood.

Shout! Factory presents Mr. Magoo: The Television Collection, 1960 – 1977. Starring: Jim Backus and Casey Kasem. Boxset Contents: 69 Episodes on 11 DVDs. Released on DVD: November 8, 2011. Available at Amazon.com.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.