Customer Reviews

Alice in Cartoonland - 35mm Collection

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now that this collection has been officially released, I figured that it is now safe to express an opinion about it. The fact that I've ACTUALLY WATCHED IT is just that much more reason to weigh in, so here goes...

Back in the 1920s, before "Walt Disney" was an international household name, our boy produced a series of silent-era cartoons about a young girl (the titular "Alice") interacting with animated characters within a cartoon universe.

After Walt struck gold with Mickey Mouse, a distributor glommed onto these cartoons and added a soundtrack for distribution in the new sound-era of the 1930s. This collection is sourced from these "Raytone" prints. These original nitrate 35mm prints look sharper and have better soundtracks that the 16mm dupes I've seen over the years.

I'd give this collection my highest recommendation, except for one thing. VCI felt compelled to use something called DIGITAL VIDEO NOISE REDUCTION (DVNR) during their film-to-video transfer process. DVNR is peachy-keen for live-action films, as it can get rid of lines, scratches and dirt artifacts. Unfortunately, with cartoons, the DVNR mistakes the outlines of fast-moving drawings for something to be removed, so you can end up with patchy, compromised images.

DVNR aside, a bonus that makes this collection a "keeper" in my book is the inclusion of three more silent-era-but-dubbed-with-sound subjects! These are the "Krazy Kids Kartunes!" (Note that VCI calls them "Krazy Kid Cartoons." I wonder if this is to avoid a KKK connotation?) These sort of left-field finds are always of interest to me! There is DVNR on these shorts as well, but the effect isn't as severe as seen on the "Alice" comedies.

Kudos to KIT*PARKER*FILMS and VCI home video for releasing this top quality DVD mastered from almost pristine 35mm nitrate negatives. The image is razor-sharp, the contrast is great! Outside of the Disney Treasures Rarities DVD release, when was the last time you could see every detail in Alice's dress?

Contents:
1) (1926) Alice's Orphan - also on the Inkwell DVD release.
2) (1925) Alice's Tin Pony
3) (1925) Alice in the Jungle - also on both Disney & Inkwell DVDs.
4) (1926) Alice's Balloon Race
5) (1925) Alice Cops the Suey
6) (1927) Alice the Waler - also on both Disney & Inkwell DVDs.
7) (1925) Alice Rattled By Rats - also in the Inkwell DVD release
8) (1925) Alice's Eggplant - also on both Disney & Inkwell DVDs.
9) (1925) Alice the Jailbird
10) (1925) Alice Solves the Puzzle - edited re-issue, also on Inkwell Images "Before Walt" DVD.

BONUS CARTOONS: Krazy Kids Cartoons (sound re-issues of the rare "Life Cartoon Comedies")
1) North of Nowhere
2) Hitting the Trail
3) Whales Everywhere

Even though about half of these duplicate the Inkwell images DVD-R, none of these were copied from the Inkwell Images release. These are fresh 35mm Nitrate Film transfers done by VCI from the KIT*PARKER*FILMS nitrate negatives. Three titles duplicate the Disney Treasures DVD release with some minor variation, but they look equally good.

I should note that these are mastered from the 1930-31 sound re-issue negatives, but many dialogue balloons & dialogue cards are still there. Most existing prints are from these re-issue versions, listen to the soundtracks on other Alice video releases. The only known edit is in ALICE SOLVES THE PUZZLE; the bootlegging & intoxicated Julius the Cat sequences were removed for the 1930 re-issue. I believe even the 35mm master in the Disney Archives is this version. A 35mm tinted print of the original edit is said to survive in the Deutsches Institute fur Filmkunde, Wiesbaden. Maybe some day that version will become available.

Some fans have complained about the 1930 cartoony soundtrack, but I think if sound recording was available to the then low budgeted Disney Animation Studio, it would probably have sounded like these do. And better yet, since the dialogue cards are there, you can turn the sound off if you don't like it.

The films are not presented in chronological order. I haven't figured why they are in the order that they are, but that is of little concern as you can play them individually.

Sadly, about 17 Alice cartoons made from September 1926 to August 1927 are believed to be lost and the remaining 8 from that period exist in foreign versions only. But all of the Alice cartoons from 1923 to Sept 1926 do exist, most are in Disney's vault. Hopefully these unreleased 16 titles from this period will make it to the next Disney DVD release.

Collectors note: You will still want to get both the DISNEY TREASURES : RARITIES & INKWELL IMAGES : ALICE IN CARTOONLAND DVDs as both have two or three cartoons not in this set.

TREASURES also has:
(1923) Alice's Wonderland
(1924) Alice's Wild West Show
(1924) Alice Gets In Dutch

INKWELL IMAGES also has:
(1925) Alice the Toreador
(1926) Alice on the Farm

This release is a true DVD, not a DVD-R.

This DVD is wonderful. Three points I'd like to make (and I'll keep them short and sweet).
1. The prints are magnificent and above average. I have over 17 DVDs and VHS videos with Alice in Wonderland film shorts and have rarely seen better picture quality.
2. Since Virginia Davis, who played ALice in these film shorts, is still alive, it would have been nice to have her commenting about her experiences on the set, and how fans have worshipped her other the years. Still, that might be too costly but the price of this DVD is worth it.
3. I personally get to meet Virginia Davis at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Aberdeen, Maryland in September since she's a guest so I not only get to ask her a few questions, I get her autograph too!
Buy this DVD and add it to your collection. It's worth the admission price.

VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker Films present "ALICE IN CARTOONLAND *1925-1927)" (2007) --- (Dolby digitally remastered) ... Animation legends Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising are among the artists who helped to create these amusing shorts. Includes Alice the Toreador (1925), Alice's Egg Plant (1925), Alice Rattled by Rats (1925), Alice in the Jungle (1925), Alice on the Farm (1925), Alice's Ornery Orphan (1925) and Alice the Whaler (1927.) --- A collection of early releases from the Walt Disney Studio, featuring a live-action girl interacting with a cartoon world, Alice in Cartoonland (1925-1927) --- This was the birth of a series of cartoons to be called "Alice in Cartoonland". The concept used a live actress and film against a plain white background. Later the cartoon figures would be drawn in. A New York distributor loved the idea and they sent a sample cartoon ... The Alice in Cartoonland series marked the true launch of the Walt Disney Studio.

Inspired by "Max Fleischer's Out of the Inkwell" series, Disney reversed Fleischer's premise and had a live-action girl interacting with a cartoon world ... Although visually simple compared to modern animation, these shorts retain their ability to charm and amuse ... Animation greats Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising are among the artists who helped to create these historic films --- Walt received a letter from a New York distributor that was impressed with the "Alice in Cartoonland" series and offered to buy them ...Walt asked for Roy's help, and the two brothers were in business ... Walt did the drawings and Roy operated the camera and handled the finances ... they set up a studio in a small room behind a real estate office. "Alice in Cartoonland" became so popular that the Disney brothers needed help and Walt called Ub Iwerks ... they also hired a girl to fill in the drawings; then another girl to help out and finally a third - Lillian Bounds --- Lillian listed endlessly to Walt - the 23 year old artists - and often took him home to her sister's house for dinner because she felt he was so undernourished. Shortly, thereafter, Lillian and Walt were married.

ALICE IN CARTOONLAND
1. Alice's Orphan
2. Alice's Tin Pony
3. Alice in the Jungle
4. Alice's Balloon Race
5. Alice Chops the Suey
6. Alice the Whaler
7. Alice Rattled by Rats
8. Alice's Egg Plant
9. Alice the Jail Bird
10.Alice Solves the Puzzle

SPECIAL FEATURES:
KRAZY KIDS CARTOONS (Three cartoons from the seldom seen "Life Cartoon Comedy" - 1930 sound reissue)
11.North of Nowhere
12.Hitting the Trail
13.Whales Everywhere

12.ALICE IN HOLLYWOOD
by J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merrit of "Walt In Wonderland:The Silent Films of Walt Disney"

13.CARTOON SYNOPSIS MENU
14.VCI CARTOON PROMO

15.WALT DISNEY BIO
Date of birth: 5 December 1901 - Chicago, Illinois
Date of death: 15 December 1966 - Los Angeles, California

Special footnote, Walt, Roy and Ub Iwerks went to Hollywood in 1923, they started work on a new series,
about a live-action little girl who journeys to a world of animated characters. Entitled the "Alice Comedies",
they were distributed by Margaret Winkler. Walt was backed up financially only by Winkler and his brother
Roy, who would remain his business partner for the rest of his life ... the series of "Alice Comedies" were produced
between 1923 and 1927, before they lost popularity.

16.THE MANY FACES OF ALICE

Great job releasing "Alice in Cartoonland: 35mm Collection" (Full B&W) ... special footnote from VCI Entertainment --- "Walt Disney produced 57 "Alice" cartoons between 1923 and 1927. The series owed its success to both its clever special effects - cartoon characters interacting with a live young girl cleverly superimposed within the frame - and its breezy humor. The cartoons on this DVD have remarkable clarity because they were transferred direct from 35mm nitrate negatives" --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 93 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video KPF-562 ~ (2/27/2007)

It is interesting that a review has been posted before the DVD has been released. You will notice that the contents described including Alice the Toreador (1925), Alice's Egg Plant (1925), Alice Rattled by Rats (1925), Alice in the Jungle (1925), Alice on the Farm (1925), Alice's Orphan (1925) and Alice the Whaler (1927.) are from my program, ALICE IN CARTOONLAND released in 2000, and not this new VCI release. While I am sure that the 35mm sources should in theory be nice, not having seen the quality fo the assembly prevents me from making a fair rating.