Customer Reviews

Warner Brothers Golden Jubilee 24 Karat Collection Speedy Gonzales Fast Funnies [VHS]

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This video was one of the 1985 series of "Golden Jubilee" videotapes, one of the first series of Warner Brothers cartoons on video. All are out of print. This one is definitely one of the best in the series, and is currently the only video release of Speedy cartoons. Though it does not include any of the later 1960's shorts co-starring Daffy Duck (probably a good thing, most people don't like those) it does include two Academy Award nominees and several other great classic Speedy films. Get this video while it is still around, because with the current hesitation by Warner Bros. to broadcast these cartoons as they once did, Speedy Gonzales may be unavailable, period, very soon.

Speedy Gonzales is the only Warner Brothers character created upon Mexican heritage. Since his debut in 1953, director Robert McKimson placed the litle Spanish mouse into place, with his debut cartoon Cat-Tails For Two.

Nonetheless, it wasn't until Friz Freleng's 1955 cartoon Speedy Gonzales, that locked the character into stardom. From 1955 to 1967, Friz freleng and Robert McKimson traded places in the direction of Gonzales. Cartoons like Tobasco Road, Cannery Woe and the Oscar Nominated The Pied Piper of Guadalupe.

However, in 1998 Warner Brothers stopped broadcasting cartoons starring Speedy Gonzales. They felt it would offend Mexicans with their heritage. Sadly, it forecasts a misforgotten place in one of Warner Brothers finest characters. A character whose cartoons recieved 3 ocsar nominations, now became into fading existence.

Speedy Gonzales Fast Funnies, from Warner Brothers Golden Jubilee 24 Karat Collection is one of those worthwhile films that still displays the dynamic Speedy. Andale!!

With the arrival of political-correctiveness, many cartoon characters of the past have been hidden away from public view. What started with the removal of ethnic characters that portrayed terrible stereotypes such as the "Dick Tracy" cartoon shorts that were removed from the air at the same time the film version was released, others have quietly taken indefinite vacations away from television.

Speedy Gonzalez, the fastest mouse in all Mexico, was one of those characters. What AOL Time Warner (Speedy's copyright owners) might see as offensive, many others do not. Where else can Latin Americans take pride in a hero who always outwits the "gringo pussygato?" Not too many characters out there can match Speedy's fame, and "Fast Funnies" was one in a series of tapes that Warner Bros. released back in the mid-1980's that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of their animation division.

In this compilation, viewers are treated with a series of classic Speedy cartoons including two Oscar-nominated shorts (including one that introduced an early version of Speedy to the world). I had an incredible time watching these non-P.C. cartoons over and over again, not only because Speedy is a hero and icon to many in Latin America, but because he was one of the few celebrities to speak in Spanish, way before the Latin Boom that took place during the summer of 1999 (remember "Livin' La Vida Loca?"). He reconnected many, Mexican or non-Mexican with the language of Cervantes and clearly illustrated the ever going struggle against American imperialism in the region (represented by Sylvester the Cat in these shorts, AKA the "gringo pussygato").

Also on this compilation is a classic Goofy Gophers short. The Goofy Gophers, who were polite, educated gophers probably will also probably see themselves on vacation since they give us the hint that they are gay. How far will political correctiveness go nowadays? Will Pepe Le Pew (French), Foghorn Leghorn (Southerners) be far behind? Who knows, but let's hope that Speedy will return to the airwaves soon, because I truly miss that mouse.

Since this tape is out-of-print, let's pray that Warner Home Video will re-release this tape or put out a DVD version in the near future. For now it is the only source of Speedy Gonzalez cartoons out there in the market! Que viva Speedy Gonzalez! Andale!

It's too funny. Speedy Gonzalez is removed from American TV because it's viewed as insulting to "some" Mexicans. Yet, you can see it on Mexican TV!

It doesn't contain the Oscar winning Speedy Gonzales cartoon but it does contain two that were nominated - "Pied Piper of Guadalupe" and "Tobasco Road". The other Speedys are just as good.

All of these cartoons are available on DVD, but if you don't have the DVD's, you should check this out!
1. The Pied Piper of Guadlupe (Freleng, 1961; Academy-Award Nominee)
2. Tortilla Flaps (McKimson, 1958)
3. Cat-Tails for Two (McKimson, 1953; first appearance of Speedy)
4. Cannery Woe (McKimson, 1961)
5. Lumber Jerks (Freleng, 1955; Non-Speedy, starring The Goofy Gophers)
6. Tabasco Road (McKimson, 1957; Academy-Award Nominee)
7. Here Today, Gone Tamale (Freleng, 1959)
8. Gonzales Tamales (Freleng, 1957; my personal favorite)