Product Details

• Actors: Lillian Randolph
• Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: October 25, 2011
• Run Time: 284 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0058O1FIY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,880 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

During the '40s, MGM's Tom and Jerry series was animation's gold standard, challenging Disney in the Animated Short Film Oscar category. The lavishly produced shorts featured polished animation, brash slapstick gags, and lush watercolor backgrounds. The series, which began in 1940 with "Puss Gets the Boot," ran for 15 years and won seven Oscars. Many of these cartoons follow the pattern set in "Puss Gets the Boot": housekeeper Mammy Two-Shoes (voiced by Lillian Randolph) warns Tom that if he makes a mess or fails to catch the mice, he's out on his ear ("O-W-T, out!"). Jerry overhears the threat and makes trouble. In cartoons where Mammy doesn't appear, Jerry finds other reasons (or excuses) to cause problems for Tom. But the stories are only fast-paced vehicles for the animated gags, like Tom's exaggerated jitterbug in "Zoot Cat" or his jaw-dropping, bug-eyed "takes" in "Mouse Cleaning." The Golden Collection features cartoons from 1940 to 1948, and includes the Oscar winners "The Yankee Doodle Mouse," "Mouse Trouble," "Quiet Please!" and "The Cat Concerto." The transfers were made from excellent prints and look terrific. Unlike previous re-dubbed video releases, Mammy Two-Shoes' dialogue is presented intact, although the subtitles offer the cleaned-up versions from the previous Spotlight Collection. In "Old Rockin' Chair Tom," she declares, "If you is a mouser, I is Lana Turner, which I ain't"; the subtitles read, "If you're a mouser… I'm Lana Turner, which I'm not." An introductory statement proclaims that the ethnic stereotypes "were wrong then and are wrong today," which misses the point. The stereotypical African-American maid and blackface gags were considered good fun and good taste in the era of Amos and Andy; that they are no longer acceptable reflects the social progress of the intervening decades. (Unrated, suitable for ages 7 and older: cartoon violence, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon

(1. Puss Gets the Boot, 2. The Midnight Snack, 3. The Night Before Christmas, 4. Fraidy Cat, 5. Dog Trouble, 6. Puss 'n' Toots, 7. The Bowling-Alley Cat, 8. Fine Feathered Friend, 9. Sufferin' Cats! 10. The Lonesome Mouse, 11. The Yankee Doodle Mouse, 12. Baby Puss, 13. Zoot Cat, 14. The Million Dollar Cat, 15. The Body Guard, 16. Puttin' on the Dog, 17. Mouse Trouble, 18. The Mouse Comes to Dinner, 19. Mouse in Manhattan, 20. Tee for Two, 21. Flirty Birdy, 22. Quiet Please! 23. Springtime for Thomas, 24. The Milky Waif, 25. Trap Happy, 26. Solid Serenade, 27. Cat Fishin', 28. Part Time Pal, 29. The Cat Concerto, 30. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse, 31. Salt Water Tabby, 32. A Mouse in the House, 33. The Invisible Mouse, 34. Kitty Foiled, 35. The Truce Hurts, 36. Old Rockin' Chair Tom, 37. Professor Tom)

Product Description

Features include:

•MPAA Rating: UNRATED
•Format: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

152 of 160 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The REAL cartoons for serious collectors, June 30, 2011

By 

Inspector Gadget "Go Go Gadget Reviews" (On the trail of Doctor Claw) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tom & Jerry Golden Collection: Volume One [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

I made no secret of my distaste for the censored version of the Tom and Jerry shorts available on the Tom and Jerry - Spotlight Collection DVD. Not only was history whitewashed to satisfy the PC Brigade (just who ARE these people anyway?) they were also in shocking condition with lots of dirt and scratches and generally terrible picture quality.

All is now fixed for this Blu Ray release from Warner, presenting the first 37 shorts, in chronological order, with brand new 1080p transfers from the best 35mm materials, Dolby 5.1 sound (HD sound is not confirmed at the time of writing, but these cartoons WERE released in Mono anyway and DD 5.1 is still a notable upgrade) and, most importantly, UN-EDITED AND UN-CENSORED. You will finally be able to see the REAL Mammy-Two-Shoes voiced by Lillian Randolph, and various other 'racially inflammatory' visual jokes.

The cartoons included are:

Puss Gets The Boot
The Midnight Snack
The Night Before Christmas
Fraidy Cat
Dog Trouble
Puss N' Toots
The Bowling Alley Cat
Fine Feathered Friend
Sufferin' Cats
The Lonesome Mouse
The Yankee Doodle Mouse
Baby Puss
The Zoot Cat
The Million Dollar Cat
The Body Guard
Puttin On The Dog
Mouse Trouble
The Mouse Comes To Dinner
Mouse In Manhattan
Tee For Two
Flirty Birdy
Quiet Please!
Springtime For Thomas
The Milky Waif
Trap Happy
Solid Serenade
Cat Fishin'
Part Time Pal
The Cat Concerto
Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Mouse
Salt Water Tabby
A Mouse In The House
The Invisible Mouse
Kitty Foiled
The Truce Hurts
Old Rockin' Chair Tom
Professor Tom

This is how it SHOULD have been released the first time around, but this Blu Ray set is an absolute MUST-HAVE for serious animation collectors. Spend the money and let Warner know that this presentation and effort is profitable. It will only grease the wheels for more T&J and perhaps some uncensored HD Looney Tunes.

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The TRUE Tom and Jerry set you've always wanted!, July 13, 2011

By 

D. DiPaola (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tom & Jerry Golden Collection: Volume One (DVD)

At long last; the Tom and Jerry set to end them all! Don't be fooled, this isn't you're ordinary Tom and Jerry set because this 2-disc set features the first 37 shorts in chronological order uncut and uncensored and restored and remastered for the first time (I understand the transfer will be remarkable)! Plus, some of these shorts include their original title cards for the first time anywhere on any format! Plus bonus features including 9 commentaries and a new retrospective documentary. Truly the ultimate Tom and Jerry set...ever!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finest home video release the esteemed cat and mouse team has received, October 23, 2011

By 

DVD Verdict (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tom & Jerry Golden Collection: Volume One [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

Clark Douglas, DVD Verdict --The first attribute is the chronological structure, which I imagine many fans (myself included) will be thrilled about. The first 37 Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts (beginning with their 1940 debut "Puss Gets the Boot" and continuing through the 1948 installment "Professor Tom") are presented in order over two Blu-ray discs, and it finally gives us an easy way to observe the subtle evolution of the characters over the years. The first impression one gets from watching these early Hanna-Barbera installments is that the famously antagonistic dynamic between the characters was firmly in place from the very beginning; there aren't any of those odd early shorts in which the characters feel like mere shadows of the icons they would eventually become (despite the fact that Tom looks a little strange and is named "Jasper" in his very first outing).

Animation purists will be pleased to note that this collection has indeed preserved the shorts as they were originally released, meaning that some of them do indeed contain moments of racial insensitivity. It's a little startling to see occasional gags with the characters in blackface or moments in which cheap shots are taken at other cultures, but as the disclaimer at the beginning of the disc notes, to remove these moments would be the same as pretending they never existed. They also serve as a valuable peek into the era in which the shorts were made; a snapshot of societal norms which we have thankfully put behind us. Parents may want to use discretion before showing some of these shorts to their kids (at the very least, some of this material might serve as a valuable discussion-starter), but it's for the best that these shorts have been preserved in their original form.

Still, the most exciting thing about this set is that we finally have the opportunity to watch these shorts in hi-def. While there are admittedly shorts which look a little soft, dingy or weathered, there's no doubt that these remastered shorts look dramatically better than ever before. The level of detail is superb throughout; one can fully appreciate the busier moments of animation. Colors have a lot of pop, and blacks are deep and inky. It's such a pleasure to see these 'toons looking so terrific. Audio is also strong, with the energetic Scott Bradley scores holding up rather well after all these years and blending nicely with the chaotic sound effects thrown into the mix. Supplements are generous, kicking off with nine audio commentaries featuring assorted animation experts. You also get the previously released featurettes "How Bill and Joe Met Tom and Jerry" and "The Comedy Stylings of Tom and Jerry," plus the new featurette "Vaudeville, Slapstick and Tom and Jerry." Finally, you get the dance sequence featuring Jerry and Gene Kelly from Anchors Away and a "The Midnight Snack" pencil test.

-Full review at dvdverdict.com