Product Details

• Actors: Walt Disney, Bernice Hansen
• Directors: Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks
• Writers: Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, Carl W. Stalling
• Producers: Walt Disney, Charles Mintz, Roy O. Disney
• Format: Animated, Color, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), 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: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: December 11, 2007
• Run Time: 234 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000VE4UCO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,581 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Walt Disney Treasures - The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Before Mickey, there was Oswald: By 1926, Walt Disney's first series, the live-action/animation "Alice" comedies, had run its course. Under pressure from distributor Charles Mintz and Carl Laemmle of Universal, Disney and his artists created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. Within months, Moving Picture World praised the cartoons' "astounding feat of jumping into first-run favor overnight." During the "Oswald" series, Disney's talents as an organizer and story man began to emerge; his friend and head animator Ub Iwerks designed Oswald's appearance and imbued him with a jaunty style of movement. But in 1928, Mintz took the character away from Disney. To replace Oswald, Walt created Mickey Mouse.

This important collection includes the 13 surviving silent "Oswald" shorts (of 26). Many of them feel like rough drafts for later Mickey cartoons. When Oswald enters a trans-Atlantic race in "The Ocean Hop," the antics he performs in his airplane prefigure the ones in "Plane Crazy." In "Sky Scrappers," Oswald takes a job on a construction site where his girlfriend (an unnamed cat) sells box lunches, anticipating the Mickey and Minnie cartoon "Building a Building" (1933)--down to the opening shot of a dinosaur-like steam shovel at work. The silent "Oswald" shorts have rarely been seen since they were first released 80 years ago: Some viewers may grow impatient with these relatively crude cartoons, but they remain intriguing examples into Walt Disney's early work.

Leslie Iwerks' informative documentary The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999) traces the life of her grandfather. One of the greatest talents of the silent cartoon era, Ub Iwerks animated the first Mickey shorts and "Silly Symphonies" almost single-handedly. Iwerks left Disney to start his own studio in 1930. Although it attracted an impressive array of talent, it closed in 1938. Two years later, Iwerks returned to Disney, where he won two Oscars for innovations in visual effects technology. Hand suggests that the Iwerks cartoons were too sophisticated for the era of the Hays Code. But for all his talent as an animator and technical innovator, Iwerks was not an effective director: His studio's cartoons simply weren't very good. Included on this disc are three "Alice" comedies, "Plane Crazy," "Steamboat Willie," and "The Skeleton Dance," which showcase Iwerks' endearingly bouncy animation. (Unrated: suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

Product Description

This 2 DVD set includes the definitive collection available for the first time ever on DVD in stunning gold tin packaging, celebrating Oswald's 80th anniversary. Included is a brand-new musical score as well as exclusive Oswald button and litho.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great documentary makes this set outstanding September 2, 2007

By Julie Neal TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

They may be too primitive to enjoy for their entertainment value alone, but these 13 silent, black-and-white cartoons from the 1920s have a ton of historic value. They're what remains of the 26 shorts Walt Disney did just before Mickey Mouse, during 1927 and 1928. The animation team included a trio of future stars -- Ub Iwerks, who would go on to draw Mickey, Friz Freleng, who later drew many Bugs Bunny cartoons, and Rudy Ising, who went on to run Warner Brothers' Merrie Melodies unit.

Though he got off to a rocky start, Oswald was plenty popular. With the same engaging, spunky personality as his rodent successor, the Lucky Rabbit even had his own merchandise -- a chocolate-covered marshmallow Oswald candy bar, a stencil set and a pin-backed button. In 1928 Disney lost the rights to the rabbit to the shady distributor for Universal, replacing him with the very similar looking mouse we know and love today. Disney regained them in 2006, in exchange for allowing then-ABC television sportscaster Al Michaels to go to work for Universal's network, NBC.

The cartoons have new, orchestral soundtracks by Robert Israel, who earlier created the scores for The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection Vols. 1-3.

What makes the set terrific, however, are two unexpected additions. First, most of the shorts come with audio commentary, which really makes them interesting. Second, Disc 2 is a Academy Award quality (really!) documentary about Iwerks, called "The Hand Behind the Mouse," that was produced by his granddaughter, Leslie. Since it wasn't created by the Disney company, it's an honest, balanced, warts-and-all portrayal. In fact, it's the best inside look at the history of company ever. Kelsey Grammar narrates.

Collectors will note that this Treasures set comes in a gold tin, not silver. Also included is a little lithograph that's a sampling of some Oswald sketches, and a cute little Oswald button.

By the way, some of the post-Disney Oswalds are also now available on DVD. After Disney lost the rights to the character, Universal assigned the Lucky Rabbit to animator Walter Lantz, of Woody Woodpecker fame. The new Woody compilation, The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, includes a handful of Lantz's Oswald shorts.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not classic Disney, but very historic Disney. Here is the title list. October 15, 2007

By Paul J. Mular TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

While not classic Disney animation, these cartoons are far ahead of the other cartoons produced at the same time. This is one of the most historic Disney DVD releases ever. The loss of Oswald was the thorn in Walt's foot. This drove Walt to change his business practices. Sadly less than half of the Walt Disney produced Oswald Rabbit cartoons survive today.

DISC #1

Here is the list of the 13 Disney Oswald cartoons known to exist & included in this set:

1927
TROLLY TROUBES - Oswald orpeates a trolly car with wild results.
OH, TEACHER - Oswald's sweetheart is stolen by a schoolyard bully, so he has to fight him during recess to win her back.
MECHANICAL COW, THE - Oswald aopeates a milk stand using a robot cow who gives milk like a gas pump.
GREAT GUNS - Oswald goes to war, his nurse gilrfriend helps to keep him in one shape as he fights in the trenches.
ALL WET - Oswald takes a job as a lifeguard to keep an eye on Miss Rabbit, who fakes an accident for his attentions.
OCEAN HOP, THE - Oswald goes up in a Trans-Atlantic airplane race.

1928
RIVAL ROMEOS - Oswald and Pete rival for the attentions of Lady Love.
BRIGHT LIGHTS - "Stage Door Johnny" Oswald sneaks backstage to pursue a dancing girl.
OH, WHAT A KNIGHT - Oswald's medieval sweetheart is being help captive in a castle, he mist rescue her.
OZZIE OF THE MOUNTED - R.C.M.P. Ozzie pursues Pete in the guise of Foxy Wolf.
SKY SCRAPERS - Oswald takes a job on a construction site working high steel with Pete as his foreman.
FOX CHASE, THE - Oswald rides a reluctant horse against a smarter-than-usual fox.
TALL TIMBER - Oswald goes out into the great outdoors where he canoes down the rapids and finds himself captured by a pack of bears.

There have been rumors that "HOT DOG" and "RIDE 'EM PLOWBOY." exist, but they are not included in this set.

BONUSES:
Documentary: Oswald returns!
Pencil animation from a lost Oswald cartoon.

DISC #2

Alice Comedies:
1) Alice Gets Stung (new to DVD)
2) Alice In The Wooley West (new to DVD)
3) Alice's Baloon Race

Sound Disney Cartoon re-issues:
1) Plane Crazy (Mickey Mouse)
2) Steamboat Willie (Mickey Mouse)
3) Skeleton Dance (Silly Symphony)

Documentary:
The Hand Behind The Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story.

The Oswald cartoons will seem quite primitive to those used to the classic color Mickey & Donald Cartoons. Even the B&W Mickey Mouse cartoons will seem more refined. These might bore some children, but the Disney Treasures are for the real animation buffs and I would highly recomend this to any Disney fan!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous! September 9, 2007

By Jon

Format:DVD

If you're like me, you've taken great pleasure in watching vintage cartoons over the years and have only heard of the existence of some - cartoons you might never have expected to see.
Regardless of what the actual quality of the material may be, it is an itch that until recently has been very tough to scratch without hundreds of dollars for low-print run laserdiscs or a doctorate in pop culture and letters of introduction to all the major studios.

I'm just about 39 now and have heard of the Oswald cartoons for years. In this instance - and in others - the rarity of the material, the legalities involved, and the virtual absence of major commercial interest meant that these might have stayed locked in a vault 'til Judgement Day and I would never have the chance as a layman to see them (much less OWN them!).

I can hardly express how pleased I am to witness Disney release these in a popular format for the general public - and at a dynamite value, too!

As an enthusiast of 1920's/1930's era cartoons I'd like to say "Thank you!" to the Disney Co. and express my appreciation for their blazing a trail other companies and distributors might follow in releasing so many of the '30s era short films on dvd and proving that there IS a market for such material.

Happy Viewing! -Jon, NY