Customer Reviews

Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Before I obtained this DVD set, I had high expectations. I had seen some of the Mickey Mouse In Living Color set, and was enthrolled at the gorgeous color and clearity of the pictures. Not to mention sound with no hiss or other pollutants. The Silly Symphony DVD set did not disappoint.

It is not my intent to author a history of Disney animation. However, a few facts will lead to a greater appreciation of this set. Disney started in the 20's with a character named Alice, that later developed into Mickey Mouse. Cartoons were all in b/w, and animation not as refined as in the 30s and 40s. From 1924 through 1926, Disney produced only Alice shorts. (Now THERE would be some real TREASURES if Disney ever released these toons! They've never been released commercially!) In 1927 and 28, Disney changed his primary character to Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. These have also never been released. As 1929 drew to a close, other studios began releasing musical shorts - remember that sound with image only began in 1927 - and Walt was under pressure to produce a new product for theaters. One with color and sound. The Silly Symphony was born. Essentially, that's what Silly Symphonies are. They are a cartoon story to a musical soundtrack with almost no dialogue or verbal exchange.

The first Silly Symphonies were composed of simple themes - in fact, there were a set produced that dealt only with the seasons: Springtime and Summer came out in 1930, Fall and Winter came out in 1931. Other titles were Arctic Antics, Frolicking Fish and Monkey Melodies. The animation was nice, but the themes were simple. In 1931 as audiences tired of these simple themes, Disney had to produce something new again, so began the fairy tale editions of Silly Symphonies. Some of these ended up being the studio's best work! By the mid 30's Disney was also doing purely artistic shorts which were somewhat abstract, culminating in a short, not on the DVD, (ouch!) called Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, about musical instruments coming to life in a totally Salvador Dali-like surreal backdrop.

The Disney Treasures DVD focuses on several academy award winners (such as The Old Mill) and the fairy tale/story based Silly Symphonies. Many of Disney's finest efforts are included, such as the Tortoise and the Hare, The Grasshopper and the Ants, Three Little Pigs, 1929's Skeleton Dance, Flowers and Trees, Woodland Cafe, Music Land, and Disney's most lavish Symphony, Wynken Blynken and Nod. The color is great, the sound equally impressive. Many of these shorts were previously released on Disney's VHS line called "Limited Editions Gold" series 1 and 2 in the late 80's. (each series was 6 tapes). In fact, that line contains many SS shorts not on the DVD. However, the DVD does have some 35 different SS shorts on it. Many have introductions by the host of the series, Leonard Maltin. (Note! Many also have intros by Walt Disney - but they are hidden as Easter Eggs! You'll have to search for those Easter Eggs to get Walt's commentary!)

All in all, this is a wonderful package for SS fans, with a nice selection of the Silly Symphony shorts (35 shorts are on the DVD, 36 are not) with subjects to please adults and children alike, gorgeous color and sound, and very attractive packaging. Plus you get a little 6x8 "card" of collectible poster art in the box. If you love 30's animation and especially Disney's, you can't go wrong with this set of DVDs.

(Now, I HAVE to mention one thing. Although the selections on the DVDs are great, I wish they would have made this a 4 disk set, and put ALL 71 SS shorts on DVD at one time. There are some shorts that truly deserved to be on this DVD set, such as The Moth and the Flame, the four "Seasons" shorts, Three Blind Mouseketeers (a precursor to the Mickey Mouse Club!), Goddess of Spring, and certainly Toot, Whistle at el. I guess these are being held for Volume II at some point, but it would have been nice to not have quite as much commentary from Leonard, and more of the shorts instead. No offense Leonard.)

All in all, I give this effort 4 out of 5 stars. Get this DVD, you won't regret it and you'll enjoy it for years!

Whatever the outcome of Disney's current copyright entangles you cannot argue that the company doesn't take care of it's property.

I doubt you can find better quality prints of any films dating back over 70 years - 99% of them look brand new. There are some fantastic classics on the disc, along with many Silly Symphonies I had never seen. Good to see some of the black and white cartoons aswell! Also, I haven't encountered a disc with so many "easter eggs" before, it's always nice to get free stuff!

The only minor points (or major points depending on your point of view) are the following. Firstly, although the many Maltin documentaries included are fairly interesting and informative I doubt I will ever return to them. It may be nit-picking, but I would have preferred a couple more cartoons in their place. (Perhaps some of the early silent Disney "Laugh-o-grams" cartoons on which many of the ideas for the Symphonies were first based).

Secondly, Disney publicity claims the disc is UNCUT, whilst many of the films have reissue titles (a minor point, but one which is not referred to) and The Three Little Pigs is still presented in it's 1940s censored version. (Although we do see a tiny clip of the original censored material Maltin talks over it - it's not presented as part of a whole cartoon - therefore is still esentially "censored").

As I said, probably minor points - Disney should still be applauded for the disc. I would have liked, however, to have seen interviews or heard commentaries from survivng Disney animators. They won't be around forever.

Perhaps other companies who hold classic Hollywood animation to ransom should take note, and start releasing uncut, uncensored DVDs to the adult market - a market which accepts these films for what they are, true art forms of the 20th Century.

With more than five hours of material, this "Silly Symphonies" collection remains the best of the limited-edition "Walt Disney Treasures" series. The two-DVD set includes some of the finest animated shorts in pristine condition - notably "The Skeleton Dance" (1929), "Flowers and Trees" (1932), "The Three Little Pigs" (1933), "Music Land" (1935) and "The Old Mill" (1937). For cartoon buffs, the "Silly Symphonies" package is a must-have. For the uninitiated, it is the perfect introduction to Disney's early work.

This is a great DVD! I had never seen the bulk of these Disney classics, and the few I remember I last saw decades ago on "Wonderful World of Disney." Wow! Some of the finest animation I have seen.

In an interview on this DVD, Disney says that the Silly Symphonies were an arena for animators to experiment, without the financial risks of a feature length animated film. This format was a fertile field for the imagination. Artists who are free to take risks tend to produce more stunning work. "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" is a really beautiful cartoon that I had never seen before. It it packed with vivid colors and dynamic animation. The cloud men are impressive. "Water Babies" is very pretty and very funny. Each cartoon is a classic.

I mainly wanted this collection for "The Old Mill" and "Skeleton Dance." Those did not disappoint. I had not seen "The Old Mill" for years and it is as dramatic and perfect as I remember. "Skeleton Dance" is a spooky treat. "Wise Little Hen," the first Donald Duck cartoon, was an unexpected delight. I can see why the character took off.

There are some complaints about this DVD. Too many of the Leonard Maltin picks are duplicated elsewhere on the disk. They could have used the room to put in some more cartoons. The "Easter eggs" are easy to find, but may confuse people. Some older cartoons are scratchy. However, there is so much delight in the cartoons themselves, I don't mind the minor flaws. I'll say it again. This is a great DVD!

Warning to those that want to buy this DVD set from Marketplace sellers. There is one Marketplace seller that goes by the name rhaxter that has a very belligerent and abusive attitude to any buyer that has the "gall" to complain to him about his sending damaged merchandise. Check out other sellers as I have had some very good dealings with them.
The bottom line is to always check all of the reviews of the Marketplace sellers. Mr Haxter had some good reviews until you check some of those those that complained about damaged goods and then they reported his abuse and contempt for them.
My comments on this DVD set is that it is a wonderful time capsule of the Disney cartoons of the 1930's. It is well worth buying and very nostalgic for those that grew up watching Walt Disney.

Elegantly packaged in a silver tin box, these 31 early Disney classic are a wondrous treat for all ages. What a bargain too. Disney was always a perfectionist in everything he had his hand on, and it shows on his earliest works. The cartoons span from 1929's eerie and strange "Skeleton Dance" to 1939's "Ugly Duckling". There are the classics like Three Little Pigs, Tortoise and The Hare (The hare reminds me of today's obnoxious athletes) the charming Water Babies, The Country Cousin, Flowers and Trees and so much more. I started watching this around 6 PM, figuring I'd watch about half hour then put on the news, well, I was mesmorized for about five hours with these great cartoons, then finally went to bed. One thing about Disney, his art and color are the standard to be measured by, even with most of these from the mid 1930's. There are a few black and white cartoons that are quaint and historic. I'm buying the Mickey box next. Outstanding and a DVD that does have some historic significance as well as sheer enjoyment.

Disney has issued some really great animated dvd's worthy of the format(the little mermaid, fantasia, 101 dalmations etc.). Some of the straight to video animation is somewhat lacking in luster(Lion King 2, Little Mermaid 2, etc.) They finally have started to release the groundbreaking heartwarming animation from ages past starting with the Silly Symphonies Collection and also Mickey Mouse in Color DVD's. I have been chomping at the bit to have the classic animation shorts with Donald, Goofy, and Mickey for a long time! The Silly Symphonies collection was Icing on the cake. Now Mr. Eisner please release a Donald Duck in Color And a Goofy in color disk along with others and we're in business.

Essential - and enjoyable. Fantastic animation from the people who basically wrote the book on animated shorts.

The only drawback that I found was that several cartoons are hidden as "Easter Eggs". In an archival type product like this, making these cartoons only viewable if you arrow around and hit the right pixel seems like a bad idea.

I'm still waiting for the rest of the Silly Symphonies - they made around 70. (and where's Ferdinand?)

I thik Leonard Maltin said it best, "The years haven't dimmed the luster of these charming, often ingenious cartoons, full of colorful characters and inventive ideas."

I think the only thing I can add to that is that they are also filled with a lot of heart and warmth. There are life lessons and morals, but not told in a heavy handed kind of way. But most of all they are still very entertaining. I was touched by the heart in 'Music Land', amazed at the technical achievement in 'Egyptian Melodies', impressed by the quiet beauty of 'The Old Mill' and I still can't get that song out of my head from 'The Grasshopper and the Ants'! I knew I'd enjoy this set, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it THIS much!

Also the bonus material is quite fun. Being able to see all those collectibles from the Silly Symphonies was a real treat as was the interview with Richard Sherman. I've learned quite a bit fom this set and incredibly, it has deepened my already deep respect for the Disney artists of years past. My only complaint would be that a few shorts appear on both discs. It seems to me that including it once and having room for one not yet presented makes more sense. But it's a small scratch in a blazingly bright treasure. Thank you Disney for opening up your vaults!

While I was extremely happy to view these cartoons again, including some that I've been trying to find for years, I couldn't help wondering "Where's the rest?" I had other silly symphony cartoons on VHS from the mid 80's, but they were not on this release. "Merbabies", "The Old China Shop", "The Moth and the Flame", etc. Why were these omitted, or is there a volume 2 to be released? For those looking for Lambert and Ferdinand, they are available on other DVD releases. So, why 3 stars? Seven (count 'em, 7) of the cartoons on this set are hidden. This is deplorable. I thought I had a defective copy when the list of cartoons did not match the menu. (The list IS inacurrate - Maltin's picks are messed up for disc 1) Finally I noticed that the cursor would sometimes end up in a weird place, so I clicked and...there was Walt himself. Seeing the original intros from the TV series was great, but what's the deal with the "Easter Eggs"? Stop playing games Disney Studios and release ALL of this material and keep it available (I had to purchase this DVD from an alternate source) and DON'T HIDE THE SELECTIONS!!!!