Customer Reviews

The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Finally, The Walter Lantz classics are fianlly being released. This collection includes the first 45 Woody Woodpecker cartoons from "Knock Knock"(1940)to The Great Who Dood-It(1952). These are the cartoons where Woody Woodpecker is really insane with his famous laugh. Besides Woody Woodpecker, this collection also includes the first 5 cartoons of that loveable penguin- Chilly Willy. This collection also includes amny of the "Swing Symphonies" and "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" Cartoons and 5 choice Andy Panda cartoons. These shorts are all uncut and restored and remastered from the original Universal Pictures Master Negatives. You won't want to miss this set. If this set sells well, there might be a volume 2.

First the packaging. This set is a textbook case of how to make an absolutely great DVD set. No annoying ads when you start the discs. Easy to navigate menu that makes watching individual cartoons easy and fun. Some of the cartoons, however, are simply three stars. The box has a disclaimer that the set is intended for collectors and "may not be suitable for children". "There's a difference between violence and slapstick", Walt Lantz once said. Nevertheless, he edited some of these 'toons when they appeared in 1970 on The Woody Woodpecker Show. These are every bit as violent as vintage Tom and Jerry 'toons, and parents have to make the same call. My view is that kids remember characters, not stories, and have an innate "cartoon sense" which enables them to tell "toons" from "reality. "Toons" are sometimes worse, but often better than "reality". Parents' real concern should be the extreme "live-action" shows on the rest of the airwaves.

That said, parents doing cartoons without cable will find this a perfect set. It's easy to play one cartoon a day as if it were on TV. Both kids and collectors will appreciate the bonuses in this set, which include one full show and six segments from the Woody Woodpecker Show. This innovative program combined live action Lantz and animated Woody in the studio, Lantz showing kids how to draw cartoons. I would love to have that whole series on DVD. This also recalls the approach of the other Walt (Disney), beginning with the Disneyland show, of similarly mixing live action and animated characters. However, the live Lantz makes very clear the difference between the 'toons and the live animators drawing them, and can say, "hey kids, let's watch this cartoon together". The key word is "together". This echoes the live- host format that launched TV cartoons, and which I feel is the way they ought to be shown, with adult hosts "showing" cartoons.

The 75 'toons on three discs in this set seem like a bonanza, especially given the paucity of Lantz material released up until now. There are 45 Woody 'toons (dating from 1940- 1952); 5 Oswald Rabbit from the Lantz studio years (1930- 1933); 5 Andy Pandy (1939- 1949); 5 Chilly Willy (1953- 1956), 5 Swing Symphonies (1941- 1945) and 10 Cartune Classics, the catch-all title for other 'toons (1933- 1955). These 'toons are remastered, which means simply transferred to DVD, not restored, however, they're all very good prints.

This sounds like the full comport until you realize that Lantz made 198 shorts, and start noting what's not here. "Musical Moments from Chopin" (1947) is often considered a high point. It's listed under the "Woody" 'toons in this set, even though it also stars Andy Panda, and was one of four "Musical Miniatures" that played in theaters. There were originally fifteen Swing Symphonies, and 185 cartoons were syndicated in the 1970s.

Shamus Culhane's cartoons like "Barber of Seville" are interesting for their fast- pacing, but as with many other studios, numerous vintage era Lantz 'toons are mostly strung together sight gags. Disney likely was responsible for bringing story and continuity into cartoons, although Chuck Jones also made good use of it in the Michael Maltese stories starring Bugs Bunny, notably the far more developed "Rabbit of Seville", which one cannot help comparing with Culhane's similarly titled 'toon.

If you like the modern era, as I do, this collection merely wets one's whistle, with Tex Avery's "Crazy, Mixed Up Pup (with a voice reminiscent of Huckleberry Hound). The third disc drops off right before "Termites from Mars", one of the best. Annoyingly, the Lantz show segments make reference to these 'toons, which are not included in the set. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful set for collectors, and a long- overdue recognition of the Lantz Studio. Now, where are the Terrytoons?

Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Collection dvd set is a must-see, must-own dvd set for every classic cartoon fans. Think about it, You have Woody Woodpecker cartoon with chronological order and some of the finest Walter Lantz studio classics in your hand. This is amazing collection.

Woody Woodpecker is one of animation histories most popular characters. He is manic, funny, violent one of a character. And, who could ever forget that hysterical laughter! If Bugs Bunny said "Ah, What's up, Doc" then Woody Woodpecker don't need words, he just goes crazy mode and laughs! Hysterically funny. Early Woody Woodpecker is especially my personal favorites.

First official Woody Woodpecker cartoon is Knock Knock. Actually it's Andy Panda cartoon, but everybody remembers Knock Knock as Woody Woodpecker's incredible debut cartoon. And he stole every second of it from poor Andy Panda and his father. Several years later Woody Woodpecker cartoon called Barber of Seville appeared, and many fans regarded this as best Woody Woodpecker cartoon of all time. Personally, it's not my favorite Woody Woodpecker cartoon, my candidate for best Woody Woodpecker cartoon is Hot Noon. But, I agree Barber of Seville is one great cartoon. I believe every classic cartoon fans had his or her own favorite Woody Woodpecker cartoon. So, buy this set, and judge for yourselves.

This collection not only have many classic Woody Woodpecker cartoons with chronological order, but other memorable Walter Lantz studio's classics also including this set. Some of them never released any kind of format in home video market before! My personal favorite is short called Musical Moments from Chopin. This Oscar-nominated cartoon is musical themed cartoon, and one of the funniest. Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda teamed up for piano concert but so many weird things happened, and finally all hell breaks loose! Really amazing cartoon, don't miss it.

This year is really amazing year for classic cartoon fans. Woody Woodpecker and Friends classic collection, Popeye Collection vol.1, and later this year Looney Tunes Golden Collection vol.5 will be releasing. And, don't forget Tex Avery's Droopy: complete theatrical collection (see my review for Avery's Droopy set)

Fellow classic cartoon fans, get ready. This is perhaps best year for classic cartoon fans. We have Woody Woodpecker, Droopy, Popeye and another volume of LTGC series. I love it! Thanks for reading.

Animation buffs will find a treasure trove of Walter Lantz cartoons in this fascinating DVD set. It's worth having solely for the classic contributions from Tex Avery ("I'm Cold" and "Sh-h-h-h-h-h") and Shamus Culhane ("The Barber of Seville" and "Abou Ben Boogie"). That's not all, folks! The Lantz collection includes most of the producer's Oscar-nominated shorts: "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" (1941), "Musical Moments From Chopin" (1947) and Avery's "The Legend of Rockabye Point" (1955). Along the way, you will find 1933 rarities such as "King Klunk" and "Confidence." Even if you're not a fan of Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda and Chilly Willy, the three-disc set has enough Lantz gems to compensate for the occasional misfires.

Now this is something I've been waiting on for YEARS! At long last, Woody Freakin' Woodpecker is FINALLY coming to DVD.!!! Didn't think we would see these for a long time, if even at all. Apparently the petitioning worked and Universal finally caved in to all the requests, no, DEMANDS for these long-lost classics.

I remember when these cartoons were shown almost daily on my local TV station, as well as being a vintage Saturday morning staple. Sad, but it seems that although cartoons are still shown on Saturday mornings, this practice still seems like a bygone era. Kids today don't seem to appreciate shows like these anymore. If it isn't "SpongeBob SquarePants", "South Park" or "Family Guy" or Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim", then it isn't cool. None of those are even the least bit cool, in my opinion. And if Cartoon Network or even Boomerang were worth their salt, they would be showing these in heavy rotation, instead of the latest incarnation of "Scooby Doo" (never liked that one, either). Suffice it to say, they don't and anymore, they aren't.

So, welcome back, Woody and friends. It's been long enough. We've missed you. And we'll see you on 7-24.

You can't go wrong with this set! It has every Woody Woodpecker cartune from the first one, Knock-Knock, through The Great Who-Dood-it. It even restores most of the original credits to the cartunes. They haven't been seen this way since 1947! The extras are great, Walter Lantz talking about animation from the 1957 Woody Woodpecker TV show, Cartoonland Mysteries, a Lowell Thomas short about the making of "The Softball Game" and "Spook-A-Nanny" the only original animation short done for the old Woody TV show. There are also a good selection of Andy Panda, Oswald Rabbit and Chilly Willy cartunes, including all four cartunes that Tex Avery directed for Walter Lantz. Look for Oswald in "Spooks" and "Hell's Heels", very rare black and white shorts not available anywhere else! Please buy a copy or two of this set and support the restoration of classic cartoons for everyone to see!

This IS the best Woody Woodpecker collection you'll ever get, because most all the great Woody toons from the 40's are here. The 1940's Woody was voiced by an uncredited Mel Blanc (although sped up) and was ruined when the voice was taken over by Walter Lantz's wife, Gracie. Gracie seems like a nice lady but the voice of Woody should've been left as it was - even if Blanc quit, Walter should've found a similar voice. The maniacal laff was gone (replaced by Gracie's sad imitation), as was Woody's original zany, half-crazed appearance. In between the 40's Woody and Gracie's Woody, for some reason they left Woody without a voice - practically pantomimed - for a handful of cartoons, except for his traditional (dubbed-in) laff from the 40's.

But anyway, back to this box set; it deserves 5 stars for many more reasons than the 1940's Woody cartoons. There are bonus features & documentaries on all three discs - and on the third is an episode of the old Woody Woodpecker Show of the 60's (watch the cartoon-made-for-TV in this episode and you'll witness how the animation suffers). There's a nice handful of bonus toons from Chilly Willy, Andy Panda, Swing Symphonies and more on each disc.

Political incorrectness here? You betcha! That's part of what makes cartoons from the 30's and 40's so great; rather than the sterile-safe humor in recent animation (not to mention some current toons have traded political incorrectness for sexual jokes). Because of the P.I., the box warns that this is a collection for the ADULT collector. That's up for parents to decide; but put your uptightness aside, grab the family and enjoy this WONDERFUL collection of classic Woody - packed with 75 cartoons, more than most toon collections. Have fun!

Finally, after waiting for years and years we at last have an excellent compilation of Woody Woodpecker cartoons. The toons themselves are in pristine condition and look as good today as the day they were made. If you are a Woody Woodpecker fan RUN!! dont walk and grab this amazing set

Let me start with my opinion and then move on to details; this is an ungodly great collection of animated shorts spanning the breadth of Walter Lantz's heyday. This collection contains 75 animated short in all their pristine, somewhat un-restored, original glory. Collectors can buy this without reservation based on the price, quality of the product and the sheer amount of unedited material.
As great as this collection is, I cannot caution parents more strongly about buying this for your kids, let alone letting them watch it without supervision. As stated in the amazon synopsis and on the box of the DVD set; much of this is entertainment originally intended for adults during the WWII era. Unless you have no qualms about your kids watching cartoons with racial and sexual bigotry, sexual suggestion, violence and vice, I highly suggest you pre-view this material prior to letting your kids watch.

With that said, lets move on to the details; first details for collectors/grownups and then more info to help parents out.

COLLECTORS

I'm going to try and not repeat much of what's been said in many of the good reviews here. My efforts will be more focused on the DVD quality and what you may or may not remember about "Woody Woodpecker and Friends" when compared to its contemporaries and why I think this is such a great collection.

-A WORD ABOUT "RESTORATION"
A few reviews here voice disappointment over shorts in this collection not being "restored" to their original brilliance. There has also been mention of some edge trimming of certain shorts but I have yet to notice them (I have no point of reference). Evidence of the sinister DVNR process is limited (certainly not as bad as appears in "Tex Avery's Droopy"). I would argue that these "un-restored" films are mostly in their "original brilliance". Upon release, none of these films were ever viewed without scratches, dust, hair and any number of flaws. The shorts in this collection appear to be from excellent master material; the color very vibrant, the pictures only mildly blemished, the sound deep and resonant (but not without flaw). My advice to Universal Studios; if the quality of all your master prints are this good, don't bother restoring them. This might be the reason this set is relatively inexpensive.

-FULL ANIMATION IS NOT ALWAYS GREAT ANIMATION.
Don't get me wrong; most of these shorts are very good animation. However, when compared to their contemporaries (Warner Brothers, MGM, Paramount/Fleischer, and Disney) Lantz's animation studio was a bit of a stepchild. The problems were not always animation technique or artistic prowess as much as animation style. Good animators are also good actors. Even with Mel Blanc doing the voice for the first 4 shorts, the character animation is lacking in expressiveness and refined, meaningful motion. As a result, the early shorts have jokes and gags that aren't quite as funny as they could be in the hands of great animators and writers. However, the early animators were technically very good, high quality artists. Other technical problems include fluctuations in coloring, continuity gaffes (things disappear, then reappear, etc.), and some strange voice-over anomalies (character voice changes or voices from nowhere). All that said I enjoy the older Lantz efforts for their sheer craziness and detailed drawing style.

-OLDER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER (BUT SOMETIMES IT IS)
An actual high point of the Lantz studio brought Woody Woodpecker near par with the other studios. Late in the 1940s several Disney transplants upgraded the already good animation in Lantz's studio. However, you will notice a slight softening of Woody Woodpecker. He becomes more the vengeful foil rather than the zany antagonist. Despite the improvement in animation style, the stories themselves start to lose their crazy, comedic edge. However, if you like your cartoon stories more narrative based than sight-gag based, this is a good thing. As Woody moves into the 50s, he becomes a fairly passive (yet mischievous) character and the animation loses some of its wild pacing and expressiveness. All that said, I can't say any of them are really bad (actually, most of them are still pretty good).

-TEX AVERY SHORTS ARE A BARGAIN AT ANY PRICE
Is there an animation fan that does not go nuts over Tex Avery cartoons? In this collection we get 4 of them; "The Legend of Rockabye Point", "I'm Cold", "Crazy Mixed up Pup" and "Sh-h-h-h-h-h". "Crazy Mixed-up Pup" might be one of Tex's best. Add this to the "Droopy" and "Looney Tunes" collections and Tex Avery's catalogue starts to fill out. The MGM library (Turner?) really needs to get moving!

-THEY ARE UNCUT (AND IN ORDER)
These shorts are obviously (mostly?) uncut. Based on the amount of bigotry in some of these films, it is clear little if anything was left out. As far as I know, most of these shorts were cut or not shown at all for television. So you can stop your griping (if you ever did); all the violence, sex and ugliness of the 30s, 40s and 50s is here to view. Sometimes this is great. Sometimes it's downright embarrassing. No matter how you feel about "questionable" content, the choice of what we show our kids has been given to us; REJOICE!!

The perfect segue to....

PARENTS

Outside the normal cartoon violence you can expect in any animated short made before 1965, most of the cartoons in this collection are fairly kid-safe. If you have trouble with your kids seeing cartoon violence, don't even bother buying this. However, if you are still inclined to let your kids watch, in a vast collection as this, a significant number of shorts contain sexually suggestive or bigoted material that an animation fan like me will not let my kids see for good reason. Let me reiterate; kids were usually not the intended audience.

I have devised a little guide to help parents decide if this is a collection they would share with their kids or at least help parents be more selective when watching with their kids. Again, my advice is this; view them before showing to your kids.

LEGEND:
SEX (could include any/combinations of the following); Alluring walks, Full body engorgements, Shapely women in very tight and revealing clothing, Men and women dramatically swooning for each other, men ogling curvy women.

BIGOTRY; Stereotypes of many races and cultures (mostly African descent, some Asian, Native American, Middle-Eastern and Appalachian American), Natives as sub-humans, the term "China-boy", Blacks in roles of servitude, segregation, African American stereotypical language.

VICE; Depictions of inebriation, Drug references, Smoking and Gambling.

DISC ONE;
VICE; 1, 24. SEX; 1, 3, 14,15. BIGOTRY; 3, 12, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.

DISC TWO;
VICE; 4, 7, 18. SEX; 12, 23, 24. BIGOTRY; 16, 22, 23, 24.

DISC THREE;
VICE; 13, 16, 21, 22, 24. SEX; 12, 14, 22. BIGOTRY; 14, 21, 22, 23, 24.

Please keep in mind that this is just a guide (and I can't guarantee I caught all the "Smoking" episodes). This looks like an overwhelming amount of "questionable" material. To be fair, much of it is what I consider "mild" or fairly innocent; that's my opinion. However, this guide is here to help you decide for yourself. You will notice that 19 of the "offending" shorts are in the "20s" range (more than half). These are the added "Swing Symphonies" and "Cartune Classics" and not "Woody Woodpecker". These have what I think is the most offensive content and the ones I wont' let my kids watch for the most part.

SYNOPSIS
When you add it all up, this is a nearly perfect collection. The fact that I feel the need to warn parents serves notice to collectors that you can rejoice that these uncut shorts are available in such a huge collection. Though DVNR was used, it is rarely evident. The quality is not always perfect but still very good. Considering the nice packaging, price and the amount of uncut content, I have to give this collection 5 Stars. For parents, I can't recommend this as a gift for younger kids or as a "plug and play". If you care about what your kids see, you need to be a participant while they watch this. Sorry for the length. I hope you find this helpful.

This is Vol I of the classic cartoon collection:
As a kid, growing up in the 1980's, I didn't realize that this show went as far back as the 1940's. The Woody Woodpecker I grew up watching in the 1980's was actually a series called "The Woody Woodpecker Show" from 1957. Which along with Walter Lantz, also featured the legendary brilliant master Tex Avery. With such characters as Splinter, Buzz Buzzard, Gabby Gator, Chilly Willy, Bessie Beary, Maw, Hickory, Ms. Meany(voiced by Grace Stafford) and although there are some Tex Avery cartoons featured on here, there still isn't enough.
To potential buyers out there, this ONLY features, (especially the first two DVD's) very early cartoons of Woody Woodpecker as well as the "Cartune Classics and Swing Symphonies. By the third DVD, Woody Woodpecker gets a little better with the addition to Chilly Willy. But still there are alot of Chilly Willy cartoons missing.

Most people already know that the Woody Woodpecker from the 1940's, very early 50's is a lot more belligerent and psychotic than later years much like Bugs Bunny, since their character was still developing. Then you have your fans that say only the older version of Woody is better. 1940-1952. I always felt that the old Woody only carried a one dimensional plot that lacks pace with very similar situations. When Tex Avery was involved with Woody Woodpecker, (1958-1967) there was more variety. There are a few features on here that didn't quite qualify for a five star review. The video quality is subpar to say the least. Digitally remastered means digitally remastered instead of what they did. by using a video processor to rid of "image noise" and "dull color" by adding less noise and more color, but at the same time making the picture blurry. Falling far from their promise. Especially for a three disk set, there could have been alot more bonus features, but instead we are left with very small samples of Walter Lantz behind the scenes. The lack of Gabby Gator also didn't sit well.

I'm hoping volume II has more of the cartoons I'm looking for, such as Ms. Meany and Gabby Gator, but anyway, this Vol 1 is still a nice collection to have, that you will still enjoy if you're a fan of the show.

Please feel free to comment.