Product Details

• Format: Animated, Color, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 25, 2000
• Run Time: 220 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630560925X
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,791 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil (ABC, 1962-67) ranks among the most beloved cartoon shows of the baby-boom era, and adults and kids will enjoy the 12 shorts in this collection. The animation is extremely limited and the plots are often thin, but neither matter. People watch these cartoons for the strings of wincingly terrible puns, the lively vocal characterizations, and the comic villainy of (nya-ha-ha) Dishonest John. In these selections, Beany, Cecil, and Captain Huffenpuff encounter beatnik artist Go Man Van Go, So What and the Seven Whatnots, and the Singing "Dinasor" (who inhabits the No Bikini Atoll).

The animated Beany was based on Clampett's puppet series "Time for Beany," which began in 1949. The episodes and clips here suggest this program has aged less gracefully. Although it was both a critical and popular success in its day, black-and-white footage of hand puppets is unlikely to hold modern viewers' attention. Much of the disc (over three-and-a-half hours) is devoted to Clampett's long and distinguished film career, including intriguing tests for an animated version of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars novels and several never-realized programs, plus home movies, still photos, and an oral history. The material is interesting but viewers would probably prefer more cartoons. --Charles Solomon

Product Description
At last, a fitting tribute to one of the great cartoon teams: Beany, (the precocious boy wearing a propeller cap) and his best pal, Cecil (the seasick sea serpent), on their 50th anniversary in show business! This special edition is also a tribute to Beany and Cecil's creator, Bob Clampett. Formerly a veteran director at the Warner Bros. cartoon studio where he was the father of Tweety Bird and one of the fathers of Bugs Bunny, Clampett set off on his own in the late 1940s with the dream to create what he called "dimensional animation." The result was "Time for Beany." The wild success of the show spawned several other shows, including one about a superhero horse, "Thunderbolt the Wondercolt," and the first puppet variety show, "Willy the Wolf." Bob Clampett's "Beany and Cecil: The Special Edition" will entertain cartoon fans of all ages from the casual viewers that want their kids to see the show they grew up with to the hardcore fans that want to revel in the pop culture of their generation. Jam packed full of over three plus hours of entertainment, including over a dozen of the original "Beany and Cecil" cartoons, plus some of the earliest episodes from "Time for Beany" which have not been seen since their original airing over fifty years ago. New transfers have been made from the original 35mm camera negatives.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Help, Cecil, Help!, October 3, 2001

By	Eric B. Norris (Santa Clara, California USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It was with some trepidation I plugged this DVD into my player and hit the "play" button. Would my fond memories of Beany, Cecil, Dishonest John, Go-Man Van Go, and most of all, SnORky, be revived? Or would it just seem something enjoyed a long, long time ago that was no longer funny?

I should not have feared! This wonderful DVD presents a pile of stuff related to Beany and Cecil, including some of the original Beany and Cecil puppets which, for me, did seem a little dated.

Ya-ah-ah, have no fear because the animated cartoons 1) look great; B) sound great; III) are so cleverly written they are as entertaining at 46 as they were when I was 6! Most of my favorite episodes are here: SnORky, Go-Man Van Go, the Leopard Who Lost his Spots, etc. All I could ask for is pulease release the rest of the cartoons on DVD!

This DVD is entertaining for old and young alike, though the oldsters may have to explain some of the beat jokes to the youngsters. Or just turn and say, "don't bugs me, man, don't bugs me!"

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing discovery, August 26, 2004

By	Horndogger "H.Doggy" (Alaska) - See all my reviews

The only reason I bought this was to fill the $25 minimum requirement for free shipping, and it was the only cartoon in the 3.99 selection. What a score!! I had no idea who Beany and Cecil were, but they had a 4-5 star customer rating, so I figured either my 5-year-old daughter or I would like it. We BOTH love it! I am not big on TV, but to have this old stuff, with all the added "lost stuff" 30's, 40's to the 70's stuff--what a lesson. I seldom take the time for commentary, but it's a history lesson on this DVD. It was also neat to show my daughter how people (me included) were at one point limited to black and white television, yet alone the debut methods of animation. What a true treat, with a funky twist --certainly makes me ashamed of today's cartoons.

This is one of those cartoons that fits many an audience, for reminiscing if nothing else. Blow $10 on it if you get the chance, esp if you're an B and C fan. This is great.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST for Animation Fans...and those who remember..., January 20, 2000

By A Customer

This is a treasure; I remember the Beany and Cecil theme like it was yesterday. "A Bob Clampett Cartoo-OOOOOOOooooon!" This outstanding DVD contains footage of TIME FOR BEANY, a legendary live-action children's show from early L.A. TV that was a favorite of Albert Einstein and Frank Zappa. Many stills and audio clips are included; be aware that there are sounds during the "slide presentations" which may startle you. The best segments are indeed the cartoons, including the wonderful "Beanyland", in which our heroes rocket to the moon and establish a theme park strangely resembling you-know-what. The humor is not profane, but will definitely be appreciated by intelligent adults, while kids will fall in love with the characters, particularly Cecil, The Sea Sick Sea Serpent. An absolutely wonderful disc, one of my favorites, and an instant classic.