Description

The Dumbo 60th Anniversary Edition was the beneficiary of an electronic film restoration process where every frame of film was scanned into a high resolution computer system, then painstakingly examined and repaired frame by frame to eliminate negative and positive dirt, film scratches and the like. A high definition transfer was done and color correction was supervised by Disney Feature Animation to ensure faithful reproduction of the colors as they were originally intended. ... Read more

Reviews (127)

Excellent for two and three year olds and everyone else too!
Dumbo is a cinematic milestone and masterpiece of family entertainment. The storyline and characters are well rounded enough (just) to entertain adults and older children and the quality of the animation both holds children's attention and enables them to empathise with the principle characters. In addition, the moral of the story is well presented without being clumsily overstated as in much modern animation.

Both my children have frequently watched this DVD (which first came out (without extras) in Europe in 1999) since they were one and both enjoy it imensely.

I'm both astonished and disturbed that anyone could deem this movie unsuitable for children but can only assume they come from the same group of people who banned Robin Hood books from schools for being 'pro communist' and Shakespeare for being 'too explicit'!

The 'drunken scene' is funny, brief and discrete (all you see is the shadows of characters through canvas). As to fast forwarding through the dream sequence for the kids' benefit because it is 'too long' that is verging on irresponsible. All doing so teaches a child is that it's OK to have a short attention span and to zoom through films to the 'interesting bits'. Perhaps I was wrong though and the moral of the story has been hidden too deeply "Persevere - Don't Give Up" is lost on some people.

Great, despite the grainy picture quality
This sweet animated film (only 64 minutes long) is truly a Disney treasure. The simple story is about a little elephant that just doesn't fit in because of his freakishly large ears. Timothy, a little circus mouse, befriends Dumbo and sees only beauty in his new friend. Dumbo entertains us, as well as teaches us a timeless lesson about love and tolerance in a world that is often times unkind and cruel. The animation is rather simple as compared to the detail found in Snow White or Pinocchio, but it somehow works because of the film's other strengths. In Dumbo your emotions run the full spectrum from laughter to tears. The musical numbers are memorable, especially "Baby Mine". Baby Mine is a tearjerker if ever there was one. The crows add great comic relief toward the end of the film. The Special Bonus Features on the DVD are a real nice touch and generous. Among the extras are a "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette, two animated shorts, and a Music Video of "Baby Mine" sung by Michael Crawford that will have you sobbing all over again, guaranteed! The only complaint I have was mentioned by other reviewers, that being the grainy quality of the film. This flaw simply does not make any sense. I would have expected that Disney, promoting Dumbo as the "60th Anniversary Edition", would have bothered to restore the picture and audio elements. The DVD back cover makes claims to Dumbo being digitally restored and remastered with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, but it certainly is not evident to me. I guess we should be thankful for the merits of the DVD which are many. Recommended.

A True Disney Classic
This is one of Disney's true enduring classics. The story is simple. A baby elephant is delivered to the delighted Mrs. Jumbo, but he has big ears. Dubbed Dumbo, he is soon separated from his mother and must find a way to deal with his ears on his own. With only Timothy Mouse to help him, he soon learns that, thanks to his big ears, he can fly.

I have always loved this movie. The story is simple, but moves quickly and from heart felt emotion to laughter easily. The moral is simple, but isn't preachy. Watching this movie again recently, I was surprised again at how much of the early story to told in song. I usually forget "Look out for Mr. Stork" and the song they sing as they build the circus in the rain when thinking about the classic songs. "Baby Mine" is one of my favorite Disney songs because of its heartfelt emotion and I love all the puns in "When I See an Elephant Fly."

This is a truly remarkable movie. Pop some corn, sit back, and joy this classic tale.

Good, yes... however...
Sure, it's a good tale. However, one thing you might consider before letting your children watch it is how dark this movie is. This movie is an exploration of some of the more darker and vile aspects of the human psyche. It is an animated meditation on abuse, slavery, and mistreatment. As such, it may disturb not only the children watching it, but the parents as well. Think twice about this one. There is also the very weird scene where Dumbo gets stinking drunk on alcohol and has "hallucinations." Yes, you should very much think twice about this one as a parent.

Dumbo, a classic
Made in the 40s and still appreciated by yours truly now. My favorite scene is when Dumbo and the mouse fall into the well and his wine in it. they get so drunk and they ended up hallucinating for like a 10 minute long substance abuse horror scene for children. honestly, unless you are taking shots of cheap vodka or smoking out of your buddies pipe whose name is an inside joke, do not let your kid see this part. (OR ANYOTHER SCENE because I remember crying when I was a little kid when Dumbo goes in a different cage than his mom on the circuis train and they get separated).
Anyways, about that scene. why does it last so long? was it like an inside joke to all the older viewers? i think this movie was the origin of the timeless hallucination of pink elephants. it is so trippy like when the elephants combine and they shoot into the sky or something like that and everything turns into fire works.
the next morning dumbo and his mouse friend end up in a tree and they're like man what happened. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The home-video revolution has yielded a wealth of valuable compilations, but few are as miraculously definitive as The Movies Begin. Equally suited to home or classroom viewing, this authoritative five-volume set is a vital document of film history, providing a one-stop destination for anyone wishing to witness the first two decades of motion pictures. That period--from 1894 to 1913--saw movies develop at a breakneck pace, from the earliest "actualities" of the Lumière brothers in France to D.W. Griffith's audacious development of dramatic action in the Biograph shorts of the early 1910s. Sensibly organized into pivotal stages of technical and creative progress, each of these volumes represents the priceless value of film preservation; all 133 films in the set are presented in the finest condition available, from archival prints to complete restorations, and accompanied by music that perfectly captures the spirit of each film and the time of their creation.

Under the expert guidance of film historian David Shepard, this collection is uniquely comprehensive, with fact, fiction, and fantasy represented in equal measure. All major figures are included; it's fitting that one volume is devoted to astonishing shorts by movie magician Georges Méliès, while other volumes serve as "greatest hits" compilations of movie innovations by Edwin S. Porter, Cecil Hepworth, Max Linder, Alice Guy Blanche, and many others. The breathtaking growth of movies is fully apparent by volume 5 ("Comedy, Spectacle, and New Horizons"); most viewers will find this the most entertaining, but each volume is a revelation, offering films that haven't been widely seen since they were first produced. To understand and appreciate the foundation upon which modern filmmaking is built, The Movies Begin is truly essential. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Movies Begin
... I'd reccomend this for anyone(except the first part)So here's my review and description of each Volume.
Volume one produced by D. Shepard, starts with Animated Muybridge photos. I was hoping that it'd be of galloping horses, but it's not and that's why I skip it. Then there's Edison's Kinetoscope films, AT THE WRONG SPEED! These were possibly "overcranked" so at 24 fps, it appears very slow. Same with the Lumiere films, only this time these were cranked at a higher speed so instead of being super-slow, they're plain jerky.(But some aren't that bad, and these are more rare, least Known ones.) Now there's "A trip to the Moon", Melies most famous film.(Note the cover, that picture used to give me the creeps!) Followed by a Pathe film on Moscow, and "Aeroplane, flight and wreck." We are given some Mutoscope films after this(I was hoping the rare, 1894 animated pictures!" After that the main film of this Volume is given "The Great Train Robbery" Which uses Modern Editing and this print is said to be Mint Condition and is a Rare part colourised version. After "The Dam Family and The Dam Dog" "The Golden Beetle" is next.
Volume 2 produced by Heather Stewart, has a nice commentary by Barry Salt, nice Piano accompiant, and starts with Lumiere actualities. The well known ones like "Men playing cards" and at the right speed! Some Robert Paul films are after Acres' "Rough Sea". Paul had action being carried out of the frame, and stop motion and Model effects("The (?) Motorist") G.A. Smith Originated breaking a scene down in shots("Mary Jane's Mishap") and Point-of-view shots("As seen through a telescope") Shffield Photo and W. Haggar contain early chase films. J. Bamforth is variations on previous films, An J. Williamson is Chase and action being carried over from scene to scene.
The Same People as Vol.2 Made this volume(my favorite!). Cecil Hepworth begins, who "tried to inject a little novelty in his films" has nice ones like "How it feels to be run over". G.H. Cricks brings "A Visit to Peek Freans" and Kineto has "A day in the Life of a Coal Miner. The Pathe films are the main part and are the best. They vary from Melies and Smith inspired films, to rare stencil coloured ones. We end with Edison Films, which are also good.
Volume 4 is Melies films. Some like "The Impossible Voyage" and "The Eclipse" are not to missed. In fact, this volume is one of the best ones. Produced by Davied Shepard has nice music, and nice ending documentary.
Volume 5 is the last one. With some Pathe films, A forerunner of the Keystone C(K)ops, A D.W. Griffith film and more show main begginings of "proper" cinema. Title cards, edtiting, andwell made plots is what I mean. Note: The Winsor Mckay Film is not complete. "Winsor Mckay:Animation Legend" contains more of Mckay drawing and talking with his friends, and even more to the cartoon(which is hand coloured version, not on here) Both are editied differently.
I hope my review told you enough of this set. I didn't want to give spoilers. This is not to be missed(sorry for copying antoher review's title that was here in May 10 2003 that may later be gone)

Awesome...
This was a magnificent look back into history. My one set of grandparents were born respectively in 1927 and 1930. They never thought that movies were older than the 1920's. It shocked them that movies in kinetiscope were appearing in 1894. I love pulling out this collection and shocking people. I tell them I watch movies form the 1800's and they get huffy and self-important and tell me there were no movies form the 1800's. This always amazes them.

Plus, unlike most of Hollywood's movies, these are real people. Even if the stories are false, these people aren't beautiful. They have missing teeth and nappy hair. They don't all have model figures either. It's a look at real history moving right in front of you. If you look carefully you can notice all the little things that we take for granted now. I wondered about cars and traffic regualtions. Those are in the background here.

If you love old movies or love history, then this is definitely the collection for you. Be warned though. These are early times and the special effects are very simple. Usually a stop-motion technique. If that upsets you, then don't watch. Though to me, it's just another part of history. Here you see the development of the film industry.

Not to be missed
To the casual movie viewer, the history of cinema begins in the 1930s, when silents were totally replaced with the new talkie medium. Beyond an occasional showing of The Phantom of the Opera or a few Keaton or Chaplin movies, silents- and especially early silents- are a part of the murky past. This collection is a real eye opener to either a movie fan who wants to broaden their knowledge or someone who, like me, is a silent movie fan who wants to see how it all began.

This collection offers a broad variety. From early melodramas and comedies to newsreel footage and special effects vehicles. The two most famous early silents- The Great Train Robbery and A Trip to the Moon- are shown here but other, more unusual films such as the Golden Beetle and the Grass Widower are also allowed to shine. The picture quality is excellant especially considering the age of these films.

The music by Robert Israel is wonderful, always appropriate and quite a bit less sober than most silent movie music. Even my mother, who likes silents but dislikes silent movie music enjoyed it. It should please both purists and casual fans.

One fault I found with this collection is that some movies have narration whether you want it or not. It surely would not have been difficult to include an on/off function for the commentary track. Also, at points the sound is badly mixed so that the music drowns out the narrator. However, this fairly minor flaw did not ruin my enjoyment of the collection.

I particularly enjoyed the pre-WWI French films, it is easy to see why the French imports could outshine much of the American output. They are beautifully produced, make no bones about their staginess and have an element of playful fantasy. The last disc has a film of the wonderful French comedian Max Linder, it's a shame that he never regained his pre-war popularity because his comedy is spurisingly modern and he has obvious charisma.

The newsreels are also a highlight, Russia in the winter, various "working dogs", an english biscuit factory... all are valuable historically as well as very amusing.

This set is cheap at the price and while not all of the films can be called masterpieces, they are all important in reconstructing a period of cinema history that is too often ignored. If you have any interest in the story of earlky cinema, I recommend this set without reservation.

A Tremendous Collection
This set contains over 100 films from the early days of the silent cinema - beginning with some of the early serial photography experiments by Edward Muybridge.

We see the works of the Edison Studio, the early Lumiere Brothers films, and a great selection of Melies films.

Most amazing to me were the tinted films from the Pathe Freres company. There are two films that are absolutely astounding, as every frame of the film was tinted by hand. The colors are vibrant and surprisingly consistent. Friends who have watched these films have come away simply shocked.

The films presented here are not all interesting. There are quite a few films from the infancy of cinema, when the camera was used to create scenes that are really the equivalent of postcards, where a still camera would have produced the same effect. Many films are incomplete, a sad fact of cinema preservation, and often frustrating when you don't get to see the second half of the film! There are no Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Fatty Arbuckle films to be seen here, and only one D.W. Griffith film. (Griffith will be well represented in a future release put together by David Shepherd's "Film Preservation Associates" on Image DVD.)

What is here are the true beginnings of an art form, the experiments that made film what it is now. There are also excellent program notes by Charles Musser, which really help explain what is being seen, especially when parts of a film are missing. Kudos to the Kino company for including these notes!

If you are a cinema nut, and interested in the origins of film, then this set is highly recommended!

An Amazing Piece of History
This 5 DVD set is not, by any stretch of the imagination, cheap, but if you have any interest in silent films, or the history of movie making, it is a must-have.
The 5 disks are organized, not chronologically, but, roughly, by theme. Within each disk, the films are organized by production company/director.
And the range of content is amazing. From 30 second, plotless snippets of action (a kiss, ocean waves, etc.), to full one-reel mini-features and hand-colored fantasy extravaganzas, this set offers it all.
Amazing too is the quality of the films. While a few are badly scratched or fuzzy (presumably the best quality prints available), most are crisp and pristine -- amazing both considering the age of the original prints themselves (some over a century old!), and the primitive equipment that was used to create the original films. Many of the films include early experiments with special effects -- often surprisingly convincing -- and, as mentioned earlier, some are even in color.

Comedy, drama, documentaries -- it's all here, even a little sex. (Though the 'peepshows' that are described as being of 'burlesque origin, intended for titillation and amusement', are pretty unerotic, even by late Victorian standards.)
Most of the films are accompanied by appropriate music. A few are preceeded by spoken commentary about the history of the film and/or its producer and, at least one (Trip to the Moon) has a spoken narration. I'm not certain if the movie originally had title cards which have been lost, or if it was intended to be narrated during viewing.
Even for silent film fans, silent features can sometimes try the patience a bit (you can't look away from the screen, or you lose track of the action), but these brief films can be viewed a few at at time, and fully enjoyed.
Recommended 100%. ... Read more

Amazon.com

World War II transformed the Disney Studio. Although nearly one-third of the artists had been drafted, production quintupled, up to 95% of it for military and government uses. Some of the films included in On the Front Lines have not been seen since their initial release; others were never shown to the general public. Anticipating the importance of animated training films, Disney produced the studio's first educational film, "Four Methods of Flush Riveting" (1941), using limited animation to train riveters at Lockheed. Decades later, "Four Methods" and the excerpts from military training films remain models of how to present information clearly and concisely.

Many of the wartime entertainment shorts are largely propaganda. Donald's nightmare of working on a Nazi assembly line in "Der Fuehrer's Face" is still hilarious slapstick. The grimmer "Education for Death" and "Chicken Little" have aged less gracefully. Disney's oddest wartime project was Victory Through Air Power (1943), a live action/animation feature based on Major Alex de Seversky's controversial book that called for the adoption of long-range bombers. By the time it was finished, air power was a reality.

Front Lines also includes several health films made for the Office of Inter-American Affairs, and bond-buying shorts for Canada that reuse animation from Snow White and "Three Little Pigs." This collection of genuine rarities is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of animation, the Disney Studio, or America during WWII. (Rated G, suitable for ages 10 and older: violence, ethnic stereotypes, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Excellent and Entertaining as well as Educational
This collection has been the most aniticpated set for hardcore Disney fans and cartoon historians alike. Collecting all of Disney's war time cartoons into one set was just a great idea and a real gem to own. I watched the entire collection in one day with friends of mine and I showed it to some students I teach at school who were just dumbfounded that people did this with cartoons during the second world war.
An excellent set with many bonus features including Leonard maltin who comes on to explain the background of many of these animated shorts.
I recommend this to everyone, not as a baby sitter for young children, but as an entertaining and educational look at America's history in animation and WW2.

DIFFICULT BUT CREATIVE ERA FOR DISNEY
The years that the probable contents were released, as well as some info on the various works.

FILMS

1943
VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - This film was basically propaganda with some entertainment and some powerful animation. Mainly championed Major Seversky's 1942 book of the same title with the theory that long-range air power could defeat the WWII enemies. The scene of an American eagle attacking the Japanese octopus is very powerful, moving animation.

ENTERTAINMENT/PROPAGANDA SHORTS

1942
DONALD GETS DRAFTED-always enjoyed the idea of Donald reporting to the draft board in his sailor suit.
THE ARMY MASCOT-Pluto schemes to take over the job of a mascot goat, with hilarious results.
THE VANISHING PRIVATE-Donald goes crazy with invisible paint, leading to war with his sergeant Pete, with a perfect, funny ending.
SKY TROOPER-Donald wants to be a pilot, and his sergeant Pete gives him more than Donald bargained for.

1943
DER FUEHRER'S FACE-the famous and infamous cartoon in which Donald dreams he is in Naziland where he is forced to work in a munitions plant.
EDUCATION FOR DEATH-very strong propaganda about Germany's totalitarian state which turns an innocent young boy into a robotic soldier.
PRIVATE PLUTO-Pluto has a war with the chipmunks in guarding the area.
FALL OUT - FALL IN-Donald experiences some of the trials of Army life, such as super-long hikes.
REASON AND EMOTION-entertainment and propaganda used in a story about reason and emotion working together for the war effort, enjoyable animation.
VICTORY VEHICLES-Goofy shows off alternate transportation due to the wartime rubber and gasoline shortage, settling on the pogo stick.
THE OLD ARMY GAME-Sergeant Pete catches Donald sneaking back into base after a late night on the town, leads to a merry chase.
HOME DEFENSE-Donald's nephews conflict with Donald after he sleeps during his duty of watching for enemy attack.
CHICKEN LITTLE-The classic "the sky is falling" story, originally planned to have more wartime references.

1944
HOW TO BE A SAILOR-Goofy's story of the history of sailors, ending with him using himself as a torpedo to sink Japanese ships.
COMMANDO DUCK-Donald is sent on a suicide mission to wipe out an entire Japanese air base, with hilarious results.

EDUCATIONAL SHORTS

* = Created for Canada to sell their war bonds.

** = CIAA films (Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs) created to combat the German Nazy influence that was widespread in Latin American in the early 1940s.

1941
THE THRIFTY PIG * - animation from Three Little Pigs cartoon adapted, with the Big Bad Wolf wearing a Nazi hat and armband.
THE SEVEN WISE DWARFS * - animation from Snow White adapted to show dwarfs buying war bonds.

1942
DONALD'S DECISION * - uses animation from 1938 Donald Duck cartoons "Donald's Better Self" and "Self Control" to convince Donald to buy war bonds.
ALL TOGETHER * - uses animation from several sources, including The Band Concert (1935) and Mickey's Amateurs (1937) to show several Disney characters in a parade to sell war bonds.
THE NEW SPIRIT - Donald is encouraged to pay his income tax to help the war effort.
FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR - Stresses the importance of farmers to the war effort. Includes the Three Little Pigs leading a long line of pigs.
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRING LINE - Minnie & Pluto star in an effort to show how important it was for housewives to save kitchen fats and greases for the war effort.

1943
THE GRAIN THAT BUILT A HEMISPHERE ** - Tells the history of corn and its importance to the world.
THE SPIRIT OF '43 - Donald Duck resists Nazi propaganda and pays his taxes to support the war effort.
WHE WINGED SCOURGE ** - The Seven Dwarfs point out ways to defeat the malaria-carrying mosquito.
DEFENSE AGAINST INVASION ** - Shows the human body's ability to fight off germs through vaccination.

1945
CLEANLINESS BRINGS HEALTH ** - The difference between the Clean Family that is happy and healthy and the Careless Family that is unhappy and unhealthy.
WHAT IS DISEASE ** - Shows what causes disease and how to protect against disease.

1946
PLANNING FOR GOOD EATING ** - Careless Charlie is used to teach a family about good dietary habits.

TRAINING FILMS

1942
FOUR METHODS OF FLUSH RIVETING - basic animation for education purposes
STOP THAT TANK (BOYS ANTI-TANK RIFLE) - a great deal of live action but fun, enjoyable animation of Hitler being blown to Hell by the rifle

1942-1945?
TRAINING FILM MONTAGE - A selection of scenes from various training films, I assume.

There are a few war-related entertainment shorts not listed here - one or more might be added to this collection instead of what is listed above.

1943
DONALD'S TIRE TROUBLE - most likely short. Donald has continual trouble with flat tires due to the wartime shortage of rubber.
PLUTO AND THE ARMADILLO - small connection to the wartime. Short releated to the Latin Armerica trip and the Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros films developed from that trip.

1944
THE PELICAN AND THE SNIPE - same info as for Pluto and the Armadillo.

1945
DOG WATCH - Pluto is a watchdog for a Navy ship.

The war years were a demanding time for the Disney Company. Most of their meager resources were devoted to the war effort. But this era contained a great deal of creative effort that might not have existed if not for the war.

I have seen most of these war works, and I consider them fascinating and among the best of all of Disney's work. I much look forward to owning them on DVD.

GREAT CINEMATIC LESSONS IN PROPAGANDA
This is trully a grat collection of war-time propaganda from WWII made by the Disney Studios. Some of these movies feature our favorite characters Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. Others feature specific characters created on purpose.

The main thing about this collection is Mr. Disney's master hand behind each film. Quality animation (and expensive animation from the studio that elevated animation to an art on its own).

They alert, inspire, teach and (last but not least) entertain. Some of these little gems are a bit violent and you should see them before deciding if they are suitable for your children. But anyway, these are great films and should be seen by anyone who want to see some of the best propaganda films aver made.

It is all great if you check Nazi propaganda films at the same time... they are very different. In these here films Mr. Disney never lost his touch and the style that made his studio famous.

In this double DVD you will find lots of things... one feature-length film (VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - a trully memorable film that explains the importance or air power to american forces and also the strategical and logistic problems WWII represented to America). This is certainly a landmark film.

The DVDs also contain an enormous list of cartoons (in the short form) that cover a large variety of subjects and moods.

This is one of the best titles in the collection and an important piece of History. Should be treasured. The quality of the DVDs is outstanding... as everything that is made with care.

I just don't understand why the tin cans are not numbered anymore (like the previous titles in this collection).

Finally!
Of all the film studios that produced "propaganda" cartoons during WWII, none have been better kept hidden than those made by the Walt Disney studio. Sure a couple of them slipped through the cracks into the public domain, but as a whole they remained sealed in the Disney Vaults until now.

While not every single cartoon made during the War (Disney produced numerous "how to" films made only for those in the actual armed forces, clips of some are shown on these DVDs), it does include all the theatrically released features. Stars like Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Pete, Minnie and Huey, Dewey and Louie star in these wartime cartoons. Mickey Mouse only appeared in one short, using borrowed animation from "The Band Concert."

There is also the full length animated WWII feature "Victory Through Air Power," which is considered to be amongst the rarest of all the Disney features. This DVD set is well worth the buy.

History Buffs and Disney Fanatics Will Love It
During World War II, Walt Disney almost bankrupted his company producing stuff for the war effort. Now, we get a chance to see this part of animation history at home on DVD with this two disc set.

Disc 1 features 29 shorts. They range from entertainment with a patriotic edge, like "Donald Gets Drafted" or "Private Pluto," to shorts purely to help with the war like "The New Spirit" and "Out of the Frying Pan and into the Firing Line." There are even shorts used to fight disease in South America like "Cleanliness Brings Health" and "The Winged Scourge." I was surprised to learn from this disc about the films Disney was making for Canada even before the US entered the war.

Of course, the highlight of this disc is "Der Fuehrer's Face" which finds Donald trapped in Nazi Germany.

Disc two's main attraction is "Victory Through Air Power." This feature length movie was produced to bring the arguments of a book by the same name to more people. It makes a compelling argument that the Allies needed to build up their air forces to win the war, arguments about modern warfare that still apply today.

Disc two also features a few of the educational shorts Disney produced during that time. Frankly, after viewing the two that are included in their entirety, I'm glad that most of them are just highlighted. I don't find watching a film on how to fire a gun or how to flush rivet that entertaining. There are lots of production galleries and even galleries of some project this Disney fan had never heard of before. Finally, we have interviews with Disney veterans Joe Grant, John Hench, and Roy Disney.

This is a set that Disney buffs will want because it fills in some time in the studio's history. It also has interest for historians of all stripes as it presents a picture of life on the home front during World War II. Since the entertainment value of much of the disc is low, I took away one star. I probably won't go back to this set in the near future, but I was fascinated by much of what I saw here and am thrilled that the studio released this material so fans can view it today. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although the book The Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1931) listed Donald Duck as one of Mickey's friends, he didn't appear on screen until the "Silly Symphony" "The Wise Little Hen," three years later. Donald's personality began to gel in "The Orphan's Benefit" (1934, on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White), when he threw his first temper tantrum. He began as dumpy-looking character with a long beak and thick legs, but was soon redesigned and made more appealing.

Donald's firecracker temper made him a favorite with audiences--and the Disney artists. By the late '30s/early '40s Mickey was no longer allowed to kick someone, break a window, or get into a really embarrassing situation. Donald was, and he did. If Donald encountered a mechanical device, from an outboard motor to a waffle iron to a riveting gun, the results were sure to be disastrous. He was routinely outwitted by chipmunks, ants, bees, and his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who came to visit in 1938 and stayed for more than 60 years.

The Donald Duck shorts featured some of the broadest slapstick comedy the Disney studio ever produced. They lack the razor-sharp timing, extreme takes, and wild gags the animators at Warner Bros. and MGM were developing at this time. But they're still funny and retain a nostalgic charm, especially such classics as "Don Donald," "The Autograph Hound," "Mr. Duck Steps Out," and "Put-Put Troubles." (Rated G, suitable for ages 8 and older: cartoon violence, tobacco use, minor ethnic stereotyping) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Donald Duck in DVD
Finally the waiting is (almost) over!, in December we are going able to get this wonderful collection.

A congratulation to Leonard Maltin because he can persuade Disney Company to release those "Treasures" unedited... by the way, those sets (including all those in the past two waves) are for collector and animation buffs, it's somehow irritating find reviews from parents that are angry against the Goofy collection because that included "No Smoking" and "tomorrow we diet"... it's because those bad reviews (and complains in the Disney Consumer service) that WD company had not released, until now, "Fantasia" uncensored and "Song of the South".... if you think that those uncensored shorts are offensive, please buy any of the direct-to-video sequels that WDC releases from time to time...

INFORMATION ABOUT WALT DISNEY TREAURES WAVE 4

Take this as a rumor, but the following are probably the sets for the next year

-Mickey Mouse in Black and White Volume II

-Assortment Set (to include BEN AND ME and DONALD IN MATHMAGIC LAND)
-Mickey Mouse Club
-The Complete Pluto

(courtesy of dcap3 from the animationshow forum ;) )

It's a shame that the "Chronological Donald" vol. 2 is not presented in this future wave.... i would be change the "Assortment Set" for another Donald volume, only time will tell... also, where is "Silly Simphonies Vol. 2"?

Sooooooooooooo!!!! In 2 Words: Just Ducky!!!
Wonderful to see the unedited, uncensored, and unbound Donald in his early work at the Disney Studios! Braveaux, WD! The only drawback has been mentioned before, so I quote from a previous reviewer "The big drawback however is Leonard Maltin's sermonizing about gunplay and stereotyping... all the unPC stuff. I feel like he thinks morons are watching these cartoons. He keeps giving the "that was what was done then, but we would never consider doing it now". Ok, Leonard, once is enough, thanks."

BUT......... even Little Lame Leonard cannot hold this Duck down, and Donald's everlasting charm overshadows even Mr. Maltin's limp noodle routine!

I can't wait for the next set, though it does not appear it will be coming out in 2005. My personal favorite, the Fountain of Youth, which has Donald and his 3 nephews visiting the fabled Fountain of Youth in Florida only to find themselves in comedy hijinx with a local gator, will hopefully be included then.

Buy it...... Donald and Disney put the CLASS in classics, and continue to demonstrate why these will ALWAYS be ageless and enduring!!!

I love Donald.
Not too long ago one of my friends asked me "Why Donald?" He was referring to a period in the studio's history (never more prevalant than in the wartime films, available on another DVD) when Donald Duck was the big star. Why, asked my friend, was Donald Duck so wildly popular. More to the point, why did they decide that he would be the ideal star of morale-boosting, patriotism-inspiring war films? The answer is simple: Mickey Mouse is an idealist. He's how people SHOULD be. If the world were more like Mickey, it'd be a happier place. But, despite their overall "When You Wish Upon a Star" attitude (which seems to have died with Walt. Boo, Eisner!) the animators knew that things were not perfect and that the majority of Americans were like Donald Duck. You make fun of his temper-tantrums, but how many times in your life have you blown a fuse over something seemingly unimportant? We are all of us a little bit of Donald Duck...after all, who hasn't felt, at least once in their life, that no one understands us?

That's kind of a nice thought, isn't it?

Disney's Lovable Duck Gets His Due
Finally, Disney's greatest character gets the spotlight! Donald is the everyman-just a regular guy that has to put up with the travails of everyday life. Whether it's a wild animal or an inanimate object that raises his ire, Donald keeps the viewer laughing with his lovable voice and temperamental antics. This volume features Donald's debut in "The Wise Little Hen" and all his starring shorts from 1936's "Donald and Pluto" to 1941's "Chef Donald". It also includes a short piece on Donald's original voice Clarence "Ducky" Nash, photo stills and memorabilia stills, and introductions and commentary by Leonard Maltin. The easter eggs that I've found include a short 1940 short "The Volunteer" and two excerpts from "The Reluctant Dragon". It would have been nice if the DVD also included all of Donald's shorts in which he wasn't in the starring role, such as "Lonesome Ghosts" and "Orphan's Benefit" among others, but this is still one of the best collections of any kind that has been put together. I can't wait for the second volume, which will probably feature all of Donald's wartime shorts, to come out. It'll definitely be worth the wait, just like this set was. Now if Disney releases the 39 episode Quack Pack on DVD, all Donald Duck fans will have years of Donald viewing pleasure.

Donald is definitely the best
Donald Duck IMHO is the best ,and this DVD opens a door which was closed for decades.. You can see all the films that Donald started in ..and more. Never did Donald duck have a DVD dedicated only for him. Great if you love this little angry duck. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Fritz Lang's Metropolis belongs to legend as much as to cinema. It's a milestone of sci-fi and German expressionism. Yet the story makes minimal sense, and the "theme" belongs in a fortune cookie; to experience the film's pagan power, you have to see the movie. But for decades we couldn't, not really--not with so many versions, all incomplete, often in public-domain prints like smudged photocopies. This Murnau Foundation restoration changes all that. Some shots, scenes, and subplots may be lost forever, but intertitles indicate how they fit into the original continuity and the characters' individual trajectories. Most crucially, the images are crisp, vibrant, and three-dimensional instead of murky and flattened. The composite sequences (the Tower of Babel, a sea of lusting eyes) have been restored to their hallucinatory ferocity. And there's one moment when you can see a bead of sweat roll down a man's cheek--in medium long-shot. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (94)

At Last
Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS was very successful with both critics and audiences when it debuted in 1927 Berlin--but it was thereafter edited for distribution by Channing Pollock, who disliked it and removed great chunks of the film and substantially altered the storyline. The resulting film was admired for its visual style, but it proved a critical and box office disappointment. Neglected in the wake of sound, surviving prints of the film were left to corrode and decay--and when it began to reach the home market via VHS and DVD the results were very hit or miss; Blackhawk released a fairly credible version of the truncated film to home video, but for the most part the quality of these releases varied from barely mediocre to downright unwatchable.

Until now.

A great chunk of METROPOLIS--perhaps as much a quarter of more--has been forever lost, but this Kino Video DVD release offers the single best version of the film available. The previously cut footage that still exists has been restored; gaps in the film have been bridged by the occasional use of stills and explanatory title cards; the film itself has been painstakingly and digitally restored; and the soundtrack is the Gottfried Huppertz original created for the film's 1927 Berlin debut. In seeing this version of METROPOLIS, I was struck by how very differently it reads from the previously available truncated version. The visual style and the story itself are much more exciting and cohesive, and in the wake of this restoration it becomes impossible to deny the film status as landmark of international cinema.

Freder Fredersen (Gustav Frohlich) is the son of Joh Fredersen (Alfred Able), who reigns over the great city of Metropolis. Freder is surprised to discover his lifestyle has been built on the unseen but backbreaking labor of an entire class of unseen workers who tend the machines that make the city run--and he descends to the subterranean levels of Metropolis in an effort to understand their lives... and, not incidentally, to find the mysterious but beautiful woman Maria (Brigitta Helm) who has inspired his interest in the workers' plight. But his father is concerned by both Freder's interest and Maria's activities among the workers, and he turns to scientist C.A. Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) for aid. Rotwang has created a robot, and he agrees to give it the likeness of Maria in order to undermine both Freder's love for the girl and her own activities. But Rotwang has a hidden agenda of his own: once the robot has been unleashed, he will use her to destroy Metropolis and thereby exact revenge on Joh Fredersen for past transgressions against him.

In many respects the story is simplistic, but the film's visual style and connotations are anything but. Deeply influenced by such art movements as Expressionism, Objectivism, Art Deco, and Bauhaus, the film is visually fascinating--not only in its scenic designs, but in director Lang's famous skill at creating the powerful crowd scenes that dominate the film and building the pace and tension of the film as it moves toward an intense climax. But while one can--and many do--admire the film purely at this level, there is quite a lot going on in terms of philosophical content as well: while it offers few viable solutions, the film raises such issues as the relationship between capital and labor, the place of religion in modern society, human reaction to overwhelming technology, and (perhaps most interestingly) the drift of government into a class-conscious corporate entity. And religious motifs abound in the film: a largely deserted cathedral; Moloch; the Tower of Babel; and crosses--intriguingly juxtaposed with a repeating motif of the pentagram-like designs associated with the robot. It is fascinating stuff.

There has been complaint that this restoration runs at incorrect speed and the performances are therefore unnecessarily jerky. I did not find this to be the case. In certain instances the movement is deliberately jerky and mechanical--the workers are a case in point--but beyond this there is nothing for which the difference between silent acting and modern acting techniques cannot account. There has also been some complaint that the title cards should have been left in their original German and translated via subtitle. There is a certain validity to this, but it seems a minor quibble; title cards were typically translated in the silent era itself. The DVD includes a number of extras, including still photographs, biographies of the major figures involved in the film, and two interesting documentaries-one on the restoration process and one on the creation of the film itself. Both are interesting; the audio commentary track by film historian Enno Patalas, however, is mildly disappointing. But when all is said and done, it is the film that counts. And this restoration is a remarkable achievement, to say the least, a project which brings a great landmark of world cinema back from the edge of the abyss. Indispensible; a must-own.

--GFT (Amazon Reviewer)--

Spectacular, must-have DVD for any film buff
Metropolis was quite a stunning film for its time. It had "Star Wars" quality special effects which were unheard-of back then--all amazingly done by hand and combined with tedious optical effects. Considering the massive effort and talent required, it was far more ambitious and deserving of praise than Star Wars, which had the luxury of more modern technologies to fall back on. If you view Metropolis in this context, and consider the time period, you can't help but be impressed. In fact, as you watch it, imagine the amazed reaction it must have received in theaters back in the 1920's. Audiences at that time had never seen anything like it. For at least the next 50 years, this film held its own--quite a feat.

The Kino-produced DVD is in itself impressive. It is the absolute best version of the film ever to be made available in any form to the public. The video quality is astonishing considering the difficulty they must have had finding good prints to work with. The audio, too, is superb. You'll really enjoy the extra bonus material as well.

So get this DVD, pop up some popcorn, turn out the lights, and transport yourself back to the 1920's. You're really going to love this one.

Magnificent job
Of all silent films, maybe the only one still watched by a wide public today is Metropolis. Everyone who knows about science fiction knows about Metropolis.
Unfortunately the film was birth-strangled - like Once Upon a Time in America and The Magnificent Ambersons - and it falls into the strange pantheon of movies that are as fragmentary as any ancient scroll.
This only added to the appeal, of course. Like the wine buff who sighs to drink one of THE French vintages from before 1860, cineastes have spculated and respeculated about this fragmentary masterpiece. Why doesn't the story make sense? What was the movie originally like - and can it be fixed?

It is a pity that this film will almost certainly NEVER be completely restored. Like The Magnificent Ambersons, this is a masterpiece that seems permanently damaged. But in 2002, the next best thing was done; and the most complete possible restoration was carried out.

The results are truly remarkable. You can see that silent films were NOT originally shown in a spotty, scratchy condition with hyperactive actors. When they first came out, silent movies looked just as good as any modern movie (well, maybe less screen-resolution). The original soundtrack was discovered and recorded - and it, too, is a revelation. Silent movies were NOT actually silent - they had live soundtracks (though only rich premieres had full orchestras). The soundtrack is as well-composed as any modern soundtrack. I initially thought I would not be able to get used to another soundtrack after hearing the Moroder version - but now I think I can't see the film any other way.

Most importantly, the film now actually makes sense! Every scrap of film possible was extracted from archives all over the world, to make the film as complete as is humanly possible. The scenes still missing (alas, comprising a quarter of the film even now) are signified by intertitles telling the audience what they ought to be seeing. This is not a perfect compromise, but it's probably the best solution.

Silent movies often look strangely modern, since they concentrate almost entirely on visuals at the expense of the actors (a feature that, incidentally, made movies easier to show overseas than any modern movie). Compare that to our movies, which are very heavy on visuals and contain the simplest and least amount of dialogue possible in order to cater to foreign markets. Also, the complete manipulation of the image, so favoured in Metropolis, is very much like modern computer graphics.

Silent Masterpiece
In today's cinematic world, silent movies are often a difficult category to approach. Silent movies are usually referred to almost like a separate genre, as if black and white movies were a single genre. Even silent flick enthusiasts sometimes don't have the right attitude, because the modern appreciation of pre-talkie movies is sometims nothing more shallow than appreciation of a movie because it is a silent movie. This attitude streams from the modern audience that views the silent era as embryonic of the talkies, as technologically handicapped, when in fact, the contemporary audiences of the 20's did not view their motion pictures the same way.

Metropolis is a great move that overcomes most of the barriers between moderns audiences and silent movies. The genre is unmistakably sci-fi--the forerunner to nearly all modern sci-fi movies. It was a fantastic movie that just happens to be a silent movie, and anybody who sees it will understand that silence is not a handicap.

The biggest barrier for silent movies is that there are usually variant DVD editions in circulation, and unlike pictures made in the last few decades, it really does matter which edition you see. Kino's restored edition is (and shall be for a while if not forever) the definitive edition of Metropolis. I had been viewing an incomplete, incoherent version of the film for years before i treated myself to Kino's delightfully exhaustive work, and it was then that i realized what i had been missing. Watching this version was like watching a different movie. In fact, the restoration is so immaculate, it was like watching a movie that was just filmed yesterday, or rather, like i was watching it in 1926.

Kino should be praised for the edition (which they have been), that vindicates fans of Metropolis, sci-fi, and silent movies. Even the flaws are reasonable: some scenes are missing, but they are filled in with explanations and still photos, when available; there could have been enough extras to fill 2 more discs, although the extras included are sufficient and repeatable, as compared to the loads of extras fans normally demand but rarely ever watch.

All in all, this is an excellent restoration of an epic movie that deserves this treatment and attention. Include the Kino version in your collection over all of the inferior versions circulating.

Best movie by a Jewish director ever!
Fritz Lang was indeed Jewish by his mother. I had seen many previous videotape and DVD versions of Metropolis but this longer version beats them all hands down. It's like I'd never seen this film before as so much new (to me) was in this version. Including more fleshing out scenes of the privelaged, rich class of which Freder is a member of. To the poster named Jeff, M was made by Lang while he was still in Germany. I sure look forward to seeing other silent Lang films anbd even longer versions of Metropolis in the future. Buy it today! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

metropolis and indiana jones
after watching all of fritz lang's films, most of them in black and white, I found myself especially in awe of the color and detail in this dvd....yes, there are strong hints from metropolis: the leper's advance is similar to the movement of the deadly sins and there are complex tunnel passages in both films...as in rancho notorious, the plot deals with hate, murder and revenge; deception and fate also play their strong roles...but it's the way this film looks visually--the colors, costumes, and architecture -- that sets it apart from all the other lang films...it's definitely worth viewing. ... Read more

Reviews (98)

Peter Pan
I'm still a fan of the Disney Classics but I have to say that Peter Pan isn't one of my favorites and for the same reason that a lot of people don't like this one and that is the scenes with the Indians (hence 4 stars unstead of 5).

PETER PAN is about the boy who could never grow up and after chasing his shadow in the bedroom of Wendy, John and Michael, he invites the 3 to fly with him to Neverland. It's a wonderful story of adventure, fun and flying. All children will enjoy this one.

Now again, my reason for taking a star off is obviously for the derogatory and stereotypical depiction of Native Americans in this movie. Regardless that this movie was made in 1953 still doens't make it right. As parents, it really should be the responsibilty of the parents to explain and to teach children the right way. I will say that every child should enjoy PETER PAN, but afterwards every parent should take the time to explain to the children that making fun of another culture is wrong.

Either way it goes, if you're looking for other great Disney classics look for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SPECIAL EDITION, THE FOX AND THE HOUND, ROBIN HOOD, SLEEPING BEAUTY and CINDERELLA. Also check out some of the new Disney's like MONSTERS INC and TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2.

You'll (almost) believe you can fly
Of all Walt Disney's animated films, "Peter Pan" is my personal favorite. This classic tale of the little boy who never grew up has Disney stamped all over it. It also varies refreshingly from the versions that preceded it. In previous plays acted on the stage, Peter Pan was always played by a young woman, but in the Disney version he is all boy. He's brash, mischievous, more than a little cocksure of himself, able to fight and defeat a grown pirate captain, and on top of all this, he can fly. What else is needed for a children's hero? Tinker Bell is one of Disney's best inventions. On the stage she is a blob of light flitting here and there; only in animation could she be realized as a real pixie, vain, conceited, totally devoted to Peter and madly jealous of Wendy. The three children, Wendy, John and Michael, are very well done in the movie, and the opening family scenes are priceless. When Peter and Tinkerbell sneak through the children's window, and zoom back out again with the children in tow, we want to sprinkle on some pixie dust and fly right out there with them. Second star to the right, here we come. The scenes at Neverland are funny and original, and the pirates are a riot. One of Disney's most hilarious, and underrated, characters in all his films, is the crocodile, Hook's nemesis, who can't wait to get another chomp out of him. (Poor Hook is reduced to a bundle of shattered nerves every time he hears that tick-tock, tick-tock coming towards his ship.) The only negative in this film is the scene in the Indian village; the stereotypes that were accepted without question in the 1950s are almost embarrassing now. However, it can't and doesn't detract from the fun. The songs are okay, nut nothing special; it's the action and animation that make this movie. Of all Disney's animated films, "Peter Pan" was the one I used to wish was real when I was a child. Maybe there is a little of Peter Pan in all of us.

Poor adaptation of Barrie's play misses the point.
"The Disney version" of "Peter Pan" clearly demonstrates what is so wrong with "The Disney version" of too many classic stories. It turns Barrie's play into a simple adventure tale, in which the dramatic and (dare I say it?) psycho-sexual elements at the center of Barrie's fantasy are discarded wholesale.

There are defensible reasons for this, I suppose. Drama requires talking, but characters who stand around gabbing bring an animated film to a dead stop. I also suspect that Disney simply didn't understand the story in the first place. It wasn't until the Ashman/Menken era that Disney films finally developed any dramatic focus.

It's unfortunate, because "Peter Pan" starts off well enough. The late Sammy Fain's "Second Star from the Right," played over the title cards, has one of the most-ravishing melodies in the history of American popular music. (Look for the albums "Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach" and "Heigh-Ho! Mozart" for superb "classical" arrangements of Disney tunes.) The "You Can Fly" sequence is inspired (and can you name any other pop song with an accelerando passage?). But everything quickly bogs down thereafter, with Captain Hook's machinations providing the only fun.

There just aren't enough good things in the Disney "Peter Pan" to make up for its failure to treat the source material in an honest and serious fashion.

A great cartoon classic, one of Disney's best
This wonderful Disney production offers flights of fancy that appeal directly to children's fertile imaginations. The ability to fly, to be a devil-may-care youngster and never grow up, to engage in derring-do with pirates, never having to bother with school, and exploring fantasy worlds of islands, mermaids, Indians and mysterious caves is a powerful magnetic pull for young dreamers. The lush color lensing of this animated adventure is superb, and the characters and catchy tunes add to the pleasure of watching this film, for young and old alike.

Peter Pan, the title character, is a spry, charming lad who loves his carefree existence. He is, however, upstaged by his companion, the delightfully naughty Tinker Bell, a temperamental pixie who literally sees red when Wendy accompanies Peter Pan to Never Land. Captain Hook and his shadow, the crocodile, the sniveling Smee, the beautiful mermaids, and the stoic Tiger Lily are the characters who stand out in this movie. Wendy and her brothers, John and Michael are okay and basically come along for the ride. The sprightly song "You Can Fly!-You Can Fly!-You Can Fly!" is just one of the memorable tunes for which Peter Pan is fondly remembered.

A quick, enjoyable Disney viewing.
This movie animates one of the most imaginative plays ever written, albeit with a little 'Disneyfication.' It's by far my favorite; there is an enjoyably long spectrum of characters. Every time I watch this movie, it takes me back to those times I wish I was in Never-Never-Land.

P.S. The claim that this movie is an allegory to the JFK years is easily refutable, since this movie was made in 1953, while the play is over a century old. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Comic book and comic strip artist Bob Kane (1916-1998) is best known as thecreator of Batman (1939), but he entered animation later in his career. Hisfirst effort was a spoof of his most famous character: Courageous Cat &Minute Mouse, which debuted in syndication in 1960. Unlike mostcat-and-mouse pairs, Courageous and Minute were allies, fighting crime inEmpire City. Four or five of the five-minute mini-stories were shown on eachhalf-hour program. Courageous is a generic-looking cartoon cat, while Minutesuggests a bargain-basement copy of Mickey. The animation is almost aslimited as Crusader Rabbit or Rocky and Bullwinkle, but withoutthe outrageous humor. The one running gag in the series is Courageous's Catgun, which can shoot a noose, disintegrator rays, a cannonballrepeller--everything but a bullet. It proves useful against such villains asProfessor Shaggy Dog, Rodney Rodent, Flat-Face Frog, and Iron Shark.

Thisfour-disc set includes all 130 five-minute episodes, but the prints havefaded badly and there's no evidence of any restoration work. Baby boomers (orGen-Xers) who grew up on the program may get a nostalgic buzz from watchingone or two episodes, but sitting through more than a few quickly cloys.Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse was never a great series, a fact that'smore obvious four decades after its debut. Kane went on to develop a secondspoof, the marginally superior Cool McCool (1966), a send-up of GetSmart. (Unrated; suitable for ages 5 and older: cartoon violence, tobaccouse) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great fun!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that there was a DVD set for this old series. I can remember watching it way back when I was a little kid in the 70s, but I had no idea there were 130 episodes. I had to buy it.

As I watched the first disk I was sure I'd made a mistake. These cartoons were bad. Bad to the point of being barely watchable. Choppy animation and ridiculous plots. But as I kept watching they grew on me all over again. Yes, they're bad, but they're so bad they're good. By the second disk I was hooked, and I couldn't wait for each subsequent episode. I think the best episodes were some of the strangest, such as the one Cold War shows with the two spies, and Marilyn Mouse, and the constant mentions of atomic weapons. I have to admit that I felt pretty sad when the last episode ended and the menu popped back up. Unlike so many shows which occasionally pop up in other incarnations, the end for this one really was the end. Still, I'd love to see a movie version of this someday.

The shows hold up amazingly well after 40+ years. So much of it is dated, but it's still a simple, somewhat innocent fun. My one complaint with the DVD is that the episodes don't seem to be in order ; either that, or this show has the worst continuity imaginable. But this I can certainly overlook, since it was so much fun to revisit this classic from my childhood.

Awsome
THIS SHOW IS AWSOME!!!!! I love the series. I also love all animation. This series is a dream come true. I love comedy and action adventure, so this dvd collection is perfect. If tou are thinking about buying this series..... do it!! You will not regret.

Who'd a thunk it?
I mean who'd'a thunk that ANYONE would ever release a complete set of Courageous Cat cartoons in ANY format. These cartoons were so bad that as a little kid watching them I wasn't sure if they were comedy/parody (they weren't funny enough to be that) or serious (who could take this stuff seriously?) Growing up in NYC, this was on channel 7 (ABC) early in the morning, and all us kids (at that time) thought of channel 7 as the cheesiest station in the city so, of course, they had the cheesiest cartoons--the cheesiest being Courageous Cat. Still, I plan to buy this set and tho I don't own it yet, I have a lot of these crummy cartoons on video tape and have seen them recently.
Why give it 4 stars after knocking it so much? Well, somehow CC & MM managed to be entertaining, even now after all these years. And they had that great Nelson Riddle music (which I always wondered about--how did they get a big shot like Riddle to do music for this super-cheapo production? Or did they just buy it canned from a stock music house?) As long as you don't watch more than 3 or 4 at a time (these grow tiresome awful quick) you'll get some chuckles out of this set

Not As Bad As I Remember -- It's Even Worse!!
...And that of course is the beauty of this series. I love bad TV and bad movies, and I don't care who knows it. Mid-'60s/'70s Hanna-Barbera is like Norman Rockwell or Disney compared to this cheesy animation. Good Lord, this collection is non-pariel in its awful-ness. Better yet, absolutely no effort was expended to beef up the sound (a la Fleisher's "Superman" animated collection from the '40s) or to gussy up the video. All of the substandard production values of the original series are kept gloriously intact -- even down to the audio. Yes, it's monaural. Perfect! I wouldn't have changed a thing, either. Thank you, A&E! Thank you!!!

This long-lost series was a staple of my childhood viewing regimen on New York's WABC-TV before school (along with the now politically incorrect "Jasper" series and the equally cheesy Terry-Toons), and after school on WNEW-TV. Total mindlessness, even to a 5-year-old. And even then, I could detect the inconsistencies in the production values. Multiple "artists", if you will, contributed their divergent takes on the characters within a single episode. What a mess.

This is the exciting part -- this 4-DVD collection represents the entirety of the series!! Yes --- 10 full hours of Flatface Frog (aka "Chauncy", aka "The Frog" ["mmmyeahhh"]), Robber Rabbit, stolen cheese, Marilyn Mouse, Professor Shaggy Dog, "I like bananas", Minute Mouse turning on Courageous Cat, "Don't worry, Minute! My (paralyzing/disintegrating/rope) gun will save us!"...the whole riff. All 130 episodes. Each and every one. Yep.

If this isn't one of the worst cartoons ever made, it's certainly in the Top 10. The studio went on to do another horrible series, "Sinbad, The Sailor", which seems to have fallen off into the ether somewhere, although Hanna-Barbera, if I recall correctly, did pick it up and improved upon it, sort of.

As for the creator of the series, the late Bob Kane, he can rest in the peaceful assurance that this package was released well after his death. Unfortunately, he was around for the filmed triumph and then the ultimate trashing of his greatest creation, The Batman. Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse were intended to have been a parody of Batman and Robin. Where this syndicated cartoon series failed in that regard, the last two "Batman" films more than succeeded in making a mockery of his characters. Talk about unintended consequences. Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse were far too corny to be considered satire.

I intend to watch all 130 episodes. I think I'll preface all future "feature presentations" with a cartoon. They'll appreciate what comes next all the more. I could play "Car Wash" and they'll think it's "Citizen Kane"!

Bravo, A&E!!! Bravissimo!!!!

Good Collection
This is the first cartoon collection that includes EACH AND EVERY episode in the series! 130 of 'em to be exact! So hats off to A&E! These cartoons are typical early 60's fare and 100% nostalgia. If you're looking for the fantastic art like early Fleischer, Disney or Warner Brothers, forget it. This is TV stuff...quickly made...not much detail...but it is very cool to see these cartoons that have been kept hidden for so many years. Courageous Cat is not your typical save-the-day, not-do-anything-wrong hero. He screws up on occasion, makes errors in judgement and is actually more of a regular guy trying to be a hero! I don't think it was intended that way, but that's how it comes across. Minute Mouse, on the other hand, could've been a lot better if they hadn't decided to use a high, irritating voice. The Frog, an Edward G. Robinson-type villain, is always fun to watch. Included is an essayed biography of Courageous Cat's creator, Bob Kane, creator of Batman (there are many similarities between these two characters). These cartoons are definitely flawed, but the nostalgia effect is wonderful. This is a wonderful addition to my personal collection and it should be in yours. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Diamond Collection consists of five Marilyn Monroe films plus the documentary The Final Days. Bus Stop (1956) stars Monroe as a singer who finds herself trapped at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere during a blizzard. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) was built around a trio of female stars, Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable, who play friends who come up with a plan to find and marry rich men. Monroe plays an ambitious showgirl in 1954's There's No Business Like Show Business, which brings together two giants of Broadway, Ethel Merman and Irving Berlin, to celebrate the glories that were vaudeville. Howard Hawks's 1953 musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes stars Monroe and Jane Russell as friends who go to Paris looking for mates. The film is charged by Hawks's stylish snap, a famous set piece or two (including Monroe descending that staircase while singing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"), Russell's wit, and songs by Leo Robin and Jule Styne. The Seven Year Itch (1955) is a memorable laugh machine. As a married man left alone during a hot summer, Tom Ewell shows off crack timing matched by Monroe's zesty comic flair, and the scene in which her white dress is blown skyward by a passing subway train has entered the encyclopedia of great movie images.

In The Final Days, producer-director Patty Ivins chronicles Monroe's final, aborted feature film, Something's Got to Give, which was ultimately shut down after the star was dismissed from the production. Beyond Monroe's fragile emotional and physical health, this well-crafted profile examines the financial crisis facing her studio as well as the mounting frustration of meticulous director George Cukor and his cast, including costar Dean Martin, as Monroe's absences drove the shoot over budget. The documentary concludes with a 40-minute reconstruction of footage completed for the feature, which would subsequently be reshot as a vehicle for Doris Day and James Garner, Move Over, Darling. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Goodbye Norma Jean
Are you in for a treat! The Diamond Collection features 5 Marilyn movies, and the first-time ever release of her final, unfinished film. First up is "Bus Stop", directed by Joshua Logan in 1956. Don Murray(in his first film) co-stars as a riotious young country cowboy. This bumpy romance is stage-bound and corny. However, it's final scenes reveal an emotionally scarred young woman's character that is hauntingly reminiscent of the "Marilyn Mystique". The second film is "There's No Business Like Show Business", from 1954. It's a back-stage show business melodrama; dated and slow. However, this new DVD offering is dripping with luxurious, mind-bogeling color. Dan Dailey co-stars, along with a very young Hugh O'Brian. The third film is 1955's "Seven Year Itch". Director Billy Wilder had filmed the classic "Sunset Boulevard" just 5 years before. "The Seven Year Itch" was a smash Broadway comedy hit for 3 years. Tom Ewell signed on to repeat his starring role. Ewell plays a hen-pecked husband, alone for the summer in his sweltering Manhattan flat. Then he meets "the girl". It's a fast moving satirical romp. The timing and acting are superb. It's near perfect. The fourth film is "How to Marry a Millionaire", from 1953.This vibrant, classy comedy stars Marilyn along with Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and Hollywood icon William Powell, who once romanced Jean Harlow. Marilyn easily steals the show. Her ditzy, near-sighted blond model named Pola is a scream from begining to end. Next is "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes(1953)". A famous action director, this was Howard Hawk's only musical. Jane Russell co-stars. The shipboard scene with Marilyn, Charles Coburn, and George Winslow ranks among the funniest ever shot! Finally comes a special treasure trove of Hollywood legend. "Something's Got to Give" has been locked away in a 20th Century film vault for 40 years. Carefully edited from 9 hours of film never seen before, it is perhaps the first half of her final intended film. Shot in 1962, it features her only nude scene. George Cukor directed parts of "Gone With the Wind" in 1939. Here he leads Marilyn and barks orders at child actors on the set. An exceptional cast includes Dean Martin, Cyd Charisse,Phil Silvers, Steve Allen, and the mysterious Wally Cox. 19 days behind schedule, filming was suspended due to Marilyn's poor health. Marilyn enticed the studio to begin re-filming, armed with a new million-dollar contract and a 2 picture deal. Ravaged by 10 years of Hollywood stardom, Marilyn suffered bouts of depression. She died in August, 1962, of a pill overdose. For the first time ever, the camera opens the door on this fragile, frightened, and damaged little girl living in a still beautiful 35 year-old woman's body. "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". But having just one friend might have helped save this little girl.

The DVD Diamond Collection captures the total appeal of MM.
MM (Marilyn Monroe) was and now again (due to these magnificent widescreen digitally restored picture & sound DVDs) the most celebrated film star of Hollywood.

The Technicolor quality & clarity of all the movies are worth the price of admission. This 6 DVD set allows us into the hey day of Hollywood with Marilyn becoming the most celebrated star of her era. These movies are all upbeat musicals (Theres No Business Like Show Business & Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Monroe & Jane Russell were honored & immortalized at Graumans Chinese Theatre (foot & handprints) for there success in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.) or comedies (How to Marry a Millionaire, Seven Year Itch (the famous subway grate dress scene), Bus Stop, & Something's Got to Give (her final incomplete film restored and edited for our enjoyment (40mins)).

Marilyn was captured on film forever but now her true beauty & talent explode off the screen with these restored beauties.

This collection has the beauty, the vulneribilty and talent of Marilyn Monroe. These DVD's are the best sampling of Marilyn's eternal stardom, total audience appeal & obsession with her.

MM is totally delightful in all these upbeat color filled movies. She always steals the scenes, lights up the screen & audiences always want more of Marilyn.

She can act (comedy & drama), dance, sing & win our hearts.

If you have ever wondered about this Hollywood phenomenon you can now see for yourself the true talent & beauty of Marilyn Monroe. There are many extras but the movies are the candy. So sit back and enjoy this Diamond Collection of this legendary star immortalized forever on these DVD's.

Absolutely essential collection of Marilyn Monroe films!
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For anyone who loves Marilyn Monroe, or even for anyone who knows nothing about her but wants to learn, this is an essential collection of her films.

Buy this set along with The Diamond Collection II, and you will have most of the best of Marilyn Monroe's body of work.

The surprise DVD in this set is the "Final Days" disc, in which Marilyn's final (uncompleted) film, "Something's Got to Give" has been reconstructed to give an idea of how the finished movie might have looked.

Marilyn missed a lot of shooting days on the set of this final film, which led to her being fired in mid-production. Acdcordingly, there is a lot of plot missing in this reconstruction. However, if you watch the Doris Day vehicle "Move Over Darling", which was a retitled and completed version of "Something's Got to Give", it will fill in the gaps so that you can watch the reconstructed "Something's Got to Give" and figure out the plot.

It's wonderful that at last we have this final glimpse of Monroe's on-screen magic. She appeared breathtakingly beautiful in the surviving footage of this film. It really makes me sad to realize she didn't survive the summer of 1962 so that she could complete the filming.

Ah yes... MMMmmmarvelous Marilyn!

Of these "gems", The Seven Year Itch is my best friend
OK, finally, the six videos in the first Diamond Collection, meaning her 20th Century Fox pictures. Not all are flawless gems, but rather most are the ones she is best known for, and we get an indepth, well-detailed narrative of her aborted last movie.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Yes, the musical that put Marilyn on the map after the success of Niagara. This movie is dated, but there's also the mindset of the opposites of its two stars. Lorelei Lee will simply drool over a diamond, while Dorothy drools over big pecs. Things aren't that way today. And the classic "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" led Madonna to duplicate that scene in her "Material Girl" video. Good songs and numbers mask a so-so plot and characters. Rating: 3.5

How To Marry A Millionaire: The second Cinemascope film made, Millionaire has MM teaming up with Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall, out to snag rich husbands. MM is Pola, a myopic blonde who keeps bumping into walls and things without her glasses, which she is reluctant to wear because "men aren't attracted to women who wear glasses." That's what she thinks. Again, the materialistic "money is everything" theme prevalent in the 1950's. Not bad, though. (Rating: 4).

There's No Business Like Show Business: Marilyn only has a supporting role as Donald O'Connor's love interest in this one, with the really hot Latin-flavoured "Heat Wave" number a highlight. Most of the drama in this splashy but with no substance movie goes to Ethel Merman, Dan Dailey, and O'Connor. Rating: 3

The Seven Year Itch: This has been my favourite MM film, not because of the skirt scene. For one thing, there's Tom Ewell's character, the married Richard Sherman, who has been happily married for seven years and has a great imagination, but not much esteem. Enter the Girl, a figure out of a dream, who tells him in a speech towards the end: "But there's another guy in the room, way over in the corner. Maybe he's kind of nervous and shy and perspiring a little. First you look past him, but then you sort of sense he's gentle and kind and worried, and he'll be tender with you. Nice and sweet. That's what's really exciting. If I were your wife, I'd be very very jealous of you." That cheered me up given my looks. Rating: 5

Bus Stop: The first film she did using Method acting, this is the film touted as the one where she could finally act, in her role as Cheri, a singer looking for respect who is initially flattered at the courtesy given by Bo, a green cowboy, who is so smitten at her, he intends to marry her, something that stuns her. She has no plans of marrying him, but unfortunately, Bo can't take no for an answer. Rating: 4

The Final Days: James Coburn narrates the events surrounding the making of Something's Got To Give, a remake of the Cary Grant/Irene Dunne comedy My Favourite Wife. The film would've been Marilyn's 21st, but due to her frequent absenteeism, an overdose, conflicts between director George Cukor and various writers, and the impatience of Fox studio heads desperate to be bailed out at the big slurping sound of cash draining at another debacle of a film also starring a temperamental actress, Cleopatra with Liz Taylor, it was alas not to be. Marilyn shines in some moments, such as the scene with the children. And the scene in the swimming pool is equal in exhibitionism as the skirt scene in The Seven Year Itch. She shows a bit of her derriere when she puts on the bathing gown, something that wouldn't have been allowed in the final cut, (read Mr. Hays). However, other scenes and outtakes show her in a drug-induced haze. Also included is the first 15-20 completed minutes of Something's Got To Give, where Marilyn totally shines in her scenes with Dean Martin and the children. I saw possibilities in this, as two months after being fired, MM had successfully negotiated a return to production for the film with a higher salary. That was on 1 August. Four days later, she was dead. (Rating: 4.5)

Overall rating: (3.5+4+3+5+4+4.5)/6=4.

The beautiful Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Parker is just as beautiful as Monroe, but her breasts are smaller.

Watch Parker act up a storm in "Interrupted Melody", playing the polio-stricken opera diva Marjorie Lawrence. ... Read more

Description

A beautiful, simple story of a man in post-war Rome who needs his bicycle in order to work at his job. No sooner does he retrieve it from pawn, then it is stolen. The heartwrenching search teaches the man and his son much about the meaning of life and just how far we will go when pushed to the edge. Winner of a special Academy Award. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Excellent Version of Classic Movie
A beautiful, humanistic portrayal of poverty and desperation as well as one of the most evocative documents of post-WWII European life. The sound and visual quality on the DVD are better than any other version I've seen and yet the film doesn't look "glitzed up" - no Dolby sound, no digital airbrushing - so it retains its common touch. The story simply concerns a man who's lost a bicycle that he desperately needs for his jobs and his day-long attempt to find it. Within this simple narrative framework, the director, Vittorio de Sica, and his writer, Cesare Zattavini, unfold Roman society as it existed just after the defeat of fascism - squalid, predatory, and cutthroat. De Sica astutely prevents the film from becoming maudlin through the toughness of his approach - the laborer's search for his bicycle focuses the film and seals off any intrusive melodrama. The ending, where the father shamefully faces his son after he's caught stealing a bicycle, is one of the cinema's most heartbreaking finales - right up there with Chaplin's "City Lights".

Although its status has diminished somewhat in some circles - by those who see it as a well-intentioned but programmatic Marxist fable - "The Bicycle Thief" remains, for me, a masterpiece and one of the most compassionate portrayals of poverty ever put on film. It would make an interesting double-bill with Bunuel's contemporary "Los Olivados" (1950), his pitiless masterpiece on those left out of the postwar good times. I can hardly wait for that film, as well as de Sica's "Shoeshine", to come out on DVD as well.

Neorealism at its most profound!
Imagine your family's livelihood depending on a bicycle. In post-war Italy, you compete with hundreds for a job where 25% of the work force is unemployed. The job is yours but it requires you to have a bicycle, something so simple as a bicycle and that bicycle gets stolen on the first day.

Neorealism - This wonderful Italian 1948 classic directed by Vittorio de Sica is an emotional depiction of degradation of the soul, loss of humanity and dignity. The film, one of the best in cinematic history, captures neorealism at its best.
Neorealism involves the use of location settings, non-actor roles, and conversational dialogue instead of literary dialogue, simple camerawork and editing. Neorealism offers a compassionate point of view with morality.

Here, we wish an innocent man with a family to support could find relief, satisfaction, comfort and justice. As for literary dialogue, there isn't anything great said here, it is simple conversation. No great special effects takes place, no shoot-um up bang bang, just plain old post-war Italy depicting real life, poverty, degradation and humanity. The VHS 50 year-old film is gritty and at times it is difficult to read the words.

Desperate - Antonio, a father and husband lands a job and on the first day posting movie billboard posters, the bicycle is stolen! Antonio frantically scours the streets and his little son Bruno tenderly tags along to recover the stolen bicycle. Now keep in mind that little Bruno is in the picture for one reason, and without him, we, the audience, would have a more callous attitude to the ending.

We see signs of post-war economic hard times, like the rows and rows of bicycle parts or hundreds of bedsheets that were pawned. The characters are non-actors in the real streets of Italy. You may need to see it more than once to catch everything or to understand its deeper meaning.

Neorealism Director Vittorio de Sica directed 34 feature films and won numerous international prizes. He was honored with four Academy Awards for "Shoeshine" in 1947 and "Bicycle