![]() The two earlier Red Hot Riding Hood cartoons finish here with Swing Shift Cinderella they must have been responding to G.I. I believe the cartoons are also presented in chronological order. They must have planned from the start to distribute ‘the good stuff’ evenly, and this finisher does not have a ‘whatever was left’ feeling. I found that Volume 3 has more variety than the other volumes. In 1954 Avery began doing ‘Chilly Willy’ cartoons for Walter Lantz at Universal. In the early ’50s the MGM studio was literally disintegrating, dropping its contract players and shutting down departments. Tex Avery averaged about nine cartoons per year at Warners but only five a year at MGM, from 1942 to 1955. Also, this collection has beautifully restored the Public Domain cartoon Jerky Turkey, which has been circulating for years in terrible transfers. We all grew up with a censored version, but this original makes repetitive use of a ‘raspberry’ sound effect that the Production Code overlords - or was it TV standards & practice people? - deemed in bad taste. The ‘scoop’ of the set is the inclusion of a Tex Avery cartoon that’s not from MGM, the Warner Bros.’ 1941 Crackpot Quail. Studio short subjects apparently face the same restoration problems that features do, perhaps more. Beck adds a details about fixes and saves done to individual cartoons. We hear about a proposed more complicated Avery disc that didn’t happen. The article explains that, unlike the first two discs, Volume 3 was put together while George Feltenstein was absent from the Warner Archive. You may have missed an important Cartoon Research article last September 7 (2021) by the animation authority Jerry Beck that offered Some Advance Notes on ‘Tex Avery Screwball Classics’ Volume 3. If you want to read good observations about Tex Avery’s madcap style or his biographical background, then get thee forthwith to the CineSavant reviews for Volume 1 and Volume 2, written by correspondent “B” and our own Charlie Largent, respectively. CineSavant’s more cartoon-attuned contributing reviewers took on the earlier Volumes. ![]() This is hopefully a not too- superficial look at Volume 3. The kids loved the cartoons so much, they insisted I glue a sticker that came with the second tape to our little VHS cabinet. One of our best Christmases back in the early ’90s, with grandparents visiting, was watching the first VHS that George Feltenstein pushed onto the old MGM/UA Home Video release schedule. Have you any over-five kids or relatives that need exposure to quality twisted wit? These cartoons are guaranteed to turn newbies into bundles of laughing jelly. We’re basically here to celebrate the Tex Avery Screwball Classics Volume 3 disc, and maybe to convert a few more ‘cartoon haters’ to the shining path of virtue. The new Captains of the Clouds carries two eye-popping Bugs Bunny cartoons. The Warners and MGM cartoon heritage has benefitted as well - newer WAC disc releases are often accompanied by beautifully restored cartoon short subjects as well. We didn’t think they’d ever become financially feasible. We’re happy to note that The Warner Archive Collection didn’t suffer, and in fact is knocking us out with an incredible new wave of digitally recombined and optimized Technicolor restorations. Yes, the review is half a year old but we make no excuses Warners was a little disorganized last year as well. Available at / Street Date Octo/ 21.99 You won’t believe they showed Avery the door, and let him lend his talents to TV commercials! The disc came out last October but it’s still worth crowing about now.ġ942-1955 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 150 min. Plus the insane King Size Canary, the most endearing Droopy cartoon and the minimalist wonder Billy Boy. This third Volume of Tex’s MGM cartoons has both variety and some top favorites, plus his first, the intense Blitz Wolf and his last, the surreal Cellbound. There may still be people unaware of the anarchic joy of Tex Avery, so we’re making it our business to enlighten them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |