Andrea/Duck Dodgers here. I friendly welcome every fan of animation at my blog. The goal is to support the love and rediscovery of Classic Theatrical Cartoons from the Golden Age of Animation, keeping meanwhile an eye on Golden Age "Funny Animals" Comics as well as on modern animated productions! Every SUPPRESSED ethnic caricature to be sometimes presented here is just for HISTORICAL and EDUCATIONAL purpose and NOT to offend anyone. Stay Tooned and Enjoy the place !

Saturday, November 10, 2007

LTGC vol.5 - Something New Has Been Added!

... or at least something new for most of us who weren't even born when these cartoons played in the local cinema, in their full uncut glory. As you all know, many Looney Tunes were reissued without their proper openings and credits. Also, they were all mercilessly censored on TV. Because of that, it was difficult (or sometimes even impossible) to see many WB cartoons in their original and unaltered form. In this post, I will feature few curiosities and rare bits that have been restored in several cartoons from the latest Looney Tunes Golden Collection vol.5.

First, here are the title-cards and openings that have been fully restored. All these cartoons were seen only in Blue Ribbon reissued versions, for the last few decades:













Now, here are few scenes, previously censored in the majority of available prints.

  • I've Got To Sing a Torch Song (1933) - not a great cartoon, but interesting one for many reasons. Also, it was a very rare cartoon for a long time, before an excellent print appeared last year as a bonus in the superb "Busby Berkeley Collection". Oddly, this brief scene was missing, and nobody even knew of its existence:



  • Porky At The Crocadero (1938) - obviously, TV censors wanted you to believe that Cab Calloway caricatures are illegal, so this superbly animated scene of Porky in blackface has been excised:





  • Wholly Smoke (1938) - another brilliant cartoon by Frank Tashlin, and another scene you were not allowed to see:




  • Porky's Preview (1941) - Al Jolson in blackface, and as a stick figure. Wow, how offensive...



  • Crazy Cruise (1942) - I bet you haven't seen these scenes on TV:










  • Scrap Happy Daffy (1943) - again Tashlin. The whole cartoon was unofficially banned, though occasionally shown on TV. Also, it was nearly impossible to see a really good quality print, until now!








  • Hare Ribbin' (1944) - director's cut. Bugs shoots first :) And that's not the only difference between the dir.cut and the released version. One of my next posts is going to be dedicated to this cartoon, in both versions.





    The quality of restoration is on the usually great level, and I haven't so far noticed any offending mistakes (DVNR, interlaced transfers, etc.)
    One of the cartoons that benefited mostly from this new restoration is Tex Avery's Little Red Walking Hood. This cartoon was noted for its unique backround style - everything has been rendered with colored pencils. Visually, it's one of the most unusual cartoons, not only among Looney Tunes, but in the whole Hollywood cartoon production of the 30s and 40s. This new prints looks completely different from any available version (most of the other prints had the reddish tint). Does this restoration looks authentic and true to the original and intended look of this cartoon? We can't be sure, but it does look really interesting. Here are two screenshots, and you'll see many more in my next post.




    Don't forget to read the excellent GAC review of the new Looney Tunes DVD set, written by Matthew Hunter.

    T-t-t-that's all folks!

    Labels:

  • 10 Comments:

    Blogger Kevin W. Martinez said...

    That small African native in Crazy Cruise is animated by Robert McKimson, right?

    I'd love to see a "sequential" screen capture motnage of the native''s Tirdae, because despite it's Un-PC-ness, it's one of my favorite pieces of animation.

    8:42 pm

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Actually,once when I first saw "Crazy Crew" as a child of the 90s-while the cartoon left out the natives scene-they kept the closeup of the Japanese vulture.Of course I was too young to notice at the time. Now I must see what's so different about the director's cut of "Hare Ribbon" besides the obvious reason. (Bugs shot first:))

    10:50 pm

     
    Blogger J Lee said...

    Surprisingly, in New York, while scenes such as the end of "Fresh Hare" and "Goofy Groceries" had been cut out by the early 1960s, the cannibal scene and Japanese vulture from "Crazy Cruise" survived intact into the late 1970s. But the Hitler cartoons were taboo, given the area's large population of families with Holocaust vicitms or even survivors, who wouldn't find any Adolf gags remotely funny (which was the central gag behind Mel Brooks' "The Producers").

    9:46 pm

     
    Blogger Geoff W. said...

    Hi, I know this is completely off topic... unless the cartoon I'm looking for is on vol. 5. I remember it from when I was a kid, and I think it kinda scarred me in a way, but i don't know what its called, and I'm hoping you, or somebody can help.
    It was about a cat who always ate the bird (evidence by him hicupping a feather), until the owner gets a new, more challenging bird. Ultimately it ends after cat and bird have a huge fight, and the bird is swinging in his cage. Then he hiccups the cat's bow.
    If you can help me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

    12:40 am

     
    Blogger J Lee said...

    The cartoon you're thinking of is 1943's "Puss N' Booty", which is on Volume 4 of the Golden Collection. It's by Frank Tashlin and is the last B&W Warner Bros. cartoon.

    5:41 pm

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    The cartoon is "Puss and Booty" and can be found on last Year'e Looney Tunes Golden COllection volume 4

    6:09 pm

     
    Blogger Aurorah said...

    people should toughen up and accept that stereotypes exist instead of brushing them under the rug. I'm a forgiener in a country other than my own, and i get stereotyped all the time. do i want to censor it? no. when something is funny, its funny.

    7:57 pm

     
    Blogger Jimmy Smith said...

    I miss the days of those cartoons.

    Jimmy
    www.jimmysmithtraining.blogspot.com

    5:26 pm

     
    Blogger The UnMighty said...

    Ah racism. Now that's funny.

    8:27 pm

     
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I seem to recall CN showing the Japanese vulture in Crazy Cruise in late 2004. But, before that time it was always censored.

    3:39 pm

     

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