Tom and Jerry Collections (1 Viewer)

[Patrick McCart]

Warner would literally have to completely re-create the original titles. According to Jerry Beck, they are absolutely lost. While there may be a collector's print here and there, it's not very likely.

Warner is going to probably leave most Blue Ribbon Merrie Melodies alone for the Looney Tunes sets for the same reason. The actual negatives were edited. The only reason why cartoons like Scaredy Cat and The Foghorn Leghorn have original titles on DVD is because UCLA has original dye-transfer nitrate prints. (and I think about a dozen-or-so other Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies have existing original prints).

However, whenever Warner gets on the Popeye cartoons, they should be just like the original releases since Paramount, nor AAP/UA never cut up the original negatives.

 

[PaulP]

Yeah that's what I was referring to, complete recreation. I think it would be possible, and they can just put it there as an extra, and leave the shorts themselves as they are.

 

[RolandL]

That site also talks about Perspecta sound. I know it's not real stereo but, it would be fun to hear the sound moving from one speaker to another.

 

[Ruz-El]

So is Jerry hinting at a box set in September? I always remember hearing rumors of a Tom and Jerry box set, so is this it?

I'll buy that over the single disc releases.

Now all we need is the MGM Tex Avery cartoons!

 

[Dick]

Not all, Russell... there are the POPEYES, Columbia's UPA series, Fox's TERRYTOONS, Universal's WALTER LANTZ cartoons... oh, lots of stuff still in hiding.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The Terrytoons are now with Paramount, actually.

Columbia really ought to release some UPA/Columbia cartoon sets... the whole library has been restored (except for a few lost cartoons and a few which survive only in fragments). Warner continues restoration on the LT/MM catalog and the Popeyes...yet already has one set on the shelf.

Paramount still owns some cartoons from the late 1950's to the late 1960's...

Artisan is sitting on Betty Boop (although, I'd rather see Paramount do some remasters from UCLA's restorations for DVD).

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Yes, its not being hinted though - its confirmed for a September release.

The Universal/Lantz Woody Woodpecker Show segments are already available through Columbia House's Video Library as an exclusive offer. They are tv prints however some shorts are featured uncut and if taken in context, an excellent purchase.

The Fleischer Popeyes should be coming sometime in the next year as well, hopefully in late 2004 to tie in with his 75th anniversary. Jerry Beck has already attested to seeing 2 of the restored films. He has also mentioned that Warner and King Features are finaly making progress over the rights issues so I'm hopeful that we'll at least get an official statement concerning a Popeye collection in late 2004.

Tex Avery's MGM cartoons are also on the way according once again to our good friend Jerry Beck who has stated that the restoration progress is underway and from the various statements I've heard over the net, I'd expect to see a box-set in late 2004 or early 2005 at the very latest!

Unfortunately the Columbia cartoons are just sitting around collecting dust as nobody seems to care about their viability. It would be great if someone would approach Columbia about licensing their properties but again nobodies shown interest. Same with Paramount's Noveltoons. Its a shame.

It would also be great to see some of the Happy Harmonies, Barney Bear, Screwy Squirrel and non-Tex Droopy's released through Warner Bros. as well but they have so much on their plate already. I imagine once the T&J and Avery sets are released and the next installments of Looney Tunes and Hana Barbera collections are well underway, they might start to focus on other such properties...

 

[PaulP]

Well Jerry Back answered my inquiry about putting a recreation of the 1940s titles on the set as an extra, perhaps with an introduction saying how this is approximately how the titles really looked like back then in theaters:

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

^ That's too bad. I hope they feature at least some pencil tests and some sort of featurette on the most famous cat and mouse duo in animation history. Commentaries would have been nice too but as long as we have all of the cartoons presented uncut in chronological order, I'll be satisfied.

 

[PaulP]

That's why in the beginning of this thread I said that the disc announced for R2 doesn't seem to be the definitive edition that Jerry Beck's working on. I mean, only 13 pounds? I'm sure it'll probbaly be at least a two-disc set, and cost at least 30 bucks, and have much nicer cover art.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Actually Paul,

This would appear to be the R2 edition of the collection from what I can see, as all of the cartoons listed above are chronologized in order of their theatrical release, starting with the first ever Tom and Jerry MGM film - 1940's, "Puss Gets The Boot" all the way through to 1946's, "Trap Happy".

Generally, Warner's compilation sets have presented the shorts in a random or 'loosely-themed' order based on the context of the disc, and never have they issued 24 cartoons onto one of their single barebones compilation releases.

Again, this also illustrates the fact that the cartoons presented are derived from the classic 1940-1958 MGM years, just as WB has indicated w/ regards to the upcoming Region 1 issue, and as announced above, a second continuing volume should be expected on May 3rd.

Taken everything into consideration, I would assume that the above listed set is indeed the R2 version of what we should expect to be seeing this coming Fall. I would highly doubt that the cover art posted is the final version though..

 

[Derek_McL]

These are definitely official Warner discs we're getting by the looks of it. It certainly looks like these are the transfers which will be incorporated in Jerry's boxset in September with possibly a few extras ? Is region 2 getting that set or is this something else I'll have to buy online which isn't easy in my situation ?

Personally if these are uncut, restored etc and there is no reason to suggest otherwise I think I'll be quite happy to get the region 2s in April and May : both discs look as if they can also be bought together in a collector's set. I don't know if that will include anything extra. I'm interested in these but I just want the best examples as with Looney Tunes and the Disney Treasures.

Interesting I never realised these were in chronological order. I think my interest is getting perked even more by that. I wonder how far the second R2 set will take us. Presumably it will contain the next 24 cartoons.

 

[PaulP]

The operative word should be "unedited", not "uncut", because while there certainly have been snips done, a lot has been edited, like original voice acting, for instance - but that's just semantics really.

I would hold out for the R1 editions. I'm not PAL/multi-region capable anyway, so there's no issue for me, but these R2 editions seem to be without any extras at all. Extras on the R1 sets won't be as abundant as on the Looney Tunes set but there should be a few. Hopefully Jerry liked my idea with the original titles enough to include it in some way.

 

[PaulP]

Here's the official details of the R2 disc along with a large cover art:

http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?...3359&n=1&burl=

Is it me or do Tom and Jerry look NOTHING like they do in the actual shorts?