Tex Avery Box Set!?! (1 Viewer)

[Roger Rollins]

Although I am a huge Tex Avery fan, and have multi-region capacity, I'm passing on the French collection since it has been confirmed that they merely ported the old laserdisc transfers and that many of the cartoons don't look or sound very good.

I'm certain that when they come out here in the R1, they'll get the top-notch quality treatment they deserve.

I've read on several animation websites that many in France who have purchased this collection are up in arms over the use of censored, edited versions (as well as the omission of two great Avery shorts...UNCLE TOM'S CABANA and HALF-PINT PYGMY).

Can anyone who has this set confirm if any of the cartoons they included are indeed censored?

 

[BruceKimmel]

I have heard none of the above. Were the cartoons censored on the laserdisc version, since you say they "ported" over these transfers? And why don't you provide us some links as to where they are "up in arms" about it. In any case, I should have it before Christmas and I'll post then, if no one else has.

 

[BruceKimmel]

Um, looking at the list of included cartoons I see Half-Pint Pygmy listed, so I'm afraid Roger, that I'm going to have to discount your entire post. I've also heard that the cartoons all look fine.

Somewhere down the line Warners may restore every single Avery cartoon, but it won't be before the end of next year, IF then, and the fact is I can sell the laser and come out even. But, I really can't understand why any Avery fanatic would not want either the four or five disc set until then.

Again, once I get the disc in hand I'll report on it and do a comparison with the laserdisc set. Because, the one thing we know for certain in this thread is that while there have been a lot of posts with a lot of speculation, no one has actually seen the discs. And reporting incorrect information without at least checking up on the list of cartoons (which seems to be readily available, even to an Intenet dweeb like myself) is, well, it just is.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

If they use the current transfers, "Droopy's Good Deed" and "Garden Gopher" will be censored. If that is the case, this set should still have great value to many fans.

 

[Roger Rollins]

http://dvdattitude.com/viewtopic.php?t=4480&highlight=tex+avery[/url]

Above is a link to a French forum where this is being discussed....

 

[BruceKimmel]

Well, I'll look, but if they, like the idiot who gave it a one-star review at amazon.fr based on what he's heard (it's clear he hasn't SEEN the disc or even its contents) then I'm afraid the discussion will probably be worthless. For the record, here is some FACTUAL information, the contents of the discs:

DVD 1 :
Blitz Wolf (1942) - The Early Bird Dood It! (1942) - Dumb-Hounded (1943) - Red Hot Riding Hood (1943) - Who Killed Who? (1943) - One Ham's Family (1943) - What's Buzzin' Buzzard? (1943) - Screwball Squirrel (1944) - Batty Baseball (1944) - Happy-Go-Nutty (1944) - Big Heel-Watha (1944) - The Screwy Truant (1945) - Jerky Turkey (1945) - The Shooting of Dan McGoo (1945) - Swing Shift Cinderella (1945) - Wild and Woolfy (1945)

DVD 2 :
Lonesome Lenny (1946) - The Hick Chick (1946) - Northwest Hounded Police (1946) - Henpecked Hoboes (1946) - Hound Hunters (1947) - Red Hot Rangers (1947) - Uncle Tom's Cabaña (1947) - Slap Happy Lion (1947) - King-Size Canary (1947) - What Price Fleadom (1948) - Little 'Tinker (1948) - Half-Pint Pygmy (1948) - Lucky Ducky (1948) - The Cat That Hated People (1948)

DVD 3 :
Bad Luck Blackie (1949) - Señor Droopy (1949) - House of Tomorrow, The (1949) - Doggone Tired (1949) - Wags to Riches (1949) - Little Rural Riding Hood (1949) - Out-Foxed (1949) - Counterfeit Cat, The (1949) - Ventriloquist Cat (1950) - Cuckoo Clock, The (1950) - Garden Gopher (1950) - Chump Champ, The (1950) - Peachy Cobbler, The (1950) - Cock-a-Doodle Dog (1951) - Daredevil Droopy (1951) - Droopy's Good Deed (1951)

DVD 4 :
Symphony in Slang (1951) - Car of Tomorrow (1951) - Droopy's Double Trouble (1951) - Magical Maestro (1952) - One Cab's Family (1952) - Rock-a-Bye Bear (1952) - Little Johnny Jet (1952) - T.V. of Tomorrow (1953) - The Three Little Pups (1953) - Drag-A-Long Droopy (1954) - Billy Boy (1954) - Homesteader Droopy (1954) - Farm of Tomorrow (1954) - The Flea Circus (1954) - Dixieland Droopy (1954) - I'm Cold (1954) - Crazy Mixed Up Pup (1954) - The Legend of Rockabye Point (1955) - Field and Scream (1955)

DVD 5 is, of course, the two documentaries. Also, if you scroll down past the idiot review, you can see that it's garnered excellent reviews from customers, all five-star except on four and a half stars.

 

[Conrad_SSS]

I have this set, although I do not have R2 viewing capabilities yet.

I CAN confirm however that Mr. Kimmel's information above is INCORRECT.

The cartoon HALF-PINT PYGMY is NOT included on the set.
The sequence on "Disque 2" goes right from LITTLE TINKER to LUCKY DUCKY.

 

[BruceKimmel]

Well, then, I'll keep my mouth shut until I get the DVD - the info I posted was from someone selling the DVD - how would he get this info other than from the box, that would be my question.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Easter eggs, perhaps? Perhaps not, but worth looking into.

 

[BruceKimmel]

Just an update -

James Reader said: I don't think Amazon.fr will get any restocks.

Apparently you are incorrect. Before I could even cancel my order (having had one shipped from FNAC.com) they shipped the LE set, so I'll have two come Monday, and then we'll see what the deal is.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Look, Mr. Jerry Beck compiled these laserdiscs and is also working directly with Warner Bros on the official Region 1 sets, and he has indicated that the only reason this has been released accross seas is because the French were growing impatient and did not want to wait for the much superior restored prints which are currently in production. They will be out by the end of next year and they will be far superior! I don't see where the cynicism lies...

 

[AndyMcKinney]

They will be out by the end of next year and they will be far superior! I don't see where the cynicism lies...

Well, it's now six months later. Is this set still on track for an end-of-2004 release? Haven't even heard much about Tom and Jerry yet, either (and wasn't that supposed to be released before the Avery set).

As an aside, it would be a crime if the toons Avery started (but were completed by others) weren't included. I have an old 1981 off-air of "Deputy Droopy" and that is one really funny short! I would hate it not being included!

 

[AndyMcKinney]

They will be out by the end of next year and they will be far superior! I don't see where the cynicism lies...

Well, it's now six months later. Is this set still on track for an end-of-2004 release? Haven't even heard much about Tom and Jerry yet, either (and wasn't that supposed to be released before the Avery set).

As an aside, it would be a crime if the toons Avery started (but were completed by others) weren't included. I have an old 1981 off-air of "Deputy Droopy" and that is one really funny short! I would hate it not being included!

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Unfortunately, while still 100% "in the works", Jerry has informed me that it will not be released before the end of 2004 which means we will not have a Tex Avery box-set this year.

Given the product WB has been turning out in regards to classic animation with all the recent "Hanna-Barbera Collections" and future announcements, as well as the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. II" slated for mid-November, Vol. 1 of "The Complete Tom & Jerry Collection" out this Fall... it's apparent, however dissapointing, why WB would justify putting this on the backburner.

While I obviously have no definitive information, WB does plan on releasing this set and I can almost surely bet with good folks like Jerry Beck in association, that when it does come out we will have completely uncut and restored prints of ALL of Avery's MGM theatrical films.

If I had to guess, I would say that this should probably be expected early 2005 and I'm sure we'll probably hear something from Warner Bros. by the end of the year. I certainly hope!

Discouraging.. yes.

But in context to the R2 collection, I still would not justify importing unrestored prints of censored films with 3 or 4 MIA altogether.

If you could find the laserdisc set as a reasonable price (damn near impossible) to tie you over until this is officially announced, than go for it. Otherwise, with all the other classic animated product coming out this year, I'd suggest we just have patience and wait it out.

We can start pestering the WB execs on the forum come mid-year if nothing more has been relayed...

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Unfortunately, while still 100% "in the works", Jerry has informed me that it will not be released before the end of 2004 which means we will not have a Tex Avery box-set this year.

Given the product WB has been turning out in regards to classic animation with all the recent "Hanna-Barbera Collections" and future announcements, as well as the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. II" slated for mid-November, Vol. 1 of "The Complete Tom & Jerry Collection" out this Fall... it's apparent, however dissapointing, why WB would justify putting this on the backburner.

While I obviously have no definitive information, WB does plan on releasing this set and I can almost surely bet with good folks like Jerry Beck in association, that when it does come out we will have completely uncut and restored prints of ALL of Avery's MGM theatrical films.

If I had to guess, I would say that this should probably be expected early 2005 and I'm sure we'll probably hear something from Warner Bros. by the end of the year. I certainly hope!

Discouraging.. yes.

But in context to the R2 collection, I still would not justify importing unrestored prints of censored films with 3 or 4 MIA altogether.

If you could find the laserdisc set as a reasonable price (damn near impossible) to tie you over until this is officially announced, than go for it. Otherwise, with all the other classic animated product coming out this year, I'd suggest we just have patience and wait it out.

We can start pestering the WB execs on the forum come mid-year if nothing more has been relayed...

 

[Ted Todorov]

OK, now can someone remind me again why I shouldn't be buying the R2 box? Or is the mythical R1 set really on its way?

Ted

 

[LaurenceGarvey]

The R2 collection is edited. Keep your pants on; one will make it here sooner or later. Meanwhile, buy those Looney Tunes collections and order the Betty Boop multi-disc set from France. That'll keep ya busy.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

There is an upcoming HTF chat with Warner Bros. in two weeks... hopefully we'll than be able to put this discussion to rest.

Tex has seen commercial viability in every medium of the home video market to date with numerous VHS video releases from themed to best-of issues and so forth, a complete collection of films on laserdisc and an international DVD port of that same set.

It's quite obvious that there is a significant market for his directorial films.

If WB saw fit to port over the content of the old laserdisc set (albeit in edited form) for the French market, and with the past rumors we've heard from industry insiders who have direct involvement with such projects (Jerry Beck), it's only a matter of time before we R1 fans receive our deluxe definitive edition.

Yes, it is long overdue.

I'm am growing just as impatient as everyone else.

But I am still confident that Warners will have an announcement for us soon, and I am also confident that they will handle the production right.

The R2 customers made a huge fuss over the use of edited prints. We R1 fans have voiced our concern numerous times and George Feltenstein even addressed those concerns in an interview with The Digital Bits not too long ago. Along with the controversy over the two censored shorts in the first volume of The Complete Tom & Jerry films from WB, (which while we've had no updates in some time, Warner Bros. did seem genuinely apologetic about the oversight and I guarantee it will be addressed at the upcoming chat), I have no reason to doubt that a far superior R1 set is on the way.

If anyone is content with paying import costs on overpriced sets of dated and unremastered - EDITED - prints, sourced from old laserdisc ports... than go ahead and dip for the R2 set.

Personally, I can't believe anyone would be so willing to part with their money on such an inferior product.

I'm hoping further information will finally be relayed at the upcoming chat.. I'll personally be extremely dissapointed otherwise.

 

[ChrisPearson]

Actually, the appearance of edited shorts on the T&J set is one reason I fear for this set being handled properly. Warner has seemed very reluctant to release restored theatrical cartoon shorts with ethnic stereotypes and gags (none on the LTGCs so far) and apparently only included the edited shorts on the T&J because they mistakenly believed them to be complete prints of non-controversial films. For good or ill, there are a LOT of ethnic gags in Avery's films – many far stronger than in the work of most other cartoon directors of the period.

I fear that, instead of following the French model but doing it right (ie a complete, chronological, unedited set), Warner will repeat the mistakes they made with the T&J set: chronological but incomplete, so as to sidestep the problem of releasing material that censorious types deem racist (with maybe a few censored prints thrown in by mistake).

Of course, I would be overjoyed (literally) to be proved wrong.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Chris,

to be fair WB has issued some cartoons with blackface gags on the second LTGC set, albeit none too extreme.

Until WB clarifies and tells us otherwise at this upcoming chat on the 29th, I am going to continue to assume that the editing on the Tom & Jerry release was, as reported - a technical oversight and unintended. Again, if you read the interview with George Feltenstein posted at The Digital Bits from a few months back, he addresses the issues of censorship and editing in Warners animated film catalogue and professes that the studio is opposed to such practices in their classic film catalogue. Jerry Beck had also vaguely explained, that this was a big mistake and that WB feels terrible about it. I had given them the benefit of the doubt, though I'll admit that I started to grow cynnical due to the extensive delay in offering or providing customers with an official statement on the matter... but with the upcoming chat, I'm certain all our inquiries will be set straight.

I really don't think there's any reason to be skeptical of the prints sourced on any upcoming Tex Avery release, his name alone is one familiar mainly among classic film and animation enthusiasts and not something that would attract the average shopper or young children if displayed on retail shelves. I think Warner will promote this to the right audience... I just want to know when it's going to happen.