A few words about…™ Tex Avery Screwball Classics – Volume 1 – in Blu-ray

Between 1937 and 1955, Fred Quimby produced over 240 animated shorts, ie Cartoons. You’ll see his name as producer on this set.

The Tex Avery shorts included – 19 of them – are some of his finest work at the studio. But let’s get numbers out of the way.

He started his career working for Walter Lantz in 1930, and moved to Warner in 1935, working under Leon Schlesinger. His first there was Gold Diggers of ’49, working on many of the Daffy and Porky films.

In 1942, he made the move to M-G-M, starting with Blitz Wolf, which currently has an element problem.

During his tenure there, he directed over 90 films, through 1957.

Warner Archive’s initial offering, 19 in total makes a nice dent toward getting the complete M-G-M Avery films to Blu-ray, and it does it in the requisite quality, even using secondary elements for many of the films.

Most of you are aware of the Eastman House fire.

The majority of the M-G-M nitrate cartoon SE negatives were lost.

Volume 1 is a treasure trove of Technicolor cartoons.

Red Hot Riding Hood – 1943
Who Killed Who – 1943
What’s Buzzin’ Buzzard – 1943
Dumb-Hounded – 1943
Batty Baseball – 1944
Screwball Squirrel – 1944
Big Heel-Watha – 1944
The Screwy Truant – 1945
The Hick Chick – 1946
Lonesome Lenny – 1946
Hound Hunters – 1947
Red Hot Rangers – 1947
Bad Luck Blackie – 1949
Wags to Riches – 1949
The Garden Gopher – 1950
The Peachy Cobbler – 1950
The Chump Champ – 1950
Symphony in Slang – 1951
Daredevil Droopy – 1951

For those who truly know their color, some may see a small difference between SE material and CRIs, but it’s nothing about which to be concerned.

I can only think of two words that need to be said:

“More please!”

Every card carrying cinephile needs a copy of this. It arrives in a couple of weeks, and is currently at a street of $22. That’s $1.16 per film.

Possibly illegal in some states.

Image – 4.25 – 5.0

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – without a doubt

Highly Recommended

RAH